David Bradshaw Photos - Vol. XL

[Lee Martin]

Some fine work from David using various .45 Colt loads:
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45 Colt. Cast .452" 335 grain Long Flat Nose Gas Check, with two crimp grooves. Photo, L-to-R: bullet; roll crimp bottom groove; crimp top groove; deep seated with roll crimp on ogive.


335 LFN GC seated in cases marked to show bullet base and relative powder space.


100 yds: Freedom Arms M83 .454 Casull 4-3/4" bbl. w/ 45 Colt cylinder. 335 LN GC over 12.5/HS-6; WLP; FC brass; crimp top grooce, COL=1.696". Vel=997 fps. 5x5=3.1"; 4x5=1.7" sandbag 100 yards.


Cast 335 LFN GC seated deep over 20 gr./H110, WLP, Win .45 Colt brass; crimp on ogive for COL=1.555". Velocity=1109 fps. 5x5=2.3", 4x5=0.8" @ 100 yds.


Leupold 4x28mm LER in Leupold rings. Leupold Dual Dovetail mounts to FA factory countersink for extreme recoil resistance. Leupold factory target turrets w/ 1/2" @ 100 yd micrometer clicks.




M83 replaceable firing pin bushing should be retrofitted to original Casull revolvers. Unlike the Ruger, an FA firing pin subjected to dry fire soon breaks. Spanner screw drive easily made from flat bit driver.


335 LN GTC deep seated over 19/H110, for 1040 fps. 5x5=2.8", 4x5=1.6" @ 100 yds.


335 LFN GC over 22/H110, seated to crimp in top groove for COL=1.696", failed to equal accuracy and velocity of deep seating over 20/H110.


To give right hand a rest, most shooting done left hand. Industrial nylon belting covers sandbag. Oehler 35P (Proof Channel) chronograph. Groups @ 100 yds shot simultaneous to velocity measurements.




Five shots offhand, right hand modified Weaver, sunset 100 yds. 335 LFN GC seated deep over 20/H110.


First shots w/ 335 LFN GC @ 200 yds; dusk, too dark for spotting scope. Of five rounds, four hit target. Sketch subtends actual scale of Leupold Duplex reticle. Crosshair measures 6"----center-to-Duplex @ 100 yds. Thus, 12" @ 200 yds. Hope was to hold top of bull to get shots on target; 4 of 5 on target measure 6", with 28" drop from 100 yard ZERO.


Cast .452" 335 gr. LFN GC deep seated over 20/H110. Dusk. Obviously, bullet-powder-seating combo tracks well @ 200 yds.


L-to-R: Freedom Arms president Wayne Baker, David Bradshaw, Pachmayr president Bruce Baker (no relation), and Pachmayr's Carl Cupp. IHMSA Championship 1986. David brought the Bakers together, and Pachmayr made its neoprene grip for the M83. Pachmayr grip improved control during long strings of fire.


Group shot in rain off bag @ 200 yds. 335 LFN GC deep seated over 11.7/HS-6----1048 fps. Extreme spread 9 fps.


335 LFN GC deep seated over 20/H110. Shot in rain from bag. 5x5=7.2" @ 200 yds. COL=1.555. Velocity 1116 fps, ES 10 fps.


335 LFN GC crimped in bottom groove over 28.3 gr. of discontinued Winchester 680. Replaced in burn rate & performance by Accurate 1680. Despite higher velocity of 1247 fps, Win 680 exhibits longer barrel time, resulting in higher POI (Point of Impact). Sketch subtends actual POA (Point of Aim) with Duplex reticle.


Offhand, right hand modified Weaver, 100 yds. 335 LFN GC deep seated over 20/H110.


Offhand, left hand modified Weaver, 100 yds. Cast 335 LFN GC deep seated over 11.7/HS-6.


-Lee
www.singleactions.com
"Building carpal tunnel one round at a time"

[Deleted]

thanks for the informative post. i was thinking it was about time for a Bradshaw photo essay.

[whitworth]

Sept 25, 2014 20:24:32 GMT -5 @flexjr said:

thanks for the informative post. i was thinking it was about time for a Bradshaw photo essay.

Indeed!

[tek4260]

I see you believe in the loctite!

Impressive shooting sir! Do you believe that the longer oal loadings would match the accuracy of deep seating if you simply added enough H110 to equal the load density of the lighter charge/deeper seat? Maybe bring that 22gr charge up to 24 or 25gr and see if it equals the lighter loading in accuracy.

[contender]

Kinda what I thought when I saw this over on the RF. I always enjoy these essays into shooting.

[cmillard]

well done!

[paul105]

David,

A couple of questions, then a comment.

Regarding the brass you used in these tests:

Did you do any special brass prep (trimming to uniform length, primer pocket uniforming, or flash hole deburring?

How many times had the brass been fired before these tests?



Now for the comment.

I for one really appreciate this post. It confirms what I’ve personally experienced (to a lesser degree of precision for sure) since I bought my first FA97 .45 Colt in 2006.

One of the biggest “innernet” complaints about the FA97 .45 Colt is the lack of bullets that “can be used” in the short cylinder. Due to the FA97 OAL constraints of about 1.600”, I’ve loaded Keith type SWCs (255gr to 300+gr), and LBT LFN or WLN bullets (300 to 335gr) by crimping over the front dr band, or up the ogive -- All with more than acceptable results.

My two “go to” loads in the .44 Mag use .44 Mag brass and “deep seated” bullets. The two favorites are 6.5gr HP38 under the standard commercial 240gr SWC BB and 17.5gr of A2400 under the 265gr SWCGC (Thompson GC).

Another example is my Freedom Arms M83 in .475 Linebaugh using SWCs that would otherwise be too long for the cylinder if crimped in the crimp grove.

Seems like the scoped, short barreled revolver is another misunderstood handgun. I’ve posted the following picture before, and it usually draws some humorous comments. In reality this 3 1/2” round butt, .45 Colt FA97 scoped with a Leupold 2x is powerful, accurate, portable and easy/fun to shoot. It weighs less than an unscoped 4 5/8” FA83 and 300gr/335grs at 1,100 fps should handle most anything encountered in the L48.



Thanks again for a most informative and useful post.


Paul

[bradshaw]

Thanks, gentlemen of the sidearm.

tek4260.... perhaps 24 to 25 grains/H110 under 335 LFN GC with standard seating will equal or surpass said bullet deep seated over 20/H110. In the meantime, this experiment slants toward shootability over hard velocity. "Shootable" implies control. On the basis of the looser group with conventionally seated bullet over 22/H110, modest velocity for charge compared to deep seated, and greater velocity spread, instead of boosting H110, I went right over to Winchester 680. As with the H110 used in this report, the Win 680 is at least 35 years old. (Intend to compare old H110 with much newer, but predict similar performance.)

Fell in with Win 680 during development of .357 Maximum winter 1980-'81. Powder exhibited sweet burn, velocity, and accuracy characteristics with 180 and 200 grain bullets in the Maximum. Since the .45 Colt is such a voluminous case, I was curious to see if Win 680 might take advantage under a heavy bullet with plenty of hold-back on ignition. (Sometimes it takes a powder to save a bullet. While this isn't the case with the .452" 335 LFN GC, Win 680 may nevertheless represent a ticket to velocity on a soft pressure curve.
David Bradshaw

[bradshaw]

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[bradshaw]

paul 105.... for your .44 mag deep seating cast 240 SWC over 6.5/HP-38----just a grain over my load of 5.5/HP-38 or Win 231 (same powder). Your 265 SWC GC over 17-5/A2400 reminds me of deep seating .44 swaged pure lead 240 SWC Half Jacket over 17/Hercules 2400, for 1060 fps from 6-1/2" S&W----great accuracy and deer taming.

Preparation of .45 Colt brass used in report starts with maintaining lots, carbide size/decap, wash. Clean primer pockets. Weigh cases. Chamfer barely visible to maintain a nearly square mouth. Bell as little as can get away with. Charge with RCBS Uniflow. Seat. Separate any which seat "too lightly." Roll crimp.

Neither trim, nor mess with primer pockets. And I certainly do not enlarge flash hole.

David Bradshaw

[bradshaw]

Notes----45 Colt

Barrel Time and Point of Impact (POI)
a) Long barrel time raises POI.
b) Short barrel time lowers POI.

Bullet weight & Point of Impact
a) Heavy bullet raises POI.
b) Light bullet lowers POI.

Same bullet----Powder Burn Rate (BR) affects POI.
a) Fast powder (fast BR) shortens barrel time to lower POI.
b) Slow powder (slow BR) lengthens barrel time to raise POI.
c) Medium powder (medium BR) puts POI between fast and slow powders.

David Bradshaw

[tek4260]

I'll have to look up Win 680 and do a bit of studying.

I am not sure how much recoil would be added by the increase in powder charge, but I don't think it would be too terribly much. I do feel that when people load H110 to less than 100% density, they are doing themselves a disservice. I realize it is hard to step out past the book, but it really does make a difference as seen in your deep seating groups. Would it be safe to assume that the deep seated load it at least 100% density?

[Markbo]

As always facsinating stuff. How did Wayne Baker (and Dick Casull if you know) feel personally about "rubber" grips on his guns?

[bradshaw]

tek4260.... in some environments, H110 does not need to be load at 100% density (no air space) for excellent accuracy and low deviation velocity. With Leupold 4x mounted, my old nickel M-29 8-3/8" prints the old, pre-XTP Hornady 200 JHP over 22/H110 into 2" @ 100 yards. Same charge under the pre-XTP Hornady 240 JHP also shoots beautifully, and both take whitetails cleanly. ( Have only taken lung shots with the 200 JHP.)

One of above photos shows the cast 335 LFN GC deep seated over 19/H110, which leaves a thin slice of air space. Accuracy, consistency, and velocity just a hair below 20/H110 load. Hodgdon HS-6 has been a supreme medium burn powder for decades in a variety of pistol cases, with generally fine accuracy spanning light to heavy bullets. It seems that the grip afforded by deep seating imparts a moment of hold-back that improves ignition of H110 under the lead bullet. With conventional seating, ignition and burn improves from a full dose of H110.

Heavy dose of Win 680 imparts a push to recoil----the above load noticeably consistent. Yet, despite the good result, I consider this an experimental load.
David Bradshaw

[bradshaw]

paul105.... appreciate your posting photo of your Model 97 pocket revolver. Three questions:
a) Can you pull the cylinder without first removing the ejector housing? If not, perhaps a ring-type button could be fashioned, which would allow the ejector button to override the cylinder pin.

b) Does bullet blowback throw fouling on your objective lens?

c) Are those Weaver 4x4 rings? How well are they holding up?
David Bradshaw