Connecticut Preparedness Community Forums

So my uncle has a Colt Revolver made for black powder loaded 45LC ammo. He has been buying ammo from a guy in Midwest who been making Low load smokeless powder cowboy loads for him to shoot out of it. I read online this isn't a good idea. Plus this perso I from Midwest will no longer ship to Connecticut. My uncle wishes me to make these for him. So my question is do I find the original black powder load data and do that. Or do o ise a low powered smokeless powder cowboy load. Any suggestions ?

Look up Trailboss powder data. It can be used to replicate black powder loads, both pressures and velocities, but it's smokeless.

You can also load black powder or BP substitutes like pyrodex. Black powder is easy, typically the case is filled to the base of the bullet, so there is no airspace between the powder and the bullet. But, it's dirty, stick with Trailboss.

Ok thanks. Only reason I am doing this is because that guy won't ship to Connecticut anymore. Well that and I get to keep the die set lmao

45 Colt is a very easy cartridge to reload for. 200 - 250 gr lead bullets are inexpensive and readily available, and the powder is builky so theres no chance of a double charge.

EDIT:
As an example of the Trailboss powder, I load 45 Colt with it, to shoot in a blackpowder cap and ball revolver, with a conversion cylinder. Im loading to about 825 fps.

Most load manuals give 45 Colt data for older SA revolvers and for Rugers and Thompson Contenders. The older SA revolver data is gtg for your purposes.
Plenty of choices of bullets and suitable powders. Load them with procedures just like you would .38 Specials.

FWIW, here's what Hornady 3rd Edition states:
"Shooting jacketed Hornady pistol bullets in the 45 Colt, we were able to reach (and safely!) 1000 fps with our 250gr. Hollow Point and Winchester's excellent 296 pistol powder. At such a velocity the big Long Colt slug carries 555 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, substantial performance from a cartridge so ancient. We definitely do not recomemnd a steady diet of such steamy loads in most single actions, for they do tend to loosen things up inside. And of course we never recommend that any shooter with any firearm start with the listed maximum load; top loads must be worked up...."
They used an amputated Colt Buntline Special with a 4 3/4" barrel.
250 gr. JHP is #4520. The only other bullet in Hdy E3 is the 200gr LSWC #4526
Starting loads (@ 600 fps) for this LSWC (1.540" COL) are:
Bullseye 4.6gr / Red Dot 4.7gr / 700X 5.0gr / 231 6.3gr /2400 12.1gr
630 starts at 11.9gr @ 700 fps.
Unique starts at 8.8gr @ 850 fps.

I would stick with Trail Boss . Works great for this application. I use LSWC 200 grn. head.