EPP meets JMB (the little bullet that could)

[Adirondack Jack]

When I first tried El Paso Pete's prototype EPP/UG 45 147 bullets, I wanted badly to try a few in the 1911 while I was at it, but I simply didn't have any to spare.

I mentioned to DD at the time that this little pup MIGHT just feed in the 1911.

As mentioned on the other thread, I have a bunch of the EPP UG 45 150s cast up out of WW and water quenched.

Tonite I lubed some with a "generic" smokeless lube (if it smells like crayola, it has to be good ) and when I was done, remembered the 1911 idea.

So, consulting my available powders and some good reloading data, I found a recipe for a 155 and Red Dot.

Not gonna give the exact recipe YET, but I loaded up some EPPs, taper crimped with the LEE FCD, over the shoulder, and dragged the SA Champion out of the safe.  Sure as God made little green apples, they "slide drop" feed and "speed rack" feed just as slick as a whistle.  All that remains is to see how they shoot, and if I chose a recipe that is compatible with my mainspring (hot enough for the factory "ball" spring)

They ought to clock somewhere around 1100 fps

Might be this bullet ends up with a use outside of CAS?

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy AJ,

I have to wonder if ol El Paso Pete pondered that problem?  I know he had a 1911, but I don't know if he ever got around to loading any of his prototype bullets for it.  If he did, I never heard of it.

Since the 45 ACP head spaces on the rim, it ought to work.  I'll be interested in hearing how they fly and how they group.

For myself, I never liked a gun that left empties layin' around all over the place at the scene of the crime.  I much prefer to keep my brass in a neat little circle till I shuck it out.  Makes findin' my empties a lot easier and convictin' myself a lot harder.

I'll watch for your results.

DD-DLoS

[Adirondack Jack]

Well, I'm back from the range.  I only fired 4 rounds, as it was 30 degrees, spitting snow, and wind blowing 30 mph.  Didn't even try to hang paper targets, and using the chrony would have been a problem, as the skyscreens would have tried to take flight.

I did pop a gallon water jug to assess the potential to disrupt molecules of water in a hurry. The jug split nicely.  I did pop a 1 inch rough pine board with a 16 lb bowling ball behind it, tearing an egg yolk sized chunk out of the bowling ball.  I suspect this load, 5.5 grains of Red Dot, is running somewhere near 1100 fps.

The SA Champion, a 4 inch 1911, fed and functioned perfectly, with no FTRB or any other issues.  It shot pretty well where I pointed it too.  Though conditions were lousy, and I shot tradtional from not over 10 yards, the elevation was pretty durn close to POA.

I know this is off topic here, but to me it represents an interesting sidebar to the EPP UG 45 150 story.

If the chrony proves the load to run 1100 fps, it ends up about 20% more energy than a 230 ball load, with 10% less momentum (recoil) and a hair less TKO (10 vs 11).


Might be a good bowling pin load owing to the energy levels with modest recoil?

So, DD ole pard, ya might wanna consider chatting with the folks at Brianenos.com or any of the other 1911 oriented sites.  They might be interested in the EPP?

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[Dick Dastardly]

Thanks AJ,

I'll have to look up that site.  I find your experiment more than a little interesting.  I have to ponder the question of how many projectiles span that many years of shootn' irons.  FWIW, I shot it in my flintlock muzzle loading pistol and it engraved the rifling perfectly and hit dead on.  So, from flintlock to 45 ACP, that's a quite a few years for Pete's lil creation to perform well in.

Dang, I don't know of a flintlock pistol URL tho. . .  Hey, I could give it a try in my Thompson Center Seneca 45 Cal rifle next.  Great squirrel round maybe. . .

DD-DLoS