TargetTalk

I have a GT-45 Pardini with a 6" bbl, a Pardini rib, and an Aimpoint mini red dot that I am trying to work up a reliable load for. I am using the Zero 185gr LSWCHP bullets and have the following powders, WST, Bullseye, 231, and Unique. So far I have tried 4.3 and 4.5 grains of WST, very good accuracy but did not completely cycle the slide or lock it back with the medium Pardini recoil spring. With the light spring the slide cycled fine but the light spring would not reliably close the slide on a new round. I tried 4.0 grains of bullseye but it was even lighter, and had the same result with 4.7 grains of 231. Any recommendations for pet loads or should I just increase the loadings by .2 grains at a time until I get reliable operation.

Thanks

Have you tried lswc's? My GT45 feeds 200 grain lswc's just fine. I've been shooting that with 4.0 grains of WST, but it's dead reliable with 2.8(!) of WST for the short line. My dot is frame mounted, so you'll use more powder.

If you do a search you will find lots of loads on this site for the GT45.

Right now I am shooting 2 bullets.
The Zero LSWCHP 185 3.9 BE long line. (You said you tried 4.0)
Quality 160 SWC 4.4 BE short line.
Both cycle fine. I use the medium recoil spring.

You said it didn't close the bolt on the round, with a light load, make sure you seat your bullets so just a 1/16 sits above the rim. Use your barrel as a seating depth gauge.

Actually, I said that the light spring would not completely close the slide, it stops about 3/16 from going completely into battery but a nudge from my thumb is all that is needed to fix that. The slide mounted aimpoint probably doesn't help matters any either, just that much more mass to cycle. I must say though, that I am very impressed with the accuracy of the Zero bullet. I load it to an oal of 1.225-1.230 which gives me about .035 lead exposed. This cycles perfectly with the WST powder aside from the stovepipes and not locking the slide back.

Right now I'm using 4.5WST with a 200SWC. The case being extracted will sometimes hit the cutting shoulder of the SWC in the magazine and cause a stove pipe jam. This occurred more during the past summer when the temps were higher. So much so, that I am now looking for a new load, maybe a lighter load will fix the issue. I am also looking at a new mold of either a RN or TC design, just something with no shoulder.

I have a 5" GT45, not sure which spring.

Actually, I said that the light spring would not completely close the slide, it stops about 3/16 from going completely into battery but a nudge from my thumb is all that is needed to fix that.

I get the same thing once in a while, maybe one every 200 shots.
Have never been able to figure out why.
As far as I can tell, it's not from a light load. It may be the way the barrel locks up.

I can not get wad cutters to feed reliably. Tried 185 and 200 grain and no luck. 200 is better than 185 with fewer stove pipes.

4.7 vv n310 behind a zero 185 jhp for long line. Short line I went to using berrys or extreme 185 plated flat nose. Reduce powder to 4.2 vv n310. Lower cost bullet and it hold 10 ring fine at 25 yards. Bullet choice is for lower cost. On a warm day usually no click adjustment between 25 and 50. On a cool day I need to click the 25 yard load up 2 clicks. The 185 flat nose will barely hold the black at 50 yards.

6 inch. Frame mount dot.

With. No vvn310 found this year the plan is to go to bullseye. Possibly drop down a little in powder.

Would love to use lead if I could get it to feed.

As we all know there are different shapes of bullets in the 185gr weight. The style of bullet zero uses for the 185 SWCHP is the same exact shape as some 200gr bullets. The hollow point is made from removing 15gr from the top to make a hollow point.

I think you have to find a shape that feeds good. The GT-45 seems to be picky but there are bullets that work.

Chris wrote:I think you have to find a shape that feeds good. The GT-45 seems to be picky but there are bullets that work.

If it helps anyone the lead bullets my GT45 feeds perfectly are H&G #68 shape.

I must be lucky! The Zero 185 LSWCHP seem to feed perfectly in my 6" GT45, not so much in the 5" upper but I think that may be an extractor problem. Did go up to 5.0 gr of WST and worked fine with the medium recoil spring. I will cut that back a little to maybe 4.8 gr, but at least things are getting better. As far as recoil springs go, the light and heavy springs look identical except for the wire diameter, the medium spring has a flare on both ends.

I only use the heavy spring ........And the GT likes the loads fast.....this is from first hand experience and from Pardini themselves after a lot of testing. Best loads for me at 50 were 4.4-4.6 (I eventually settled at 4.6) of bullseye, 1.21, 185 zero JHP, .469. With n310, 4.4 was the best.

Thanks Murph, I may have to go the 185 JHP route. I hate to spend that much money when I'm sitting on over 2000 pounds of lead ingots.

BKing, what velocity are you pushing those SWC's, or what load.

It is jamming now more than in the winter. It is leading me to believe that this is a bolt thrust issue and it's throwing the fired case down into the bullet of the next cartridge as the barrel cams down.

Speaking of 185JHP's, has anyone tested Montana Gold or Everglades for BE accuracy?

ghillieman wrote:BKing, what velocity are you pushing those SWC's, or what load.

I've not run them through a chrono yet. First I used the same loads as my 1911 (4.0 grains WST / 200 grain #68 LSWC). I've since experimented with lighter loads for short line, its still perfectly reliable below 2.8 grains of WST with the same bullet. At 4.0 grains the brass goes flying out straight up with serious force, at lighter loads it pops out predictably to the right.

Again, I have a frame-mounted dot.

I've been matching my seating & crimp to the sample bullet Roddy Toyota gave me with my 1911.

have no data speed but if the accuracy of PARDINI GT45 5 "in an Ramson Rest 25 meters:
Bullet 200 gr SWC linotipo 75% 25% lead (actual weight 195gr)
Powder: Vectan BA 10 - 3.3 gr
Sizin & LUBE 452 "
Mold LEE double cav. SWC 452 "
Between centers: 18mm wide and 14mm high

I was wondering if anyone tried the coated cast bullets like Missouri Bullets makes in the Pardini 45?
I am looking for a way to reduce the heavy leading I get in mine.

Trooper, there is a good chance that the alloy used in the bullets you are shooting is too hard which is why they lead. There is not much chance you are going to get a commercial manufacturer to make them softer though. If you try Zero or Magnus swaged, it might work better for you since they are a bit softer than commercial cast but I don't think they are available in the 160 grain weight.

I am very frustrated after reading the above posts. I have a 6" GT45, but mine will only shoot round nose bullets and (fortunately) the 185 gr. Zero JHP bullet--NOT lead HPSWC or any other lead SWC bullet for that matter, including the stubby 185gr Missouri bullets. The problem is that the tip of all of the LSWCs sticks on the step-up gap that exists between the feed ramp on the "trigger housing frame" and the ramp for the barrel (see illustration).

Do your GT45s have a similar 'gap?'

This gap is not large, but it is where the nose of lead bullets stick (except for lead roundnose). I do not know why my pistol chokes on all my the few bullet configurations.

My accurate BE load is 185 gr. Zero JHP bullet, 4.6 gr VV N310 (long line) and 4.6 gr Bullseye (timed fire), federal primer; shot with medium spring. I would love to get my pistol to shoot well with Zero 185 gr lead HPSWC bullets as I have several thousand. Stuck, dipnet

Dipnet wrote:Do your GT45s have a similar 'gap?'

Here's a photo of that area on my GT45 (slide locked back, obviously.) I haven't cleaned the gun since the last match, so sorry about the crud.

Bking,
Thanks for the image. Yes, the gap I was referring to is indicated by the red arrow inserted into the image you sent. Where the arrow points to is where the nose of LSWC stick, causing a failure to feed.

After looking at your picture, maybe I'm cleaning my gun too much ;). Then again, it could be a magazine lip issue. Since my chamber looks exactly like yours, maybe I need to load some dummy rounds and carefully study how bullet is pushed off the slide and how it is chambered. Since some shooters can shoot LSWC well with their GT45, there must be a little tweaking that will resolve my problem. Best, dipnet

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