At one time I loaded 45-70 with 10 grs. Unique + 1/4" wad + shot + an inverted gascheck + a good roll crimp! The 45 Colt with 6 grs. Unique + 1/8" wad + shot + inverted gascheck. I then trimmed some 444 Marlin cases 1/8" shorter than the cylinder " for shot loads only". The same powder charge + 1/4" wad + shot + 44 caliber gascheck. Starline has recently come out with a 45 Colt blank cartridge case, this will fill the bill for me as I've been considering making some more shotloads.

I'd stick with the trimmed 444's.

IF the case is thin, can blow out the front section too well. The chamber of a .45colt looks like a little bottle neck chamber...the bottle neck being the tapered section from chamber to cylinder mouth. If a thin case expands to a tight cylinder seal, can conform to this shape, and lock the cylinder up tight.

So long as you keep presussre below the point where the case fire forms to the bottle neck shape, you'll be OK..but I've managed to lock up a cylinder with some loads like yours. Was using a S&W 1917, moon clips, with cut off 30-06 cases (cut to the end of the cylinder. Decided to anneal some, which i did without softening the head, but evidently softened the body too well...same loads as before, but locked the cylinder up.

(Not too hard to un-lock...drop a rod down the bore, wack the devil out of it..whcdih seems to loosen the case enough to allow opening the cylinder...BUT YOU"RE WORKING ON A LOADED GUN!!!!! the other 5 are still ready to go, pointing right at you!)

I use 410 shotgun shells cut to the same length as the 45 colt case. Replace the primers, add 6 grains of unique then I insert a Speer shot capsul made for the 44 special/mag full of #8 shot. Works great.

Speer also make shot capuls for 45 colt, I have not tried them but if availble should work great. http://www.speer-bullets.com/default.asp?s1=3&s2=8

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/goatbrother/45coltshotshell001.jpg

I don't shoot a lot of shot loads but my snake killer load is 45 colt case, 6 grains of Unique, a thick fiber wad lightly pressed down on the powder, filled almost to the brim with #12 shot and toped off with a thin fiber wad sealed with elmer's white glue. I've tried the spear shot capsules and they seam to produce a slightly better pattern, but the last time I bought some they sent 45 cal. capsules with 44 cal. base caps and I had to super glue them together.

I've heard of sharping a 45 case and cutting wads out of cardboard for the over powder wad and styrofoam for the over shot card, but I've got plenty of fiber wads for black powder loads so that's what I use and they work good. I've never tried it but have heard of using gas checks, one rite side up, the other upside down and crimped in place to hold the shot charge.

I load Speer shot capsuls in the 38/357, 44 mag and 45 long colt, simple and they work great, why go to all the trouble of short shotgun shells or trying to load them in regular brass? I use 7 1/2 shot and out to 15 or so feet it's deadly on snakes.