Does the term .45 Long Colt bother you?

Big Ugly Tall Texan · July 20, 2009, 04:54 PM

I grew up hearing .45 Long Colt but have found some folks who insist on calling the round simply .45 Colt.

Does it really make a difference?

CajunBass · July 20, 2009, 04:56 PM

Not really. No.

Jim March · July 20, 2009, 04:59 PM

Nope. Back then, helped sort it out from the Schofield.

Today, go into a chain sporting goods store and ask for "45 Colt", 9 times out of 10 or better you'll get 45ACP handed to you.

Webleymkv · July 20, 2009, 05:05 PM

Uh oh, here we go again (some around here get all hot and bothered when someone says .45 Long Colt).

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=363483

Personally, I use both terms interchangeably. However, sometimes I say .45 Lllloooooonnnngggg Colt just to be ornery.

bigghoss · July 20, 2009, 05:05 PM

didn't we go over this last month?

Big Ugly Tall Texan · July 20, 2009, 05:09 PM

Maybe, but I'm new.

Winchester_73 · July 20, 2009, 05:11 PM

Its kind of like drinking a great beer, no matter how you do it, its good.

Piper Cub · July 20, 2009, 05:11 PM

NO

Big Ugly Tall Texan · July 20, 2009, 05:18 PM

And maybe explain what the big deal is.

I realize there never was officially a .45 Long Colt or .45 Short Colt - it was .45 Colt or .45 S&W or Schofield. But I don't see what it hurts to use the slang terms.

When my father was young the Peacemaker was still in wide spread use as a self-defense weapon in the East Texas Piney Woods, so I grew up hearing about the .45 Long Colt as the be all and end all of self defense handgun rounds.

SwampYankee · July 20, 2009, 05:48 PM

If you really want to read a discussion on this, try the search feature.

Everytime someone says "Long Colt" someone else gets bothered and it starts again.

I wish I had one of those cool animations of a dead horse being beat so I could post it right here....

zxcvbob · July 20, 2009, 05:50 PM

Quote:

I realize there never was officially a .45 Long Colt or .45 Short Colt - it was .45 Colt or .45 S&W or Schofield. But I don't see what it hurts to use the slang terms.

There was also an obsolete .45 Government (or maybe it was called .45 Colt Government, I don't have Cartridges of the World handy right now) that was the length of a .45 S&W but had the rim of a .45 Colt, so it would work in a Colt or an old Schofield -- it was the worst of both worlds! I personally think that's where the term "Long Colt" originated.

Whatever the etymology, it doesn't bother me. I usually say ".45 Colt". Sometimes I write it ".45LC", and if someone says ".45 Long Colt" I know what they are talking about.

45_Shooter · July 20, 2009, 06:13 PM

Quote:

There was also an obsolete .45 Government (or maybe it was called .45 Colt Government, I don't have Cartridges of the World handy right now) that was the length of a .45 S&W but had the rim of a .45 Colt, so it would work in a Colt or an old Schofield -- it was the worst of both worlds! I personally think that's where the term "Long Colt" originated.

I thought the Gov't issued the .45 S&W in place of the .45 Colt for much of the late 1800's because the round would work in both SAA's and S&W Schofield revolvers.

**hogdogs** · July 20, 2009, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Its kind of like drinking a great beer, no matter how you do it, its good.

As long as the good beer is in a LONGGGGGGGGG neck... "its good"!

And I use the term long colt almost exclusively as most, as previously stated, not on TFL will assume you mean .45 acp....
Brent

Gary L. Griffiths · July 20, 2009, 07:56 PM

No more than I'm bothered by those who call magazines "clips."

My bugaboo is the common (though incorrect) practice of talking about ".45 caliber." It's 45 caliber. A .45 caliber would be just shy of half of 1/100th of an inch in diameter (0.0045").

30-30remchester · July 20, 2009, 08:20 PM

Very much so.

p99guy · July 20, 2009, 08:26 PM

Doesn't bother me as much as asking for a box of .45colt and 9 out of 10 times being handed a box of .45acp lol
it just just avoids confusing clerks that know little about guns, and wasting my time correcting them...

Wobble · July 20, 2009, 08:29 PM

It makes a big difference when you are buying.

Looking for .45 Long Colt ammo, I've gone into more than a couple of gun shops or sporting good stores where the clerks were not too knowledgeable and asked for .45 Colt and was handed .45 ACP. I now always ask for .45 Long Colt (some clerks still don't know the difference even when asked that way).

It's even more frustrating if I'm looking for the same ammo in Cowboy loads for my 1858 Remmy conversion. Many stores don't even know what I'm talking about or don't know the difference.

w_houle · July 20, 2009, 08:45 PM

Depends on who's saying it: Mostly no, but when the shop resident "know-it-all" talks about it, I find it to be like fingernails on a chalkboard.

JayCee · July 20, 2009, 08:54 PM

No, and calling a magazine a "clip" doesn't bother me either...

**44 AMP** · July 20, 2009, 08:54 PM

I think it is a valid name. I feel it is technically correct to refer to the round either by .45 Colt or .45 Long Colt.

Also recall that the .45ACP (automatic Colt pistol) was at one time commonly known as the Colt .45 or .45 Colt, and that for nearly half a century (and more) the only common .45 Auto pistol was the Colt! Just as the 9mm Luger is the 9mm Luger in the USA, because for many years the only pistols in that caliber were Lugers!

Clips vs magazines is a bit more clear cut, as there are clear definitions for each, however, there have been firearms companies that have cataloged their magazines as "clips", probably so even the uninformed would understand what they meant.

Engine and motor are clearly different terms, but are used interchangeably by some people in casual conversation. There are many other examples in English, all one can reasonably do is to remain calm, and be precise, explaining the difference when, and if, it makes a difference.

Good Luck!

skydiver3346 · July 20, 2009, 09:40 PM

I have always referred to the gun as a .45 Long Colt. That was what I was told it was called over 30 years ago and I still call it the Long Colt. Also, most of my friends use the same name as well.

Jbar4Ranch · July 20, 2009, 10:28 PM

THE STORY OF THE SHORT COLT

Webleymkv · July 20, 2009, 10:41 PM

Quote:

I wish I had one of those cool animations of a dead horse being beat so I could post it right here....

Here you go

this one might also be appropriate

lechiffre · July 20, 2009, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Considering that even Colt has used the term "Long Colt"

the same guys call a current offering "series 70"

imthegrumpyone · July 21, 2009, 05:17 AM

Only if I was looking down the barrel !!!!!

July 20, 2009, 04:54 PM	#1
Big Ugly Tall Texan Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2009 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 174	Does the term .45 Long Colt bother you? I grew up hearing .45 Long Colt but have found some folks who insist on calling the round simply .45 Colt. Does it really make a difference? __________________ Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you! - Nikita Khrushchev Nikita K. made the prediction. Barry O. will make it come true. - Big Ugly Tall Texan "The 9mm Luger cartridge will simply not do for serious work." - Jeff Cooper "Do not throw rocks at people with guns." - Hastings' Third Law

July 20, 2009, 04:56 PM	#2
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: Chancellorsville, Virginia Posts: 3,129	Not really. No. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

July 20, 2009, 04:59 PM	#3
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,034	Nope. Back then, helped sort it out from the Schofield. Today, go into a chain sporting goods store and ask for "45 Colt", 9 times out of 10 or better you'll get 45ACP handed to you. __________________ Jim March

July 20, 2009, 05:05 PM	#4
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 9,495	Uh oh, here we go again (some around here get all hot and bothered when someone says .45 Long Colt). http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=363483 Personally, I use both terms interchangeably. However, sometimes I say .45 *Lllloooooonnnngggg* Colt just to be ornery. __________________ Smith, and Wesson, and Me. -H. Callahan Well waddaya know, one buwwet weft! -E. Fudd All bad precedents begin as justifiable measures. -J. Caesar

July 20, 2009, 05:05 PM	#5
bigghoss Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2006 Location: Pueblo, Colorado Posts: 2,623	didn't we go over this last month? __________________ I don't collect guns, I accumulate them.

July 20, 2009, 05:09 PM	#6
Big Ugly Tall Texan Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2009 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 174	Maybe, but I'm new. __________________ Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you! - Nikita Khrushchev Nikita K. made the prediction. Barry O. will make it come true. - Big Ugly Tall Texan "The 9mm Luger cartridge will simply not do for serious work." - Jeff Cooper "Do not throw rocks at people with guns." - Hastings' Third Law

July 20, 2009, 05:11 PM	#7
Winchester_73 Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 2,729	Its kind of like drinking a great beer, no matter how you do it, its good. __________________ Winchester 73, the TFL user that won the west

July 20, 2009, 05:11 PM	#8
Piper Cub Junior member Join Date: February 5, 2009 Location: TEXAS Posts: 491	NO

July 20, 2009, 05:18 PM	#9
Big Ugly Tall Texan Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2009 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 174	I was kinda hoping somebody would say yes And maybe explain what the big deal is. I realize there never was officially a .45 Long Colt or .45 Short Colt - it was .45 Colt or .45 S&W or Schofield. But I don't see what it hurts to use the slang terms. When my father was young the Peacemaker was still in wide spread use as a self-defense weapon in the East Texas Piney Woods, so I grew up hearing about the .45 Long Colt as the be all and end all of self defense handgun rounds. __________________ Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you! - Nikita Khrushchev Nikita K. made the prediction. Barry O. will make it come true. - Big Ugly Tall Texan "The 9mm Luger cartridge will simply not do for serious work." - Jeff Cooper "Do not throw rocks at people with guns." - Hastings' Third Law Last edited by Big Ugly Tall Texan; July 20, 2009 at 05:24 PM.

July 20, 2009, 05:48 PM	#10
SwampYankee Registration in progress Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: I can be found on a number of other forums. Posts: 1,333	If you really want to read a discussion on this, try the search feature. Everytime someone says "Long Colt" someone else gets bothered and it starts again. I wish I had one of those cool animations of a dead horse being beat so I could post it right here....

July 20, 2009, 07:56 PM	#14
Gary L. Griffiths Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Location: On The Road, somewhere in the good ol' US of A. Posts: 1,113	No more than I'm bothered by those who call magazines "clips." My bugaboo is the common (though incorrect) practice of talking about ".45 caliber." It's 45 caliber. A .45 caliber would be just shy of half of 1/100th of an inch in diameter (0.0045"). __________________ Violence is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and valorous feeling which believes that nothing is worth violence is much worse. Those who have nothing for which they are willing to fight; nothing they care about more than their own personal safety; are miserable creatures who have no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of those better than themselves. Gary L. Griffiths, Chief Instructor, Advanced Force Tactics, Inc. (Paraphrasing John Stuart Mill)

July 20, 2009, 08:20 PM	#15
30-30remchester Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2009 Location: mountains of colorado Posts: 977	Very much so.

July 20, 2009, 08:26 PM	#16
p99guy Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2004 Location: Haslet,Texas(DFW area) Posts: 1,506	Doesn't bother me as much as asking for a box of .45colt and 9 out of 10 times being handed a box of .45acp lol it just just avoids confusing clerks that know little about guns, and wasting my time correcting them... __________________ Lighten up Francis!.....;Actor Warren Oats, in the movie "Stripes"

July 20, 2009, 08:29 PM	#17
Wobble Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Georgia USA Posts: 163	It makes a big difference when you are buying. Looking for .45 Long Colt ammo, I've gone into more than a couple of gun shops or sporting good stores where the clerks were not too knowledgeable and asked for .45 Colt and was handed .45 ACP. I now always ask for .45 Long Colt (some clerks still don't know the difference even when asked that way). It's even more frustrating if I'm looking for the same ammo in Cowboy loads for my 1858 Remmy conversion. Many stores don't even know what I'm talking about or don't know the difference.

July 20, 2009, 08:45 PM	#18
w_houle Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2007 Location: Junction City, KS Posts: 1,389	Depends on who's saying it: Mostly no, but when the shop resident "know-it-all" talks about it, I find it to be like fingernails on a chalkboard. __________________ How could you have a slogan like "freedom is slavery" when the concept of freedom has been abolished?

July 20, 2009, 08:54 PM	#19
JayCee Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2001 Posts: 416	No, and calling a magazine a "clip" doesn't bother me either... __________________ “You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas.” – David Crockett “If I owned Texas and hell, I'd rent out Texas and live in hell.” - General Phillip H. Sheridan

July 20, 2009, 08:54 PM	#20
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 9,041	Considering that even Colt has used the term "Long Colt" I think it is a valid name. I feel it is technically correct to refer to the round either by .45 Colt or .45 Long Colt. Also recall that the .45ACP (automatic Colt pistol) was at one time commonly known as the Colt .45 or .45 Colt, and that for nearly half a century (and more) the only common .45 Auto pistol was the Colt! Just as the 9mm Luger is the 9mm Luger in the USA, because for many years the only pistols in that caliber were Lugers! Clips vs magazines is a bit more clear cut, as there are clear definitions for each, however, there have been firearms companies that have cataloged their magazines as "clips", probably so even the uninformed would understand what they meant. Engine and motor are clearly different terms, but are used interchangeably by some people in casual conversation. There are many other examples in English, all one can reasonably do is to remain calm, and be precise, explaining the difference when, and if, it makes a difference. Good Luck! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

July 20, 2009, 09:40 PM	#21
skydiver3346 Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,222	.45 Colt or Long Colt? I have always referred to the gun as a .45 Long Colt. That was what I was told it was called over 30 years ago and I still call it the Long Colt. Also, most of my friends use the same name as well.

July 20, 2009, 10:28 PM	#22
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,451	THE STORY OF THE SHORT COLT __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

July 21, 2009, 05:17 AM	#25
imthegrumpyone Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2007 Location: spring tx Posts: 1,029	Only if I was looking down the barrel !!!!! __________________ chambered and unlocked