45 Long Colt - Page 3

Colt .45 · April 15, 2013, 09:53 PM

You guys are all wrong.......it's Colt .45

newfrontier45 · April 15, 2013, 11:27 PM

Quote:

As Brian Pearce stated in the latest Handloader...

Between Pearce and Scovill, Handloader is probably the best source for loading data that is between SAAMI spec and "Ruger only" for mid-frame Rugers, Colt SAA's and USFA replicas.

Buzzcook · April 15, 2013, 11:36 PM

I have a 7 1/2" barrel Italian SAA clone that has work well for many years.

If I were to look for another I'd get a Blackhawk or old model Vaquero.

.45 is a great caliber no mater what cartridge you use. There's a lot of case capacity in the .45 Colt that in modern guns can be a monster.

To be honest most of that capacity is wasted on me and a lot of other shooters. .45 S&W would probably work just as well for the many shooters.

I will say that every time I shoot that gun I get a stupid grin on my face from start to finish.

Water-Man · April 15, 2013, 11:52 PM

I've got a Taurus M450 2" Stainless Steel Ported .45Colt.

It's got a total of 20 rounds through it.

Sarge · April 16, 2013, 12:32 AM

How's it shoot, Water Man?

stevelyn · April 16, 2013, 02:22 AM

I have a Redhawk in .45 Colt. Being a handloader I can shoot everything from pipsqueak cowboy loads to 335 gr heavy-hitters.

I finally figured out that I'm going to have to start casting soon. Of course the fact I scored a load of lead was encouragement enough.

**Mike Irwin** · April 16, 2013, 06:32 AM

So far I've deleted about half a dozen posts from this thread that served only to drag this thread into a topic I said would not be discussed.

Enough.

Infractions start next.

WESHOOT2 · April 16, 2013, 08:18 AM

I found the 335g about all I could take.

I had great results with one of the 350--360g choices, but I just could not take the thrust. Same as I went to the 395g and 405g; way too much.
There were also other issues.

The 350-360g bullet that worked so well might have been better served at an ever-so-lessened launch speed, but I was afraid it would lose down-range accuracy.
That's why I tested those super-heavies; I wanted big-bear penetration capability yet something still controllable for further shots.

This remains the reason I recommend the maximum usable 45 Colt weight of 335g: sufficient-to-superior accuracy; sufficient sectional density / momentum / velocity balance; field proven.

robctwo · April 16, 2013, 09:21 AM

In .45 Colt I bought a Taurus 6 shooter a few years ago, not very accurate.
I found a nice Rossi Puma with the octagonal barrel at a gun show for a decent price. That led to my exploration of the "outer limits" of .45 Colt reloads, and to the purchase of two Ruger Blackhawks, 4.5" anvil handle & 5" Bisley.

I also discovered the S&Ws. Started with a 6" "Classic" nickel, bought the 25-13 Mountain Gun and the 25-7.

Great cartridge for reloading. Lots of fun to shoot variety of loads from 200 gr to 340 gr.

Wallyl · April 16, 2013, 10:13 AM

I have a Ruger BHK in this caliber. I shoot all the main revolver calibers and IMHO the .45 Colt is by far the most difficult caliber to reload accurate ammo for hands down. After try well over one dozen .45 Caliber bullet molds I found the best was the Lyman 255 Keith (452424). I struggled with the Lyman 250 RNF (454190) which is the old standby for this caliber---yes I used different powders, primers, sizer dies, even brands of brass...

Years ago, as luck would have it, Lee offered a closeout on a .45 Cal 235 grain WC DC bullet mold....I bought one. I tried it and never was very happy with it as it was not accurate...years later I tried it again... My mistake was that I was shooting it at too long a range... out to 100' or so it is very accurate. At 50 yards +, not so good.

Sarge · April 16, 2013, 12:56 PM

It could very well be the gun, Wally. In 1998 I had a brand-new 5 1/2" .45 Blackhawk with two chambers bored not only off center-but, off-axis as well. It gave 14" 100 yard groups from ammo that had proved capable of 4", in a duplicate, non-screwed-up 5 1/2" Blackhawk.

I would go all over that cylinder with a good set of micrometers before I damned multiple bullets. If it checks out OK, have your cylinder throats reamed to a uniform 0.4525" and I'll bet your groups with all your bullets will shrink and round up nicely.

Water-Man · April 16, 2013, 01:00 PM

Hey Sarge,

Did you get the email I sent you?

Wallyl · April 16, 2013, 01:02 PM

Ruger replaced both cylinders (.45 ACP) and it shot much better. Each chamber is of the same dimension..as I understand it they make 'em better these days. That did help, however at X no. of paces shooting at a steel plate offhand...I can hit it with every shot with the Keith bullet and about 50% of the time with the 250 RNF. The Lee 250 RNF and 255 SWC are also very accurate in it but not the 454190. The cylinder throats are at .451"...I size the bullets to .252". I have also tried unsized bullets..makes no difference.

Sarge · April 16, 2013, 01:14 PM

Just got the email and replied, Water Man. Thank you.

blfuller · April 16, 2013, 02:09 PM

I've got a old model Vaquero Bisley model in .45 cal, polished stainless which is great. What's nice about it you can pump up the loads if you like. Can't do that with the new Vaquero.

Strafer Gott · April 16, 2013, 02:25 PM

I wanted to shoot .45 Colt, but all that was around was a SRH in .454Casull.
Those rounds are very expensive. Well .45 Colt has a similar relationship to the Casull that a .38 Special has to the .357 Magnum, so the SRH came home with me. I loaded up some Speer deep curls to the modern standard, and I must say, that ain't no cowboy load! I'll save the .454 s for Grizzly country.

SIGSHR · April 16, 2013, 03:02 PM

I have a Uberti Remington M1875, great shooter and often a reasonably priced alternative to a real Colt or one the copies.
As far as ".45 Long Colt" goes-popular terminology vs factory of government designation.

TheNakedGunFighter · May 10, 2013, 10:13 AM

I have a S&W Governor that shoots, among others, 45 Colt. If I'm not wearing my Ironman glove, the recoil from that little 2-3/4" barrel nearly takes my thumb off.

But I don't care. I love that cartridge. It's my favorite and easy enough to load light or heavy.

Waiting very impatiently for my Ruger Blackhawk 5.5" convertable to come in.

temmi · May 10, 2013, 12:18 PM

I have a black hawk in 45 Colt and it is a real joy.

If you can't find one just order one.

If you don't handload... you should start

Snake

9mmfan · May 10, 2013, 03:21 PM

I have a Cimarron Model P (made by Uberti, branded Cimarron outta Fredericksburg, TX) in .45 Colt that I like a great deal. Also have a Cimarron Thunderer that is fun to look at, but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. Just moved to a new town, getting settled in and finances are tight. I also have an older pre-safety Rossi 92 in selfsame caliber, have had it out to function test, haven't worked on accuracy yet.

I like the caliber, big ol' heavy bullet. The price of even cowboy plinking loads is what pushed me to get a reloading setup. Now I just need to finish learning how to use it...

I say go for it.

Brutus · May 11, 2013, 03:28 PM

I'm not a big fan of single actions. I've had 2 blackhawks that were great shooters. I could never get a comfortable grip on them. Currently have a Smith mountain gun which I love but can't shoot hot loads out of. Searched years for a Colt Anaconda but could never find one that didn't have oversize throats. What's a fella to do? I'd buy a redhawk but they are so damn ugly.

QuarterHorse · May 11, 2013, 07:21 PM

Quote:

I'd buy a redhawk but they are so damn ugly.

I think that about the Super Redhawk. I'd own a Redhawk in a heartbeat though.

Dragline45 · May 11, 2013, 07:30 PM

Quote:

I'd own a Redhawk in a heartbeat though.

I would too, but Ruger puts out almost no .45 colt Redhawks and they are close to impossible to find. Why freaking advertise the gun on your website when you barely even produce them, and same with S&W. It's just almost impossible to find new production DA .45 Colts, and almost as impossible to find older ones. Sure I can find .45acp revolvers from S&W no problem, but I just have no desire to own a revolver in .45acp.

logeorge · May 11, 2013, 07:42 PM

FWIW, I don't really care whether you call it .45 Colt or .45 Long Colt. I have only one, a New Dakota by Uberti. I like it.

QuarterHorse · May 11, 2013, 08:06 PM

Quote:

I would too, but Ruger puts out almost no .45 colt Redhawks and they are close to impossible to find. Why freaking advertise the gun on your website when you barely even produce them, and same with S&W. It's just almost impossible to find new production DA .45 Colts, and almost as impossible to find older ones. Sure I can find .45acp revolvers from S&W no problem, but I just have no desire to own a revolver in .45acp.

I just purchased a NIB SBH Hunter in 45 Colt last Thursday. I was 300 cheaper than I'd seen on gunbroker so it got moved up the "buy it now" list.

April 16, 2013, 12:32 AM	#55
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	How's it shoot, Water Man? __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

April 16, 2013, 02:22 AM	#56
stevelyn Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: Fairbanksan in exile to Aleutian Hell Posts: 2,655	I have a Redhawk in .45 Colt. Being a handloader I can shoot everything from pipsqueak cowboy loads to 335 gr heavy-hitters. I finally figured out that I'm going to have to start casting soon. Of course the fact I scored a load of lead was encouragement enough. __________________ Stop Allowing Our Schools To Be Soft Targets! http://fastersaveslives.org/ East Moose. Wear Wolf.

April 16, 2013, 06:32 AM	#57
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	So far I've deleted about half a dozen posts from this thread that served only to drag this thread into a topic I said would not be discussed. Enough. Infractions start next. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

April 16, 2013, 08:18 AM	#58
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	5.5" 45 Colt Redhawk I found the 335g about all I could take. I had great results with one of the 350--360g choices, but I just could not take the thrust. Same as I went to the 395g and 405g; way too much. There were also other issues. The 350-360g bullet that worked so well might have been better served at an ever-so-lessened launch speed, but I was afraid it would lose down-range accuracy. That's why I tested those super-heavies; I wanted big-bear penetration capability yet something still controllable for further shots. This remains the reason I recommend the maximum usable 45 Colt weight of 335g: sufficient-to-superior accuracy; sufficient sectional density / momentum / velocity balance; field proven. __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

April 16, 2013, 10:13 AM	#60
Wallyl Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2011 Posts: 255	.45 Colt I have a Ruger BHK in this caliber. I shoot all the main revolver calibers and IMHO the .45 Colt is by far the most difficult caliber to reload accurate ammo for hands down. After try well over one dozen .45 Caliber bullet molds I found the best was the Lyman 255 Keith (452424). I struggled with the Lyman 250 RNF (454190) which is the old standby for this caliber---yes I used different powders, primers, sizer dies, even brands of brass... Years ago, as luck would have it, Lee offered a closeout on a .45 Cal 235 grain WC DC bullet mold....I bought one. I tried it and never was very happy with it as it was not accurate...years later I tried it again... My mistake was that I was shooting it at too long a range... out to 100' or so it is very accurate. At 50 yards +, not so good.

April 15, 2013, 09:53 PM	#51
Colt .45 Junior Member Join Date: March 4, 2013 Posts: 10	You guys are all wrong.......it's Colt .45

April 15, 2013, 11:36 PM	#53
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	I have a 7 1/2" barrel Italian SAA clone that has work well for many years. If I were to look for another I'd get a Blackhawk or old model Vaquero. .45 is a great caliber no mater what cartridge you use. There's a lot of case capacity in the .45 Colt that in modern guns can be a monster. To be honest most of that capacity is wasted on me and a lot of other shooters. .45 S&W would probably work just as well for the many shooters. I will say that every time I shoot that gun I get a stupid grin on my face from start to finish.

April 15, 2013, 11:52 PM	#54
Water-Man Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 2,126	I've got a Taurus M450 2" Stainless Steel Ported .45Colt. It's got a total of 20 rounds through it.

April 16, 2013, 09:21 AM	#59
robctwo Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2002 Location: Albany, Oregon Posts: 644	In .45 Colt I bought a Taurus 6 shooter a few years ago, not very accurate. I found a nice Rossi Puma with the octagonal barrel at a gun show for a decent price. That led to my exploration of the "outer limits" of .45 Colt reloads, and to the purchase of two Ruger Blackhawks, 4.5" anvil handle & 5" Bisley. I also discovered the S&Ws. Started with a 6" "Classic" nickel, bought the 25-13 Mountain Gun and the 25-7. Great cartridge for reloading. Lots of fun to shoot variety of loads from 200 gr to 340 gr.

April 16, 2013, 12:56 PM	#61
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	It could very well be the gun, Wally. In 1998 I had a brand-new 5 1/2" .45 Blackhawk with two chambers bored not only off center-but, off-axis as well. It gave 14" 100 yard groups from ammo that had proved capable of 4", in a duplicate, non-screwed-up 5 1/2" Blackhawk. I would go all over that cylinder with a good set of micrometers before I damned multiple bullets. If it checks out OK, have your cylinder throats reamed to a uniform 0.4525" and I'll bet your groups with all your bullets will shrink and round up nicely. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

April 16, 2013, 01:00 PM	#62
Water-Man Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 2,126	Hey Sarge, Did you get the email I sent you?

April 16, 2013, 01:02 PM	#63
Wallyl Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2011 Posts: 255	.45 Colt Ruger replaced both cylinders (.45 ACP) and it shot much better. Each chamber is of the same dimension..as I understand it they make 'em better these days. That did help, however at X no. of paces shooting at a steel plate offhand...I can hit it with every shot with the Keith bullet and about 50% of the time with the 250 RNF. The Lee 250 RNF and 255 SWC are also very accurate in it but not the 454190. The cylinder throats are at .451"...I size the bullets to .252". I have also tried unsized bullets..makes no difference.

April 16, 2013, 01:14 PM	#64
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	Just got the email and replied, Water Man. Thank you. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

April 16, 2013, 02:09 PM	#65
blfuller Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2013 Location: Washington State Posts: 246	I've got a old model Vaquero Bisley model in .45 cal, polished stainless which is great. What's nice about it you can pump up the loads if you like. Can't do that with the new Vaquero.

April 16, 2013, 02:25 PM	#66
Strafer Gott Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,315	I wanted to shoot .45 Colt, but all that was around was a SRH in .454Casull. Those rounds are very expensive. Well .45 Colt has a similar relationship to the Casull that a .38 Special has to the .357 Magnum, so the SRH came home with me. I loaded up some Speer deep curls to the modern standard, and I must say, that ain't no cowboy load! I'll save the .454 s for Grizzly country.

April 16, 2013, 03:02 PM	#67
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	I have a Uberti Remington M1875, great shooter and often a reasonably priced alternative to a real Colt or one the copies. As far as ".45 Long Colt" goes-popular terminology vs factory of government designation.

May 10, 2013, 10:13 AM	#68
TheNakedGunFighter Junior Member Join Date: May 6, 2013 Posts: 5	I have a S&W Governor that shoots, among others, 45 Colt. If I'm not wearing my Ironman glove, the recoil from that little 2-3/4" barrel nearly takes my thumb off. But I don't care. I love that cartridge. It's my favorite and easy enough to load light or heavy. Waiting very impatiently for my Ruger Blackhawk 5.5" convertable to come in. __________________ Ruger 357/9mm convertible, NRA member S&W Governor, Heritage Arms 32 Mag Sig P250 in 45cal and 9mm, Sig 1911 22 cal Handloading 45ACP, 45 Colt, 32 Mag, 9mm, 357 Mag

May 10, 2013, 12:18 PM	#69
temmi Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 531	I have a black hawk in 45 Colt and it is a real joy. If you can't find one just order one. If you don't handload... you should start Snake

May 10, 2013, 03:21 PM	#70
9mmfan Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2012 Location: Weatherford, TX Posts: 301	I have a Cimarron Model P (made by Uberti, branded Cimarron outta Fredericksburg, TX) in .45 Colt that I like a great deal. Also have a Cimarron Thunderer that is fun to look at, but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. Just moved to a new town, getting settled in and finances are tight. I also have an older pre-safety Rossi 92 in selfsame caliber, have had it out to function test, haven't worked on accuracy yet. I like the caliber, big ol' heavy bullet. The price of even cowboy plinking loads is what pushed me to get a reloading setup. Now I just need to finish learning how to use it... I say go for it.

May 11, 2013, 03:28 PM	#71
Brutus Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Posts: 1,023	I'm not a big fan of single actions. I've had 2 blackhawks that were great shooters. I could never get a comfortable grip on them. Currently have a Smith mountain gun which I love but can't shoot hot loads out of. Searched years for a Colt Anaconda but could never find one that didn't have oversize throats. What's a fella to do? I'd buy a redhawk but they are so damn ugly.

May 11, 2013, 07:42 PM	#74
logeorge Member Join Date: December 24, 2007 Location: Ardmore, AL Posts: 68	.45 Colt FWIW, I don't really care whether you call it .45 Colt or .45 Long Colt. I have only one, a New Dakota by Uberti. I like it.