45 Colt Revolver Question

R

RGL01

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More revelations. 45 Colt ammo seems to run at ~$20/50rds for standard stuff, and ~$21/20rds for premium (ie. Buffalo Bore) stuff. Am I missing something? This is expensive ammo, and at this point I don't reload. I was thinking Bisley, but now I'm thinking Ruger Blackhawk convertable 45Colt/45ACP. If I end up doing this what I want to confirm is that a plain old Blackhawk can handle full house (ie. 325gr/1250fps-Buffalo Bore) loads for when I'm up in the backcountry. Granted it may hurt my hand more than a Bisley, but at least I'll be able to shoot it more and not go broke. Does my logic make sense? Thanks in advance!:)
 
Reload or buy reloads from a very trusted friend if you're into .45 Colt. It is the simple economics of that round. Loved and reloaded, or expensive and questioned if other-wise.
Add up the price of a couple thousand rounds brand new factory vs. buying the equipment for reloading. Reload a few other caliber rounds, pays off down the road. BUT. YOU. DONT. RELOAD.
Convertible to acp? Still kinda expensive for plinking.
 
I don't understand how you'll "be able to shoot it more and not go broke".

Is the blackhawk less expensive than the bisley?

Yeah, you should be able to shoot any .45LC load you want out of a black hawk or bisley. The rugers are tanks.

never mind, I get it... the convertible cylinder for .45acp.

Hopefully it doesn't require the cylinder to be pulled and the moon clip to be inserted into the empty cylinder, then reassembled to load the gun... If the cylinder has the cartridge resting on the headspace like an autoloader rather than like a smith .45acp wheelgun using moon clips, it should be good to go. .45LC and .45acp are all .454 diameter if memory serves, so the barrel shouldn't have the same issue as 9mm (.355) vs. .357 (.357) convertibles.
 
Blackhawks can handle the hot +P loads like those from Garret and Buffalo Bore. If you hunt around you can find a convertable .45 Bisley. If not then it's not hard to change out the gripframe, hammer, and trigger to make one (though at an added expense).
The .45 Colt is more expensive because it just doesn't have the amount of shooters using it as the .38 spl, 9mm, .45acp that sells in cheap bulk quantities.
 
Thanks for the responses fellas. A convertable Bisley! That sounds nice. Presently I just don't have the time or the space to reload. One more question: Can I swap out the cylinder (ACP for Colt) on any Ruger 45 colt SA, or does it have to "match" the gun in some special way? Obviously I'm new to all this. Just own one sidearm (Colt 1911) at present (and 11 rifles :) ).

PS - Is the only difference between a Blackhawk and a Super Blackhawk the gripframe?
 
Don't know about a Bisley, but the ACP cylinder will work in both the Blackhawk and the Vaqero. Reloading equipment for the .45 Colt isn't expensive. Just get a Lee Loader for less than $20 brass, bullets, powder and primers. The .45 Colt is also supposed to be relatively easy to reload for and components are widely available.
 
I buy from Miwall Ammo via Outdoormarksmen. New brass. 250gr RNFP. I pay about $12 for 50. Pretty slow at 750fps, but it shoots well.

Similar deal on .44spl.
 
You have to try the cylinder. A lot of them will swap from gun to gun (this may or may not be true with the newer small frame BH), but every now and then you will run across one that has to fitted to a particular revolver. It's really a crap shoot.
The difference in the BH and the Bisley is the gripframe, trigger, and hammer.
 
Okay, thanks for the info guys.:)

GunsnRovers,
I'll check out that ammo tip.;)

The more I think about it the more a convertable makes sense to me. I can paractice with .45acp at the range, and (literally) load for bear when in the backwoods. Now if they only made a 5 1/2" stainless convertable I'd be sold!
 
RGL01,

Miwall is staple here on the West Coast. They hit all the major gun shows. I've been buying their ammo for about 13 years. Typically, they load light, but for plinking and mucking around, I have no complaints.


Shipping is not bad here, but if you are back East, there are other options with similar deals.
 
If you plan to shoot and be good you better start reloading. A good dillon Square deal will pump out 450 rnds an hour and you can buy them used pretty cheap. Better to pay up now than do it later as it will save you money in the long run (that is if you really like to shoot).

When you do get your revolver in 45lc-45acp try getting an old military 1911 magazine and put six acp's in it. When you open the loading gate on your revolver put the bullit tip of the magazine close to the loading port and feed shells with your thumb.

Makes ammo easy to carry and is like a speed loader for a revolver.

25
 
Blazer does have a load for .45LC, I shoot a lot of it and it saves a little money. Watch out though, its a relatively hot load, certainly not a "cowboy" load.

I don't know the ballistics but it shoots as hard as Winchester Silvertips from what I can feel when I shoot it.
 
I'm in the same boat. No room to reload and I'd rather not pay $20/50 for .45 long colt. Several of the manufacturers make .45lc with .45acp conversion cylinders. They work ok. Don't assume a cylinder will just swap. Sometimes they do, but often they don't. Ruger fits each cylinder to each revolver, so you have no guarantee.

I guess I have to get around to buying that house so I can put a reloading bench up in the basement.
 
model 25,
Thanks for that great tip on using the 1911 mag as a speedloader. I NEVER would have thought of it.
 
RGLO1:
1) Your plan re .45 Colt and .45 ACP cylinders is a good one.
2) Blackhawks will handle any safe .45 Colt load.
3) Georgia Arms is an excellent source for inexpensive .45 Colt practice/plinking rounds (plus terrific 200 grain Gold Dot personal defense loads).
 
Question here, will .45 Auto Rim chamber in a .45 long colt gun? That is what the rim is for isn't it? It's more expensive than ACP, but still significantly cheaper than long colt.
 
No, a .45 auto rim will not chamber in a .45 Colt. The .45 auto rim was concieved to be used in S&W and Colt model 1917's and S&W Model 25's chambered in .45 acp with a swing out cylinder and used with moon clips. You see, a .45 ACP has a rim although it is no bigger around than the case itself (unlike the .45 Colt). immediately after the rim is the extractor groove. A moon clip fits into the extractor groove. In a regular revolver, the rim of the case rests against the back of the cylinder or in a small recess on the back of the cylinder. In a .45 ACP revolver, the moon clip rests against the back of the cylinder or in a recess in it. The rim of a .45 ACP, a moonclip, and the rim of a .45 Colt are all roughly the same thickness. Since a .45 ACP revolver has both a moonclip and a rim, the rim of a .45 Auto Rim has to be about twice as thick in order to function properly in the same gun. Therefore, a .45 AR won't fit into a .45 colt cylinder because the rim is too thick. Look at a .45 Colt round and a .45AR side-by-side and this will be very evident.
 
I highly advice on NOT swapping cylinders from a different gun unless checked by a competent gunsmith. I have a Ruger SBH and tried a blued cylinder from another 44mag SBH and there were some variations that made it unsafe to fire unless a part was modified. josh
 
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