.45 Colt vs. .45 ACP

N

Nightcrawler

New member
Let's say you have two revolvers, of identical manufacture, except one is chambered in .45 Colt, and can handle all factory loadings up to SAAMI specifications, and the other is chambered in .45ACP, and can handle all factory loadings up to SAAMI specs, including those for .45 Super and .45 SMC.

Which would you choose? Why? I ask, because I'm contemplating a revolver next year, and I want a big bore. I could get a semi-custom Dan Wesson in either cartridge. Oh, yes, the DW model in .45ACP also handles .45 Win Mag and .460 Rowland.
 
Personally, I'd go with 45ACP. I don't reload and I could use the same cartridges that I use for my 1911.
 
The only logical answer to that question is another question - do you reload?
If you do then the answer is to get the .45 Colt because you can load it up or down to whatever power level you want from hunting to plinking to defense loads.
If you don't reload then you are probably better served by the .45 acp because of the cost and the versatility of various factory loads.

Versatility is the key or you wouldn't be buying a Dan Wesson in the first place.
 
It might be worth mentioning...

I don't hunt nor reload, which is why I don't think I'm going to be getting the most out of .45 Colt.

Besides, if I get the DW and want more punch than .45ACP, I can put in .45 Super, .45SMC, .45 Win Mag, or .460 Rowland.

On June 16th, 2002, I turn twenty one. I'll have undoubetedly saved up for my new handgun then, so if I get that DW next year, I'll be sure to buy it and different types of ammo for it and deliver a nice range report to TFL. :D
 
alright...

Well, I've been interested in .45 Colt. Good factory ammo seems to be hard to find. Most of the loads, including Winchester Silver Tips, are low-velocity, which is fine for defensive use, but I want a fun thumper for plinking once in awhile, too. :)

Cor-Bon makes what seems to be an interesting load. 200 grains at 1100 feet per second. That'll ruin someone's day.
 
Cor-Bon also makes what they call "Magnum +P" loads in .45 Colt:

265gr. Bonded HP, 1350fps/1073 ft-lbs
300gr. JSP, 1300fps/1126 ft-lbs
335gr. HardCast lead, 1050fps/820 ft-lbs

I've shot the first two from a Vaquero; definitely fun to shoot!
 
He probably means that SAAMI keeps .45 Colt pressure extremely low due to all of the old 1873 blackpowder only frames that are out there waiting to blow up if fed a hot .45 Colt load. In a modern gun, you can load .45 Colt a LOT hotter than SAAMI levels.
 
I think what WESHOOT2 is trying to say is that the SAAMI specs for .45 Colt are very, very, conservative due to the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of old Colt SAA revolvers out in the general population that are very fragile, and the major ammo manufacturers will not load anything heavier due to "lawsuit-itis".

However, if you shoot a Ruger Redhawk or Blackhawk chambered in .45 Colt, and you reload, or can afford Corbon and Buffalo Bore ammunition (I can't, that is why I reload) you can experience what .45 Colt is REALLY about. (300 gr. bullet @ 1250 FPS!!!)

The Rugers can handle a LOT more pressure than the old, fragile Colt SAA's. The recognized limit on a Ruger Blackhawk 45 (my personal favorite) is about 34,000 PSI where as a old Colt needs to be kept around 10,000 to 14,000 so it doesn't blow up. The Redhawk's that WESHOOT2 and others shoot, the pressure limit is even higher.

I experiment with .45 Super and .45 Colt. Even at its upper limit, .45 Super is mild compared to the medium .45 Colt loads you can shoot in a Ruger revolver...
 
I own several .45 revolvers and my favorite is the Smith $ Wesson Model 625 Model of 1989 stainless steel 4". But I would not buy another one, due to the sell out by them to the Klinton regime. I would buy a Ruger Redhawk in .45 LC or maybe a used 625 if I could find one.

7th
 
Question for Ruger .45 Colt users.

WESHOOT2, 7th Fleet and others,

A little off the subject but as one who is ready to buy his first Colt
.45 revolver, I'm curious as to why there is little/no mention of
using the Ruger SRH .454 as a platform for specializing in shooting
the powerful .45 Colt rounds. The emphasis seems to be on the
Blackhawks, Bisleys and Redhawks. Thanks for any imput.

Mike
 
The SRH 454 is a beautiful weapon (massive) and you can shoot .45 Colt in it with no issue as long as you make sure the throats of the cylinder is clean BEFORE you switch over to .454 rounds. Since the .45 Colt rounds are shorter, you can get leading in the cylinder which might cause problems with the longer .454 rounds.

Personally I think .454 Casull is overkill. It is a round that needs to be chambered for rifles. I know I would buy one if it was chambered in a lever-action or bolt-action, but for a handgun, it is a little much. I can load to within 75% of the Casull with the .45 Colt. That is more than enough for my use.

YMMV,
 
Fred...

Got one... 5.5" barrel... Love it... It is my test mule for .45 Super research, and the mainstay of .45 Colt. One thing though... it is pickier than my semi-autos about case length when shooting .45 ACP/Super.

.45 Super is a pussycat in the Blackhawk, and standard .45 ACP hardball has hardly any recoil at all, at least compared to my .45 Colt handloads... :D
 
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