45 Long Colt

I looked for a 4" Model 25 Smith & Wesson for well over a decade before I finally found one. Could have had any number of 6.5" barreled ones, but I wanted the 4".
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That 4" 25-5 is the gun that got me into .45 Colt. I picked one up in well worn condition from an estate sale back in about 1993. After sending it back to S&W for a rebuild and refinish, it came back just like new. It was a beautiful gun!

However, I was disappointed with its accuracy, as I later learned that there were some apparent throat/chamber diameter issues with those guns. Also, being a reloader, I like to run things a bit stout much of the time, and I was concerned about the long term condition of the 25-5, especially since I had just spent a significant sum of money to have the gun refurbished.

After a year or so, and not without some serious wincing and gnashing of teeth, I sold the 4" 25-5 and bought a pair of 5 1/2" Blackhawks, one in blue, and one in stainless. I still have those guns, and they have satisfied my lust for higher powered loads for the .45 Colt.

I would echo the need to reload for this caliber. Factory ammo is prohibitively expensive, and only through reloading can the real fun with the .45 Colt be found.
 
There apparently never was a cartridge called the .45 Short Colt
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I borrowed this pic from an earlier post by Bob Wright. While there was no official "45 short Colt" by name, some did exist.
I might also add that up until a few years ago Colt's own website referred to the cartridge as 45 Long Colt.

Jim

 
I think the real question is why some have to bs
e so anal about this topic. The range I shoot at has a ton of new shooters and to them the .45 colt is a .45 acp and you can correct them til you are blue in the face and they still call it long colt. But if it makes some people hours and hours to argue over it well I uh ave bigger things to pass my time. By all means argue away but I need to go load some long colts.
 
My pair is a Rossi 92 and Uberti 1858 factory "old stock" remodel. Accuracy in both is superb for these older eyes. About short vs long, what I read was the term "long Colt", although not a factory name, was used to differentiate between th 45 Colt and the shorter S&W Schofield among quartermasters at the time.
 

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I would never intentionally humiliate someone in public over this but I do have a strong opinion. That said, I don't think every discussion where it's referred to as ".45 Long Colt" should deteriorate into an argument over it.

That said, there is no .45 Short or Long Colt and never was. What there was, was the .45Gov't. A stepchild of a cartridge designed to work in both the .45 S&W and .45Colt SAA's of the day. It had the Colt's smaller rim but the S&W's shorter length. Unfortunately, many cases were simply stamped ".45 Colt". So at one time, there 'was' a need to differentiate between the two. No sixgun ever chambered the cartridge. It is so obscure that most people have never heard of it and most use the "Long" these days to differentiate it between the .45ACP. Old habits die hard and some people cling real hard to "Long".

Real simple:
.45ACP
.45S&W
.45Gov't
.45Colt
 
USFA made an excellent SAA with their Rodeo. The matte finish required hours less polishing but it shot just as well:


 
somewhere....

....I have a picture of old ammo boxes marked "45 Long Colt".
But I still ain't come across them again yet.....


I think the boxes were military.
 
Yep, I've seen them too-and from more than one company (I've also seen magazines made by companies-Marlin is one-that were dubbed "clips"). But, just because some companies do it now doesn't necessarily mean that the term ".45 Long Colt" is no more than a semantic anomaly that ignores historical reality.
 
It is really unfortunate...

I enjoy The Cartridge, (whatever you wish to call it); handloading it and shooting it, and reading threads with others' experiences and thoughts.

Unfortunately...

EVERY...
SINGLE...
FRICKIN'...
THREAD...

...quickly gets sidetracked with the "correct/incorrect" terminology...and then the thread degrades into a urinating contest. Any opportunity to learn anything is lost.

Small brains and large egos prevail.

So sad.
 
yeah, I don't understand either

I mean really, cartridge name snobs?

It is one of the reasons I sold my 45 Long Colt Redhawk :rolleyes: (the other being no more dinosaurs roaming the neighborhood; I kept the 44 Mag 'Hawk, though).
 
I have a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt and a .22 LR revolver and have no plans or desire to own anything else. I do reload, however. It is extremely versatile when reloading and extremely expensive when not reloading.
 
As as been said it's a do all cartridge. I bought a New Vaquero convertible and have been handloading 45 Colt for a short time. With all the reading I'm now looking to buy a 92 Rifle in 45 Colt, and a Ruger Blackhawk Bisley Hunter (going to be hard to find) in 45 Colt.

In fact I just went to the range today and I had more fun shooting my handloads that are a touch warmer than factory ammo, and cost me WAY less. I figured I'm in it for .17 a round vs .80+ cents a round!

Do yourself a favor and get one or four guns in 45 colt!!!!
 
The tired naming controversy aside....

I bought a conversion cylinder for my 1858 Pietta. I am restricted to "cowboy" loads, but is is the most accurate revolver I own and a pleasure to shoot.

If I want big loads with big recoil I have a S&W 329PD and a Taurus Tracker TI 41Mag. But neither is as accurate.
 
grenade comment vs rats a$$

It was not directed at any individual, but at the overall weenieness of our modern society.
Unless, of course, the name fits?

Since I DO have those pics of cartridge boxes marked as "45 Long Colt", I am amused by attempts to suggest there is no such thing. I have no other involvement in this discussion, as I don't care what one designates the cartridge. I know it by both.
 
Enough. This is not going to turn into another nomenclature debate.we have had enough of those over the years.

If you get all bothered by someone saying long, get over it and accept the fact that some people find it to be a valid identifier in their universe.

any subsequent posts on that aspect will be deleted.
 
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