First Time Shooting SAA Colt .45 Long Second Generation...

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UtopiaTexasG19

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How much recoil should I expect from a 1903 Colt .45 SAA Second generation with 255 grain lead round nose at around 860 fps at the barrel? I shoot 9mm all the time and .38 special and .357 Magnum occassionally but the .357 Magnum is out of a much heavier Dan Wesson with a 6" barrel. Can these Colts with the load mentioned above be shot one handed like in the old Westerns? What can I expect as far as recoil? I realize this is a subjective question since there are so many calibers and loads.
Thanks....
PS- This Colt has been meticulously taken apart, cleaned, inspected and checked for proper timing.
 
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If it was made in 1903 then it"s a 1st generation. As far as recoil is concerned the SAA is pretty heavy and felt recoil from the .45LC isn"t much at all and you won't need two hands.
 
I shoot Colt SAAs all the time. At CAS shoots I shoot with one in each hand and I don't shoot wimpy loads. The gun will tend to rock up in your hand putting your thumb about where it needs to be to cock it again. While I would not shoot hot loads in your gun I wouldn't be afraid to shoot it with moderate stuff. I have shot SAAs built as early as the 1880s but with black powder. If it were mine I'd normally shoot it with a 200 gr bullet at about 800 fps max. (Or use Black Powder which is easier on the gun).* This is plenty for CAS or target shooting.
These old guns are neat but yours is 100+ years old. If you want to load one to max velocities then get a new Colt or one of the many clones.



* If you haven't reloaded with BP you'll need a little instruction to start.
 
what frame style is it? black powder "old model", or the "new model" that all the companies use for clones nowadays?



as far as recoil can go, that depends on the load in the end. if you want truly enjoyable, noisy fun. youll want to load your own ammo. from what ive seen last year or so, most people are using a max 30 grain charge of bp/substitute and a 200-210 grain conical.
 
If it's been dated to 1903 then it's a "smokeless frame". So you can shoot modern "SASS spec" (or "Cowboy Action") smokeless ammo - meaning plain lead, up to about 255gr at 850 to 860fps, or put more clearly, peak PSI around 14k. (Or Black Powder loads if you want, but be sure to clean it up thoroughly soon after with the proper techniques and cleaning stuff for BP. If you don't know what I'm talking about, find out or don't go there.)

You should NOT shoot the 20 to 22k "modern SAA" loads for post-WW2 guns. It's a bit confusing because these loads are still not marked "+P". Most involve around a 255gr plain lead slug doing 1,000fps, or a 200gr JHP doing 1,100ish. These loads are OK for post-WW2 Colts, the Ruger New Vaquero, most of the solid-frame Italian guns, the Taurus Judge, etc. These loads might be shootable in that 1903 for a little while but you risk damage to a fine old gun.

"+P" is reserved for the really big boomers - up to 33k pressure, up to a 325gr hardcast no-jacket doing 1,300fps(!), with 44Mag-class energy levels (at less pressure). These loads will grenade your gun.
 
The only local rounds I can find are Winchester Super X Target Lead Round Nose. These are the 255 grain I mentioned in my post above. The chart on the back of the box shows velocity at muzzle to be 860 and the "energy" to be 419 but the chart does not show what the "energy" is measured in as far as units.
 
I am not sure of those loads. I know that most Acadamy stores sell the Winchester cowboy loads. Though I warn they are not cheap. Usualy they run around $1 a shot. If you decide to hand load for it. I would recommend using Trail Boss with 255 grain cast lead bullets.
 
I took a look on the Hodgdon site for reloads and the rounds I mentioned in my posts above appear to be the lower "cowboy" loads for the first generation SSA'a that use smokeless powders.
 
UtopiaTexasG19: a 255gr slug doing 860fps packs 419ft/lbs of energy. Google:

ballistic energy calculator

...and you'll find several. Some will also tell you the "Taylor Knockout Factor" if you also punch in the width and shape, or tell you the drop over distance if you know the aerodynamics of the slug ("ballistic coefficient"), but all should tell you basic kinetic energy in foot/pounds.

Now, none of this tells you peak pressure. That very old-school Winchester load is *probably* peaking at 14k or less though, it's right in the ballpark of a round that does that.

BUT, you need to know something important here - esp. if you start handloading:

You can get (or brew up) a "stupid load" that doesn't put out a lot of bullet energy BUT does a short, brief "spike" in pressure that can blow the hell out of the gun. Follow? What hurts the gun is the peak pressure, not the duration (within reason of course).

So, a really intelligent load that uses exactly the right powder charge might peak at "only" 14k, yet hold that pressure for significantly longer than a less-optimized load. In extreme cases a 14k load might well put out more energy than something dumb that's peaking briefly at 25k or more.

One way to do a "low but broad pressure curve" is to use a heavy hardcast bullet and slower burning powder. The heavier slug takes longer to start it's motion (we're talking about tiny fractions of a second, but it matters). That in turn lets a slow-burn powder "catch fire" properly, and then it shoves the sucker out very nicely.

The downside is, you have to use more (sometimes a lot more) slow-burn powder. Most powders weigh about the same, so a fast-burn-powder recipe will be literally more fuel-efficient - lower cost recipes, less powder. And heavier bullets cost more.

Anyways. I strongly suspect those Winchester Super-X loads will be OK...but I don't know for sure. Personally, if it was my relic, I'd buy good quality cowboy-match loads from a good online source like Black Hills, who make some of the most consistent ammo on earth.

Expensive? Yeah. But that could well be a $5k gun. And look at what their speed rating is on 250gr 45LC cowboy stuff 750fps:

http://www.black-hills.com/cowboy_action_calibers.php

They also have 45Schofield loads which are basically slightly shorter and will work in that gun, and are even milder...
 
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