Hotter loads in COLT SAA ?

...the regular standard pressure (which is the black powder pressure level...
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In another post above someone said the SAAMI standard for the 45 Colt is 14K PSI. That is not the "black powder pressure level".

I have done a fair amount of research on the black powder 45 Colt cartridge and several sources have said the original BP load of 40g behind a 255g soft lead projectile generated ~ 10,000 PSI.

YMMV,
Dave
 
Lavan - that's a mighty fine looking Colt!

I've got no dog in all of this . . . but like you, sometimes a fellow just ponders on things. I don't have a Colt . . . I have a7 1/2 Uberti in 45 Colt . . . kind of a "poor man's Colt. My most accurate load out of it is the 454-190 over Red Dot. I don't have one of those fancy chronol machine but I figure I'm getting around 725 - 750 fps.

Anyways, I was thinking one day how it would be if I could get things a going faster out of it without blowing the durn thing up and taking my hand off. I was thinking 1,200 fps would really be something! I pondered on it and pondered on it and all of a sudden I figured it out. I remembered them story problems we had in Miss Jacobs;s 8th grade class!

If my loads are going 750 fps . . . why by golly, all I got to do is a take off running and when I get to where I'm moving at 450 fps, all I got to do is keep on trucking in the direction I'm a going at 450 fps and shoot over my shoulder in the opposite direction of where I'm headed! Boy . . . if Miss Jacobs could see me now I'm a guessing she'd be plum proud of me! )-)

There's one nice thing about a 45 Colt . . . I never saw a woodchuck or other critter, that when they got smacked with a 250 grain slug out of a 45 Colt, that knew the difference whether the slug was moving at 400 fps or 750 fps. As they say . . . "Dead men (in this case, woodchucks) tell no tales . . . "

Enjoy that nice wheelman! I'll bet it feels as smooth as butter in your hand!
 
The point here that seems to be overlooked is that these guns have been built in 45acp for decades and that is a 21kpsi cartridge. If you're shooting one, you're already way over the 45 colt's pressure limit. The Pearce data just allows you to operate at the same pressure while getting more velocity out of the 45 colt case. There is no danger in it and you're certainly not going to blow your top strap off.
 
I would like to point out a couple things people seem to constantly misunderstand when talking about pressure limits.

First, the guns survive proof load testing, which indicates a significant safety margin in the gun's strength over working load level pressure... and,

Second, the industry chosen working load pressure levels are just that, well under the point where the strength of the mechanism is stressed, and they are set so that the weakest gun still possibly in use today will be safe with the load.

That means original 1870s guns, too. Guns that should only be used with black powder loads but MIGHT be shot with current modern smokeless loads, so the working pressures have to be safe should that happen.
 
some of the responses crack me up. There are some solid responses as well. Prudence and common sense, some actual research and testing will give a good understanding of what is ok for you and your revolvers.
 
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