Is 45LC making a comeback?

C

Cousin Pat

New member
I gather with cowboy action shooting, etc., that the 45 Long Colt (or just 45 Colt for purists) is regaining popularity. But is it gaining in popularity as a "serious" cartidge for DA revolvers for hunting and SD vs., say, the 44 Spec/Mag chambering?
 
I think the Taurus Judge and S&W Governor have a lot to do with the sudden resurgence of the .45 Colt for self defense. I don't much care for either of those guns but they certainly seem to be selling well. For me the .45 Colt has always been a favorite handgun cartridge and always will be and I am glad to see more factory ammo for it even if I don't use it. Personally I wouldn't carry a .45 Colt as a CCW most are just to big and heavy but if I were inclined to open carry, it would be just about perfect for it.

Stu
 
I think what it boils down to FOR ME is the fact I'm a hand loader and it has GOT to be ONE OF THE most versatile cartridges to load for. Definitely mild to wild available. I have my Ruger New Vaquero and Super Blackhawk Hunter to fill those and am tracking down a Rossi R92 in SS to match those in the same caliber.
 
I think .45 Colt is, and will continue to be, a "niche" cartridge, like the .44-40, .32 S&W Long, and other basically obsolete cartridges that have just enough interest to hang on. The major drawback for SD and to some extent for HD, is that it is a BIG cartridge, made for BIG guns. Even in gun-friendly states, running around with a low slung six-gun like an Old West movie character is discouraged and most folks prefer to keep the hardware out of sight even if that is not required by law. (Yes, I know some folks claim to be able to easily conceal a .500 S&W, a Ruger SRH or a 155mm howitzer, but let's be realistic.)

Jim
 
To me, .45 Colt, is a niche cartridge....and unless you reload for it ....I don't think its going anywhere in terms of popularity.

I hear it coming up ....once in a while ...among new shooters.....because its new to them .../ but the retail cost on the ammo seems to be diminishing their interest in it.
 
I love the 45 Colt. Definitely my favorite handgun caliber. I am a handloader, which helps as the cost of ammo would be prohibitive otherwise. I was actually out shooting my Blackhawk Bisley Hunter today with some stout loads of 22.0 grns of H110 with a 300 Gr Cast bullet. I love those wrist snapping loads!

I've collected a few 45 Colts over the years!

45LC_Coll.jpg
 
Besides the increase interest in Cowboy Action type shooting sports, the advent of platforms capable of exceeding original pressures and velocities have made it more of a viable big game hunting cartridge and thus sparked new interest. In other words, it ain't your great grandpa's .45 Colt.
 
The first handgun I bought when I was old enough was a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt. The .45 Colt is my favorite cartridge out there, it's got history and it's extremely versatile, from plinking to big game hunting.
 
In other words, it ain't your great grandpa's .45 Colt.
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Exactly. .45 Colt is my favorite caliber. As I said in another thread it has done the job since the late 1800s. Worked well then, works now. Even to taking big game in Africa:ref Ross Seyfried. For me it is the do all cartridge from mild to wild. The .44Mag revolvers languish in the safe. My camp gun, fishing, hiking, hunting gun... What's not to like? For the city there is the little Bulldog .44Spec to carry around CC, but for everything else? .45 Colt.

I don't think its going anywhere in terms of popularity.
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Maybe not, but the people I shoot with sure like it. And they seem to disappear quite regularly from the store gun shelves. In fact I just bought two in the last couple of months.

I do agree it is a reloader's cartridge to get the most out of it ... economically. Of course you can say that about the .44Spec, the .44Mag and others...
 
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robhof

I'm another believer that the 45 Colt isn't going away, as stated cowboy action is resurging in popularity and the vast majority use the 45, as well as stated; the versatility of the cartridge for hand loaders is great. I can load mild enough to shoot all day without wrist pain or stout enough to take most American game effectively.
 
As others have said, in the hands of a handloader it is one of the most versatile calibers there is. The only handguns I have ever owned is a .22 revolver and a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt. As far as hunting goes, I can handle everything except the largest of mammals. As far as plinking goes I can handle everything from tin cans to tree trunks. I can load the Blackhawk mild enough to make a kid smile, or load it hot enough to make a grown man cry. (Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration).
 
I wish it was more popular, it is almost impossible to find Ruger Redhawks in .45 Colt, or new production S&W DA revolvers in such as well. All S&W seems to have to offer these days are .45acp revolvers. Why in the world would I want a .45acp revolver, just seems wrong to me.
 
My Colt SAA 3rd Gen is was a .45LC from the factory. One of the best and most accurate guns I have ever owned. Well, now the rest of the story... She went back to the Colt Custom Shop in 2000 and was fitted with a .45 ACP cylinder. Whoa!!! More than paid for itself in ammo cost. I would even say the .45 ACP may even be a little ahead on accuracy. The good part is I can still shoot the older traditional caliber. I have them loaded in GOEX Black Powder... Now that's a hoot.
 
I believe it's a niche cartridge like the 41 magnum, but more popular than the 41 magnum in terms of numbers of shooters. Cowboy action shooting has helped to revive it and the single action makers still chamber it which demonstrates it popularity. Factory ammunition is expensive and no less expensive to shoot than 41 or 44 magnum except the light cowboy loads. I know that most of the regular shooters probably reload it, but they do the same thing with 41 and 44 mag.

There is a significant "big bore" shooter preference for the cartridge. Those that shoot it proclaim it can do everything from mild to wild in the right gun.

I like to see a variety of cartridges/calibers available. I just have not climbed onto the 45 Colt (LC) bandwagon and doubt I ever will.

But is it gaining in popularity as a "serious" cartidge for DA revolvers for hunting and SD vs., say, the 44 Spec/Mag chambering?
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No, it is not gaining in popularity in DA based on my impressions. It is a single action gun cartridge.
 
If they offered a redhawk with a 5.5inch barrel in 45colt, I'd personally be banging on the factory doors wanting the first one. It is an awsome caliber. Great history and effective on medium game in reasonable distances.
 
It never went away.

The 45 Colt's popularity no doubt began to fade in the modern age as other cartridges gained prominence. With the introduction of the .45 Blackhawk it became the latest cult-magnum. Once the nay-sayers were proven wrong; the 45 Colt gained wide-spread and well earned respect as a powerful revolver hunting round that can contend with the 44 Magnum on an equal footing.While the cartridge was making this come-back, as we developed ever more powerful loads with bigger and bigger hand-cast bullets and such, we reached the zenith of the trend. And then the next big thing happened to our pet 45 Colt. The contagious enthusiasm of the Cowboy shooting sports took our cult cartridge out of the shadows and put it back on center-stage where, if I'm not mistaken, it has become the star player. The first time you shoot a single-action 45; you will want one.
 
To me, the really, really, really important thing about the .45 Colt is that it is NOT going to go away because of the reasons others have stated, that is, the popularity of cowboy action shooting, the Taurus Judge, the S&W Governor etc. There are quite a few guns for .45 Colt that are selling well today so for years and years I think there will be brass, bullets and cartridges available for it.

There may not be a lot of new double action revolvers created for the cartridge.

As has been said it is a big cartridge and a revolver holding five of the cartridges is going to be larger than an LCR .357 magnum or an S&W J frame.

Concealed carry seems to be the big seller now days and I don’t think the .45 Colt is as suited for that as many other cartridges.

For a house gun or a woods gun I think it would be just as good as many other more popular cartridge choices and as I said at the beginning of my post the .45 Colt is NOT going to go away any time soon. So if you wanted a gun chambered in .45 Colt I would say get it and don’t second guess yourself.
 
When I started reloading about 5 years ago I had to get a 45 colt. Just seemed like the perfect reloading caliber.
 
I checked the Starline Brass website yesterday ... and you can't even backorder .45 Colt brass now due to backlog. Same with .44Mag . Someone out there is using it :) .
 
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