Which .45lc? Ruger or Taurus?

C

canuck1911

New member
I've been considering getting a .45lc after renting a Colt Anaconda at the range a few times. A wonderful gun, unfortunately not made any more. The only two .45lc guns I can find are the Ruger Redhawk (I like double action), and I noticed a sweet looking Taurus titanium vented snubby in .45lc. However, I don't know anybody who has those guns, and I'm nervous about getting that powerful a caliber without having shot it. So, my questions to anybody who has some experience they would like to share, are:

If you've shot the Colt Anaconda and either the Ruger Redhawk or Taurus Titanium, how would you compare the felt recoil and trigger action to the Colt?

If you've shot the Redhawk and Taurus in .45lc, how would you contrast the recoil and trigger action?

Finally, I've never heard much about Taurus. Is their gun likely to be of good quality?

Thanks in advance for any comments.
 
Canuck, I apologize because this is really not addressing your question but.....

What is the intended purpose of the gun? The Redhawk and the titanium Taurus are about as far apart, other than caliber, as two guns can get.
 
Ruger makes the Vaquero in .45 lc with several different barrel lengths. I've got one with a 7 1/2" barrel and love it. I also use the Taurus total Ti ported snubbie in .45 LC and think it's great.

The Taurus is my carry gun, while the Ruger is just to have fun with. Both are great. Big difference? The Taurus kicks twice as bad.

------------------
The best weapon for self defense is the one you have when the need arises!
 
S&W Mountain Guns in .45Colt are still available used, and are heavy enough for controllable recoil, and light enough to carry (including concealed with the right holster).
 
My intended use for the gun is primarily recreational shooting, with the option of taking it along backpacking, or leaving in a bedside drawer sometimes. I don't think anything over 5 1/2" would work for me. Mostly I'm concerned about recoil and trigger feel, with size and weight second. So when you say the Taurus has twice the recoil of the Ruger, that's a big negative for me. A used S&W mountain gun might be an alternative. Bob C, how would you compare the recoil to the vented Taurus, or Redhawk with 5" barrel? Basicly, if the recoil much worse than the Colt, I probably won't like it. If the trigger action is very poor, it won't be fun to shoot.

Thanks again for the advice

Canuck
 
Canuck 1911,

The perceived recoil with a .45 Colt Mountain Gun with factory or equivalent loads is comparable to a 1911, perhaps a little less as you don't have any slide momentum.

Triggers on S&W's are normally very good.
 
Why not go for a Peacemaker? Uberti makes a wide variety under different labels, and American Western Arms has just started. You can pick up a used clone for $250-$300. The 1873 was perfectly designed for long colt. Its an absolute joy to shoot, the fixed sights are *very* accurate, and the simple mechanism is easy to clean and repair (just keep a few main springs in stock). It's designed to use the recoil to kick the hammer back to your thumb--Colt was a genius.

The Rugers in LC (Redhawk, Vaquero, Bisley, or Bisley Vaquero) are much tougher than the old Colts and can be used for hot loads. Gary Reeder, inter alia (see www.sixgunner.com), does some amazing and wonderful things with Rugers. If you want your ideal trail gun for .45 LC, one of his custom jobs would do the trick.

As far as Taurus, I just picked up the stainless version of that titanium snub in .45 Colt. I'm going to go shoot it shortly.
 
Recommend the Ruger Redhawk (suggest stainless, 5.5", add Millett orange-ramp front sight and Pachmayr Decelerator grips) for the highest owner satisfaction.

Can take light target-type loads up to 335-350g hunting loads.
Generally very accurate, and extremely robust.

------------------
"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
I have several Single Action rugers. They all shoot well and recoil is not bad with factory ammo. I only own vaqueros. If you start shooting alot you may need a reloader as ammo gets expensive
 
The best bet for a sweet DA revolver in 45 Colt is the S&W Model 25.

Not made anymore, but still pretty easy to find at big gun shows, down here in GA, you can get them easy for $400-450, for LNIB.

The ones i have fondled have all had wonderful triggers, about 4-5 lbs in SA mode. They are a little more refined, and a whole lot prettier, than Rugers and Tauri.
 
Ever consider S&W 625's? In either 4", 5", or Mountain Gun format? .45 ACP is a round no-one can complain about, it's only detraction being that it won't run the heaviest bullets. Auto-rim is no slouch either. Just make sure it's pre-agreement...
;) :D ;)
 
I own 2

I own the Taurus 45 LC but stainless and a Ruger SuperRedhawk in 454 Casull (which also fires 45 LC).

I do, in fact, sleep with the Taurus. :)

The SRH is fantastic, capable of handling everything from 200gr "light" long colt rounds, to 360gr hunting ammo at 1500fps in 454 Casull. very versatile for hunting, or bear protection. Accurate, too. But not very concealable at 7.5" bbl.

The taurus is quality. I chose stainless over titanium for the very reason of the weight helping to control the kick. I find the kick manageable, but I admit I like a gun that pushes back. It does have a hard kick that many would not like, I'd bet.
It is as accurate as a snubbie can be, don't expect miracles. I'd say slightly-less-than-1-inch groups at 21 feet (defense distance), but bigger farther out- given my pretty average marksmanship. Also some confusion as to how "hot" the ammo it will take. I know some who regularly use the 200gr Cor-Bon defense loads (1100 fps), but no hotter even though the gun is rated "+P" by Taurus. 45LC has no official +P ratig by SAAMI, so no one is exactly sure what it means. I do like the little thing. Biggest hole in snubbie-land.

Overall, I'd choose the Ruger in the bbl length you specified. Better recoil, no doubt. More accurate. And should do fine for the purposes you intend.

Hope this helps.
Carl
 
Ruger, Of Course!

Ruger makes QUALITY handguns; IMHO Taurus
does not. With that said, I would perfer the "Redhawk"
DA revolver; but would not be mad if someone gave
me a "Blackhawk", as a gift.:D :) Oh! did I tell ya' that
Ruger revolver's are proof tested with loads that are
30% above normal? Yep, that's right; a full 30%.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A.
 
canuck1911,

If you are serious about defending yourself in the woods and at home. Stick to double action. The Ruger is heavy and bulky for carry, as is the Taurus Raging bull. The Titanium series from Taurus has a swaged barrel and is limited in what can be shot through them. Sounds like you are looking for a Smith & Wesson Mountain gun in .45 Colt. Light, practical and concealable if needed. I'd reconsider the caliber issue too. Forty four Magnum is by far more readily available and less expensive to shoot.

Gabriel
 
I too like the Blackhawk and Vaqueros, but Canuck said he liked double action when he opened this thread.

As far as the Taurus are concerned, I try to shy away from any big bore handgun that's "titanium, air lite" etc. because I'm from the school that says big bore needs heavy platform to manage recoil.

The S&W 625 mountain gun is a good option and my father owns one. I've fired his and it's very nice, but the S&W's have that thin top strap that keeps them off the list of .45LCs that can handle full load ammo. Their cylinders are a little small, and are also a little thin in the cylinder at each chamber. If you're just going to feed it factory ammo, this is an excellent choice.

If the Anaconda is what you really like, don't totally dismiss the Colt as an option. If you're patient, you can find one at a gun show every once in a while. I picked one up in .45LC at a gunshow two months ago. First opportunity to use it was at my gun club last Friday, and I took a friend and my wife. They both fired about 24 rounds of factory ammo apiece thru it and loved it. Anaconda is big, heavy, but manageable, even for my wife. They also CAN take the full load ammo and have the big heavy cylinders and thick top strap. Call a couple of ammo companies that provide hotter .45LC ammo and ask them if they don't recommend their stuff in an Anaconda if you're worried about the Anaconda strength and want to use full loads. Good luck in your search......Dan in GA
 
canuck,
You might want to check out the ultralight version of Taurus 450. It's made out of stainless steel and aluminium, and its only about 2 ounces heavier than the titanium version you were looking at. It's also a lot cheaper. CDNN investments has them on sale for $279. They also have the all stainless version on sale for $269. http://www.cdnninvestments.com
Unfortunately, you have to download the entire catalog(~6.2 mb) to see the ads.
 
Here's another vote for the Ruger Redhawk or perhaps a nice single action Ruger. If you want something more traditional check out the fine Uberti single actions, they are exceptionally well done examples of an 1873 Peacemaker clone.

7th
 
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