Which revolver for first .45 Long Colt?
- Thread starter S.F. 1357
- Start date
Well the first thing you need to do is learn the proper nomenclature for this caliber. But don't feel bad because even Ruger is wrong about this one. The proper name for the caliber is .45 Colt...not .45 Long Colt. The "Long" is just slang that came about as a result of the .45 Colt and the .45 Schofield (S&W) both being adopted by the army at the same time.
Now back to your original question: I recommend the Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt with polished stainless finish and your choice of factory rosewood or factory simulated ivory (white micarta) grips with 4 5/8" barrel. Cowboy ammo from Winchester or Black Hills shoots great in this gun and Winchester 225 grain Silvertips are deadly out of this gun for two legged predators. The Ruger will also tolerate some of the hot 300 plus grain hard cast lead penetrators from Corbon, Buffalo Bore, and Garrett.
Now back to your original question: I recommend the Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt with polished stainless finish and your choice of factory rosewood or factory simulated ivory (white micarta) grips with 4 5/8" barrel. Cowboy ammo from Winchester or Black Hills shoots great in this gun and Winchester 225 grain Silvertips are deadly out of this gun for two legged predators. The Ruger will also tolerate some of the hot 300 plus grain hard cast lead penetrators from Corbon, Buffalo Bore, and Garrett.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Sundance,
Go back and research a couple of the threads on the arguments about the name .45 Colt vs. .45 Long Colt.
There WAS a .45 Short Colt, and it wasn't the .45 Schofield...
Go back and research a couple of the threads on the arguments about the name .45 Colt vs. .45 Long Colt.
There WAS a .45 Short Colt, and it wasn't the .45 Schofield...
Colts are terribly expensive and if you can't shuck out the $1k plus bucks, then give consideration to the Ruger Vaquero. Rugers are very strong (if not the strongest) SAA revolvers around. While their "feel" is different from the Colt, you can still participate in a Cowboy Action Shooting Sport event with the Ruger. Oh, if you want more info on the latter, talk to Frank Tabor at Tabor Engineering in San Bruno. He's one of the top shots and has a team (SF Vigilantes). His # is 650-589-0505.
I recommend that you learn how to spell recommend and recommendation.Mike, appreciate your wisdom and experience, but just because somebody said it on TFL doesn't necessarily make it fact.
And just because there was or was not a "Short" Colt does not make the .45 Colt the "Long" Colt. The .45 Colt is the .45 Colt period. Long has got nothing to do with it. Just a word some rocket scientist added sometime in the past to differentiate it between some other cartridge.
But I'll drop this because I don't want to hijack this thread or step on toes.
Get a .45 Colt and don't look back...GREAT cartridge.
Chuck McDonald
New member
.45 Long Colt's
There was a .45 Colt Short round. And there is ammo in collections that is contemporary to the early revolvers that is marked .45 LONG Colt. Of course there was the .45 S&W round as well AND a .45 S&W Special as well.
So it seems reasonable the correct nomenclature would be .45 Long Colt's.
FWIW
Chuck
There was a .45 Colt Short round. And there is ammo in collections that is contemporary to the early revolvers that is marked .45 LONG Colt. Of course there was the .45 S&W round as well AND a .45 S&W Special as well.
So it seems reasonable the correct nomenclature would be .45 Long Colt's.
FWIW
Chuck
Mike Irwin
Staff
Sundance,
FAR more knowledgable people than I have discussed the existence of the .45 SHORT Colt as a cartridge separate from
the .45 LONG Colt.
Mike Venturino springs firmly to mind.
I need to swing out to the NRA museum and library and do some research on this subject.
As a correlary, just because you THINK it doesn't exist, doesn't mean it didn't.
What I continue to fail to understand, though, is why some people's anuses immediately eat their underwear when the term .45 Long Colt is mentioned.
FAR more knowledgable people than I have discussed the existence of the .45 SHORT Colt as a cartridge separate from
the .45 LONG Colt.
Mike Venturino springs firmly to mind.
I need to swing out to the NRA museum and library and do some research on this subject.
As a correlary, just because you THINK it doesn't exist, doesn't mean it didn't.
What I continue to fail to understand, though, is why some people's anuses immediately eat their underwear when the term .45 Long Colt is mentioned.
Mike Irwin
Staff
My 2 cents?
Get an older Smith Model 25. It's the best .45 LONG Colt available, in my opinion.
Get an older Smith Model 25. It's the best .45 LONG Colt available, in my opinion.
I will have to agree with the Ruger Vaquero or Blackhawk. I own the Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt or ACP convertible. That gives me the best of both worlds in case I want to shoot the ACP in my revolver. The Ruger is a strong gun that will handle the hotter ammo. I haven't had mine long but I love the way it performs.
As for the debate about the word "long", I try to stay away from the nit picking. I don't think it is productive.
Jim Hall
As for the debate about the word "long", I try to stay away from the nit picking. I don't think it is productive.
Jim Hall
Mike Irwin
Staff
Nah, we like historic accuracy.
Your turn.
Your turn.
Ummmmm.......Maybe I'me missing something here. We all seem to agree that the .45 Colt, or Long Colt is an excellent cartridge.
That said, why get anal about whether someone wants to call it by EITHER of the two commonly accepted names?
Over on Glock talk, there was a mile long thread, very heated, because someone used the very commonly accepted term "clip" to refer to a detachable magazine.
We all know what a .45 Long Colt is, whether it's technically accurate or not, and we all know what a magazine is, even when someone calls it a clip.
Why get anal about it????? Leave the analism for senile dinosaurs like Cooper!
That said, why get anal about whether someone wants to call it by EITHER of the two commonly accepted names?
Over on Glock talk, there was a mile long thread, very heated, because someone used the very commonly accepted term "clip" to refer to a detachable magazine.
We all know what a .45 Long Colt is, whether it's technically accurate or not, and we all know what a magazine is, even when someone calls it a clip.
Why get anal about it????? Leave the analism for senile dinosaurs like Cooper!
Moving right along-The day I sold my Ruger Blackhawk 4 3/4" .45 Colt (or .45 Long Colt, or whatever you decide to call it this week-you know which cartridge I'm talking about) is the day I was sufferring from terminal brain flatulence.
The 4 3/4" Blackhawk is a GREAT revolver. At the time, it was probably the most accurate handgun I owned. I reloaded low-medium velocity plinking/target loads using the 185 LSWC bullet intended for the .45 ACP with Bullseye powder (sorry, don't remember the load and I don't reload anymore) and it worked great. Moreover, the mall ninjas to the contrary, the short RBH is a very good defense handgun loaded with the W-W Silvertip and because of its modern design, you can load ALL six charge holes. Just use another handgun for a New York reload, because the SA-style handguns don't load quick.
Good Luck with your selection...
Bob