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Old 09-09-2011, 01:52 PM
Texas Star Texas Star is offline
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The Colt handles recoil better than the S&W with factory stocks on both. But the Colt cylinder timing issue is a serious matter.

Fewer gunsmith here will work on Colts.

You'll probably need to use jacketed bullets or hard-cast ones to get much accuracy. My S&W M-1950 Target .45 shot very poorly with the softer lead Auto-Rim ammo, which you probably can't get, anyway. (The rifling was designed for jacketed bullets.)

Don't load too hot if you reload. These guns are nearly a hundred years old, and the metallurgy was designed for service ammo.

If I was buying a gun that large, I'd get a S&W M-629 in .44 Magnum, and load .44 Special ammo or moderate reloads for most use, Magnums for larger animals.

.45ACP revolvers were originally an emergency wartime expediency to get handguns to the troops in the trenches. Many disagree, but I see no need for them, except as collectibles that can be shot.

A lot of the Colts were roughly finished, maybe refinished in WW II. Mine was well finished, although in the usual dull gray Parkerizing. The S&W's I've seen had normal bluing, and were nicer guns. With the later Magna stocks/grips, they should handle recoil well.

Let us know what you choose to do, and if you like the Colt if you get one. Be sure to check the timing.

How many guns can you own in NSW? Are handgun laws there state or federal? I think I've read that South Australia and Western Australia have more lenient laws than do Queensland, NSW, and Victoria. Dunno about the Northern Territories or Tasmania.
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