Ammo for a Uberti 1873 Cattleman 5-1/2"

rags · Sep 7, 2014

Picked up a Uberti 1873 Cattleman 45 LC (sku344110), Blue, Steel, 5 1/2" this summer and just got around to ordering some ammo for it. I picked up some .45 Long Colt 200gr Speer Bonded Unicore Hollow Points from Georgia Arms.

I know the 45 LC is also a rifle cartridge but didn't think about velocity until AFTER I ordered it. Is 1100 fps too hot for a short barreled SA revolver?

Do I need to buy a rifle in 45 LC now? A glove?

Thanks.

hung-up · Sep 7, 2014

You will be fine with that. I shoot cowboy loads most of the time Remington and Winchester and use HP when I carry it hunting. I got some ammo from Georgia arms at a gun show and had 2 bent 45 LC rounds and 1 5.56 that the case split in half when it was fired so I don't buy factory reloads. As you have already found 45 LC is not cheep to shoot.

kaaskop49 · Sep 8, 2014

Hi, Rags! Of course you need a carbine in .45LC, but you're not gonna get your mitts on my Winchester Trapper!

I've found nothing better in this caliber than the standard 250-255 lead slugs with the meplat. As the above poster said, expensive, but nothing is more fun to shoot than a .45LC with this round. It's why I have 2 .45LC derringers. Good shooting.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

ArchAngelCD · Sep 8, 2014

Actually, there are rifles chambered in 45 Colt today but the 45 Colt was really never a rifle cartridge.

The amount of velocity doesn't tell you if the ammo is safe to shoot in your revolver, it's the pressure. That said velocity or should I say excessive velocity is usually a good indication if ammo is too much for a handgun. Since "normal" 45 Colt ammo usually pushes a 255gr bullet to ~900 fps a 200gr bullet at ~1100 should be just about correct too.

You might not want to shoot that ammo in an original Colt SAA revolver but even though the Uberti revolvers are colt replicas their steel is heat treated and stronger than the original. (but the frame can take only so much)

Harry_Callahan · Sep 8, 2014

rags said:
Picked up a Uberti 1873 Cattleman 45 LC (sku344110), Blue, Steel, 5 1/2" this summer and just got around to ordering some ammo for it.

my first gun

if you reload find some Vithavuori N320 and use there "Cowboy" loads. Real fun

scooter123 · Sep 8, 2014

For 45 Long Colt YOU WILL want to start reloading. Some very good news in this aspect is you'll find by reloading you can get your costs down to under 20 cents per round. The breakdown is like this, Extreme Bullets 200 grain RNFP is 11.5 cents each, primer is 3.5 cents each, powder is 3 cents each, case cost about 1 cent per reload. Total that up and your cost is 19 cents per round or 9.50 for a box or 50 rounds. BTW, for 357 Magnum I use Hornady's rather pricey XTP bullets and I can still save over 50% by reloading.

rags · Sep 8, 2014

ArchAngelCD said:
Actually, there are rifles chambered in 45 Colt today but the 45 Colt was really never a rifle cartridge.

The amount of velocity doesn't tell you if the ammo is safe to shoot in your revolver, it's the pressure. That said velocity or should I say excessive velocity is usually a good indication if ammo is too much for a handgun. Since "normal" 45 Colt ammo usually pushes a 255gr bullet to ~900 fps a 200gr bullet at ~1100 should be just about correct too.

You might not want to shoot that ammo in an original Colt SAA revolver but even though the Uberti revolvers are colt replicas their steel is heat treated and stronger than the original. (but the frame can take only so much)

Thanks. I was assuming that the higher the velocity, the more pressure would be created...

I guess I'll find out soon enough.

336A · Sep 9, 2014

I would not go chacing after a certain velocity threshold in a Colt SAA or replica/copy there of. Regarding the Colt and its clones which the Uberti is, Brian Pearce recommends keeping all loads to 14,000PSI on all Post WWII fireams which are in good working order. Again I'm fairly certain that your Uberti would fall in this category as well. Here is a good article with mention of the different loads and tables and which to use in certain firearms.

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/pdf/hl 246partial.pdf

Ammo for a Uberti 1873 Cattleman 5-1/2"

rags

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hung-up

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kaaskop49

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ArchAngelCD

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Harry_Callahan

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scooter123

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rags

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336A

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