Lightweight 45/45acp revolver
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Birdland70
Member
That would be one of my ideal non big predator guns. I love 45 colt for shot shell carry in the woods and moderately higher pressure rounds are quite capable. Would love this in a model 69 type k/l frame with 2.5-3” barrel.
I don't see it ever happening in a L frame. Did the measuring and the math. You could take a acp 325. Fit a titanium 44 mag cylinder from a 329, that has been reamed to 45 colt and cut for moon clips and acp. Be easiest to use the original acp extractor star because that would give you a simple depth gauge making the cut on the cylinder. You would have to trim back the barrel extension and recut the forcing cone. Plus adjust the frame lug, that keeps the cylinder from moving back during ejection, a bit.
I am happy with my 325 just the way it is. 45 acps have enough recoil in it. I do love the 45 colt round though.
I am happy with my 325 just the way it is. 45 acps have enough recoil in it. I do love the 45 colt round though.
I'd like to see a lt wt fixed sight N-frame in .45ACP. Picture a Governor with a frame shortened to use a cylinder only long enough for the round.
Take a 325 NG. remove factory front and rear adjustable sights. Make apiece that slides into old sight channel that has a shallow groove down length and on the rear bottom a piece with the profile of the bottom of a elevation stud so it slides in the cut for stud and holds that end in place and use a counter sunk screw to hold the front portion down like a normal adj sight. Now you have a rigid low profile rear sight. Replace front sight with one low enough to match channel in new rear sight piece. Real low profile sight that would be very secure. Don't forget to get a spare hammer and bob it. You could replace hammer and sights and take it back to original if you wanted to. Oh, yea, out goes the log and end goes the plug. I bobbed my 325NG hammer and plugged lock. Still has stock sights. But, I like adj. sights.
StrawHat
Member
Just a thought. Instead of altering the cylinder for the ACP/long Colt, why not take an ACP cylinder and deepen the chambers to LC depth so you can use 308 brass cut to length. The 45 long ACP could then be loaded as shot or bullet and utilize moon clips for charging.
Kevin
Don't need to use modified 308 brass as 45 Winchester magnum brass works fine. I have started using it in my 45 colt guns that are cut for 45 acp in moon clips. The 45acp case is .898, the 45 Winchester is 1.198 and the 45 colt is 1.285. .097 isn't much looking at the huge case capacity of either.
I bought a another 325 NG just before I left home for the job I am on. Once back home I am going to ream a 44 mag cylinder to 45 colt. Trim the 325 barrel extension, recut the forcing cone and fit the 45 colt cylinder.
An alloy N frame 45 colt.
I bought a another 325 NG just before I left home for the job I am on. Once back home I am going to ream a 44 mag cylinder to 45 colt. Trim the 325 barrel extension, recut the forcing cone and fit the 45 colt cylinder.
An alloy N frame 45 colt.
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mrchuck
Member
Not a revolver, but have a KAHR 45 auto. Quite narrow and small.
Not a woman's purse gun though!
Not a woman's purse gun though!
StrawHat
Member
Starline brass is available at Midway. 45 colt dies and a 45 acp shell holder and your in business.
Reloading Brass | Reloading Supplies
Reloading Brass | Reloading Supplies
And do not use Winchester .45 Win Mag cases. They are different from Starline cases and you will have to modify your full moon clips to make them work.
tenntex32
Member
Yeah, I was able to stave off my "Fitz" fever by buying one. Found mine asnib, at a local gunshow, with additional factory wood grips and was able to haggle them down to $380.
I use Speer .45Colt shotcups to roll my own .45acp shotshells with various sized shot & buckshot.
The Charter Arms PitBull weighs 21.8oz when wearing the small wooden factory grips, and 22.8oz when wearing the larger rubber factory grips. Adding 5 rounds of 230gr .45acp ammo will bump that up to 25.5oz and 26.5 oz respectively. That is still 5oz to 6oz less than my steel 2" 38spl M&P loaded with six rounds of 158gr ammo.
I love the comfort of knowing I have 5 rounds of .45acp when I feel a need for something more powerful than .38spl. Yes I know they make ultralight .357 Magnums but this .45acp doesn't punish your hand as much as an ultralight .357Magnum will. (Of course I still have my 642 for when I feel the need for an even smaller and lighter package.)
I know I know...………………...not a S&W.
Dale
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tenntex32
Member
While I have shot it with the small wood grips it looks somewhat cartoonish to me when wearing the wood grips due to the enormity of the cylinder!
I usually leave the larger rubber grips on it as it handles better with them......and also balances out the look a little more. Of course there may be situations where the small wooden grips may be the better option.
As far as recoil goes I would definitely say it is much better than trying to tame full house .357Magnum rounds from a lightweight revolver......although you are adding some size and weight to get there versus an ultralight .357Magnum, but not as much weight as an all-steel .357magnum revolver.
It's rare that I ever feel undergunned with 230gr .45acp Hydrashoks here in Texas………..but there have been a few times I wish I had more than a .38spl+p, especially when hiking trails, etc...
I do have a 13 round Glock 21c .45acp if things get a little hairy though! (Due to it's size it serves it's purpose mainly as a truck gun.)
Dale
I usually leave the larger rubber grips on it as it handles better with them......and also balances out the look a little more. Of course there may be situations where the small wooden grips may be the better option.
As far as recoil goes I would definitely say it is much better than trying to tame full house .357Magnum rounds from a lightweight revolver......although you are adding some size and weight to get there versus an ultralight .357Magnum, but not as much weight as an all-steel .357magnum revolver.
It's rare that I ever feel undergunned with 230gr .45acp Hydrashoks here in Texas………..but there have been a few times I wish I had more than a .38spl+p, especially when hiking trails, etc...
I do have a 13 round Glock 21c .45acp if things get a little hairy though! (Due to it's size it serves it's purpose mainly as a truck gun.)
Dale
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tenntex32
Member
I had one of the lightweight Kahr .45acp autos.
I made the mistake of showing it to a friend of mine who was getting into buying and then renting homes and he wanted something small and lightweight to have on his person if any altercations arose while looking at properties or dealing with renters. (He had a rather large renter threaten him after he tried to enforce the stipulations of the renters agreement.)
Anyways he just had to have it and fortunately for me I hadn't shot it enough to have grown too terribly attached to it so I let him talk me out of it.
I want to say it fell under a recall and he sent it back to Kahr and they did something to it making it more reliable with all types of ammo.
It was small, flat, and very lightweight though.
Dale
tenntex32
Member
But to get back to the main topic, I would love to see S&W produce a no-frills, lightweight, 5-shot, .45acp snubbie……..somewhat comparable to their Airweight series of revolvers. (I would freak over a "442" or "642" style .45acp!)
It wouldn't even have to have the complicated extractor system of the Charter Arms PitBull, nor it's 2 1/2" barrel as I am hoping for a shorter true 2", lighter 20oz example though. Maybe even shave a little bit off the cylinder diameter versus the Charter Arms example?
As long as I could charge it with moonclips, 5-round or 3-round+2-round......while still having headspace shouldered chambers for shooting with no clips at all, I would be happy, especially if they could keep it priced remotely close to a no-frills Airweight…..but something tells me it would end up being close to twice the amount I paid for my $380 Charter Arms example.
I'm not asking for a complicated, sub-$400, 15oz .45acp snubbie……….but would a no-frills, $500 or less, 20oz example keep your engineers busy trying to make it happen? It seems like you are losing the market to Charter Arms here.
Simple, small'ish, lightweight'ish, inexpensive, and yet reliable...…..what say ye? Can it still be done at S&W for anything other than an alloy J-frame 38spl? Let's think outside the box and sell a million of them!!!!!
Dale
It wouldn't even have to have the complicated extractor system of the Charter Arms PitBull, nor it's 2 1/2" barrel as I am hoping for a shorter true 2", lighter 20oz example though. Maybe even shave a little bit off the cylinder diameter versus the Charter Arms example?
As long as I could charge it with moonclips, 5-round or 3-round+2-round......while still having headspace shouldered chambers for shooting with no clips at all, I would be happy, especially if they could keep it priced remotely close to a no-frills Airweight…..but something tells me it would end up being close to twice the amount I paid for my $380 Charter Arms example.
I'm not asking for a complicated, sub-$400, 15oz .45acp snubbie……….but would a no-frills, $500 or less, 20oz example keep your engineers busy trying to make it happen? It seems like you are losing the market to Charter Arms here.
Simple, small'ish, lightweight'ish, inexpensive, and yet reliable...…..what say ye? Can it still be done at S&W for anything other than an alloy J-frame 38spl? Let's think outside the box and sell a million of them!!!!!
Dale
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I’ve got one too, I installed Pachmayrs on it but I haven’t taken it to the range yet.
