jcjacobvt
Member
Has anyone tried shooting .45 win mag out of a .45 colt revolver that was modified for .45 acp use with moon clips. I have the gun in a model 25, just wanted to check first prior to blowing up my gun.
.45 win mag in a .45 colt modifed for acp
- Thread starter jcjacobvt
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
If this is an older 25, it would be a very unwise thing to try. The older 25s were not heat treated for magnum stress. Not to mention cylinder strength.
It is rumored that the newer frames are all heat treated alike. However, I would not be willing to bet my hand on it with a model 25.
The modern 625s are certainly strong enough for cartridges like 45Super and 460Rowland.
In this case, I say if you NEED a Magnum revolver.........BUY a Magnum revolver.
41s and 44s are easy to find
It is rumored that the newer frames are all heat treated alike. However, I would not be willing to bet my hand on it with a model 25.
The modern 625s are certainly strong enough for cartridges like 45Super and 460Rowland.
In this case, I say if you NEED a Magnum revolver.........BUY a Magnum revolver.
41s and 44s are easy to find
Last edited:
Allen-frame
Member
Having several Smiths chambered in 45 Colt and a Grizzly pistol
chambered in 45 Win Mag I have considered this.
I handload my 45 Win Mag to 1400 f.p.s. and fired from the Grizzly
pistol it is a handfull. Right between o.k. and unpleasant on the
perceived recoil scale.
Shooting factory spec 45 Win mag in a model 25 or 625 would
duplicate 44 magnum ballistics.
Since the gun was not originally chambered for this round I WILL NOT
ever do it.
The guy I bought the Grizzly from actually told me an interesting story
about shooting the 45 Win Mag and a 44 magnum with his dad years
ago.
Shooting old heavy equipment oil filters the 44 magnum(being a hollow point or soft point bullet)
stopped in the filter housing.
The 230 gr. jacketed round nose went right through the oil filter and split several pieces
of shale they had set up as a backstop behind.
Talk about over penetration, wow.
If you have a 45 Colt revolver cut for moon clips shoot your
45 a.c.p. rounds and enjoy them. And please report back as to how that works out for you.
I own dedicated guns in both calibers and will not modify them for any reason.
They are all just that valuable to me.
Now if I found a Smith revolver with 2 cylinders fit to a gun
to share 45 Colt and a.c.p. I would add it to the collection.
Regards.
Allen
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...5-colt-ultimate-25-625-discussion-thread.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...oral-essay-please-add-your-pics-info-too.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/168846-grizzly-attack-nov-2010-a.html
chambered in 45 Win Mag I have considered this.
I handload my 45 Win Mag to 1400 f.p.s. and fired from the Grizzly
pistol it is a handfull. Right between o.k. and unpleasant on the
perceived recoil scale.
Shooting factory spec 45 Win mag in a model 25 or 625 would
duplicate 44 magnum ballistics.
Since the gun was not originally chambered for this round I WILL NOT
ever do it.
The guy I bought the Grizzly from actually told me an interesting story
about shooting the 45 Win Mag and a 44 magnum with his dad years
ago.
Shooting old heavy equipment oil filters the 44 magnum(being a hollow point or soft point bullet)
stopped in the filter housing.
The 230 gr. jacketed round nose went right through the oil filter and split several pieces
of shale they had set up as a backstop behind.
Talk about over penetration, wow.
If you have a 45 Colt revolver cut for moon clips shoot your
45 a.c.p. rounds and enjoy them. And please report back as to how that works out for you.
I own dedicated guns in both calibers and will not modify them for any reason.
They are all just that valuable to me.
Now if I found a Smith revolver with 2 cylinders fit to a gun
to share 45 Colt and a.c.p. I would add it to the collection.
Regards.
Allen
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...5-colt-ultimate-25-625-discussion-thread.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...oral-essay-please-add-your-pics-info-too.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/168846-grizzly-attack-nov-2010-a.html
Pressure
I think .45 Win Mag is higher pressure than even .44 Mag. Probably not a good idea.
I think .45 Win Mag is higher pressure than even .44 Mag. Probably not a good idea.
David Sinko
Member
I did try this with a Model 25-7 that I had moonclipped to fire .45 ACP. I had figured out that Starline .45 Winchester Magnum brass easily snaps into common .45 ACP moonclips (it does not work with Winchester brass). I called Starline and told them what I intended to do and they sent me free samples of their .45 Winchester Magnum brass. I loaded light handloads and was immediately plagued with misfires when shooting double action. If I recall, none of them fired double action. They did fire when I cocked the hammer but accuracy was pathetic. I took the issue up with Art Leckie who had done the conversion for me. He said that it had worked well for others. When he said that it "worked well" I think he was referring to shooting .45 ACP, but that didn't work so well for me either. We concluded that the .45 Colt chambers of my 25-7 were cut so sloppy by S&W that there was just way too much cartridge flop with both the ACP and Winchester Magnum cartridges. They moved around so much in the chambers that the primers could not absorb the blow of the firing pin.
Others on this forum report success with the ACP moonclip conversions. I still suspect that S&W bores their .45 Colt cylinders with such deviation that this conversion is simply not worth the risk. The .45 Winchester Magnum proposition is feasible only with light handloads and therefore not even worth the trouble. I would never try this again.
I think a Ruger Redhawk made by the factory to properly chamber and fire .45 Winchester Magnum with moonclips would be a fantastic idea. It would also shoot .45 ACP, .45 Super, .451 Detonics, 460 Rowland and possibly some others. But those people at Ruger just don't get it, and I'm sure this will never see the light of day.
I traded away that 25-7 years ago, so if anybody out there bought a used one that has been cut for moonclips, it's probably the one I had. I'd be curious to know how it's coming along.
Dave Sinko
Others on this forum report success with the ACP moonclip conversions. I still suspect that S&W bores their .45 Colt cylinders with such deviation that this conversion is simply not worth the risk. The .45 Winchester Magnum proposition is feasible only with light handloads and therefore not even worth the trouble. I would never try this again.
I think a Ruger Redhawk made by the factory to properly chamber and fire .45 Winchester Magnum with moonclips would be a fantastic idea. It would also shoot .45 ACP, .45 Super, .451 Detonics, 460 Rowland and possibly some others. But those people at Ruger just don't get it, and I'm sure this will never see the light of day.
I traded away that 25-7 years ago, so if anybody out there bought a used one that has been cut for moonclips, it's probably the one I had. I'd be curious to know how it's coming along.
Dave Sinko
After reading messages here and doing some more lookup and finding the following numbers I will not be trying anything with my firearms either without manufacturing blessing.
Found at SAAMI pressure specs
Found at SAAMI pressure specs
Similar threads
- Locked
