Can Someone Explain to Me The Appeal of the .45 Colt

[Mule Packer]

You'll often hear people bad-mouth the .45 Colt because they feel that the relatively slow velocity of factory loads (approx. 850 fps) isn't fast enough to adequately allow for expansion of a hollow point.

I say, "Balderdash! Who cares?? Even if the thing doesn't expand at all, it's still punching a hole that's almost a full half-inch in diameter!" Think about it. That's not too darn bad in anybody's book.

 

[S&W45Colt]

Taken From A F.B.I. protocol ballistic gel testing session.

"Then it was the 45 Colt's turn. After watching ammo that chronographed around 1000 fps, I really didn't have much hope the slower Colt load would impress anyone. On that hot day, Speer 45 Colt Gold Dot chrono'ed 775 fps average for 5 rounds – 8 fps more than my earlier test. Pretty good consistency, but far from the 1000 fps necessary for reliable expansion. Then came the real test. Would it make 12 inches of penetration at the prescribed 10 feet from the muzzle? Would the slow 250 grain hollow point expand at all?

I shouldn't have worried. Speer's 250 grain 45 Colt Gold Dot penetrated the gelatin block exactly 14 inches, and expand? I should say! The perfectly mushroomed bullet measured .763” in diameter and retained all but 1.4 grains of its weight. I'm impressed! No longer do I have any doubt that this load is an exceptional defense load for the 45 Colt. And, what happened to that knowledge we all had that 1000 fps was a must for expansion? Apparently, the engineers at Speer had never learned that you can't make a bullet expand at slow speed. Since they didn't know they couldn't. They did."

Speer’s Gold Dot in 45 Colt

Credit to ShootersLegacy.net and Gary W. Campbell

It's a good article and worth reading.

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Long story, short:
"Real Men" use handguns chambered for .45 Colt !
p.s. John Wayne used a .45 Colt (enough said)
If you think .45 Colt ammo is scarce and expensive, obtain a .41 Magnum.

 

[DR505]

If you think .45 Colt ammo is scarce and expensive, obtain a .41 Magnum.

No kidding! The .41 mag ammo is going for $70 for a box of 50! The .45 Colt, not so high.

I was rooting around the workshop yesterday and found a bag of 50 unfired .45 Colt brass! After reading this thread, I'm breaking out the .45 Colt dies.

 

[Grayfox]

I call it .45 Colt. If you want to throw "Long" in there, I couldn't care less. Both of us know what we're talking about.
Over time, names sometimes change. That's just the way it is. No point in gettin' all worked up about it.
When was the last time you heard somebody use the correct name for the Colt Super 38 Automatic?

 

[Wyo]

I do see that several of you speak of the .45 long Colt.Sorry, there is no such thing as a .45 Long Colt.

If you think of it, most cartridges have gone by more than one name, especially back in the day. The 45/70 has been the 45/70, the 45 Gov't., the 45 2 1/10 (in Sharps rifles), the 45/75/510 and others. The 44/40 has been the 44/40, the 44 WCF, the 44 Winchester, the 44 Centerfire and a couple of others I can't even recall now. Point being, it don't really matter what you call 'em as long as we all know what we're talkin' about anyway. 45 Colt, 45 Long Colt, whatever. It still works!

 

[Thuer]

Yes it works every week on thuesday when I take my Colt .45 to the range.

 

[Cyrano]

Did Colt copied the Italian mistakes? Check Cartridges of the Word.

I stick with my statement.

You're right, It's the 45 Colt cartridge. The round for the automatic is the 45 ACP, and the round for the Schofield is the 45 Schofield. Really no such animal as the 45 Long Colt.

 

[Cyrano]

I like the 45 ACP: I have about 12 of them, more than any other caliber except 7.63mm Mauser. Third is 9mm P. There's a 45 ACP by my bedside, and another by my computer as I write this. There's also one in my gun room for 'noises off' if I'm working there in the evening. For a combat handgun it's hard to beat.

I only have one 45 Colt: it's a SW 625 Mountain Gun. They'd solved the throat diamter/ bore diameter problem by then. It's accurate at long ranges and short. It can be handloaded a lot hotter than the factory rounds, just short of the loading for the Ruger Blackhawk. That's a lot more power than I'll ever use unless I should invade grizzly country. Still it's fun to pulverize a rock at 300 yds with this load. And there's no problem observing the 'fall of shot' at long ranges with a 250 gr bullet. Light loads are fun too: I use the same 45 caliber 175 Gr SAECO SWC bullet that I use in my 45 autos for plinking. It's a very versatile round.

 

[Fishslayer]

Yes it works every week on thuesday when I take my Colt .45 to the range.

I certainly hope you're not indulging until after the shooting..

 

[keith44spl]

For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would want a gun in .45 Colt? The ammo is very limited and expensive. A .45 ACP can handle any job that a .45 Colt will do and do it with less powder, less brass, less expense, and is available in a wide variety of excellent and inexpensive commercial ammo.

It you really need more power than the .45ACP or .45ACP plus, then just step up to a .44 Magnum. With the 44 Magnum you get the flexibility of a multitude of commercial rounds available and it will also shoot .44 specials.

I know there are many devotees of the .45 Colt round, so there must be something there I am not seeing. Fairly recently I bought a .45 ACP/ .45 Colt convertible and the first thing I did was remove the .45 Colt cylinder and install the .45 ACP cylinder and I doubt the Colt cylinder will ever be used. Had there been a .45ACP like I wanted for less than the .45 convertible gun I would have gladly picked that up instead.

The only reason I can think of for needing more than a .45 ACP is if I were to go hiking or hunting in Grizzly country. Then I would simply take my Ruger Blackhawk .44 Mag. With the 3.75 inch barrel. I would not take a .45 Colt.

So other than for just a novelty, I just don’t get that round.

Ta get back on track here abouts...........

I use these two right often.....Keep 5 er 6 cases of cartridges handy for both the 45 Colt and the 45 ACP.

Built both of these revolvers as convertables...For if I ran short or couldn't get one or the other loading kinda thing.

Both revolvers shoot equally well with either cartridge.

I simply prefer the longer loading, I hand-load all my own cartridges from virgin brass to my specifications for each.
(The boys get to use the once fired brass for their reloading if they want too.)

I fired my first 45 revolver over fifty years ago & like a certain redhead I's still stuck on her.

All this 45 Colt vs. 45 Long Colt is jest good sport. By any other name she'd be just as sweet.

But, sumtimes a man jest gotta do...What he's gotta do to have a lit'l fun now and again!

So, which one of these cartridges is the Long Colt?

Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[arjay]

Casull on the left,Colt on the right?

 

[A10]

One is a long colt, the other is a longer colt......

 

[feralmerril]

I am guessing the one on the left is .45 colt and the right one is the shorter army .45 colt for the s&w scholfield? I own five various .45 colts. A colt saa, a uberti commemrative george patton, a cimmeron dual clyinder thunderer, a smith 25-5, a dakota replica colt, and a .45 colt-410 barrel for my contender.

 

[hawkeye5]

The left one looks like the long colt. The right one looks like a 45 auto rim.
Hawkeye

Ta get back on track here abouts...........

I use these two right often.....Keep 5 er 6 cases of cartridges handy for both the 45 Colt and the 45 ACP.

Built both of these revolvers as convertables...For if I ran short or couldn't get one or the other loading kinda thing.

Both revolvers shoot equally well with either cartridge.

I simply prefer the longer loading, I hand-load all my own cartridges from virgin brass to my specifications for each.
(The boys get to used my once fired brass for their reloading if they want too.)

I fired my first 45 revolver over fifty years ago & like a certain redhead I still stuck on her.

All this 45 Colt vs. 45 Long Colt is jest good sport. By any other name she'd be just as sweet.

But, sumtimes a man jest gotta do...What he's gotta do to have a lit'l fun now and again!

So, which one of these cartridges is the Long Colt?

Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[keith44spl]

Casull on the left,Colt on the right?

One is a long colt, the other is a longer colt......

Wells Boys,

I'm gonna tell y'all what....As Rango sez, "Now this is were it get complicated!"

The cartridge on the left is a standard length 45 Colt case loaded with a Lyman 454424 bullet...........The one the right, is a shortened 45 Colt case with a like Lyman 454424 cast bullet.

Just as all the other hand-loaders down through the years that wanted to load this particular bullet design (Keith Type) found it too long when loaded in standard length 45 Colt cases for application in the standard length S&W N frame cylinder. This was the issue I and others had with the Model 25-3 as well.
(The OAL was fine in the Colt revolvers chamber for the round.) (This was well before Bill Ruger's revolvers came on the scene.)

Thus, we find the longer cylinder length of the 25-5 and subsequent S&W models chambered for the 45 Colt ctg.

So, for me to reap the benefits of the long nosed hard cast SWC in my pre-war N frame revolver, I must shorten the case a bit.
The standard length factory loading works well in this length of cylinder.

As you can see from this photograph when compared to a std. factory length 45 'Long' Colt Ctg.

On a few of my more resent custom builds, I've employ the longer counter-bored (Recessed)
magnum cylinders to utilize the longer cast bullets without the chore of trimming a lit'l length off'n the cases.


Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[Wyatt Burp]

If the .45 Colt was good enough for James West, it's good enough for me.

 

[Grayfox]

Well at this point there are 3 pages and 118 post regarding one of my favorite cartridges.
While I do own several .45 Colt S&Ws, I currently find myself without a single action in this caliber.
Gun Show this weekend.

I swear if I spend a bunch of money, I WILL blame on y'all!

 

[A10]

Well at this point there are 3 pages and 118 post regarding one of my favorite cartridges.
While I do own several .45 Colt S&Ws, I currently find myself without a single action in this caliber.
Gun Show this weekend.

I swear if I spend a bunch of money, I WILL blame on y'all!

I just picked up a Blackhawk 5 1/2" convertible, and I'm thinkin' it's gonna be a good 'un! Looking forward to my next range day....

 

[Bat Guano]

We have a couple around the place...all I know is that loading those big old handloaded cartridges into the cylinder and seeing the effects downrange--especially on steel--sure is 100% fun. With black powder, 200% fun.

Got my first one, an 1882 1st Gen. Colt, over 50 years ago in a Seattle hock shop for $84. 800 miles from home and lied about my age to boot.

Elmer made me do it...