Over the nearly 15 decades since its arrival, there have been many attempts to pronounce it dead. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Balloonhead cases were discontinued around World War II but still show up regularly on handloaders benches. The individual accessing this site assumes the risk of safe loading practices. The revolver and ammunition were officially adopted for service in 1873. Moving up to the second level, loads at around 1,000 fps with the same-weight bullet are used in the Colt New Frontier, Smith & Wesson Model 25/625, Ruger Flat-Top New Model, and the Ruger New Vaquero. Before I discuss handloads for the 45 Colt, we have to acknowledge there exists such a wide range of revolvers accepting the 45 Colt that great care must be used in assembling loads and choosing which guns will safely accept them. For several years Smith & Wesson cut throats at 0.455 inch or even larger, but now they seem to be running at a more proper 0.451 to 0.452 inch. 2021. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Reddings excellent Dual Ring Carbide sizing die was used to prep cases as it works the case less, results in longer case life, seems to improve accuracy and eliminates the Coke bottle shape forward of the head. More than 45 years of shooting and slugging the barrels of hundreds of Colt SAAs suggests differently. It has many additional virtues, primarily its big-bore performance and reliability. For example, Lyman mould No. Share to Twitter. I would conclude this powder is much more consistent in speeds than others that I have tried in the .45 Colt. As always there are occasional exceptions, including two guns manufactured in 1900 and 1902 that slugged .458 and .453 inch, respectively, but they seemed to be more out-of-spec than the normal. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Wyoming Game & Fish Department, State Agency: Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. However, the first known commercial listing is found in the 1880 UMC catalog. Make sure your gun can handle it before you use any of these loads listed below with STARS (*). I didnt realize how many different powders from Hodgdon I use in loading the 45 Colt until I began putting this article together. of blackpowder, the .44-40 . The new big bore pistols feature industry-first capacity, with a standard 15-round capacity and 22+1 rounds of 10mm or 18+1 rounds of .45 ACP from the extended magazines. The .44 Magnum is a great cartridge that offers a flatter trajectory and helps to make hits easier at longer distances; however, this added performance comes at the cost of greater pressures, heavier guns, increased recoil and muzzle report. In fact, an axiom with me is, When all else fails, try IMR 4227 before giving up. Years ago, after tiring of oversized 45 Colt chambers in Colt Single Action Army revolvers and New Frontiers, I started with a 357 Magnum New Frontier, had the cylinder rechambered properly and tightly to 45 Colt, and then had a new 4.75-inch Colt New Frontier barrel fitted. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. I clocked 9.2, 9.5 and 10 grains. Failure to do so could result in severe personal injury (or death) and/or property damage. The 45 Colt brass could handle the pressures, but standard sixguns could not. No purchase necessary. Sam Colt became a millionaire producing percussion revolvers. Cast bullet loads in the Marlin .45 Colt all the power and accuracy However, Dick Casull started with the 45 Colt single action and the weak 45 Colt case to come up with his cartridge, which eventually became the 454 Casull. By the standards of the day when it arrived in 1873, and even to this day, the 45 Colt was and is a powerful cartridge. Deployed military should use stateside address. Your load at 6.0 gr Unique is dangerously unsafe. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. The vast majority of my 45 Colt handloads over the last 60 years, however, has been put together with cast bullets. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. Contest void where prohibited by law. For something with more thump, it would be wise to find some published load data and buy some bullets that match that data. (WC= WadCutter, SWC= Semi-WadCutter, HP= Hollow Point, RN= Round Nose, FMC= Full Metal Case, FMJ= Full Metal Jacket, JHP= Jacketed Hollow Point and if GC indicated, means Gas Check at bottom of lead bullet), Loads for .45 Colt: Reloading data is available as low as 99 per cartridge or as a subscription for $19.99. Ben Voss FN Product Manager talks about the new FN SCAR 15P ultra-compact rifle-caliber pistol at SHOT Show 2023. The original conical bullet found in black powder 45 Colt loads from the 1870s is very close to the Lyman #454190 and the RCBS #45-255 FN. His 45 Colt bullet was #454424 and was available for decades from Lyman. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Rhode Island Department of Fish & Wildlife, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Mississippi Deptartment of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks, Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources, Michigan Deptartment of Natural Resources, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. I use WLP primers. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (when required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. take the .45 Colt as my game and defense cartridge. It is noteworthy that this statement was made 20 years after the development of the .357 Magnum, a cartridge Keith also tested and used in the field. All Rights Reserved. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. The Lee bullet works well in my Winchester (Miroku) 1873. Oregon Trails 250-grain RNFP over 8.0 grains of W231 clocks out just under 1,100 fps with three-shot groups of 1" or less. This same bullet can be loaded to much higher velocity in Rugers large-frame single- and double-action sixguns. In the event that a bullet walks out of the case slightly from recoil, Brian suggests an overall cartridge length that is at least .010 to .015 inch below flush with the end of the cylinder. Michigan Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: I usually select an expander ball that is at least .003 to .004 inch smaller than bullet diameter, which helps prevent bullets from jumping crimp and aids in achieving consistent powder ignition. Guns with larger throats will usually produce improved accuracy when loaded with bullets that measure .454 to .456 inch. Then something dramatic happened in 1869: Smith & Wesson brought forth the 44 American sixgun that used fixed ammunition. It's always had a great reputation as a man stopper. This same bullet can be loaded to much higher velocity in Rugers large-frame single- and double-action sixguns. When the new 454 Magnum revolvers (as they were first called) arrived, however, the brass was lengthened so it could not be used in standard 45 Colt sixguns. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. I have dozens of references from credible sources that state pre-World War II Colt revolvers feature a barrel groove diameter of .454 inch while postwar guns measure .451 to .452 inch. Here is what Lyman #4 has to say on 45 Colt, maximum Unique , standard pressure loads: Lee 452-200-RF , 200 gr. The Hornady 225-grain FTX bullet should be loaded in cases trimmed shorter than the industry standard of 1.215 inches. Handgun Data. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Notes: cases: Winchester; trim-to length: 1.275"; primers: Winchester WLP; primer size: Large Pistol; Lyman shell holder: No. moderate recoil and substantially less muzzle report. In his classic 1955 book Sixguns by Keith, Elmer Keith stated, As one grows older and his hair starts to turn grey, his respect for this grand old load increases. This significantly improved its accuracy when compared to the original cylinder with its typical oversized throats, and resulted in increased velocity. His #452490GC was originally made for the 45 Auto Rim cartridge for use in the Smith & Wesson 1950 Target revolver, but I also use the Thompson design, which weighs around 255 grains, for heavy-duty loads approaching the energy of the 44 Magnum in the Ruger Blackhawk. They are my choice for the heaviest loads especially with cast bullets weighing 300 grains and heavier. The original loading was a bullet of approximately 255 grains with a muzzle velocity of somewhere around 850 to 900 fps. Bullseye, Unique and 2400 are products of Alliant (formerly Hercules) Powders. Knowing this measurement for a given revolver is critical to select the correct components to achieve accuracy. The other problem, that of cylinder throat diameters, centers around the fact that they vary considerably. Join over1 million subscribers and get the latest deals from HunterHub, Winchester USA Ready Large Pistol Primers Box of 1000 (10 Trays of 100), Remington Small Pistol Primers #1-1/2 Box of 1000 (10 Trays of 100), Federal Premium Gold Medal AR Match Grade Small Rifle Primers #GM205MAR Box of 1000 (10 Trays of 100), Winchester Small Rifle Primers #6-1/2 Box of 1000 (10 Trays of 100), Federal Premium Gold Medal Small Rifle Match Primers #205M Box of 1000 (10 Trays of 100), CCI Primers #209M Shotshell Magnum Box of 1000 (10 Trays of 100), Federal Premium Terminal Ascent Great Accuracy and Performance, Large Pistol Primers Or Small Pistol Primers- Things To Know Before You Buy, Enlighten yourself with Vital Information about the top tactical medicine in USA. Using a 250-grain cast bullet, 37.5 grains by volume of Pyrodex P results in a very potent 987 fps and a five-shot, 50-foot group of 0.88 inch in my revolver. Lyman has been an important name for shooters for well over 100 years. Universal is an excellent powder for the 45 Colt with 8.0 grains under a 250-grain bullet duplicating the old black powder load. In addition to outstanding terminal performance and accuracy in guns with correct internal dimensions, it offers low pressures, mild muzzle report and controllable recoil, all of which make it especially practical for an outdoorsman who uses a sixgun daily. My most used powders for these loads are #2400, #9, #4227 and H110. It basically started in the early 1870s as a round-nosed bullet given a slight flattened nose. But the 45 Colt is a survivor. For little more power I move up to the above-mentioned #454490 GC with 10.0 grains of Unique for just over 1,235 fps and groups of less than 1". There are now 25 states with so-called Constitutional carry and Florida appears to be approaching permitless carry, which translates to more citizens S&W Set The Bar For Magnum Handgun Performance 50 Years Ago. It didnt take long for manufacturers to offer heavier bullets, and two of the best came from NEI. Heavy loads that are safe for use in the Ruger Redhawk would destroy a fine Colt SAA. The day of the percussion revolver would soon be over, and even Colt could see the future and began converting 1860 cap-and-ball sixguns to fire cartridges. That brings us to the next level, which includes 45 Colt revolvers built on the Ruger Super Blackhawk frame and the Ruger Old Model Blackhawk, the arrival of which led to two separate load sections showing up in loading manuals. They are my choice for everyday use and also for hunting larger, tougher game. When he died in 1862, the company was dedicated to producing the same percussion revolvers. Normal powders vary quite a bit and also have a larger spread between shots. Space constraints keep me from looking at all of these powders in depth, but I can cover a few. I have measured Colt revolvers with throats that run from. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. We are currently populating the cartridge drop-down menu with updated cartridge renderings, new propellants and bullets, and links to complimentary product pages. . What has varied significantly is the throat diameter (ball end, chamber mouth, etc.) The Colt SAA .45 Colt with a 4.75-inch barrel ranks as one of Brians favorite handgun configurations. This is a plain base bullet and I found out very quickly it was not very accurate in either rifle. This was achieved with 40 grains of black powder. Just about all loads shot the same . In the large .45 case, a large difference has been noted in speeds. The TaurusTX 22 Compact delivers class-leading reliability, capacity, and shootability in a 22 LR platform, and it's cut for a slide-mounted mini red dot. Again, a groove diameter of .451 to .452 inch remains standard by all manufacturers. Marlins from the era have Micro-Groove rifling which may or may not work with cast bullets. That is, until I tried IMR 4227 with Lymans #452424 and a 20.0-grain load, and that combination produced one-hole groups. Keiths #454424 was an excellent bullet, but it has been improved by Dave Scovill and is offered by RCBS as #45-270SAA. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Rhode Island Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Jeff Bradley shows off the Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR) from Christensen Arms at SHOT Show 2023. The only 456 bullet I am aware of is a conical made for Ruger Old Armys, so Lyman saying that is the right bullet for 45 Colt makes no sense. 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New York Department of Environmental Conservation, State Agency: So both the up and down positions were closer in speeds and the spreads were noticeably closer. Space constraints keep me from looking at all of these powders in depth, but I can cover a few. I have tested vintage loads that produced an honest 1,000 fps. I have found HS-6, Universal, and W231 powders work very well for standard loads, while IMR 4227 bulks up nicely in 45 Colt brass. Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, State Agency: Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Elmer Keith was way ahead of his time in developing everyday working and hunting loads.