History of the 45 Colt

The 45 Colt is often fired with light loads when shooting steel in competition. Many are misled into believing this cartridge is an underpowered relic of the past. The history of the 45 Colt video demonstrates the power of the 45 Colt cartridge when loading with the historically correct powder charge of 40 grains of black powder under a 255 grain lead bullet.

[@douglascox9996]

An historical example of .45Colt effectiveness: After the Army found that its .38Colt double action revolvers were not effective against sword-wielding Moros in the Philippines (a combination of fanaticism, drug hyping, and pre-battle bandaging of limbs and bodies), the Army got hold of as many of their discarded 1873 .45Colt revolvers as they could, trading better effectiveness for faster rate of fire and reloading. The .45 caliber bullet’s effectiveness led them to adopt later the 1911 Colt semiautomatic pistol.

[@scooterbob4432]

The US Army also equipped the Filipino troopers of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) the Colt DA revolvers in 38 Long Colt but with unusually bigger triggers and trigger guards. The PC troopers were also fighting the Moro insurgents in the island of Mindanao during that time.

[@redesert_boy8202]

My favorite cartridge - the .45 Colt...wish they still made more DA/SA models like the S&W Model 25 Classic 45 Colt just as the many beautiful SA revolvers that are made today. Enjoy my .45 Colt lever action as well as my other lever action calibers. Thanks so much for what you do in sharing history.

[@originalamerican9396]

Ruger has one. They have a Redhawk chambered for 45 ACP/45 Colt.

[@redesert_boy8202]

@@originalamerican9396 Thanks for reminding me. I ordered one several years ago, I think it was the Ruger Model 5150 or something like that and they were so backed up on orders (years before the pandemic) got my money back and went after something else. Now they have the 5050 which I think is a different model number than before. Might be worth trying again. Thanks again sir!

[@johnstewart8849]

Governor and Judge both are chambered for .45 Colt. Both DA.

[@redesert_boy8202]

@@johnstewart8849 Thanks for reminding me as those are also capable of firing the .410 shell if I remember right. Appreciate it.

[@deandeann1541]

Iirc ruger gp100 is a da avail in 45Colt also.

[@milesmanges]

Best cartridge for any situation

[@TheBiggestIron]

Anyone who has touched off an original .45 colt load in a 1873 colt, or replica, knows it's not an anemic cartridge.

[@originalamerican9396]

Lot of truth right there. I load mine to the military specs. (40 grains of BP and a 255 grain bullet) Hard to do with the modern cases but it is doable. It definitely lets you know it's there.

[@henerymag]

No it's not. I'm using smokeless now but I went through a lb of Pyrodex P before that. Quite the recoil, loads of fun to shoot. Bad injury to my wrist so it had to be settled down. Love thàt pistol.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Original loadings were 255 gr bullet doing 1050 fps. That's pretty stout stuff. 624 ft-lb energy. That's 156 ft-lb hotter than the best 9mm +p+ from a 5" barrel.

[@63DW89A]

@@exothermal.sprocket And in actuality the 45 Colt hits considerably harder than the Energy calculations suggest. The hot Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115 gr makes 1426 fps from a 4.6 inch Browning Hi power for 526 ft lbs ME(Muzzle Energy). The 45 Colt 255gr / 40 gr black powder load makes 1050fps for the 624 ft /lbs ME that you list. The ME difference shows the 45 Colt has 18.6% greater "ME" than the 9mm +P+. However if fired into the sand trap on a 100 pound ballistic pendulum the 9mm +P+ will move the pendulum at 2.8 inches per second, while the 45 Colt will move the pendulum at 4.59 inches per second, demonstrating that the 45 Colt 40 grain black powder load has 64% greater striking force than the 9mm +P+! "ME" is effectively the horsepower developed by the powder charge to accelerate the given bullet weight to the stated velocity. Bullet striking force is derived from ME, but "ME" and actual "Bullet Striking Force" are not the same, as firing into a ballistic pendulum will quickly prove! "ME" is the peak acceleration velocity that the powder charge drives the bullet at, and is the "acceleration vector" mathematically. The microsecond the bullet exits the muzzle, the bullet enters the "Deceleration vector" phase mathematically, as the bullet is no longer being pushed by the horsepower of the powder charge.

[@BertieW0oster]

@@originalamerican9396 true military specs of the M1873 cartridge as adopted was a 250gr bullet over 30gr ffg powder, that is until 1875 when they were reduced in case length to also be able to load in a S&W Schofield. Then, it was reduced to a 230gr bullet over 28gr of powder.

[@cliffchilders5820]

The Colt 45 is my favorite round!!!!

[@99dsm1]

Started out 30+ years ago on 45 colt, still love it but the 38-40 did steal my heart eventually

[@blackpowderfirearmenthusia3194]

I love the 45 Colt cartridge and I also load my own 45 Colt cartridges. Great video, thank you.

[@arch3088]

I love the 45 Colt. I have a Ruger Blackhawk and a Rossi 92. With factory loads they are plenty powerful. Loaded to 44 Magnum levels they are a hoot. Both guns, unlike most guns chambered for the 45 can easily handle the heavy loads.

[@leeburks4540]

I load a.255 gr flat nosed bullet with two lube grooves, good for bp, Pyrodex, Trail Boss, Unique and Bullseye smokeless. The rules vary for seating. These flatten to about an inch across. A 30 rd cartridge belt is kinda heavy, (made my own). So much fun I bought another Uberti Hombre, now I have 2 guns... you know the quote. More enjoyable than any other gun I've had. Must have been all those Western movies & tv.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks Lee, The Western got me too. I think you need three guns. That is until you have three. Thanks for watching, Todd

[@cravenmoorehead5]

My go to cartridge!! I have a rossi 92, a marlin 1894 and a uberti el patron chambered in it, I hand load it so I get to taylor loads

[@buffalobob870]

Been sucked into the Old West genre of firearms for a few years now and have accumulated a modest variety. I shoot them more than my modern firearms these days. I'm fortunate that I hand load though I was not able to stock up on components as much as I wanted...and then the news about Goex though not sure I'm going to shoot much black powder. My first six shooter is a Cimarron US 7th cavalry version...just love that firearm and the old blackpowder frame is pretty darn accurate replica.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks Bob, I'm concerned about black powder availability as well. But someone will fill the void. We will pay more for it I'm sure. Todd

[@dereklloyd6166]

I'm glad you did the bloopers no one else does so that was pretty cool

[@mr.mojorisin9999]

Bloopers are great, good video

[@nozrep]

haha love the “outtakes” at the end there. thanks for that! And also great video overall, exactly what I was looking for! Even though this one was “randomly” recommended to me in the feed, I had been previously searching .45 long colt and had been wondering about why the distinction. And you specifically explained the history! Thank you. I very much enjoy learning history things like that and although have been shooting and hunting my whole life, am brand new to an interest in grains of powder per load and powder loads and re-loading in general…. and hoping to get into actual reloading someday when I do not live in an apartment anymore😅

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks for watching. I hope you find a bigger space soon. Todd

[@vincentgrippi9524]

I recently got into the cowboy action game with a Henry X model .45 colt and a Pietta SAA .45 colt revolver , after going to the last 2 gun shows to purchase ammo it has come clear to invest in reloading gear , I was able to find some impressive factory loads from Hornady and lever action rounds designed for lever action rifles , cowboy loads are available but if you want the good stuff for hunting or self defense the gun show is the place to go , it only comes twice a year so take advantage of it when it does ,

[@Jakestarr_59]

Excellent little video...and the bloopers just make it a classic. Thanks for your work.

[@PanfishingJournal]

Liked and subscribed. Thanks for keeping our American traditions alive!!

[@jeffw1246]

I have 37 single action 45s. Rugers, Piettas, and Ubertis. From 3.5in Thunderer grip to 5.5 in artillery models. Even though I have several 9mm and 357 snubbies I like using the 1873s for ccw, including the 5.5in guns. I'm using one today in fact. If I read right the military specified the 45 Colt be able to kill a horse at 100 yards. And the original 40gr charge was reduced to 30 because the heavy recoil made it hard to shoot accurately, and was hard on the guns. Been doing the job since 1873 no matter the gun or load.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

I'm jealous of your collection. Thanks for watching and keep making smoke.

[@453421abcdefg12345]

Another well researched and accurate tutorial, I find it difficult to get 40 grns of powder into a modern solid head case, it can be done with a lot of column pressure, but of course the original cases were folded head, with much more powder capacity, I do like the bloopers at the end of the video! Chris B.

[@samdunlap5365]

Is that 40gr of black powder which is volumetric as opposed to direct weight I would have to look it up again but that sounds about right using black powder vs smokless

[@453421abcdefg12345]

@@samdunlap5365 The density of the brand of powder makes a big difference to it's volume , the pressure is related to weight, not volume, the only reason volume measure was used was that in the 1870's few people had access to sensitive scales, so a convenient volume measure was used, but early cartridge cases were different to out "modern" cases as the rim and primer pocket were formed by folding, and not with a solid head up above the primer pocket, so quite a lot more volume for the power was available, I get 40 grns of Swiss in with some compression, Chris B.

[@marktwain2053]

I have three firearms chambered for .45 Colt...a Ruger Blackhawk 7½" (1976), a Ruger Old Model Vaquero 4⅝"(1999), and a Rossi R92 24" (2019), they can all be loaded well beyond what would be prudent in a Colt SAA, and will always be my favorite caliber (pretty expensive to shoot though, oh well)!

[@samk4226]

Thanks for the video. Learned a lot!

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Glad to hear it!

[@scottwilson1258]

Nicely Done My Friend ! Thank You

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks for watching.

[@shanequigley7552]

Great video , well done Sir

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thank you for watching and your kind words.

[@tufftrucker40]

45 colt is quickly becoming one of my favorite rounds. I have a pietta gunfighter a uberti cattleman and a rossi 92 all three of the guns are a hoot but my 92 will shoot even the big corbon loads for whitetail deer and it'll dump them where they stand in short order.. just wish the ammo situation would straighten itself out so they were easier to get.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

It will do the trick. People underestimate the 45 Colt.

[@tufftrucker40]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 I was one of them people. I never shot it until I stumbled into a deal that I couldn't pass up.

[@crawford323]

Love this stuff!

[@35southkiwi16]

Interesting history. Thank you. Original loading looks pretty stout!

[@daleparker4207]

Thank you

[@williamashbless7904]

My favorite cartridge as well. Have a Rossi 92 and love this combo. The old Colt is a great cartridge that is still quite viable. Do yourself a favor and compare a .45 Colt case to a .44 Magnum, side by side. You’re welcome!

[@jshicke]

Thank you for explaining why many 45 colt rounds seem to be under powered. Having shot many, I can say that if you gave me enough warning, I could probably jump out of the way of that round when fired. That is one impressive chunk of lead going down range, but it seems like several seconds to travel 100 yards.

[@celowski6296]

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an Evil Roy edition 45 from Cimarron in January. What a beautiful trigger and well made revolver. Glad I reload. Very fun to shoot.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Great choice of sixgun. You won't disappointed.

[@honorb4glory606]

I have a .45/.410 derringer with a 4.25 inch barrel. The long, wide chamber allows me to chamber a 255 grain bullet, that has been reshaped into an oversized heel type bullet, with a hollow base. This allows me to fit a few more grains of powder, and the hollow base seals against the smooth chamber, and the oversized diameter seals against the bore, creating extra back pressure and nearly eliminating blowby. All that, combined with the fact that there's no cylinder gap, results in a heck of a lot of power. The felt recoil is about 50% greater than a standard round nose flat point. Sure, it leads the rifling quickly, but that doesn't really matter in a derringer.

[@hamishalexander5048]

thx , i love this round its so a pleasure to shoot, just hate the factory ammo situation in Europe

[@joec3073]

👍🏻🇺🇸👍🏻🇺🇸 very informative, thank you

[@landonsimpson7839]

Would it be possible to see these black powder loads of 45 colt shot at ballistics gel

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks Landon, I'd love to try it. I just don't have the resources to invest in gel quite yet. It would be a very interesting test. Todd

[@brianlee6849]

Thank you for the history. I also watched your video on the 30" 73 44-40. I've been seriously looking at getting a Winchester 73 and lots of people tell me to go with the 45 Colt even though it is not the traditional cartridge. I'm also told the 44-40 is much cleaner because it seals chamber better but I have had Colt guys say if you anneal your cases the Colt seals well. So I'm having a real dilemma trying to figure out which cartridge I want to go with? I would be using this rifle for Target and plinking fun and also hunting deer and wild hog up to 100 yards. You seem very knowledgeable on both what is your opinion ? I may also get a matching 73 pistol. One more question which Winchester 73 do you prefer Uberti or Winchester or maybe one of the others? Thank you 👍

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Brian, everything you say above is true. You can anneal the 45 Colt cases and greatly reduce the blowback. For me, the choice is the 44-40 simply because of the historical aspect of the cartridge in the 1873 Winchester. But that's just me. I can't say one caliber is head and shoulders above the other. You might gain a little velocity out of the 44-40, but will have a little more mass with the 45 Colt bullet. I don't think the deer or the hogs will know the difference. It comes down to your preference and what's best for you. As far rifles, I'm impressed with both and the price difference isn't the factor it once was. The Winchester fit and finish is better in my opinion and the action smoother out of the box. The Italian copies have served me well, so I can't complain. The Winchesters are stamped "Made in Japan" while the Italian imports are stamped "Made in Italy". Neither are marked like the originals. But, thankfully, Winchester didn't add a tang safety to the 1866s or 1873s like they did the modern 1892 and 1894 models. Again, the choice is yours. As far as accuracy and dependability, you will be happy either way.

[@brianlee6849]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 Thank you for your opinion. I have also been thinking about staying traditional 44-40 and ballistics will do everything I need from this rifle. I am so glad that Winchester didn't ad the tang safety because that's a deal breaker for me as I will be putting a tang sight on it. Thanks for your info 👍

[@brianlee6849]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 I have heard the bore diameter of the uberti is .429 and 44 so and mag bullet will work. Do you know if the Winchester is traditional .427 or .429? Thanks I subscribed and I really enjoy your channel. I'm going to go through and watch some more of your stuff tonight.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Unfortunately, I can't help you with this one. I don't have the Winchester, so haven't experimented with it. It's a pity we can't have all of them!

[@brianlee6849]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 Yes definitely I would have hundreds of rifles and handguns if I could. I will eventually have my own range though I can't wait. I have 19 acres in FL and it is a rectangle 600 yards long and I have a great spot for about 350 yards maybe a little more wide open pasture with thick pine trees for backstop. Thanks 👍

[@TheBiggestIron]

There are a handful of original remington model 1866 revolving rifles chambered from the factory in .45 colt so "never say never".

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks, point well taken. The ejector rod used on a revolving rifle (like most single actions) eliminates the worry over a narrow case rim during extraction. You're right, speaking in absolutes is dangerous territory. I appreciate the feedback.

[@guyfox1206]

I've never managed to get 40 grains into a 45 colt cartridge, did you use a drop tube for that?

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Yes, a 24 inch drop tube and a compression die. There is too much compression without a die. The bullet will flatten. There was more room in the original balloon head case, so it wasn't quite the fight it is now. Backing off a few grains is much more pleasant to shoot.

[@guyfox1206]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 Thank you

[@deandeann1541]

The bp round would have a lot more power with Old Eynsford powder. Unfortunatly Goex is gone so Swiss powder is about the best choice. Not really more expensive if you load to the same velocity which will use much less Swiss powder and much much less fouling than Goex.

[@HiVizJoe]

I recently posted a video on my channel of my most recent shooting session where I shot an 8 inch flower pot from about 30 feet away with my Uberti 1858 new model army revolver shooting .45 Colt 250 grain cowboy loads using my Howell .45 Colt cylinder

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks. I'll look it up. Todd

[@williamemerson1799]

Get used to it bud. It just gets better with age. There was also a 45 Colt Govt. that was supposed to have dimensions to accommodate use in both the Colt and S&W handguns. COTW 14th edition page 477.

[@Braxton-xk5bi]

I found an old 45 round with my metal detector it is a complete casing and bullet the bottom is stamped REM - UMC 45 COLT any idea how old it is? Thanks

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Braxton, Remington and UMC merged in 1912, so that's the oldest it can be. Great hobby. I hope you find more. Todd

[@blueduck9409]

I read that the early .45 colt ammo, loaded by Frankford arsenal, for the government, was loaded with a 235 grain himispherical base bullet. I think the powder charge was 38 or 35 grains of FFG powder and a copper or tin case. There are government records and most of them are available to the public.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks for commenting. The military did ask for a reduced load. Soldiers didn't like the repeated recoil of the 40 grain load. I'll look for the original data. Thanks, Todd

[@landonsimpson7839]

What do you think the velocities of these rounds are?

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Landon, Sorry I missed your post. I haven't chronographed the rounds, but I'm guessing about 950 fps. with a 5 1/2 inch barrel. I think I'll pull out the chronograph and confirm it. They are hot rounds. Todd

[@landonsimpson7839]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 Thats sounds like a really stout round. Thank you for the reply

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@landonsimpson7839 If you're working with something like a Ruger Blackhawk, that's sort of "tier 1" of a tier 2 and 3 system of pressure. There's a lot more power to be had with smokeless, of course.

[@chaecoco2]

Couldn't help but think of the contrast between what you see in movies and this video. Movies are make believe which is why you see cowboys fanning pistols rapidly shooting all the bad guys. Judging from the recoil of those full bore 45 colt loads, I doubt that is how it went down.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Yes, a full load would be very difficult to fan. Good point, Todd

[@josephgioielli]

45 "Long" Colt as nomenclature did not exist until the Mid 1950s. It was a 20th Century thing.. You will not find the term "Long Colt" used by Colt in any advertising or my any ammunition manufacturer in the 19th Century. It only appeared after WW2.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

True, but it's been verbalized longer than you think. Even today it's often written 45 (Long) Colt with the parentheses included because the true title is 45 Colt. So many people say Long that companies post it in parentheses to clarify the round as not being the 45 ACP or, longer ago, the wide rimmed .45 for the Model 1909 Colt double action. Thanks for watching. Todd

[@danielcurtis1434]

Actually you can fit 40 grains of powder behind a 250 grain with an 1858 Remington!!! So really the .45 colt was basically a cartridge version of the percussion revolvers of the civil war. Although with the colt 1860 your imly gonna get about 30 grains of powder. However 28-35 grains was really the ideal amount for a 5-8” barrel.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Daniel, thanks for commenting. A lot of early cartridges were actually not as powerful as the percussion loads. It seems odd, but the invention of the metallic cartridge was fairly new and had a ways to go. The Colt's Dragoon was essentially a 44-40 in 1848. Solid observation. Thanks for watching, Todd

[@danielcurtis1434]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 yep the colt Walker was the most powerful pistol in significantly successful production until the .357 magnum!!! The 1858 was the king of the common .44 percussions till the .45 LC!!! What I find more interesting is that .45 LC and .45 ACP are technically not .45s!!!! There actually .44s!! This is because they both have a .442” land to land diameter. This is essentially the same as the .44 percussion guns that had .440” bores. So really the .45 LC was a cartridge based on .44 percussion. Then we went to automatic pistols and we wanted that same performance. So they used almost the same bore diameter of .442”. Just because the rifling is deep enough to change the bullet doesn’t change the caliber!!! Caliber is a measurement of bore diameter!!! I’m old school with the caliber definition!!! I feel justified cuz the word dates back to muzzleloaders when you didn’t buy projectiles but casted them. Hence the caliber didn’t matter that much as every gun had its own mold. But caliber is the land to land diameter. This is only logical as most guns didn’t have rifling so they only had one barrel measurement.This is once again in the muzzleloader days barrels were measured before rifling was cut. So the “caliber” is a constant because it works on smoothbores as well as rifled bores. I think the land to land rather than groove to groove/bullet diameter is the only logical way to compare firearms. It also allows you to take note of rifling depth which I find interesting and never discussed???

[@fmj8329]

Lol 😂 so funny you trying to record and it just won't happen I make videos too and trust me I know exactly how it feels lol so hilarious 👍🏻good video dude

[@forge52100]

I never download 45 colt. My smokeless loads are pretty much in the middle of the recommended powder charges and could be considered "lighter" than my black powder loads. Those are stuffed as full as I can get them with 250 grain slugs, which is about 38 grains if I remember rite without checking my log book. Modern 45 brass won't hold quite as much as the old ballon head cases.

[@originalamerican9396]

You can actually fit more than 40 grains in a modern case (though not much more). Hell you can completely fill the case, force a bullet on top, and it would still be safe to shoot.

[@missingthe80s58]

I load 45 grains of 3FG. I use a 24" drop tube attached to my ancient Lyman 55 and I use a compression plug installed in a neck expander die. Leaves just enough room for a card wad to seat prior to compression and then I seat and crimp my bullets.

[@colinvoss8484]

It was the first magnum hand gun rou.

[@escapewithnate7901]

I reload my SAA with smokeless, if I were to load Blackpowder rounds with 40 grains would I have to put a wad in the the case?

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Nate, I don't use a wad with the 44-40 and it works fine. I do with bigger rifle cartridges like the 45-70 and 50-90. You will need a compression die, however. They look like piston and compress the powder to the depth the bullet sits. The bullet should rest on the powder with no gap. You may not get 40 grains in your case depending on powder, so don't hesitate to back off to a load you can compress without bulging the case. Please get a black powder reloading book. Loading black powder is different enough you should read through some detailed explanations. Thanks for watching. Todd

[@escapewithnate7901]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 thanks Todd

[@escapewithnate7901]

Do you have a recommendation on a particular book?

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

@@escapewithnate7901 take a look at Lymans Black Powder Reloading book and Black Powder Cartridge Reloading Primer by Steve Garbe. If only getting one, get Steve Garbe's book. I noticed there's a few more that I'm not familiar with but could be just as good.

[@escapewithnate7901]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 thank you agin. much help

[@stepabove2136]

Have you ever crono that round 🤔 I've heard around the 1000fps mark.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Not yet, but will soon. I want to compare energy of the 45 Colt to the 44-40. I just want to see if the difference is significant. Thanks for watching, Todd

[@casejasnoch2533]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 In your opinion what is the minimum fps for deer? With shots to a 100 yrds or less. I have a bunch of Federal American Eagle 225gr soft point Im thinking about using. Im just getting to know the 45 colt. Thanks

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

@Case Jasnoch A lot of pistol rounds are around 900 fps. The .45 Colt out of a rifle should be about 1000 fps or more. But it slows down pretty quickly, so shot placement is going to be extremely important. Instead of maximum velocity, concentrate on accuracy. Then put the bullet in the vitals. A lot of deer have fallen to 44-40 and could also to the .45 Colt. A lot of deer were wounded too. The difference is pinpointing the bullet placement. There's not much shock like a high powered rifle, so very little tissue damage. Think like an archer and put the bullet in the right place. Thanks for commenting, Todd

[@stepabove2136]

Since watching 👀 this I found a video of a 40gr fffg swiss crono 1068fps from a pistol that was the magnum of the day in the 1800s and still a very stout round for 2023

[@justinbailey1756]

Cowboy action shooting should be mandatory black powder..

[@danielcurtis1434]

That’s untrue the .45 colt wasn’t unmatched since the Walker/Dragoon!!! The Remington New Model Army (erroneously called the Remington 1858) could take a 220-250 grain bullet behind 40 grains of black powder. Considering the Remington new model army was the second most common revolver, it’s a big big gun to miss in this lineage.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks Daniel, The Remington could take 40 grains of powder and a 250 grain bullet in the percussion form? That is impressive. Todd

[@danielcurtis1434]

@@frontierwesternheritage1356 I believe that was more historically. The modern reproductions are good for 40 grains behind a 200 grain pill. However I’ve fit 40 grains and 200 grain pill with more than enough room for 5 grains of powder or 50 grains of lead so it may be possible with light compression. I’ve found using compressed loads seems to improve ignition but cost accuracy??? Not sure what I’m doing wrong???

[@texasflood3165]

1860 Henry..by Henry shoots sweet..wanted to hunt with it..but too pretty..lol..

[@scottscheuerman6170]

The extractor star on the Smith & Wesson would not have grabbed the rim of the original 45 colt even if the cartridge would been short enough which it was not on the model 3 anyhow just like the Winchester extractor could not grab the small rim

[@thetexasrat]

Back in the 1800s the US Calvary were totting 32 Long Colts, of which were anorexic when it came to shooting an opponents horse out from under them, so the US military sought to have a pistol made that could handle this task efficiently. Hence the 45 Colt was born. Any who, with this 45 Colt round The Calvary touted that they could reliably shoot the enemies horses out from under them. One shot and down they would go. The so-called “.45 Long Colt" is just a nick-name for the ".45 Colt” cartridge. That is to say the term "45 Long Colt" is referring to the original round that was called ".45 Colt" which was made by the Union Metallic Cartridge Company. And the so-called Short Colt was a nick-name referring to either the "Calibre .45" made by Frankford Arsenal or the ".45 Colt Government" made by Winchester (but not the .45 Schofield). The story goes like this, first the US military had the 45 Colt made. Then they adopted the 45 Schofield being it was top break. It just so happened that it could not handle the 45 Colt round [even though the US military asked them to try and make it handle such] without a lot of retooling cost so S&W decided to make it with a shorter softer shooting 45 caliber round. So now the US military had two different 45 caliber pistols, each with different case dimensions. The 45 Colt round was too long to chamber in the Schofield pistol, and the Schofield's case rim was bigger around and would over lap each other when put into the Colt pistols, whereby only three rounds could be chambered in every other chamber, effectively making them a three shooter. This caused a logistic dilemma. So the US military came up with a solution of which they would simply shortened the 45 Colt case down to 45 Schofield case length, and would use less powder as not to blow up the Schofield pistols. By doing this they had a case with a small diameter rim that would fit in the Colts, yet at the same time was short enough to fit in the Schofield pistol with out blowing it up. Frankford Arsenal got the US government contract and called the new round the "Calibre .45", and later when Winchester started making them they called them the ".45 Colt Government". And while neither of the three rounds ever had long or short in their naming by the manufacturers that produced them, soldiers and citizens would speak of these as long and short Colt rounds. All the while, when they were talking about the 45 Schofield round they would simply say ".45 Schofield". So the 45 Schofield round was not the reason 45 Colts were called ".45 long Colt", at least not directly. That is to say the only reason long and short ever came to be spoke of was because they shortened the 45 Colt cases down to be able to fit in a Schofield pistol to boot. Yet at the same time 45 Schofield rounds were never ever called "short" because no body ever shortened or lengthened the 45 Schofield rounds, period. Again, even though the three different manufacturers never named any of these rounds by either Long or Short there were long and short 45 Colt rounds made. And the short ones could chamber in the 45 S&W Schofield pistols as well as the 45 Colt pistols. So if anyone ever tells you that there was never any such a thing as a long or short .45 Colt round know that they speak from their ignorance. And if anyone ever calls them by "45 long Colt" or "45 short Colt", well, simply understand that they are using nick-names given to them. Again, the correct names for the variety of 45 Colt rounds are ".45 Colt", and "Calibre .45" / ".45 Colt Government". Now for whatever reason, by the Philippian War, between the years of 1899-1913, our soldiers where issued 38 Long Colts. And they claimed that when the Moros would attack they would empty their six shooters into them and they would not go down, and keep coming [This 38 Long Colt has a diameter of .38"]. So the US military went to the warehouses and brought the 45 Colts DA revolving pistols out of moth balls and issued them to their soldiers with the Calibre .45 / 45 Colt Government cartridges. The solders quickly laid claim that one shot with the Calibre .45 / 45 Colt Government cartridges and the Moros would go down. Boom, just like that! Now due to the [.452"] Calibre .45 / 45 Colt Government's ballistic performance over the [.38"] 38 Long Colt round, when the US military sought to have a new gun designed in a semi-auto, they wanted to have it chambered in 45 caliber also. [Keep in mind that in 1901 the 9mm (.355") parabellum was introduce to the world, yet our military side stepped that round like the plague, as it reminded them to much of the [.38"] 38 Long Colts that were definitely anorexic when it came to stopping an adversary.] In 1905 Browning designed the 45 ACP and won the contract with the US military. By 1911 he had perfected the design of his M1911 and the 45 ACP round. So by this time Germany had the 9mm and the US had the 45 Auto Colt Pistol of which was a round spawned after one that could drop a doped up attacker just lickidy split. Decades later our military finally adapted the 9mm due to political pressure based on costs, and our police forces started to follow suit, as did the FBI. Then the FBI re-found out that the 9mm [.355"] was an anorexic round and decided to have a new cartridge developed, as opposed to going back to the 45 ACP. Hence the 10mm stepped into the picture. Yet they quickly found it to be too hot of a round to handle and had it sized down to a more manageable load. Hence the 40 Caliber S&W was born. This 40 caliber round is very similar to Browning original 45 ACP round he designed in 1905. But the US military had Browning in his development of the M1911 down load the 45 ACP round to make it a bit more manageable. Now all of the sudden the FBI has gone and decided that their new 40 S&W was a bit to much as well [just as the US military thought Browning’s original 45 ACP was a bit too hot and needed taming] and decided to fall back to the anorexic 9mm parabellum [?] as opposed to just going back to the 45 ACP. Many of the police forces around the US, but not all, followed the FBI in this endeavor like a love sick puppy, to and fro. Not to mention a lot of the US citizens were being lead around this circle as well (yet again not all). One surgeon said that during his career he never lost a patient that was shoot with a 9mm, but only saved one patient shot with a 45 ACP. Run the specs of any 9mm (.355”), 38 Special (.357”), or even the 357 Magnum (.357”) rounds through the ballistic calculator at the link below, and then compare them with the 230 grain 45 ACP round, taking note of each rounds score. And remember the higher the Momentum and KO scores the better. Also keep in mind that the Foot Pounds of Energy scale can be deceiving. Personally, I carry a double action 45 Colt, as it is soft on recoil and hard hitting to boot. Yes, it seems that .452 seems to be the sweet spot when it comes to hand guns. Believe you me when I say "try it you'll like it". Or are you going to wait until the US military or FBI wakes up and comes to their senses first? Any who, the Calibre .45 / 45 Colt Government round was simply the 45 Colt cases cut down in length, to fit in the 45 Schofield pistols while still working within the 45 Colt pistols, with less powder to keep them from blowing up the Schofield pistols. And the Calibre .45 / 45 Colt Government cartridge’s ballistics was what the US military had reproduced in the 45 ACP round. So the 45 Colt cartridge is the parent of the Calibre .45 / 45 Colt Government cartridges, and the grandparent (so to speak) of the 45 ACP. The 45 Schofield's only influence was that the US military had the 45 Colt case trimmed down in length to chamber in a Schofield pistols while still being able to chamber in the 45 Colt pistols which caused the Calibre .45 / 45 Colt Government (a.k.a.- 45 short Colt) to be born. That is to say the 45 Schofield was only directly involved in the reason for shorting the 45 Colt case which made it but only indirectly involved in the 45 Auto Colt Pistols round development. In all reality, when the 45 Auto Colt Pistol and it’s rounds were being spawned the 45 Schofield had long been benched on the sideline as the Calibre .45 / 45 Colt Government was still spreading it's seed. And as all grandparents are, the 45 (Long) Colt was proud as could be, and still is to this day. Long Live the three generations of 45 Colts (45 [long] Colt, Calibre .45 / 45 [short] Colt Government, and the 45 Auto Colt Pistol rounds) - Hallelu-Yah!

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate the feedback. Todd

[@theconfused_fisherman]

Hell ya brother, it's called POP not soda

[@texasflood3165]

Shot steel with 45lc…not so long ago..now $$$$..over the top..sad times

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

I know what you mean. It's ridiculous. Todd

[@donaldmyck4296]

It's a Winchester 1873 not 1872. I don't think you know what you're talking about.

[@davidno1minton997]

Bad,bad,45colt

[@user-vf3gf4xq3v]

Wrong kind of drink! You need some lip loosener concoction.

[@cigardoc100]

Very informative without being pedantic. Thank you!

[@tabithamartin4092]

So why is it considered a horrible self defense round? Why is it passed over for use against bear attack? I LOVE my S&W Governor loaded with 45Colt.

[@frontierwesternheritage1356]

Tabitha, Good question. I think it's because the .357 and .44 magnum were invented and so highly praised that people left behind a great cartridge from the 1800s. Add in the competition from the .45 auto with a semiautomatic and the .45 colt is overshadowed again. I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I'm with you! Thanks for watching, Todd

[@samdunlap5365]

I want an 1872 45lc army copper finished

[@mrrifleman1695]

thanks for saying proper name,its not a long colt