Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Anaconda strength?

I have an Anaconda chambered for the .45 Colt. I'm wondering if I can use the same loads in this gun that I use in my Ruger Blackhawk for hunting.

DanLee

Should be OK with the 45 Colt, the 44 maggies tend to go out of time and frame stretch with heavy use. Personaly don't like em, rather a Super Blackhawk.

Not so sure on this one. I load a heavy 45 Colt, and this is NOT one of the guns they mention it being okay to do so in......

Dan,

If you're talking about the "Blackhawk Only" loads common in loading manuals the answer is: No.

I'm thinkin' Terry misread your post (or I did). Yes, the Anaconda is strong enough for the standard power range listed for .45 Colt, but the special loads for Rugers and Encores/Contenders are a no-no.

That is what I figgered.....

Thanks JOG & 2muchgun, I did miss that part, I am getting slow in my old age.:o <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I think most of the group has it wrong here...

The Anaconda is stronger than the Blackhawk. The cylinder walls are thicker and the cylinder bolt notch is slightly offset for increased strength. Like the Blackhawk, there is a .44 mag version at 40,000psi and when you stuff a .45 Colt in there, the cylinder walls thin by about 25%, which means the .45 Colt is fine all the way up to 30,000psi, just like the Blackhawk. Don�t just take my word for it, get your dial caliper out and measure the cylinder walls for yourself. The important measurement is the thickness at the cylinder bolt notch. To get this measurement (and this is the only one that really counts since it�s the weakest point), you measure the thickness of the cylinder wall, then measure the depth of the cylinder bolt and subtract the cylinder bolt notch thickness from the cylinder wall thickness. If you measure right, you�ll find the Anaconda has more metal than the Blackhawk, if you get a different measurement, then you�ve measured wrong. (not hard to measure wrong since the Anaconda has slightly offset cylinder bolt notches).

What�s more, the Anaconda is one of the stronger .44 Magnum�s out there also and for the same reasons. Cylinder thickness and the offset cylinder bolt notches. I�m not familiar with any frame stretching issue with the Anaconda. I�ve had Anaconda�s in .44 Mag and .45 Colt and have stuffed many thousands of heavy loads in each. The only problem I ever had was a broken firing pin in the .44 Mag. They are very accurate revolvers. My two complaints with the Anaconda

1. Double action trigger pulls tend to suck. Even when you try to slick them up, they�re still stiff because the trigger is very short.
2. The shape of the trigger guard sucks. The top has a downward slope like a Python that whacks your finger every time you set off a stiff load�This gets old after awhile (but I�d buy another one).

Your Anaconda is brute strong and was intended to take the heavy loads.

Kevin,

You�re making the assumption that all metal is created equal - more or less metal means a proportionately stronger handgun. That isn�t correct.

The .454 Casull and .44 Magnum SRH are built on the same frame. The Casull uses completely different metallurgy and heat treating resulting in a much stronger revolver. A .44 Magnum SRH re-chambered to .454 Casull or fired at similar pressures would fail � big time. S&W .45 Colt and .44 Magnum revolvers are also built on the same frame, but again, the metallurgy and heat treating are superior in the .44 Magnum. The revolvers look the same, but they are not.

I don�t know if a similar situation exists with the .44 Magnum and .45 Colt versions of the Anaconda (maybe you do), so I certainly wouldn�t assume any pressure specs based on dimensions alone.

All that said, it would help if we knew what DanLee�s hunting loads are � so far I�m assuming the worst. There are some nasty .45 Colt loads out there nowadays.

JOG,

You sir are most certainly right, I'm going off the assumption that the metallurgy in the Colt is like that of the Ruger, which it is. The Anaconda was available in .45 Colt and .44 Magnum. Originally, Colt wan't sure if they would make a .45 Colt version at all until gun-riters started begging for one. They answered the call and the cylinder is made from the same stainless steel, with the same heat treatment as the .44 Magnum version.

Like I said before. I know this first hand because my old .45 Colt Anaconda digested nearly 1000 very stout loads (I just couldn't take any more than that).

If anyone has old copies of gun magazines or Gun Digest (I wish I did, but I have very little space for a library and have to cull at least annually), you can read up on articles when the gun was introduced, which will confirm all that I have said. (Taffin's Big Bore Revolvers may make mention...I'll check when I get home...or look it up on his website sixguns.com...At work I'm blocked from that site)

I was a Magnum-Man back then and I wouldn't have bought the .45 Anaconda unless it could digest my barn burners. These days, I'm quite content with a standard pressure .45 Colt.

As a side note, S&W discontinued the practice of different cylinder make ups long years ago on the K frame, and well over a decade ago on N frames (it unnecessarily complicates the supply chain). While the heat treating and metallurgy is the same on S&W N frames, they are still weaker than a Blackhawk because the cylinder is smaller. Pressures should be kept around 23,500psi for .45 Colt in a S&W N frame (which is still a rip-snortin round)

Kevin,

You sold me - don't feel you have to dig up the references. If you say the Anaconda .44 Mag and .45 Colt cylinders have the same metallurgy I believe it. Now you just have to convince me that the Anaconda's swing-out design is up to the task <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

On the subject of N-frames, I've heard through the grapevine that some of the PC versions still have different heat treating than their production counterparts. Being a conservative hand loader, I find all of it too much to keep track of and stick to the book.

That may be true, I don't know. I'm with you, it pays to be a conservative handloader.

Like I said before, these days I'm quite content with standard pressure .45 Colt. My 275 Grain Keith style cast bullet at 900 fps is more than adequate for anything I need to shoot. I've killed large cows D R T with that load. I carry that load when I'm in black bear country, and since now 3 people have spotted a mountain lion on my property, I'll probably be carrying it much more.

Well, I guess I got my answer! My hunting load for the Blackhawk (Bisley) is Speer's 260gr JHP at 1200fps. It's a deer smacker par excellence. In regard to the remarks about the Anaconda, it is built like a tank, and the double action trigger does stink. I've also had to be more diligent about cleaning as the cylinder gap is quite small and tends to drag after a couple dozen rounds of lead. I replaced the orginal rubber grips with wood--it helps somewhat with the middle finger bite.

BTW, I also have a 624 in which I use the old Keith loads for hunting. I'm satisfied that occasional use of these (less than a dozen fired in anger so far) does no harm.

DanLee

OK, but I have seen more blown up Anacondas than Rugers and Smith's combined.

My problem with the 45 Colt Anaconda is the set of sloppy chamber and cylinder throat dimensions Colt saddled it with. I own one and I've measured a few more. At one time I toyed with the idea of getting a 44 magnum cylinder and having proper chambers reamed in it. I called Dave Clements (back when he was in Mississippi I think) and he said he'd do it but I might end up buying a broken reamer. He told me the steel Colt used was a bitch to remachine. Since I didn't feel like gambling an additional C-note on top of the cost of the job I just let it drop and kinda forgot about the gun for a while. It's a 4" barrel model, and I've heard those are rare in the 45 Colt model. This thing may become the first gun I ever sell. No offers please, I don't want to do anything right now.


mathman

TLEE - I've never seen a blown up Anaconda...Do tell.

As for blown up revolvers, I've seen more blown S&W K frames than anything else. Next would have to be Blackhawks in .45 Colt or SBH's in .44 Mag.

mathman - My .45 Colt's chambers were a bit more generous than my .44 mag, but I didn't think it was excessively sloppy. Throat diameters were dead smack on at .452 and my .44 Mag (very early one) was .4295. Both were two of the most accurate big bores I ever owned. I'd consider a .44 Mag again, but I wouldn't spend more for one over say, a S&W 29.

Ain't even read the rest, but don't have to....

Search back issues of Rifle and Handloader mags. Brian Pearce did a piece on a .45 Colt Anaconda. He had to have the chamber throats reamed to make it shoot, but he was running 300+ grain cast bullets through a 4 incher at 1,200 - 1,300 fps.

Expat

The list for me over the last 45 years runs:
Colt 1st & 2nd Gen Model P's, probably better than 50
S & W K Frames some 31 at our department most from just way too many .357's
COLT D frames 11 most from handloaded +P's
Anaconda's 3 2- .44 & 1- .45
S & W N Frames 1 a M-57
Had 1 Ruger flatop with stretched frame and an early Redhawk almost blown, frame was tweeked enough to lock it up.

2muchgun,

"Ain't even read the rest, but don't have to...."

Because I'm so smart or because I'm a moron? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The issue with the .45 Colt Anaconda is the same issue with just about every modern .45 Colt Wheelgun-the dimensions r all over the map.
Anyone truly interested in hotrodding the .45 Colt needs two thins-alot of $$$ and a great custom pistolsmith. Anythin less will only lead to frustration.
The .45 Colt is a great, historic cartridge. It is capable of out performing the .44, but the reason Elmer Keith switched to the .44 from the .45 was the guns-not the cartridge.
The only .45s I'm aware of that pay attention to proper dimensions are not capable of dealing with blackhawk level of loads.
Like it or not, the components for the .45 also are designed for lower pressure threshold. You can use .454 level stuff, but then it begs the question-why not just get the .454 an be done with it?
Sure, I used to be a heavy .45 Colt man, an then I got older, an I got tired of the frustration. The .44 mag. offers better guns, better performance, far better accuracy, and the .454 simply shuts the old round down.
Save time an energy, enjoy the .45 Colt for what it is, forget about making it what it is not.
Good luck n good shootin