Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns versatility :357mag vs 45acp

Especially in an N-Frame.




Dave

Yes, you can do that. Is it advisable, not really; but pretty much any gun can do it, nothing unique to a 1911. You just have to start with about a 16lb spring in a Government model and you can pull it off. It will function wadcutters, and .45 Super. But be aware, extensive use of .45 super with a 16 pound spring will beat the hell out of your gun. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.

The gun I mentioned above was set up that way (16 lb recoil spring) but with a flat bottom firing pin stop and extra power main spring. Most of the loads through it were standard pressure or +P 45 Auto, but it ran Super loads and light target loads easily, for quite a few years. (Probably still does, but I sold it.)

L frame or Python is better. N frame .357's have short cylinders making it more difficult to use bullets over 170 grains.

I like the 45ACP with a 4" tube, though 38's are still my favorites.

Truth. Back in the late 70's me & several other nuts tried to duplicate those loads in 6" Model 28's using 2400 and a Thompson gas-checked SWC that cast about 160 grains. Don't know how close we got as none of us owned a chronograph, but we had a hell of a good time and shot through some stuff a 357 shouldn't penetrate. I imagine with today's powders, it could be easily done in a 6 1/2" Blackhawk.

The 357 is a great cartridge and I like it. My comments above were not intended to denigrate it.

PS- Beautiful revolver, Steelhead.

I believe that the .357 Mag is the most versatile revolver cartridge we have available to us.

The 1911A1 in .45 ACP was designed to be a battle weapon. It's primary utility is to kill bad guys.

Were we to consider only self-defense, I'd go with a 1911A1.

Were I limited to only one handgun, it would be a .357 Mag revolver, probably a S&W Model 27.

Without a doubt the 357. Platform wise I'd rather have a 4inch k frame or 686, a 3" would be even better. I wouldn't even care if it was accidently chambered in only 38 special. . A 1911 is good for talk but for me it's not a very serious combat or hunting platform.

That's because you've already proven yourself to be not very bright.

You know people can read this?

You guys have a lot of problems with peoples personal choices. Really today the 1911 isn't taken seriously by a lot of agencies (most everyone) and militaries. Plain and simple. But it's really my personal preference.

Pot, meet kettle.

I don't care what a guy owns. Also, I have had 1911s I liked. I just don't take it very seriously for carry.

And for the record is take a .44 over all of them.




Dave

^ This.


As to the use of shot shells - I get a much more usable pattern with the .45acp than with the .357.

I'm a fan of both for all-around use. I just don't see one as necessarily more versatile than the other. Depends on your personal situation (and whether you have personal problems with the 1911).

As much as I like the 45 acp, hands down the 357 wins the varsatility role. You can load 105 gr cast over a few grains of bullseye to do anything you'd use a 22lr for, 160's @ 1000 fps for midrange loads and 200's @ 1200 fps for big game.

That said you can have the best of both worlds, Ruger's 4" redhawk 45 covertable, 45 colt and 45 acp. You can't throttle it back to the 38 sp powder puff loads, but mild 45 acp target loads with 200 swc's are great for targets and small game, and you can throttle up the 45 colt to take most any NA game.

Maybe being able to easily be converted to .22 lr isn't much of an advantage lately.

Ain't that the truth. Since I cast my own bullets, I can reload center fire handgun ammo cheaper than I can buy .22 rimfire (if I can find any).

Don

My son skipped the 22LR pistol phase completely.

.38's and wadcutters or semi-wadcutters are all he has ever used.




Travis

Can't have too many 38s. I load DEWCs and keiths by thousands.