Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Leaver gun 44 or 45???

If you were buying a pistol cart. Lever gun what would you buy a 44 mag. Or a 45 colt had me wondering. What say the fire?

I bought a 45 Colt to match the revolvers and simplify my component gathering.
If I was relying on factory ammo and didn't already have a 45 , a 44mag would make better sense for my uses.
There's no wrong choice.

Over 25 years ago I bought a Mod. 94 Win. in caliber .44 mag. from a buddy. It is a slick little light weight 10 shot power house. My wife liked it for her berry picking trips. I got a good deal on it and it has proven to be a reliable rifle with the 280 grain hard cast LBT's I loaded for it.

If you load your own ammo the .45 Colt would be my first choice, knowing what I know now. If you are shooting factory ammo I would go with the .44 as I see more of it on dealers shelves. I think if one is using similar powder charges and same weight bullets the .45 Colt makes a slightly bigger hole at similar velocities and does so at less pressure. I also heard the Mod. 92 Win. or Browning copy or a Marlin made for pistol cartridges is a bit more reliable in the feeding area, but have had no problem with the Mod. 94 we have.

#1) I’d match my rifle to whatever pistols I have or are wanting to buy.

#2) 45 Colt. You’re going to have to reload anyway, might as well be for the Colt.

Thinking about the 45, as I do reload. Also thinking about going with a Henry rifle. Thanks for the info.

I know nothing about the Henry but I highly recommend the 45 Colt in either the Marlin 1894 or the Rossi 92. Of the two the Rossi is the strongest action, the Marlin can be scoped. My marlin has seen 100s of rounds of 300 grain hardcast at 1600. I’m not recommending it, but it does it with no pressure signs at all and will penetrate long ways through a 300 pound pig while being accurate enough to have several squirrels to its name.

I also load cheap rounds at around 12 cents each for plinking and general shooting. This load also has a pig to its name, although not as impressive.

Have 'em both in Marlin's

flip a coin....

saddlering, I have a Henry in .45 Colt. Very nice rifle with 20" round barrel, not octagon. Easily scoped if you decide on that. It goes with my two .45 Colt revolvers[Italian replicas].

I would recommend 45 Colt to a handloader. But I suspect that for 98% of loads and shooters you'd not be able to tell much if any difference between the two. Loading up 350+gr cast bullets with 110/296 in a 45 Colt rifle, it begins to look more like a 45/70 than anything smaller.

Spot on. My loading has shown that 360g with H110 is the breaking point. Anything heavier and you can’t get enough powder in the Colt case.

I like my Henry BBS 16” a bunch so far. Not as light or svelte as the Win. 94 I had, but so far, it’s been quite accurate and does a very good job with heavy loads, per it’s weight, stock dimensions, and ample recoil pad.
A Winchester or Marlin may handle longer bullets better. I had to do a little filing on the lifter to get it to feed 270-SAA’s, which is likely the only bullet the rifle will ever see. They feed like they’re greased now.
I actually wanted a Marlin this past go round. Handled two new ones and they were both fine examples of a complete and total lack of Q.C. If I wanted a new one, I’d wait till Ruger gets them in production. Otherwise, I’d do like everyone else and scour the inter web looking for a Marlin from way back when they had their crap together.

Being as you handload I'd go 45 Colt, if not .44.

In regards to the Henry, the sample of one I've handled was very nice. It belongs to my SIL's dad. He asked me to load for him. In my research on the strength of the Henry I ended up emailing the company. Their reply was their rifle could handle any factory loads on the market to include Garrett and Buffalo Bore. I ended up loading him 250 gr. Hornady XTP bullets over Lil' Gun in Starline brass.

He's used this combo in N.H. the last two years. Results, two shots, two dead deer. Shots were between 50-100 yards, no trailing job needed.

I'd go .45...-70.

45 colt in my trapper

Check the twist on whatever you pick. Some for both cartridges still have 1-38” and might not stabilize everything you want to shoot.

I like my Browning 1892 .44Mag. No safety, just like the original

45 Colt! 300gr Speer Deep Curls running 1550fps kill on one end and maim on the other end of my Rossi 92. They also shoot well from my two other rifles and from my Blackhawk.

Thanks, Dinny

Yup, mighty fine little rifles.

In today's climate, whichever you can buy at a reasonable price.
In the long term, both.
Factor in what you have on hand already, and that 44 mag is easier to find.

Do they load 45colt factory to modern specs?

I picked up one of them Marlin 1894 SBL 44 mag