Yep an ugly square gun is exactly what the OP ordered.
But this is the campfire, no one reads. And they want everyone to want what they like. Not answer the question.
I have a 4 5/8 Blackhawk 45Colt. Nice gun, like it shoot it well. But it's a brick, and needs care to keep it nice. For hunting it's easy. For just bumming or working, it takes effort.
A Glock, is light and easy. Of course it could be an M&P, or XD. Whichever floats the boat.
Soon someone will recommend a Stihl.
In a few pages, it will need Alpha Glass!
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
The 45 Colt is lots of fun to shoot, I had one for the same reasons you mention, I think my was a Ruger Blackhawk. The idea is carry lots, shoot little when use as a walk around the lease sidearm. The problem for me is that dang thing is so heavy, I eventually replaced it with a Glock 9mm with Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman ammo and never looked back. I carry the 9mm locally and now a 10mm Glock when hiking in the west.
Sorry for the drift OP, but I have to ask Mannlicher about his 45. A plated 25?, a 625 with pinned barrel? A 5" barrel? WTH? Spare cyl. from a later model as I see the longer cyl. latch slots, & that's about all I recognize.
Was going to tell OP about my my mountain gun that has been cut for ACP moon clips & still can shoot 45 Colt, but this is another approach.
it's an elderly 25-5 with 6 inch barrel. A number of years ago, 20+ anyway, I had my gunsmith do some work on it. Made it a round butt. Tritium night sights. Made a conversion cylinder to take the .45 ACP cartridge and moon clips. All new internals, and did a hard chrome plate job over the original blue. Many rounds fired, not a mark on it. It's quite accurate. I used to win pin shoots with it using the ACP cylinder.
Now here is one that will give you a choice between 45 Colt and 45ACP and to make it even better it is a COLT. Factory Ivory grips to boot. Not many of these around, so you're going to have to look real hard. I also have a Colt 1911 GCNM that I carry out in the woods, you really can't go wrong with either.
Waders, or anyone with the convertible’s, what’s the change in impact? LC vs ACP
I haven't shot any heavy 45 Colt loads...I mean the plussed-up Ruger Only type loads. I tend to use the all steel 44Magnums for the heavy stuff.
Anyhoo, POI change was not really much at 25 yards.
Here'a a couple targets.
Here's a target with the 45ACP loaded with a 255gr SWC,
As you can see, mine prefers the jacketed 230 XTP over 200 or 255gr cast lead. Could be something to do with the cylinder throating, I have read that it is common for the Ruger 45 cylinders to be a little too tight and need slight reaming to make them work their best.
Ruger also does not use a single cutter to cut all 6. They use a gang cutter, and do not put any care into matching them, just that all are in "spec". So its normal to have different size throats.
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
I must have missed it, what is the price? Right now, the only .45 Colt I know of is a new Ruger Redhawk 4 in. for $800.
Save yourself some money and time spent if you like a double action revolver. I have a few RedHawks in 44 Magnum and one in .45 Colt. I can easily make mine into a .45 ACP simply by downloading .45 Colt brass to the same velocity as .45 ACP without changing anything or moon clips. And they shoot great. Have three RedHawks with the 4” (4.2”) barrels and really like them a lot for carrying as a back-up or knock around gun. My other Redhawk is an early model 7.5” barrel which is my dedicated hunting handgun (primary as you called it) that I used until the sights got old.
If we live long enough, we all have regrets. But the ones that nag at us the most are the ones in which we know we had a choice.
Certainly some good advice here. For me it’s a N frame Smith. Either my 625 in 45acp. Or my 25-9 in 45 colt. It’s a hard choice for me because I like them both. Hasbeen
hasbeen (Better a has been than a never was!)
NRA Patron member Try to live your life where the preacher doesn't have to lie at your funeral
I have both, a 5 1/2 inch barreled 45 Colt in a stainless Vaquero that I had glass beaded to get rid of the shiny stainless and wood grips to replace the fake ivory grip panels. I usually load it with a 255 grain cast bullet to around 1000 fps. I have yet to recover a bullet from anything hit with it. The other is a High Standard 1911 with a straight mainspring housing, tightly fitted locking lugs and a 21 pound recoil spring. I load this one with a flat nosed 230gr. FMJ to a bit over 900 fps. Oddly this bullet sings right through things nicely also. However the reality is that I generally use these pistols for killing trapped feral hogs or to finish off animals shot with rifles. I have killed some rabbits for the pot with both. I would expect both to be effective for close range defense shooting of feral hogs and Black bears. Now for the kicker, as I have gotten older the 1911 gets carried much more often simply because it is a bit easier to carry.
Once you say "field gun" I think revolver. In a six shooter you can go hot, slow, BB, blank, wax, and empty with anything in between. Dial-a-load and fire away without missing a beat.
And...
Originally Posted by navlav8r
How much time do you spend looking for that last piece of 45 ACP brass hiding in the weeds? 😁
Forgive me my nonsense, as I also forgive the nonsense of those that think they talk sense. Robert Frost
I got a New (small, non magnum frame) Vaquero 45. I adore the gun but not the price of a box of 45 Colt ammo. Get the convertable. Check out the balistics of the 45 ACP +P...
For something to carry a lot, shoot occasionally, the auto gets my vote, although the Mountain guns and other 4” half-lug S&Ws pack pretty well too. Steel-grip Rugers don’t carry as well IMO because of all the weight up high when holstered, though maybe a well-designed holster would help some.