Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 45 Long Colt opinions

There is a stainless Ruger 45 Long Colt/45acp convertible at my LGS that I am trying to decide whether I am gonna buy or not. It is a beauty.

Would love to hear from some guys who use the 45LC round and what applications you use it for. Target shooting, reloading, hunting, defense etc. I just have no experience whatsoever with the round.

Anyone use one for self defense in predator country?

I've posted this before, and I'll post it again:

Any discussion of the 45 Colt should start with a reading from John Linebaugh’s epistle to the faithful (https://www.johnlinebaughcustomsixguns.com/writings):

“I have personally taken about 10 antelope and 1 mule deer with a .45 Colt. My boys have taken around 6 antelope and 5 mule deer with their .45 Colts. They use a 4 3/4" Colt SA and the handload is a 260 Keith cast at 900 fps. This load will shoot lengthwise of antelope and mule deer at 100 yards. In my estimation it kills as well as the .270, 30-06 class rifles if the shots are placed properly. If I were hunting heavier game I'd step up the velocity to 1200 fps and in extreme circumstances, (elk, hogs, bear) go to the 310 gr cast slug. This load, 310 at 1200 will go through elk like so much air.”

I’m not sure what’s heavier than mule deer and lighter than elk, hogs, or bear, but those are the words of the master.

The 45 Colt is good ballistically, but there are wrinkles on the logistical side. 45 Colt revolvers and ammo are classed in four tiers:

Tier I = Colt SAA and clones, which top out at 14,000 psi. It’s easy to handload a 250-grain SWC or LFN to 1,000 fps, which will meet 99% of your needs. Factory ammo is another story—you might find something like that handload, or you might only find a load with a pointy 180-grain bullet at 600 fps that will barely stay on a pie plate at 25 yards. Test and make careful notes if you have to rely on factory ammo.

Tier II = S&W Model 25 and Ruger Flat Tops, which top out around 23,000 psi. This is a 250-grain jacketed bullet at 1,100 fps, a 280-grain cast bullet at 1,150 fps, or a 318-grain cast bullet at 1,070 fps. Brian Pearce has written excellent articles about handloading to this level in Handloader magazine, most notably in April, 2007. You’ll need those articles, though, because no factory loads this ammo and loading manuals don’t cover it.

Tier III = Ruger New Model Blackhawks (NOT Flat Tops or New Vaqueros), Redhawks, Freedom Arms 97, and similar guns. These top out around 32,000 psi. You can buy this ammo over the counter. It’s expensive and recoil is fierce, but they match the hottest 44 Magnum loads with slightly less pressure. Most sources of loading data call this “45 Colt +P” or “Ruger/TC only.” These loads can destroy a Tier I or Tier II revolver, so many—but not all—of them are intentionally built too long to fit into the cylinder of an SAA or clone.

Tier IV = custom five-shot guns with longer than standard cylinders, which top out around 50,000 psi. These are a handload-only proposition. I had a couple of these guns built by David Clements, and they’ll move a 325-grain bullet an honest 1,400 fps.

The 45 Colt has a lot of romance but most of its advantages are theoretical and only pan out if you handload to Tier III or IV levels.


Okie John

To answer your questions more directly:

A 45 ACP cylinder is nice for shooting paper and plinking IF the revolver has adjustable sights because the POI of the two cartridges can be radically different. The 45 ACP is a serious cartridge in its own right, but is more at home in a semi-auto than in a revolver.

For hunting, the 45 Colt has taken every animal on the planet in the hands of experts. Per Mr. Linebaugh's comments, you don't need to load it as hot as it will go. Bullet design matters more than raw power.

For defense against people or predators, you're limited by the Ruger being a single-design, but people manage to save their own bacon with it every year. In a DA revolver it's as good as any and better than most. As noted, factory ammo choices are limited.


Okie John

Okie John this is outstanding and I appreciate the time you took. Super helpful.

Well, first off, ya gotta call it by it's proper name, 45 Colt. The "Long" colt is misnomer. But as far as the cartridge goes, if you reload it is probably one of the best all around pistol cartridges out their for both target and hunting, or.... You can load 250 gr.s at 700 fps for fun plinking then pull the trigger on 300-370 gr hardcast at 1000- 1300 fps and kill anything on the continent. If the Ruger you are looking at is a Bisley frame even better, the standard Blackhawk frame will do though.

Read this and you'll see the potential of the cartridge:
https://www.johnlinebaughcustomsixguns.com/writings

45 Colt… Got it! And think I’m gonna GET it! SB, i’m going to dig into this article for sure. I need to see which model the Ruger is. It caught my eye as I was leaving the store and I thought about it at the bit today. I’m going to go back in on Monday and handle it.

Ruger .45 Convertible single actions are extremely versatile revolvers.

I have both the standard large frame version and a mid frame Flattop and both are tack drivers. Some times they need a bit of tuning to get there but the results are worth it.

They will literally stack 5 shot one ragged hole 25 yard groups with proper ammo.

In this case, this is what is called .45 cowboy special which is a .45 Colt cut to .45 ACP length.



You can shoot those for light weight, low recoil loads, or heavier "elk/moose" type loads, all just by swapping ammo.

Here is a .45 Cowboy Special, .45 Schofield, and .45 Colt aka Lng Colt:

The medium frame Flattop convertible is my personal favorite.

A 270 grain Keith Semi Wadcutter at 900 FPS is not only a tackdriver but there is not much it is not going to flatten, as Okie John was discussing in his post. It is a favorite of quite a few handgun hunters.

Thanks Mack. Those pics are great.


BTW. I am digging the 38 wadcutters I got from you. Extremely manageable and really accurate in my Airweight.

Mackay_Sagebrush, 270 grain semi wadcutter at 900 FPS penetrated 41" of 20% ballistic gel. That is equivalent to 68.48" of 10% ballistic gel

The 45 Colt was the first handgun cartridge I reloaded for and the first revolver I've owned. It was a 7.5 inch Bisley. It fired bullets from 200 to 340 grains and various powders to numerous to mention along with the ranges its driver could connect at. Numerous game animals as well.

Since then I've used it in SAA's and clones to 5 shot fire breathers and double actions from the last century to present. Its only failing is in the inability of men to decide what dimensions its requires and what it needs fed via powder or projectile per arm it is housed in. Not too shabby for a 19th century cartridge.

The 45 ACP conversion also has a history, but most prominently as the cartridge that duplicated the 45 Special of the time in an automatic weapon, the 45 S&W Schofield. Another good revolver cartridge but most are at there best with rims.

Throats at .452-.453 and the Ruger groove at .451 will be a good shooter whether shooting CAS plinkers or 300 plus grainers atop healthy doses of H110/296 powder or something similar even with jacketed offerings. Going to .454 or .455 for a cylinder throat diameter if all you shoot is lead is not a handicap.

These days most of my loads are 10 grs CFE Pistol or 13-14 grs. Blue Dot with bullets in the 270-300gr. range in S&W N frames, Colt Double Actions or Rugers. The old Colt has proven longer than any of us has been alive that the bullet does the work in handguns in diameter and frontal area primarily and everything beyond that is for being frivolous,fancy or both.

Enjoy the 45 Colt in all its gloried history.

A great cartridge, in a great firearm! In that handgun, you can “beef-up” the 45’s a bit and turn it into a formidable handgun! memtb

Don't overlook the utility of the ACP cylinder. Quite often they can be very accurate. Loaded ammo and brass are much more available than Colt ammo. Full loads are not that far behind in power. Target loads are common and great for smaller game and practice. Handloads are easy to turn out. Since you are not feeding an autoloader any bullet shape will work. For some guns, the point of impact is not so different.
I've had my ACP cylinder for many years and can't imagine being without it.

"It is a beauty."

You could have stopped right there!

If you are able and desire it, get it! Doesn't matter if it's useful or effective


Mike

Thanks all. I am on the road today but gonna get in there Monday and likely bring her home. This is all helpful and encouraging but one thing I am now interested in figuring out is, which Ruger model it is. I will post some pics here before I do anything final.

It's a great round, especially in a Ruger, since a Ruger can handle even a very hot load, roughly equaling the capabilities of the .44 Magnum. But the coolest thing about it will be that .45 ACP cylinder, allowing you to shoot it more cheaply. Either .45 Colt or .45 ACP will be excellent choices for self defense against human beings, with the right load.

If you can find a decent revolver these days, buy it.

I heard the guy from buffalo bore ammo say there were newer model Rugers that couldn’t handle the heavier or hotter loads due to lighter/weaker frame. Is that a thing I need to pay attention to when it comes to purchasing a Ruger? Are there specific models I can load heavier for?

I got about halfway through the Linebaugh article and I’m going to go through the rest of it and then make sure I understand if he’s addressing the specific question or not.

I think the new Vaquero isn't particularly strong, but Blackhawks are strong enough for hot .45 Colt loads.

I hunt with and carry 45 Colt for Mountain Lion protection. Have used it as a hunting side arm for many years. I own 10 of them and shoot them all.

With moon clips I shoot 45 Super in them. Love the 45 Super.