Cylinder strength question on a Titanium Taurus Tracker 45 Colt

[Swede44mag]

I would like to know is the shorter 5 shot cylinder as strong as an old
Ruger Vaquero or a Black Hawk?
Or is it more comparable to a Colt or Colt clone strength wise?
I am not interested om hot rodding this pistol only to know if I can use the Max charge listed for 45 Colt safely.
Such as 9.0 Grs Unique with a 250gr RNFP boolit.

The gun is supposed to be made out of Titanium except for the Hammer,
trigger and internal parts due to the necessity of hardening.
It also has a Stainless Steel barrel liner.

Taurus does not list the 45 Colt Titanium Tracker on it's wedsite that I can find.

If they quit making them was it cost or manufacturing problems?

Thanks for your help.

[Ziptar]

I'm going to no for two reasons.


Otherwise you would have a "Ruger, TC, AND Taurus Titanium Tracker Only Loads" section in reloading manuals.

In addition Taurus' revolver manual states to not use +P in any but a very small list of revolvers, and to never use +P+ in any revolver. http://www.taurususa.com/pdf/revolver-manual.pdf Since the 460 is listed in that manual and not listed in the list of revolvers OK for use with +P ammo, I would say it applies to it as well. Taurus also says:


Even if your Taurus firearm is rated for Plus-P (“+P”) ammunition, such ammunition generates pressures significantly in excess of the pressures associated with standard ammunition. Such pressures may affect the useful life of the firearm or exceed the margin of safety built into many firearms. Unless you need +P ammunition, do not use it, particularly for practice.

Reading the manual I get the impression they really only want you shooting standard SAMMI / factory loads.


A Taurus is not a Ruger no matter how many holes are drilled in the cylinder.

If you really want a Taurus and really want to use hot 45 Colt loads, you be better off getting one chambered for 454 Casull.

[Swede44mag]

Ziptar: thanks for your response. Thanks for the link I didn't look in the box for a manual, but I have been reading the PDF.

I do have a Taurus 454 Raging bull and don't shoot the Extra hot 45 Colt Ruger Only loads in it either.
It is too easy to mix-up 45 Colt loads made for the Ruger only and have a shrapnel grenade in my hand even with using the Old Vaquero.
I didn't see any load in my Lyman Cast #4 edition for a +P 45 Colt but I may have missed it.
Lyman #4 Cast Manual listed Unique 9.0 with a 250gr RNFP as the most potentially accurate load but it is also a MAX load.

My Vaquero is fun to shoot but heavier I bought the Tracker for a light carry gun while deer hunting
to be able to take a deer or finish off one if I have to track it.

[Swede44mag]

Found this while reading the PDF owners manual I thought it might be of interest to other forum members.

Taurus Total Titanium and UltraLite Titanium Models
These special instructions are necessary because of the way the revolver
is manufactured and assembled.
1) The revolver’s barrel has an internal stainless steel liner which is mounted in and
surrounded by a titanium shroud. Because of this, the normal procedure of disassembling
the barrel from the frame will either damage the frame and/or the barrel.
Therefore, do not try to unscrew the barrel from the frame. In the event that service is
required, return your revolver to our Customer Service Department.
2) Normal care and cleaning procedures can be used on Titanium revolvers but under
no circumstances should you use any abrasive material to clean the front face of the
cylinder, or any other part of the revolver, as the use of such an abrasive material can
remove the finish on the cylinder, which is a protective layer, and this can greatly
reduce the service life of the cylinder and the revolver.
3) These Taurus Titanium revolvers are designed to withstand the regular use of +P
jacketed ammunition. However, we do not recommend that you utilize +P lead bullet
ammunition as the typically light crimp on the lead bullets could cause some of them to
unseat from the case, moving forward in the chamber, and possibly blocking the
cylinder’s rotation.

If I understand the +P, I should be able to use the Max load for Colt or Colt clone revolvers without being too hot.
Most of my target shooting will be with a load of aprox 800fps the Max load I have mentioned is listed at 875fps.
As I said before I am not intrested in loading the Ruger Only loads in 45 Colt cartridges.

[Walt]

Swede,
You should go the the SAAMI web site and check out the pressure chart. There is no +P 45 Colt recognized. With out SAAMI guidelines to follow there is no standard for manufacturers to use. Taurus is speaking of +P 9m/m, 38 Special, 45 Auto, etc. etc. You can e-mail Taurus and get the real skinny....IMO that's the thing to do. I hate to see people (or guns) get hurt.
Walt

[tek4260]

Being a 5 shot the cylinder has more "meat" than a 6 shot, plus the bolt notches aren't over the chamber. Therefore, I am pretty sure it will handle a "Ruger Only" load that will fit the OAL confinements. By handle, I mean it probably won't grenade. I am pretty sure it will beat itself to pieces pretty quick though.

Check out this article. Page 12, level 2 loads should work great and are nothing to sneeze at. A 280 cast @ an honest 1000fps will do anything one could want from a handgun.

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL%20246partial.pdf

But remember, I am supposedly the resident Taurus hater so this is all IMHO and shouldn't be listened to by a lover of all things Taurus.

[9.3X62AL]

I know less than zero about Taurus 45 Colt revolvers, so let's get THAT clarified right from the get-go. I do have a lot of time-in-grade with the 45 Colt cartridge, though--both Colt SAA spaghetti-repro examples and the thundergun Rugers.

It has been at least 3 years since I fired a "Ruger-only" 45 Colt load through my BisHawk. I don't have any such loads assembled, either. Why not? 'Cause the 45 Colt is a pretty darn good cartridge just like it was made in 1873, a 250 grain bullet at 800 to 1000 FPS. It is accurate, tractable, manageable by most shooters after a bit of seasoning, and devastating as a felon-stopper or venison-maker. There are 41 and 44 Magnums in the gun safe if I want my thumbweb hammered, and the loads for those with standard SWCs get limited to 1100-1200 FPS most of the time. I know these habits go totally against the grain of the BeastyRoller contingent, and if they enjoy that sort of diversion--then more power to 'em. (ahem.....) Just not a thing I need nor crave.

If that text you present is Taurus' view of the world for their 45 Colts, I would suspect that a 9.0 grain load of Unique under Lyman #454190 or #454424 might be a real good start. Both of these clock ~925 FPS from the 7.5" tube of my BisHawk, and did about 850 FPS from a 4-3/4" Uberti Cattleman. Those loads hit about 1" high at 25 yards in the PastaColta, and grouped ~2".

[MtGun44]

I'd avoid the super hot ".45 Magnum" type loads in this gun. Titanium can be strong, but it
is far more "elastic" than steel. For a given load it will flex twice as much as steel. NOT break,
but flex more at the same load. I have a S&W 329 and I have shot a fair number of full power
loads. It is my guess that your wrist will tell you more about why you should not shoot real
hot loads in that gun than the cylinder will. They will HURT!

I remember years ago George Nonte writing an article about loading for the Charter .44 Bulldog.
He announced that he was introducing a new class of loads - the "recoil limited" load instead of
pressure limited. I tend to think that this will likely be the case here.

Bill

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I have a Titanium Tracker 4" in caliber.41 mag. Did not take me long to figure out 240 grainers at 1250 fps ( my standard DW load) was NOT the way to go with these light weight revolvers. At 900+ fps that same boolit has enough umph to penetrate any big Illinois white tail so it should be more than enough to handle any up close critter I find wanting to be a pest whether waliking about or in my kayak.
Mike in Peru

[Swede44mag]

I'd avoid the super hot ".45 Magnum" type loads in this gun. Titanium can be strong, but it
is far more "elastic" than steel. For a given load it will flex twice as much as steel. NOT break,
but flex more at the same load. I have a S&W 329 and I have shot a fair number of full power
loads. It is my guess that your wrist will tell you more about why you should not shoot real
hot loads in that gun than the cylinder will. They will HURT!

I remember years ago George Nonte writing an article about loading for the Charter .44 Bulldog.
He announced that he was introducing a new class of loads - the "recoil limited" load instead of
pressure limited. I tend to think that this will likely be the case here.

Bill

Bill: Thanks for the info more in line of what I have been looking for. I plan on trying the pistol this weekend. When I get a chance to shoot it if it kicks like a mule on Steriods I will back the load off. I am mainly looking for a good load to stop a deer DRT if I put the boolit in the proper place. I also have a Clone #68 mold and have loaded some plinking loads just to target practice with.

[Swede44mag]

Good morning
I have a Titanium Tracker 4" in caliber.41 mag. Did not take me long to figure out 240 grainers at 1250 fps ( my standard DW load) was NOT the way to go with these light weight revolvers. At 900+ fps that same boolit has enough umph to penetrate any big Illinois white tail so it should be more than enough to handle any up close critter I find wanting to be a pest whether waliking about or in my kayak.
Mike in Peru

If I could get the 900fps I will be satisfied I may have to go down to a 240gr boolit to accomplish it.

I figured with a 45 Colt being a big boolit to start with I shouldn’t have to worry about it expanding and hopefully will get enough penetration to let the air out of a nice size deer.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I do not shoot alot of the 900+fps 240 grainers at one time but it is not real horrendous. I am a 155 pounder and I can hang on to it OK. A glove does help but hunting I would have a glove on anyway as I do in my kayak. Those seal skin gloves are very comfortable and actually make a good shooting glove on cool days. Bit pricey though.
Mike in Peru

[Lloyd Smale]

Like mtgun said the metal has more flex and your going to get to the point where sticky extraction ends your quest for power before high pressures do.

[MtGun44]

There isn't deer alive that will stop a 240 SWC at 1000 fps.

Bill

[Moonie]

My son has one of those 5 shot Taurus 44magnum revolvers, not the titanium, but it has a 2 1/2" barrel. Factory loads freaking HURT, even with the porting in the end of that stubby little tube. Trying to get him talked into getting the dies and a mold, I have everything else.

[MtGun44]

I think you will be repeating what Nonte did 30 yrs ago when the Charter Bulldog came out -
recoil limited reloading. The gun may take it, but YOU won't.

Again - the moderate loads will kill a deer dead as a hammer at 50 yds and not break your
hand. I have a S&W 329 and with full power loads it is BRUTAL. It's only purpose in life
is to accompany me in griz country when back packing, with enough load development and
training shooting to give me certainty that I could use it effectively. NOT a fun gun. I have
steel guns for fun.

Bill