45 Long Colt

[Casper29]

It seems that the cartridge for the 45LC and the 44 magnum are identical, so here lies the question, you can shoot 44 special in a 44 magnum, just as you can shoot 38 special in a 357 magnum, so if you could use 45 magnum brass in you 45 LC could you use 44 special to work up loads also??? just thinking about other posabillitys other then the norm.

[subsonic]

No.... 45lc and 44 magnum are very different. Keep them in the guns they belong in. And don't shoot .44spl in your .45 colt either.

[beagle]

The cartridges for the .45 Long Colt and .44 Magnum are not identical!!!!!! Check the drawing in the loading manual.

Seems to me you're proposing to use .44 Special cases to work up loads in a .45 Long Colt. Don't do it. At best you'll end up with split and deformed cases and maybe an injury or ruined gun or both and no possibility of any accuracy.

Stick o the right case for the caliber the gun is chambered for./beagle

[ReloaderFred]

They aren't the same size at all. The .44 Magnum case has a nominal diameter of .457", while the .45 Colt has a nominal diameter of .480". If you try to shoot either .44 Special or .44 Magnum in a .45 Colt chamber, the case will likely split and allow gas to escape to the rear.

In other words, you'll put your eye out........

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Casper29]

Thanks for your replys I was looking at the SAAMI specs and it listed the lenght of both as 1.285 and the width of both as .456 and the rim of both as.060 but Fred is right the diameter is different.

Thanks again to all.

Jerry

[btroj]

Wow. Reread your loading manual. this kind of confusion can get you hurt.

Other than length the 45 Colt is much larger. Much, much larger.

[Phillip]

For the 45 colt, you have the 45 Schofield or the 45 Smith & Wesson as some will call it, and in some cases you even have the 45 auto rim if your cylinder has the spacing for the thicker rim.

[TCLouis]

Reading both halfs of your post you use both 44 Mag and 45 Mag.

If your question was truly as it is in the second half of your post , I would not do it.

VERY likely the SAMMI specs for pressure in the mag far exceed the LC even if case diameter is the same. I have to admit to laziness and am not willing to go get a manual to compare the diameter of those cartridges.

Depending on the make of your 45 LC gun, it is likely able to get to decent performance without hot rodding it. If not go to a new gun as metal strength/pressures may only allow one excursion and with bad results at that.

[David2011]

A sized .44 Mag case will fit inside a fired .45 Colt case. If your .45 Colt isn't a Ruger or Contender, just stick with standard loads. If it is a Ruger or Contender, you can get plenty of power out of a standard .45 Colt case. Some reloading manuals have a section for the Ruger and Contender only. Proceed carefully and think very hard about pushing a cartridge to its limits, please.

What Fred said. . .

David

[BWelch47]

It seems that the cartridge for the 45LC and the 44 magnum are identical, so here lies the question, you can shoot 44 special in a 44 magnum, just as you can shoot 38 special in a 357 magnum, so if you could use 45 magnum brass in you 45 LC could you use 44 special to work up loads also??? just thinking about other posabillitys other then the norm.

????????

[44man]

????????
ME TOO! I knew the difference from case to case when I was 12.
This stuff gets scary.

[JohnnyFlake]

It seems that the cartridge for the 45LC and the 44 magnum are identical, so here lies the question, you can shoot 44 special in a 44 magnum, just as you can shoot 38 special in a 357 magnum, so if you could use 45 magnum brass in you 45 LC could you use 44 special to work up loads also??? just thinking about other posabillitys other then the norm.

There is no such thing as a .45 magnum! There is only one casing for a .45 Colt or Long Colt as some people prefer to call it. There is a .454 Casull round that has sometimes been referred to, in error, as a .45 Magnum. That is an error! The .454 casing is about 1/10" longer than the .45 Colt casing. There has been a lot of confusion for some people, because, like the .38spl/.357mag and the .44spl/.44mag, the .45 colt round can be fired in a gun chambered for .454 Casull but not the reverse.

[Longwood]

????????

Me too.
I read it about four times and still don't get it.

[1Elkhunter]

Should be fine... just be sure to wear safety goggles, ear potection, heavy leather shooting gloves... and pray... oh, and make sure your life insurance policy is current... but besides that...

PS- just kidding... DO NOT EVER shoot .429 (also known as a .44) mag in a .45 Colt... that could have disastrous consequences!

[aarolar]

Where does this stuff come from? How would anyone think 44 is the same as 45 their two completely different numbers even my wife knows better and she's never seen a 44 or 45.

[ReloaderFred]

"There is no such thing as a .45 magnum!"

Actually, there is a .45 Magnum. It's called the .45 Winchester Magnum, and has been around for quite awhile. At one time, North American Arms chambered a huge revolver for it, along with the .45 NA, which was their propriatary round.. It was a limited run, with only 260 made, and I had one. It also had an optional extra cylinder that was chambered for the .45 Colt and .454 Casull.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[303Guy]

I was wondering what a 45 Long Colt was. There was a 38 Long Colt. OK, so it's actually the 45 Colt that's being referred to. 45 Long Colt is indeed a correct name for the cartridge it seems.

The Bond Arms FAQ provides an answer:

Is the .45 Colt the same as the .45 Long Colt?

Yes. The .45 Colt is exactly the same round as the .45 Long Colt. The .45 Long Colt name was required in the late 1800's to differentiate between the .45 Colt and the shorter .45 Schofield. With the passing of the .45 Schofield as a popular round, the name .45 Colt is now the most accepted name for this cartridge. [5]

[TheDoctor]

The. 45 Winchester Magnum is a rimless case, kind of like a stretched out .45 ACP with thicker walls. Is/was a popular chambering in the Wildey and LAR Grizzley.

[JohnnyFlake]

"There is no such thing as a .45 magnum!"

Actually, there is a .45 Magnum. It's called the .45 Winchester Magnum, and has been around for quite awhile. At one time, North American Arms chambered a huge revolver for it, along with the .45 NA, which was their proprietary round.. It was a limited run, with only 260 made, and I had one. It also had an optional extra cylinder that was chambered for the .45 Colt and .454 Casull.

Hope this helps.

Fred

Yes, there was a .45 Winchester Magnum, but it was not a true revolver cartridge. The .45 Winchester Magnum was simply a .45acp with an extended case. It was a semi-auto pistol cartridge (Rimless). Therefore, it does not fall into the same class as the .44 Spl/Mag or the .45 Colt, etc.

[waynem34]

Its always good to talk things over with people here, they wont stir you wrong.Keep reading and becareful.

[ReloaderFred]

The only firearm I ever owned that was chambered for the .45 Winchester Magnum was a revolver. A really big revolver, but a revolver nonetheless. I also now own several revolvers that are chambered for 9x19, and have fired revolvers that were chambered for .38 Super and 9x23 Winchester, so just to be clear, there are no absolutes, especially when it comes to handguns.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Rick R]

One gun I intend to purchase is a Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt. There is a smith who will cut the cylinder to allow moon clipped .45acp rounds to function and still retain the abillity to use the grand old Colt round. Considering the strength of the Redhawk I'll probably get some .45 Magnum brass, load it to approximate warm .45 loads and feel comfortably well armed for hunting Buicks.

But no .44 ammo allowed. :)

[JohnnyFlake]

The only firearm I ever owned that was chambered for the .45 Winchester Magnum was a revolver. A really big revolver, but a revolver nonetheless. I also now own several revolvers that are chambered for 9x19, and have fired revolvers that were chambered for .38 Super and 9x23 Winchester, so just to be clear, there are no absolutes, especially when it comes to handguns.

Hope this helps.

Fred

Fred,

Your point is noted, however, it does not change the fact that the .45 Winchester Magnum Cartridge was not designed for revolvers. It was designed for semi-auto handguns. It is a rimless cartridge and therefore not a true revolver cartridge. In the above instances that you mention, the cartridges were all originally designed for semi-auto handguns. The guns/revolvers you mention where later specifically designed for those cartridges, using some form of full moon or half moon clips, etc.

[ReloaderFred]

True, but none of my revolvers use moon clips, with the sole exception of my Smith & Wesson Model 610 revolver, in 10mm. All the others shoot the pistol rounds without clips. The cylinders are cut for the pistol rounds the same as a pistol chamber is and use the standard ejector rod to knock them out.

Again, there are no absolutes.

I'm done.

Fred

[JohnnyFlake]

True, but none of my revolvers use moon clips, with the sole exception of my Smith & Wesson Model 610 revolver, in 10mm. All the others shoot the pistol rounds without clips. The cylinders are cut for the pistol rounds the same as a pistol chamber is and use the standard ejector rod to knock them out.

Again, there are no absolutes.

I'm done.

Fred

LOL! Okay Fred, I'll go along with your comment of "There are no Absolutes"

I do understand where your coming from and I believe we have both made valid points!

I love this forum!

Johnny

[harvester]

Please do lots more reading before wildcatting.

[Mohillbilly]

I have a Freedon Arms Model 83 with 4 cylinders , factory chambered in 454 ,45 Colt , 45ACP , and 45 Winmag.

[linotype]

The cartridges for the .45 Long Colt and .44 Magnum are not identical!!!!!! Check the drawing in the loading manual.

Seems to me you're proposing to use .44 Special cases to work up loads in a .45 Long Colt. Don't do it. At best you'll end up with split and deformed cases and maybe an injury or ruined gun or both and no possibility of any accuracy.

Stick o the right case for the caliber the gun is chambered for./beagle

Good advice all around, proper cartridge in the proper firearm.
I own both .45 Colt and .44 Magnum. I load SWC in the .44 and Round Nose or Round Nose Flat in the .45, just so I don't make a foolish mistake.