If you could only have one .45 revolver.........

[trentvb]

I've decided my next gun purchase will be a revolver(my first and probably only) and I have started saving up for it. In the meantime, i'm doing my research.

Here are some of my parameters: Early on I got it in my head that I wanted something in .45 since I don't own any calibers larger than my .357 single shot pistol. I enjoy casting and loading as much as shooting, so, adding another caliber is a plus, bonus points if it is a bit of an oddball. I've looked at blackhawks, but, didn't like the grip much. I could get over the single action and the single cartridge loading/unloading, but, I really don't like the grip. I will mostly be shooting targets at the range, so, anything that is punishing to shoot is out. (From my reading, that means anything larger than 44mag). I shoot my compact 9mm very well, but, beside wanting a wheelgun for wheelgun sake, better accuracy would be a plus. The used market is almost non-existent in my area. I have a couple local shops that have reasonable prices within 10 minutes of my house, but, they don't really have much for used. A couple bigger stores that have hit and miss used are an hour or more away.

Having said that, I've narrowed my search down to three revolvers:

Ruger Bisley Convertible in Stainless: http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/0472.html

Pros:

45 acp + 45LC
more comfortable grip handle(unconfirmed since I haven't handled one in the wild)
probably won't sacrifice 45 acp accuracy since it has a separate cylinder

Cons:

Small dings for single action and single loading.
Williams Shooters Supply exclusive, haven't verified I can get it from my local guys.



Smith & Wesson 625 JM https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-625-jm

Pros:

Should be accurate in .45 acp since that is all it shoots.
Moonclips are plentiful and reasonably priced
Double action

Cons:

Just one caliber added to my roster, although, I've taking a liking to .45 acp
the grip isn't very nice looking, but, a hogue can be bought for around $25



Ruger Redhawk 45auto/45LC : http://www.ruger.com/products/redhawk/specSheets/5032.html
Pros:

45 acp + 45LC
Double action
Don't have to swap cylinders to swap calibers

Cons:

Proprietary moonclips that aren't as reasonably priced
Some reports of .45 acp being less accurate than 45LC
Not sure if I like the grip or not, could easily be replaced.


All three firearms are beautiful and priced similarly around $800 from my research. At this cost, it would easily be the most expensive firearm in my collection and I would have a hard time going above that. My question is twofold: 1.) Am I missing another option out there, say, something in .41 mag that can tick some boxes I don't even know I have. 2.) Are any of my suspicions (.45acp out of the redhawk being less accurate) either confirmed or false.

Thanks all.

[Outpost75]

All three on your list are good choices.

Of the current production revolvers out there, the one I use most is the Ruger Blackhawk convertible .45 Colt/.45 ACP.

However, if your karma shines upon you and funds permit, there are some classic older guns you should hop on like a duck on a Junebug should one come your way, these are:

Ruger Old Army cap & ball .45, then get either .45 Colt or .45 ACP conversion cylinder from Walt Kirst. The .45 ACP cylinder also will work well with .455 Webley and .455 Eley

Colt New Service M1909 .45 Colt

Colt New Service M1917 .45 ACP

S&W .45 Hand Ejector M1917 .45 ACP

S&W Model .45 Hand Ejector Model 1950 Military

S&W Model .45 Hand Ejector Model 1955 Target

[94Doug]

I have the first two. I would say the Blackhawk wins for versatility, as you have such a variety of loads to shoot. Think about it, how many different 45 acp loads alone, plus the 45 Colts....which can be loaded anything from 45 ACP levels up to heavy bear loads, even shot loads.

[trentvb]

I have the first two. I would say the Blackhawk wins for versatility, as you have such a variety of loads to shoot. Think about it, how many different 45 acp loads alone, plus the 45 Colts....which can be loaded anything from 45 ACP levels up to heavy bear loads, even shot loads.

So if you could only keep one it would be the Blackhawk?


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[w5pv]

My thought jumps to a revolver in the 460 remmy mag.I think that any cal with 45 could be shot in it.

[Char-Gar]

Like others, I have multiple revolvers in both 45 Colt and 45 ACP (Colt, Smith and Wesson and Ruger) and like them all. But, if I could only have one, which was your question, it would be the Ruger Blackhawk and the 45 ACP extra cylinder would be icing on the cake.

These are well made, accurate, brute strong and long lived. Figure on sending the cylinder/cylinders to DougGuy for uniforming to .4525 if you are shooting cast bullets and want the best possible accuracy.

I have a stainless Blackhawk worked over by Gary Reeder and one of the new Lipsey's 45 Flattop convertibles. I could live quite well with either of these fine pistols.

[trentvb]

Like others, I have multiple revolvers in both 45 Colt and 45 ACP (Colt, Smith and Wesson and Ruger) and like them all. But, if I could only have one, which was your question it would be the Ruger Blackhawk and the 45 ACP extra cylinder would be icing on the cake.

These are well made, accurate, brute strong and long lived. Figure on sending the cylinder/cylinders to DougGuy for uniforming to .4525 if you are shooting cast bullets and want the best possible accuracy.

I have a stainless Blackhawk worked over by Gary Reeder and one of the new Lipsey's 45 Flattop convertibles. I could live quite well with either of these fine pistols.

Thanks for the info. They both look sharp.


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[sixshot]

If you can only get one, the Ruger 45 Bisley would be my choice. Have a good gunsmith do a quality trigger job, possibly narrow the front sight to 1/10" & you will be a happy man. The extra cylinder gives you a second gun for the price of a cylinder. Can't miss.

Dick

[Artful]

I have S&W in both 45 colt and 1955 target in 45 ACP and Ruger convertable and the convertable gets used the most of the revolvers.

One other thing to throw at ya - I also have a Thompson Center Contender with 45 barrel well and lots of other barrels. Just saying if you don't want a revolver

[CHeatermk3]

+1 on the Blackhawk convertable--I have one of the convertable Redhawks and I like the round-butt handle but the one-cylinder-two calibers does not work for me. The shorter acp rounds are less accurate than the 45 colt.

Both will be getting the holes uniformed as they both exhibit three pair of sizes with 3 POI at 15 yds.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Yup...BH Convertible makes the most sense if you can only have one, or as the first of more to come. :D

[scattershot]

Duplicate post.

[scattershot]

Never shot one, but the Redhawk seems like more of a gimmick than a practical firearm. The Smith is a beautiful revolver, for sure, but of the ones you mention I'd go with the Bisley convertible. See if you can find one to fondle, though, just to see if you like the grip.

good luck!

[Driver33]

Bisley convertible would be my choice hands down

[white eagle]

If you could only have one .45 revolver.........not to be a smart but however my 45 would be a 44mag
way easier for me to get to shoot
maybe if Ruger would get their 45's in order so you didn't have
to send them here or there to fix them it would be a 45

[Bigslug]

I've got the Redhawk on your list. Like it a lot. Basically, it's a duty-size, duty-weight revolver, with the obvious difference being the large .45 caliber holes instead of the more common .358's. It'll carry about as well as a GP-100 or L-frame, but it gives you the fat-n-heavy option.

Can't say I've truly wrung it out for accuracy with ACP's, but can say that it isn't lacking in that department. Good as any auto for casual plinking. The main pain in the butt is scrubbing out the chambers after shooting ACP's. Brownell's claims to have bore brushes for the .475 Linebaugh/.480 Ruger that would probably work great for this - haven't got around to ordering them yet.

Nice thing about a Redhawk in a light-ish gun like this - you'll run out of tolerance for recoil before the gun starts having a problem with your loads. Start with cowboy loads, work up till they hurt, dial down a skosh, DONE!

[C. Latch]

If I wanted one revolver to suit me out of the box, it would be a S&W 629. Yes, that's a .44, not a .45. Nothing you should will ever know the difference.

If I wanted something to tinker with, and enjoyed the process, I'd get another Bisley Blackhawk .45. No need for the ACP cylinder.

[NC_JEFF]

I chose an early model Vaquero on a SBH frame. I shoot target loads almost exclusively but if I wanted to up the pressure this gun can easily handle it and it still meets standards if I wanted to shoot it in sass matches.
All that being said, I shoot my SBH 44 magnum much more than the Vaquero so the Vaquero will be sold and the money put toward another rifle I'm looking at. PM me if you are interested in the Vaquero.

[Wayne Smith]

I only have one .45 revolver and am satisfied with it - Smith and Wesson Model 3 2000. 45S&W. Good luck finding one!

[bullseye67]

Good evening,
I have a 45 Colt Ruger RedHawk, 4 inch, SS, and a Ruger BlackHawk 5.5" Blued and a Vaquero 4+5/8", Blued. They all shoot good. The RedHawk is my "go to" clean up is a breeze. Shoots cast really good. I can load up or down for anything I might run into. All round fun and accurate revolver. I did put a shim and spring kit in it. Remember the old saying...9mm might expand to 45cal, the 45' starts out there!
Now, I will have to take that revolver with me this week and use it for our 30 shot short NRA round.....makes 8's into 10's :drinks:

[Thumbcocker]

625 model of 1989

[94Doug]

....Yes, I would go with the Blackhawk.

[USSR]

4 inch Smith and Wesson 25-5. Mines got correct throats and is a dream to shoot.

Don
191751

[DougGuy]

Blackhawk convertible. You can send a convertible back to Ruger and get a cylinder replaced, so send it back in with the 45 Colt cylinder as the only cylinder, ask them to fit a replacement 45 ACP cylinder to the gun, when you get it back you can convert one of the 45 ACP cylinders to 45 Schofield and now you got 3 calibers in the same gun!!

[jimb16]

Another BlackHawk here. Its not my only .45 colt revolver, but its the last one that I would part with,

[trentvb]

Blackhawk convertible. You can send a convertible back to Ruger and get a cylinder replaced, so send it back in with the 45 Colt cylinder as the only cylinder, ask them to fit a replacement 45 ACP cylinder to the gun, when you get it back you can convert one of the 45 ACP cylinders to 45 Schofield and now you got 3 calibers in the same gun!!

Can you shoot 45 Schofield out of the 45 colt cylinder?


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[lar45]

The 5.5" SS Bisley is a great gun.
If your LGS can't get one, just head over to Gun Broker and get one transferred in.

[DougGuy]

Can you shoot 45 Schofield out of the 45 colt cylinder?


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If you want accuracy to suffer from firing it in a cylinder with unsupported freebore like using 38 special in a 357 cylinder you could.

The OP's topic says "If you could only have one revolver" but it didn't say it was limited to the number of cylinders it could have! :bigsmyl2:

[pworley1]

Of the current models you mentioned I would vote for the Ruger combination. I have no complaints about mine, but as others have mentioned the M1917 is a great choice for the 45 acp. I like the S&W version just fine, but I like the Colt just a little better.

[ktw]

Based on your description of intended use, I would focus on the 45 ACP capability over and above the ability to shoot other cartridges. I have owned several of the the dual cylinder, single action 45s and find that for an enjoyable the day at the range 45 ACP suits the bill better than 45 Colt or one of the other, more exotic, 45 cartridges. My dual cylinder guns end up running almost exclusively in ACP mode.

I would go with a 625JM unless you had a real hankering for a single action.

-ktw

[Harter66]

I bought a 45 Colts BlackHawk shopped around scored a 45 ACP cylinder and it came up .004 short ....... Everything timed right just ,thaaat much short . Not the worst $75 I ever spent . Last spring I gave $20 for another that was too long by about the depth of machine marks and bluing . Timing is dead on , maybe better than the Colts cylinder that came in it . I've made arrangements to have the first ACP cylinder cut for Schofield .

That said , I got the itch for a Colts in a double action after a 1917 S&W fell in my lap . The 5.5" above is too nice an untouched example to ream and mess up . The 3" below has been hacked a lot . As long as we have the Schofield reamer may as well do 12 as 6 .

191785

If I could only have 1 of the 3 ? The BlackHawk no doubt about it .

[Iron Whittler]

How about the Ruger super redhawk in 454 casull. shoot 45 colt for mild recoil. Shoot 454mild loads for plinking and practice or stoke em up for hunting and other "serious" work. Tank strong and more accurate than I am. Scope mounts made in to top for ease of scope mounting. Comfortable for me to shoot with light loads, manageable with full power loads.:Fire:

[RKJ]

4 inch Smith and Wesson 25-5. Mines got correct throats and is a dream to shoot.

Don
191751

I've got a 4" 25-7 MG and I agree. I've got a 44 and 2 357's, but if I could only have one it would be that 25.

[sixshot]

I also have a model 25 mountain gun with the 4" barrel in 45 Colt, I've had the cylinder cut for moon clips so I can shoot 45 ACP's and it shoots them very well. But in your case I would still go with the Bisley because you could buy 2 of them for the price of one of the S&W mountain guns.

[boatswainsmate]

I would go with the Bisley convertible if you want the most bang for your buck. But I love a good Smith & Wesson. Here is my Bisley and 625-8 converted to 45 Colt.
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn271/ericlee1971/DSCN2760_zpsguhlx87a.jpg (http://s306.photobucket.com/user/ericlee1971/media/DSCN2760_zpsguhlx87a.jpg.html)
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn271/ericlee1971/d7b0a5e6-655d-4ce3-ae42-ea4ba79d9908_zpsngi4d8zb.jpg (http://s306.photobucket.com/user/ericlee1971/media/d7b0a5e6-655d-4ce3-ae42-ea4ba79d9908_zpsngi4d8zb.jpg.html)

[Wheelgun]

While there're all great, and all have their own place, for versatility I vote the Redhawk.

I've had a Blackhawk, but really prefer fixed sights on a revolver, especially a single action, so it went down the road. I have a S&W Model of 1950 and the new version 22-4, both excellent and will not leave as long as I'm breathing.

I also have the Redhawk, only a couple complaints with it, it has adjustable sights, had to have the cylinder throats done by DougGuy, and for me, some of the 45colt loads that are ok/comfortable in my Vaquero, are just plain painfull in the Redhawk.

BUT, pros are that I shoot 45 Schofield, 45Colt and in MoonClips I shoot 45acp, 45 Super and 45 Win Mag brass (loaded to Schofield range) in mine. They all shoot well and have shown acceptable accuracy for me. It's fun to shoot and not incredibly heavy. In a good holster it packs well.

It still come down to what your personal preferance is. I like fixed sights best so I carry my S&W 22-4, or my 3" Vaquero 45acp most often.

[Josh Smith]

I would love to have an S&W M1917.

It would compliment my love of Government models.

The Model 25 is a close second.

Josh

[Groo]

Groo here
I would get a S&W m-25/325/625 45acp.
The guns are accurate, will shoot any 45acp, can shoot auto-rim [for heavy loads] and can shoot 45 super.
The only thing the 45 colt has over the 45 acp is heavy bullets in larger frame guns [ruger Blackhawk,Redhawk etc] but they kick.
I have the colt and acp and find the acp to be more accurate,

[Snyd]

Ruger midframe Blackhawk convertible unless you have a want/need to shoot Ruger Only loads. Then get the Bisley standard Blackhawk.

Then there is always the Freedom Arms 97 in 45 Colt w/45auto cylinder if you must.

[MT Gianni]

Dan Wesson pistol pack 45. I have seen one and it was not for sale. I will buy the next one I see.

[375supermag]

Hi...

I hope I never have to choose only one.
There are at least a half-dozen .45Colt revolvers around here along with a S&W M1917 in .45ACP( I shoot .45AutoRim in it exclusively) and I have no interest in getting rid of any of them.

No idea which is my favorite...that usually depends on which one I am shooting at the time, but I would be hard-pressed to give up my S&W M25.

[Ickisrulz]

I vote for the mid-sized Lipsey Blackhawk Convertable. Like others, I use the 45 ACP cylinder more than the other one.

[trentvb]

Original Poster here:
First of all, thanks for all the responses. I have to admit, I was getting kind of gung ho about getting a bisley blackhawk, especially when I noticed that it could be had for $50 to $100 less than the other two. I even started looking for dies for 45 colt. This raised a few more questions.

I'm finding it really hard to "fall in love" with 45 colt surrounding the issue of bullet diameter. SAAMI lists the "ok" window from .450 - .456. From my research it seems the old standard was .454 bullets. However, if one were to shoot j-words, you have the choice of .451 or .452. Some posts here claim that the newer dies shrink the cases too much, probably to account for the .451-.452 bullets. Since i'd probably only shoot cast, I could tune that as I see fit, but, it seems the best dies to accommodate that would be the RCBS cowboy dies....purchasing those, however, would negate any price difference in the revolver itself. It also raises the question as to what diameter the blackhawk's barrels are to accommodate .451-.454 (maybe even .456) bullets. Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill here?

I think that i've ruled out the Redhawk, since, if I was going to shoot 45 colt, it would be for added velocity and knockdown power. Since the Redhawk gets painful with full house loads, and has reported diminished accuracy in 45 acp, I'm gonna take it off the list.......even though I think it is very purty.

I think I need to make up my mind between double action and single action. That may be the tipping point for me.

Thanks again everyone.

[lar45]

You could always look at the BFR in 454. The 454 has much tighter tolerances so you won't have to worry about what size throats and barrel you might get with a 45 Colt. The BFR's are crazy accurate and probably the strongest single action on the planet.

[trentvb]

You could always look at the BFR in 454. The 454 has much tighter tolerances so you won't have to worry about what size throats and barrel you might get with a 45 Colt. The BFR's are crazy accurate and probably the strongest single action on the planet.

Nice, I was unaware that even existed.

[CraigOK]

I have.the Blackhawk convertible, and love it. Need to send my cylinders off to be worked over as it leads up bad with the acp one. J word bullets shoot well. 45 colt can be loaded light though so it might be easier to just go big. Good luck

[lar45]

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/633793141
Here's one on GunBroker for $825
They are bigger and heavier than a Ruger, some say that's a plus, others say it's a minus.
I have several(500 S&W, 500 JRH, 475 Linebaugh, 45-70, 45 Colt/454/410 ) and really like them. For the big bores, the extra weight also helps to tame the heavy recoil.

[Harter66]

1st point .
Unless you are going to include a pre 1914 SAA the bbl will be .450-4525 . I have 2 1917 Smiths ,worked a 1917 Colts and a BlackHawk 1976 the 4 will all but share the bbl slug . Probably would if it could get the alignment happening . Throats are the hangup the Colts was close enough to not sweat sizing using the bullets cast and sized for the Ruger . The ACP cylinder is very even at .4535-0+.0007 . The Smiths need .452s or no exposed top band .
Now those are 4 pistols spread over 3 makers 3 of which were 1918-9 war production and the 4th made 59 yrs later in the 200th year of American freedom . So says the top of the bbl . The only .450 groove I've seen is a Rossi 92' and it runs .451-2-4 like candy through a kids hand . The ROA takes a 456 conical and a 458 RB but it's BP and a whole other snake bucket .

I was sold on a RedHawk until it was noted that it needed a proprietary moon clip ........ That took the wind right out of the sails and me back to look for almost anything else . I got a chopped but serviceable 1918 production 1917 for $300 and a little elbow grease I will very soon have a very sweet double action Schofield compatible with $35/100 moon clips for ACP .
Who doesn't love a Triple Lock Smith ? That doesn't mean it's be easy to choose 2 to let go of if I could only keep 1 .

If.you go 45 Colts there are at least 5 choices of carbine makers because you will want a rifle to go with it .

[lar45]

I really like the 45 Colt, but could not decide on just one.
http://www.lsstuff.com/pics/guns/45colts.jpg

[Bigslug]

I'm finding it really hard to "fall in love" with 45 colt surrounding the issue of bullet diameter. SAAMI lists the "ok" window from .450 - .456. From my research it seems the old standard was .454 bullets. However, if one were to shoot j-words, you have the choice of .451 or .452. Some posts here claim that the newer dies shrink the cases too much, probably to account for the .451-.452 bullets. Since i'd probably only shoot cast, I could tune that as I see fit, but, it seems the best dies to accommodate that would be the RCBS cowboy dies....purchasing those, however, would negate any price difference in the revolver itself. It also raises the question as to what diameter the blackhawk's barrels are to accommodate .451-.454 (maybe even .456) bullets. Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill here?

The cylinder throats on the Redhawk are ACP freindly. Probably most modern .45 revolvers as well, due to the two major jacketed diameters are .451/.452 (handguns) and .458 (rifles).


I think that i've ruled out the Redhawk, since, if I was going to shoot 45 colt, it would be for added velocity and knockdown power. Since the Redhawk gets painful with full house loads, and has reported diminished accuracy in 45 acp, I'm gonna take it off the list.......even though I think it is very purty.

It's not a complicated problem with .45 Colt - just because you CAN load that Redhawk up to nearly .454 Casull levels, doesn't mean you HAVE TO. The nice thing is that you can swap out velocity for mass, launching hard alloy 270-300 grain bullets that will provide exit wounds on elk, but not really be any harder to shoot than a compact 1911. Remember that the classic, pokey "cowboy" load of 255 grains at "only" 900-950 fps for a .45 Colt was intended to kill horses in addition to men.


I think I need to make up my mind between double action and single action. That may be the tipping point for me.


Personally, I find moon clips to be a PITA - even the proprietary ones for my Redhawk with the relief cuts. Even if you have ones that are easy to load and unload without tools (as the Ruger ones are), you have to keep track of them. I didn't buy the gun to shoot ACP through it, and it's a PITA to clean out the crud at the front of the long chambers after shooting them - at least until I order some .475 Linebaugh brushes from Brownells. Still, it's a handy option as the gun is more than passably accurate with them and I have access to A LOT of ACP.

My major thought on the matter - if all you're gonna shoot is .45 ACP, why even bother with a revolver, ESPECIALLY a dedicated one that can't fire anything else? Yes, it can be a handy way to dispose of your reloading errors that don't feed in autos, but a gun that FORCES moon clips upon you just isn't worth the hassle, IMO. .38 Special /.357 Mag, .44 Special/Mag, .45 Colt - all rimmed and much handier to deal with in the DA revolver platform.

The exploits of Wyatt Earp notwithstanding, the DA guns are more efficient as fighting tools, both from the viewpoint of not needing to alter grip between shots to cock a hammer and for reloads. An SAO Blackhawk convertible would have good utility for disposal of the aforementioned crappy ACP reloads in that it does not require moon clips (you can even use a 1911 magazine as an impromptu speedloader), but ideally, I'd be shooting .45 Colt out of such a gun, and the ACP's out of autos.

[Harter66]

Big
I think in part we all agree that a dedicated revolver is less satisfying than a multi cartridge gun .

What could be more satisfying than a companion paired 1911 and 1928A1 done with the same reamer ?
In practical application a 454 Super RedHawk faced for moon clips and a 454 carbine paired . Why ? Because now you have the ability to shoot a rifle in 4 mainstream cartridges (3 from the mag ) and a revolver that will run those 4 and 5 more rimless cartridges.

Moon clips aren't really that big a hassle buy a thrift store/yard sale/broken pro shop steel golf club and in 10-15 min you have a handy demooner that holds 12 cases . 2 tall fat pill bottles hold 48 round of clipped ACP (of other rimless 45) . 100 moon clips from http://www.revolversupply.com is like $60 to the door and that's 600 rounds ready to go which would fit I believe​ in a 50 cal can . I have 20 odd in a 30 cal can and it's not even half way .
Another bonus is not chasing brass and if you do drop it all 6 are right there together you only have to bend once .

Auto Rim is a pain first it is all that fits the case holder , it's expensive , hard to find and really all it fits is S&W and Colts made or modified for moon clips . ;) Yes I do have a bunch of it .

A non collector shooter grade 1917 like the $300 chopped example I have is suitably strong to handle 45 Colts, Schofield, Cowboy , ACP ,GAP and with any sensible loads Rowland and probably mag being hand loaded mostly these days , holding it under 21,000 psi shouldn't be a problem .

It's about versitility .

The BlackHawk shines because it has or can be had with a cylinder for all 9 cartridges ,no rings to scrub . I believe also that A 92' could be fixed to manage the rimless cartridges as well .