.44 Mag or the .45?

Question

Which of these is more powerful?

Answer 1

The .44 Mag. Sure the .45 is a larger caliber than the .44, but the difference is the Mag. The Magnum is a larger casing and carries more charge. More charge means more energy which translates into more powerful.

Answer 2

In there original loadings the 44 mag is much more power full. that is because the 45 Colt ( i assume this is what you meant) was designed during the black powder cartridge era. It used fairly weak balloon head cases. The 44 was designed in the 50s and operated at much higher pressures giving it more power. Custom revolvers are now built (check out Linebaugh) coupled with modern brass that let the 45 Colt overshadow the 44 magnum at lower operating pressures. Go to Cor-Bon.com. Barrel length and the term Magnum have nothing to do with any thing. The 458 Lott is more powerful than the 458 Win Mag and you can get a 44 mag with a 2" barrel if you so desire.

The Ruger and Freedom arms revolvers and modern single shot pistols like the Contender as well as rifles chambered in 45 Colt are much stronger than the old Colt or Colt clone revolvers and others made or designed in the 1800s. Cor-Bon Loads a 300gr 45 at 1300fps and a 300gr 44 Mag at 1250 fps. Like i said go to http://www.dustinlinebaugh.com and look at there conversions. The new Rugers have much thicker cylinder walls and if you get the five shot conversion the chambers are much tighter allowing better ballistics. Modern 45 brass is no longer balloon head an case walls are thicker. The 45 Colt will out perform the 44 Mag. Just read any thing written by Elmer Kieth, the father of the 44 and 41 magnums.http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm

Answer 3

The 45 ACP isn't quite up to 45 Colt standards, and sane handloads even in a Ruger for the 45 Colt, a lot stiffer than normal loads, can't quite reach 44 mag levels, but the hole is .02" bigger, and that may count for something. On the other hand, the differences between calibers is less than the difference in bullet selection in a particular caliber, and I promise you a 300 grain bullet pushed from either revolver will put an impressive hole in a feral hog. These power levels are past those you want for defense because of overpenetration. Toned-down loads with lighter bullets are a better choice in that situation.

Answer 4

44 mag. measured against a 45acp, 44 mag is more powerful, against a 45 colt factory round, again 44 mag, HOWEVER if you reload for a ruger or t/c they are equals. Against a 454, the 454 wins, agains the 460 the 460 wins against the 45-70 the 45-70 wins etc....

Answer 5

You did not specify .45 ACP or .45 long colt cartridge. In either case the .44 mag should be more powerful although again the projectile will matter i.e. a .44 mag full metal jacket will make a small peep hole completely through a target while a .45 ACP with a 240 grain hollow point will shred and make a very nasty hole. Did you see John Travolta in the movie phenomenon? You GOTTA be more specific!

Answer 6

Um, .45 . . . what? .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum .454 Casull?

Though, in any case, the .44 Magnum (250 grain bullet @ 1250 ft/sec in standard Winchester factory offering) is more powerful than the .45 ACP (230 grain bullet @ 880 ft/sec,) the .45 Winchester Magnum (260 grain bullet @ 1200 ft/sec) and standard-pressure .45 Colt (255 grain @ 860 ft/sec.)

It is not, however, more powerful than the .454 Casull, which uses the same .451" and .452" bullets the .45 ACP does (260 grain bullet @ 1800 ft/sec.) And the .45 Colt will, in Ruger, Freedom Arms, and T/C Contender pistols, do everything the .44 Magnum will do using 4000 to 5000 PSI less pressure and a shorter barrel.

Answer 7

For comparison, the 44 magnum bullet diameter is .430" and the 45 is .451". The 44 magnum can shoot a 240 grain bullet up to 1400 feet per second. The 45 ACP can shoot a 230 grain bullet up to 850 feet per second. The 45 Long Colt and shoot a 250 grain bullet up to 1000 feet per second. These are the safe maximums for reloading ammunition for use in the firearms designed for these cartridges.

Answer 8

there are several cartridges that fire a .45 caliber bullet.
.45 ACP
.45GAP
.45 colt
by power, do you mean terminal ballistics, force imparted to the target, or velocity? there are also differences in the loads and bullet characteristics in .45ACP. look at the individual loads. each manufacturer offers several different flavors of whatever cartridges they manufacture
.44 magnum is a specific standard of cartridge dimension, but there are different powder and bullet size load variants within that standard. again, look up the data on each type of load.

generally, i would assume that .44 magnum is a more powerful round, as that is usually used in large revolvers and carbines. that said, comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. The .45 caliber cartridges are normally used in autopistols(pistols which have a magazine) while the .44mag is generally used in revolvers and rifles.

Answer 9

You are comparing apples and oranges. Assuming you are asking about the .45 acp, that is a defensive cartridge only suitable for two-legged predators; the .44 Magnum is a sporting round suitable for backup or taking any of North America's four-legged predators.

The .45 acp is NOT a hunting round. The .45 Long Colt is. The two will not interchange except in revolvers with interchangeable cylinders. The acp STILL IS NOT A HUNTING ROUND.

H

Answer 10

.44 Magnum because of the higher muzzle energy. the .44 Magnum has 800-900 foot pounds of muzzle energy whereas the .45 Colt/Auto calibers have between 300-400 foot pounds of muzzle energy, in which case they depend on the size and mass of their bullet for their stopping power. Hope this helps.