.44 mag versus .45 Colt?

Question

I know the .44 mag is a very common round and can be found pretty much everywhere. But what about the .45 Colt? Also, is the a big difference in the velocity of each round? And which Ruger would you suggest? I'm leaning towards the Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag with the 10.5" barrel; either that one or the .45 colt with the 7.5" barrel?

Answer 1

Coach,

The young fellow is talking about the .45 Long Colt, not the .45 ACP, and he is asking about a hunting handgun, not a concealment or home defense weapon.

JD,

Unless things have changed since I moved away, Alabama permits any handgun .357 Magnum or larger with 4" barrel or longer.

OK Auburnfan,

The answer to your question depends on whether or not you reload, and which caliber you prefer.

If you handload, you can load the .45 LC to equal or surpass the power of the .44 RemMag and at lower pressures.

The only factory .45 LC that gets into .44 RemMag territory is Buffalo Bore's Heavy .45 LC+P load which throws a 325 gr. L.B.T.- L.F.N. (that stands for Lead Bullet Technology - Long Flat Nose bullet) at 1325 fps for a Muzzle Energy of 1267 ft. lbs.

On the .44 RemMag side, Garret Cartridge Company markets a 310 gr. SuperHardCast Hammerhead bullet at 1325 fps, for 1200 ft/lb of muzzle energy. And Buffalo Bore markets a .44 RemMag +P+ load which launches a 340 gr. LBT-LFN GC . ( same LBT- Long Flat Nose design with a Gas Check added) at 1478 fps with a Muzzle Energy of 1649 ft. lbs. (Check out the Buffalo Bore and Garret Cartridge Company websites. These magnum loads are not for just any handgun.)

So you see, with modern +P loads, the .45 LC is nobody's weaker sister.

Pick whichever revolver suits your fancy. But if you want my opinion, I'd go with a 5 1/2" or 7 1/2" .44 RemMag Super Blackhawk. Why? Because I cut my shooting teeth on Elmer Keith articles and I'm a diehard .44 Man. And I just don't like long barrels on handguns. In my opinion, a handgun with a barrel much longer than 6" needs a shoulderstock.

Have you read the articles on heavy .45 LC loads at www;leverguns.com yet? If not read them, along with John Taffin's article on the old .45 at http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt45lc.htm.

Doc

Answer 2

When speaking of the .45 your should always stipulate whether you mean the 'acp (Automatic-Colt-Pistol),' the 'Long Colt' or other. The Long Colt originally was a black powder round and the .44 Mag. is a relatively modern, smokeless powder magnum round. The .44 Magnum and the .45 Long Colt are both big bore hunting calibers available in revolver or carbine. They have similar cartridge capacity and unless you're handloading, the magnum will be a warmer, faster round when loaded with factory ammo (the .44 will be a faster, lighter, slimmer round; the .45 LC a slower, heavier, wider round). Both are good for up to deer-size game and both have taken Black bear and even Grizzly. The .44 will have the advantage especially with the 10.5" barrel, but the .45 Long Colt even with the 7.5" barrel is also a good hunter.

If you handload then it is a moot point as the .45 LC can be loaded to close to magnum velocities and it is a wider bore round. The .44 Mag. is a .429 diameter bullet and the .45 LC is actually a .454 diameter. Pick the one that works for you.

Best.

H

Answer 3

I've seen .45 LC cartridges fired in a Ruger Blackhawk, with a .45 LC cylinder, but that was just to demonstrate the strength of the Super Blackhawk. I don't think it would be wise to try that stunt with anything other than a standard velocity cast lead bullet and I'd not want to make a habit of it. As for shooting a .44 RemMag in a .45 LC cylinder, that would be an iffy proposition. To begin, the .44 RemMag has a smaller case diameter so it would not be properly centered in the chamber for the firing pin. If the firing pin did ignite the primer, the .023-.024" larger barrel diameter would permit lots of gas blowby resulting in a great velocity loss and abysmal accuracy. If you were shooting a cast bullet, it might swage up enough to fill the bore, but I'd not bet on it. If you want .44 RemMag power in a .45 LC, you will have to use Buffalo Bore ammunition, or handload your own. If you want to handload some magnum .45 LC ammo, I suggest you drop over to LeverGuns.Com and read some of the articles by Jim Taylor, Paco Kelly, and John Taffin. These guys are .45 Fanatics and they've been experimenting with the caliber for 40 years and more. They have some loads that tread mighty near to .454 Casull levels, and are safe in Super Blackhawks. You can scope a Super Blackhawk, but as Lee Jurras, the Father of Modern High Velocity Handgun Ammunition, and a recipient of the OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HANDGUNNER AWARD, says: SCOPES DON'T BELONG ON SIXGUNS! Doc

Answer 4

There is a huge differance between the two. Like a chevy geo and a corvette. I would go with the 44 mag in the super redhawk because its a double action. The 45 colt is a fine round but its limited in use.

Answer 5

In terms of power and velocity , the .44 mag and the .45 Colt is like the difference between night and day.

Answer 6

why not the ruger with 7 1/2" barrel it comes with scope rings and there are places machined into it for the rings would come in handy if you ever wanted to put a scope on it.

as for the 44mag vs the 45LC
the 44 mag is faster and hits harder
both will work on deer but the 44 mag has an advantage

Answer 7

If you're planning on hunting, either will do, but I'd stick with the 7 1/2" barrel for convenience's sake. The 45 is slower, but especially in a Ruger, you can handload to levels that, while not in the magnum category in terms of velocity, make it an excellent deer and hog killer. I have both, and have taken game with both, with complete satisfaction. Also, the single-action is much preferred for hunting (though I also enjoy my 41 magnum Redhawk).

Answer 8

What are you going to be doing with the weapon? If it is for personnal defense, the Colt would be a better choice. It is more compact, has GREAT knockdown power and has more ammo capacity than the blackhawk. You will also have better control over the firearm than the .44 mag and there is no safety on a revolver.
Dont get me wrong, the blackhawk is a fine weapon but for the reasons stated I would choose the Colt. And the .45 ACP is very widely used and available.

Answer 9

The 44mag is a powerful round the 45 colt is not verry powerful compared to the 44.
The other day I was at the range shooting my 460 S&W I figured I would try to shoot a 45 colt out of it.There was hardly no recoil and it wasnt verry loud.
Afew years back my father had a derringer style pistol it was 410/45 I was shooting at a stump a few feet away with a 45 colt.It hit the stump and ricoshed and hit me in the knee.I didn't get hurt but it scared me.

Answer 10

Dirty Harry would be proud. In all seriousness it depends on what you want the weapon for, and how much money you want to spend. Ruger makes excellent versions of both in many different sizes. Something to think about is the weight of the weapon as well as the ammo for it. If your planning on using it for hunting trips then I would go with something a little lighter. If it's for home defense try to keep in mind that your walls are made and how easily both rounds could penetrate and hit something valuable to you. Myself I would lean more towards the .45 Colt just cuz I'm a western fan, but like I said you didnt really tell us what your going to use it for.