44 Spc V. 45 Colt

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ontarget

ontarget

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Assuming we were to use 2 SA revolvers of the same make. Blackhawk, SAA clone, whatever, one chambered for 44 Spc the other in 45 Colt. Which would hold an advantage?
I ask because I am already invested in 45 Colt but have the itch to try out a 44 Spc in a SA. (Already have a bulldog but only use factory ammo).
I would definitely be hand loading.
Is there enough difference between the two cartridges to warrant adding another chambering to my loading bench?
 
Strictly looking at it from a component stand point the 45 colt wins, larger diameter, heavier bullets, larger case capacity. So technically you can move the same weight bullet , the same speed with less pressure with the 45 colt.

Somethings are intangible and do not figure on paper though. If you aren't looking to load at the brink of explosion , this really isn't a factor.

My personal preference is the 45 colt but I don't do anything with it that the 44 special couldn't do just as well.
 
From a strictly practical point of view, the difference between them is...one is .43" in diameter and the other is .45". Both will shoot a 250g bullet at 900-1100 fps (depending on load and barrel length) which will do about everything you need a handgun to do.

Dave
 
Both will take medium game fairly well, I have taken deer and hog with .44 and .45 caliber 250 gr pulls in the 900 to 1000 fps range, both will serve well in an SD situation, in a truly modern revolver of the same make ie Ruger Blackhawk the .45 takes on a new form, the .45 will have larger bullet weights to take up to about 30-32 psi and in a Redhawk approaches .454 levels at 50k psi, these would be truly desired for larger game hunting than south eastern deer and hog but if you just to mess around and have fun they both work well
 
ontarget said:
I ask because I am already invested in 45 Colt but have the itch to try out a 44 Spc in a SA.
Click to expand...
Having an "itch to try out a 44 Spc in SA" would be plenty enough reason for me.:D However, I actually have a real (real for me anyhow) reason why I'd go with the 44 Special - I've loaded for a 45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk for a long time, and I don't really care for small charges of relatively fast burning powder in those cavernous 45 Colt cases.
And please don't anyone jump on me and tell me all about how light 45 Colt loads work just fine. I know that already, and I know a few powder companies have come up with some bulkier powders (mostly for the Cowboy Action shooters) lately. But I'm kinda old school, so due to the difference in case capacities, I would just choose a 44 Special over a 45 Colt in the first place for small charges of relatively fast burning powder.;)
 
.44Spl in a .44Mag Super Blackhawk is anything from a plinking round to a light hunting load. Change cases and you have the whole assortment of magnum loads to choose from, wild to mild. If you have the itch real bad, get a .44Magnum Vaquero and put a Dragoon grip frame and Bisley hammer on it. Now that’s a nice setup.
 
I have both the .44 Special and the .45 Colt in Blackhawks. If I had to pick, I'd keep the .45 Colt because it's a convertible allowing me to also shoot the .45 ACP along with the fact that the Colt will handle much heavier bullets than the .44 will.
 
Barry the Bear said:
Elmer Keith would and did give up on higher end .45 Colt loads to keep messing with the
44 spl
Click to expand...

This is a bit irrelevant since Elmer did not have the benefit of the Ruger frame when working up his loads, he only had the comparatively weak SAA at the time. Elmer also went with the .44 magnum once S&W started production. If he had had a stronger .45 Colt frame back in the day the .44 magnum may have never been made. Elmer also said if he could only use commercial ammunition he would choose .45 Colt. But again, irrelevant.

If I were to choose the .45 Colt would win hands down since it would give me much wider latitude.
 
I have a stash of 44Spl ... So personally Id lean toward a Ruger Blackhawk Flattop ... and in a Blackhawk you load’em heavy .. if you need that
But nuthin against the 45 Colt
 
Can you get the 44SPC on a smaller frame? I think so but not betting on it.

Both are fine round so long as you keep things sane. Likely nod to the LC as they seem more common. SPC is fine if you reload, but both are a reloading proposition these days.
 
I have a few .45 Colt guns laying around. No .44 Specials although I have the brass if I ever wanted to run them through the .44 Mag RedHawks.

I primarily have the special brass because I’d planned to getting around to loading some PD ammo for the SW 329PD. Just never moved on that project yet. It was derailed by my .327 FM projects which are now being sidelined for some Muzzleloader things and so forth.

If I had to choose one or the other not having a gun of either caliber I’d go with the .45 Colt because of the heavier options for bear country.

I’m always struggling trying to keep my caliber selection down so buying a .44 Special only gun probably isn’t in my future. That’s not a dig against the caliber.
 
In a Blackhawk I would choose the .45 Colt. It can be loaded to plinking velocity with Trail Boss and the softest bullet you can get, and it can be loaded with hard heavy LBT shapes to 1200 or 1300 fps for any game on the planet.

In the SAA I'd choose the .44 Special for the same reason Elmer did: it can be loaded toward the heavy end with a greater margin of safety.

Realistically, though, my favorite loads for both cartridges involve 250 grain cast SWCs at 950 fps. The Colt has a theoretical advantage in frontal area but I'm not quite sure deer and hogs understand the difference. Both seem to be adequately impressed by either. So I'd choose whichever cartridge happens to grab me for whatever reason. Most days, that means the .44 Special.
 
It's 100% dependent on the platform. In platforms appropriate to the .44Spl like the Colt SAA, New Frontier and mid-frame Blackhawks, the .44Spl has an advantage. The same advantage that Elmer Keith found. While the .45Colt is more popular, probably due to its cavernous and usually empty case, the .44Spl is really a much better suited cartridge for those guns. In large frame guns, then you're really comparing the .45Colt to the .44Mag. In which case, it's a wash.


DR505 said:
If he had had a stronger .45 Colt frame back in the day the .44 magnum may have never been made.
Click to expand...
But the stronger .45's wouldn't be around without the .44Mag frame!
 
Good info guys. Thanks.
I'm always on the lookout for a good deal on SA revolvers. I recently saw a 44 Mag SBH at a great price (and it was still there last week) but I'm just not into the magnums right now.
If I did buy it chances are it would only eat 44 Spc anyway.
If I'm going to shoot 44 Spc I'd rather have a gun specifically chambered as such.
That SBH is a big chunk of steel. I'm guessing a flat top would be lighter and handier.
 
ontarget said:
Good info guys. Thanks.
I'm always on the lookout for a good deal on SA revolvers. I recently saw a 44 Mag SBH at a great price (and it was still there last week) but I'm just not into the magnums right now.
If I did buy it chances are it would only eat 44 Spc anyway.
If I'm going to shoot 44 Spc I'd rather have a gun specifically chambered as such.
That SBH is a big chunk of steel. I'm guessing a flat top would be lighter and handier.
Click to expand...
—-
The SBH is heavy but how handy it is depends more on the barrel length and grip frame/grips than the actual frame weight. I think it comes down to purpose and availability. If you just want it for informal range shooting then a 5-1/2” SBH is going to handle as well as a 5-1/2” .45 BH. I doubt the 5oz weight difference is going to be noticed in a range bag. If you plan to carry and shoot from the draw then it probably will. Up to you but I would be hard pressed to leave a SBH with a bargain price in the case. Good luck deciding and Merry Christmas.
 
ontarget said:
Good info guys. Thanks.
I'm always on the lookout for a good deal on SA revolvers. I recently saw a 44 Mag SBH at a great price (and it was still there last week) but I'm just not into the magnums right now.
If I did buy it chances are it would only eat 44 Spc anyway.
If I'm going to shoot 44 Spc I'd rather have a gun specifically chambered as such.
That SBH is a big chunk of steel. I'm guessing a flat top would be lighter and handier.
Click to expand...

The flat top in .44 Special is about the best factory gun you can get, outside of boutique stuff like Freedom Arms. I firelapped my 5 1/2 version and had the trigger worked over. Then I sent it to Milt Sparks to have a holster made. It may be my favorite centerfire revolver. It certainly is the one which jumps into my hand whenever it is time to go shoot.
 
OP- In my opinion, those calibers have a ton in common, more so than their differences. 44 SPL can not do anything that a .45 colt cannot do. But a 45 Colt can be loaded a bit heavier...44 SPL not so much. To me this is a no brainer. When i get into a different caliber, i want a totally different performance envelope for different applications....this is a 95% overlap in the 45 colt vs 44 spl...with favor to 45 colt. Just my personal thoughts, your ideas may differ.
 
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