.45 Colt DA Revolvers?

[panhead58ak]

I had Hamilton Bowen in Tn take a model 29 and ream the cyl to a tight .452 and fit it with a 5 inch 45 barrell with a banded frt sight.This gave a 25 that was very precise and accurate plus stronger than a standard 25 as the heat treat is stronger on the 29 frames. the cylinder will not handle the same pressures as 44mag the walls are thinner John Linebuogh estimates around 80percent the strength is left. A 45 colt can do the work of a 44 with less pressure refer to linebuoghs writings.I dont push it anyhow I have a 454 when I need moe power but I have shot over 1500 300 gr kieth bullets a 1050 fps the gun is still tight accurite and extraction is effortless. the gun has an 8 pound double action pull and 3 pound SA and is a joy to carry and shoot

 

[Meeteetse]

I am not sure where you get the idea that the S&W 25/625 is an old gun. The 25/625 will handle any .45 colt load on the market and most reasonable +P loads. I have a 625 in 45acp that is a tack driver and my favorite, a 625 Mountain Gun in 45 Colt. You can't find better guns. If you don't like S&W, then get a Ruger Redhawk. You will not live long enough or fire it enough to ever damage it, but it is a big gun to haul around all day. My Redhawk 44 is a load, that is why I went to the 625 Mountain Gun. If you want heavy .45 Colt loads, check out Buffalo Bore Cartridges.

By the way, .44 special is more than equal to the 45 Colt and the minor differences in bullet diameter is of no real consequence. Buy a 4" Redhawk in .44 mag, shoot .44 specials or homemade light 44 mags and you will love it, but you also have the magnum ability if you need it. I don't currently reload and both 45 Colt and 44 special can be hard to find around here and very expensive. I prefer the 45 Colt, but I always have a 44 mag around. Even the big box stores carry 44 mag.

 

[Frizzman]

My DA .45 Colt revolvers include a S&W M25, S&W Mountain Gun, Ruger .454 SRH, Taurus Tracker, S&W .460 and a Colt Anaconda. They have all proven to be reliable and durable for what I shoot in them. If I want to shoot heavy ammo, I use the .454 and .460. In the .45 Colt only revolvers, I mostly use my 250 grain LSWC handloads at around 900 FPS...THE classic load that will do most everything I need. I have never has any problems with ejection but I learned the proper method to shuck the empties out of a swing-out cylinder when I was a LEO carrying a S&W M10. I do think that to take full advantage of the cartridge and be able to afford to shoot much, handloading is essential. I carry/use the 625 Mountain Gun the most due to the lighter weight and it handles my favorite handloads with reasonable recoil. I might be tempted to try a Governor sometime...Enjoy whatever you get. They are all lots of fun!

 

[smkummer]

45 Colt revolvers

I have Colt single actions in 5 1/2, 7 1/2 and 12 in. buntline. Along with a 6 in. anaconda and a 5 1/2 in New Service. The classic Lyman 454190 250 FP bullet hard cast and sized to .454 really performs. Getting a honest 900 FPS (10000 FPS in the buntline) is powerful load and does all I need for now. My buddies 25-5 with a 8 3/8 barrel is an outstanding gun shooting the 452454 255 Kieth bullet. These guns hammer a 16 in. plate at 100 yards with ease. With any 45 Colt DA revolver, it works much better to raise the barrel up when ejecting the empties. I agree that these loads could be increased in the anaconda and even the smith if needed. Another friend had a judge and had to send it back twice because the barrel started to unscrew. It was neither a good 45 revolver or 410 shotgun in my humble opinion. More of a survival tool.

 

[Lawdawg45]

I'm looking for a good, strong, reliable double action revolver chambered in .45 colt. I think a 4 inch barrel would be ideal, I'd like to use it for woods carry and self defense/home defense. .45 ACP would work too, although I refuse to buy any new Smith and Wessons, not for political reasons, but because I've had problems with their new guns.

Reason? I want something a little quieter and less snappy than a .357 mag, but still pretty powerful.

I know of a Ruger Redhawk chambered in .45 Colt, but how do they hold up over the years? I want it to last a very long time.



If you know of any other double action revolvers chambered in a cartridge with similar recoil to .45colt/acp and with equal or greater "stopping power" (hate that term), please let me know.

Ruger"s are built like tanks, just take a look at the disclaimers on hot ammo brands such as Buffalo Bore. It's "Ruger only" and not "S&W only" for a reason!

LD

 

[TXSWFAN]

Here's my favorite .45 Colt. Randy Lee turned this 625-3 into a 3", round butt, DA only shooter. It's milled for moon clips and it shoots .45 ACP too.

The DA trigger pull is 4.5 lbs.

 

[45crittergitter]

If you stumble upon a Colt Anaconda in .45, get it.