.45 COLT or .45 LONG COLT?

[DC3-CVN-72]

I know that these two terms mean the same ctg. but what is correct? It says .45 COLT on the bbl. of my Redhawk and also on the box of Winchester Silvertip's I have for it. Also you never here .45 ACP refered to as .45 SHORT COLT. Just wondering. I always have said .45 COLT.

 

[1KPerDay]

.45 Colt is correct.

 

[isp2605]

The term "Long Colt" pre-dates the .45 ACP. It goes back to the late 1800s when the US Army had in inventory Colt Peacemakers and also S&W Schofields. The Colts used the .45 Colt cartridge and the S&W used the shorter .45 S&W cartridge. The Colts could use both rds but the Schofields could only use the shorter S&W rd. Army Quartermasters would often get shipments mixed up and receive ammo for one gun when their troops were issued the other gun. To distinguish between the 2 they were often referred to as the ".45 Long Colt", ie the .45 Colt, and the ".45 Short", ie the .45 S&W rd.

 

[unspellable]

To elucidate a bit.

The 45 S&W or 45 Schofield caused chambering problems in the Colt because of the wider rim. To get around this the 45 Governent was developed, having the 45 S&W shorter length and the 45 Colt's narrower rim diameter. This cartridge went commercial where it was called the 45 Short Colt and so labled on the boxes. The 45 Colt acquired the nickname "Long Colt" around this time to distinguish it from the 45 Short Colt.

The original concept for the 45 ACP was for bullet weight and velocity identical to the 45 Short Colt (Loaded with a 230 grain bullet in the 45 Government issue.) in a rimless self loader cartridge.

I recently saw a box of 45 Short Colt cartridges by Fiocchi at a local gun show. I don't know if they still load it, but they were doing so fairly recently in terms of the cartridge's date of origin.

There is also the 45 Revolver, a cartridge developed for the Colt New Service Model 1909. It has the 45 S&W wide rim and a case a tad longer than the 45 Colt. I have an original arsenal box of these in my collection.

Starline made a run of 45 Colt brass with wide rims. Wish I had known about it in time to lay hands on some.

 

[Onty]

Here is one of stories; http://leverguns.com/articles/taylor/45_short_colt.htm

 

[HGUNHNTR]

45 Colt

 

[JMusic]

45 Colt is correct but, if you want people to know for sure what your talking about you better say 45 Long Colt or 45 ACP.

Jim

 

[Starter52]

JMusic is right. When I sold ammo at gun shows (years ago) I used the term ".45 Colt" all the time, but I switched to saying ".45 Long Colt" after customers started bringing back the ammo because it wouldn't fit in their 1911s.

".45 Colt" is the more correct term.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

.45 Colt is correct. There is no .45 Short Colt counterpart to a Long Colt, although there have been .38 and .41 Long and Short Colts.

 

[Old Fuff]

I have seen cartridges head stamped "45 Colt" and also "45 L. Colt"

The truth of the matter is that both are correct, because both have been used. Anybody who nit-picks over the two names is a bit of mule's back end...

 

[Novus Collectus]

I have seen cartridges head stamped "45 Colt" and also "45 L. Colt"

The truth of the matter is that both are correct, because both have been used. Anybody who nit-picks over the two names is a bit of mule's back end...

I have to agree.
Over on TheFiringLine I complained about stupid people calling it Long Colt because the book Cartridges of the World called them .45 Colt and all the boxes of ammo I ever bought in .45 Long Colt said .45 Colt.....boy was I made to look like a fool by all the responses.
There are still manufacturers that put "Long Colt" on the box and Cowboy action shooters usually call it Long Colt, so even though I realise both names can be used equally, I now try to use the Long Colt name.
As Starter52 put it, there is less confusion with the unknowing when it is called ,45 Long Colt instead of .45 Colt because they often confuse .45 Colt with .45 ACP.