CraigC
Quote:
Ross Seyfried and others wrote as much. Not so.
I think you'll find that Seyfried is a very, very strong proponent of the .45Colt in strong guns. He penned an article on his trip to Africa after Cape buffalo with his Linebaugh custom Abilene slinging big 360gr LBT's. He might even be more responsible than most for getting the results of Linebaugh's work with the cartridge and its potential out to the masses.
I don't think Ross S. ever had an Abilene. Linebaugh built his first 6 shot guns
on Sevilles. I posted a picture of my Seville, converted by John Linebaugh, finished by Jack Huntington.
Linebaugh told me that my gun was one of two Sevilles owned by Ross Seyfried, and, it was the sister gun to Ross's used to kill the cape buffalo in this article:
Notice the resemblance?
Ross was smart enough to put a barrel band on to get the ejector housing from ejecting, even though mine never did.
That said, I spent nearly an hour on the phone with Mr. Seyfried, listening to him tell his cape buffalo story, and, there is a reason he pushed for the .475 Linebaugh. That buffalo nearly got him.
He also designed the .585 Nyati right after that, to have a bolt action stopping rifle for cape buffalo who weren't smart enough to know they should be dead.
IIRC, the load was 27.5 grains of H110, under a 360 grain bullet, and, he was nice enough to send me 12 rounds. Without custom grips, they recoil a bit too much for a normal human, but, they did go 1550 fps, at nearly 60k pressure. OK for a few rounds in those tight fit, 17-4 solid cylinders.
Linebaugh later changed his story, saying my gun, number 25, was not Ross Seyfrieds, but from a customer in Alaska who had traded it or some such story. I have all of this in writing, by the way.
The way I see it is you are at the mercy of Rugers cylinder reamers on the .45 Colt. Early in the run, you get nice tight 45 Colt chambers, if not proper throats. Late in the run the cutting is not so percise.
The best way to do a .45 Colt is to start with a .44 magnum, bore out the cylinder to .45 Colt, and have it done by Linebaugh, Bowen, Huntington, etc. Isn't cheap. Or, find a .454 FA 83, used, and buy a .45 Colt cylinder, or, use the .454 cylinder for nothing but .45 Colt.
I haven't run across a .45 Colt BFR without the long cylinder, but, if and when you find one, the BFR's are FA quality, nearly, at half the price, with ruger parts for swapping.