45 LC revolver question

[thebluemax]

I've been thinking about purchasing a revolver in 45 long colt and have it narrowed down to Uberti/Pietta clone 4 3/4 barrel, richards transition model, and a richards mason conversion model. What do ya'll think? It will mostly be just a plinking gun with occasional field use.

 

[sourdough44]

I like mine, a 4 5/8" Blackhawk, a little under $500.

 

[huntershooter]

With the Uberti you will be limited to .45 Colt pressure loads-NO +P/"Ruger only" loads.
You will (obviously) have fixed sights, hence no adjustment for POA/POI with different loads.
The original "P model" configuration is much more fragile than a Ruger or Freedom Arms.
If these are not "deal breakers", I would proceed.

 

[messerist]

Before choosing a caliber for your Richard's I would visit the CAS website forum and check out the forum for open top shooters. http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/board,56.0.html I recently purchased a 1872 Open Top. I also wanted one in .45LC but decided on .44 special because of barrel cracking issues with the .45LC. Check it out. There are a good bunch of shooters there with much more knowledge than yours truly. Good luck.

 

[StrawHat]

If you want a 45 Long Colt, go with the Model P clone. If the Richards or Richards Mason conversions are tripping your trigger, consider that Colts did not offer them in 45 Colt. The frame, barrel and method of attachment are all carry overs from the C&B days and were not suitable to the pressure and shock delivered by the 45 cartridge. The original cartridge for the Conversions was the 44 Colt and that is a decent cartridge that eventually was lengthened to become the 44 Special. My Richards conversion is cut for the 44 Colt.



With a 200 grain bullet and a case full of black powder, it is a nice load. Definately less power than the 45 Long Colt with a 40 grain load but not a bad load. The bore on my revolver is 43 caliber so I can use bullets seated inside the case. The original used a heeled 45 caliber bullet to fit the bore of the 1860.

 

[loadedround]

Please consider the Ruger Vaquero in 45 Colt. I have one of the older Vaqueo's in this caliber and it shoots and handles beautifully. Another advantage of the Ruger is the purchase and fitting of a 45 ACP cylinder for a dual caliber revolver. BTW, Ruger will not convert the Vaquero to 45 ACP, you will need to search one out on the 'net as I have done.

 

[Onmilo]

I own a brace of 1872 open-tops in .44 Colt

All of these guns are rated for very mild Cowboy Action Shooting factory smokeless powder loads only

With the .45 Colt that is a factory load trundling along at about 700 feet per second. There are 200 grain versions and 250 grain versions both lead bulleted loads.
The 200 grainers will shoot to a higher point of impact than the 250s so if your gun shoots low with 250s,,,,

I use factory Ten-X .44 Colt and as a bonus, my guns will also fit and function with .44 Russian cartridges and I also shoot Ten-X in this caliber as well as reloading both cartridges.

Shoot any kind of heavy load in these guns and I will guarantee you it won't take many shots, perhaps less than a fifty round box before something breaks on the gun.
Powerhouse pistols they are not.

 

[MachIVshooter]

They're good guns, I have one in .38 Special. Nice looking, smooth actions.

However, while the SAA clone Ubertis can handle warm-ish loads, the open top conversion revolvers absolutely cannot, especially in the big .45 Colt. You should only use cowboy loads.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'm with StrawHat. I love the .45 Colt and I love the conversions, but I do like to keep things as historically accurate as I can when I'm buying something like that. If you go with the conversion, I'd get it in .44 caliber. If you go with the Colt clone, I'd get the .45 Colt. As others have said, hot loads should NEVER be shot in these.

 

[thebluemax]

Is 44 colt the same as 44-40?

 

[BCCL]

No, 44 colt is not the same as 44-40.

 

[CraigC]

If what you want is a "topless" Colt, nothing else will do. I love the Open Top model and the various cartridge conversions. My "pair" consists of a couple of Cimarrons, an Open Top and an 1860 Richards Transition model. Both in .44Colt. I know the .45 is more popular but I had to go a little different and a little more historically accurate. I think the Richards is more attractive with its percussion barrel but the Open Top is a little more practical for actually "using". I carry them often.

Technically, the .44S&W Russian was lengthened to become the .44S&W Special. Hint, both S&W cartridges. The .44Colt has a smaller rim.

My .44's:

 

[thebluemax]

Could I handload a mild 45 long colt load using blackpowder or smokeless and that work in the conversion? I'd like to eventually have the cartridge conversion and a uberti cattleman in 45 LC/45 ACP. I already reload 45 ACP and would like to start casting soon.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Is 44 colt the same as 44-40?

BCCL answered, but I'll elaborate a little.

.44 Colt was conceived as a handgun cartridge, straight walled, and launched a 225 gr LRN at 650 FPS.

The .44-40 is a tapered (slightly bottlenecked) rife cartridge that is frequently chambered in handguns. In rifles, a standard load is a 200 gr. pill at about 1,200 FPS. In a handgun, it's performance is very similar to the .45 Colt.

 

[loadedround]

Sorry I posted my Vaquero comment. Didn't realize the original poster wanted an open top revolver.

 

[CraigC]

Could I handload a mild 45 long colt load using blackpowder or smokeless and that work in the conversion?

As a factory chambered .45Colt the cartridge conversion would have to be safe with any factory loaded ammunition loaded to SAAMI pressure stands not exceeding 14,000psi. So any standard load would be fine. I prefer to keep these on the mild side as they are not the strongest sixguns on the market. One more reason why I like the .44Colt, because I load my .45 SAA's a little heavier than I'd want to run the topless replicas.

The .44Colt was also offered in both rimfire and centerfire versions with the 1871-1872 Open Top model being rimfire only. Today's version is very similar to the .44Spl being only slightly shorter (still longer than the Russian) with a slightly smaller rim. I use the shellholder for the .30WCF. I handload them with standard .44Spl/.44Mag dies, with the seat/crimp die shortened slightly. Titegroup is my favorite powder in these guns because it meters better than Unique and is not at all position sensitive.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

With lead bullets and loads on the light side, Trail Boss is your friend.