Colt DA Revolvers in 45 Colt?

[TEDDY]

new service

I bought a 1909 in memphis as I was headed out.$45 was big price then.I shot 45 colt out of it and never had a problem.then I ran out and since I had unlimitted 45 acp had some half moons ground thinner.Only problem was I tore the targets up,so the chief limited my shooting.

 

[fyarl]

 

[45crittergitter]

+1 for the Anaconda.

 

[nelson133]

All modern 45 Colt brass has the larger rim, I have a few pieces of the older brass and while it is the same length a the modern stuff the rim is noticeably smaller. It is head stamped as .45 Colt caliber. If you want a shooter the Colt New Service is quite a revolver. Reblued ones aren't that expensive and shoot just fine. I've got one made in 1916 with a 5.5 inch barrel and the original grips. Just don't exceed standard pressure loads as the old guns weren't heat treated the same as a modern gun.

 

[Dave T]

Someone asked if the 45 Colt didn't win the West after all? Yea it did, at least in civilian hands. A number of years ago I was really into black powder cartridge shooting and located some original balloon head brass in good condition. I had a collection of rebuilt SAAs in all the common barrel lengths (4-3/4", 5-1/2" & 7-1/2"). I duplicated the original loads, including the original bullets weighing 255g and cast of 1-20 tin to lead alloy. I don't have the exact chronograph results in hand but remember the 4-3/4" barrel produced a 5 shot average of around 850 fps (what you get from modern smokeless loads in a 7-1/2" bbl), the 5-1/2" averaged something like 880-885 fps and the 7-1/2" (the barrel length of the original military SAAs) delivered an impressive 910 fps. A 255g bullet measuring .454" and going 910 fps is not to be ignored, even today. Probably explains why it became known as the Peacemaker. Anything in front of it at the time of ignition became soon there after...peaceful. (smile)

Dave