Custom chambered .45 wheel gun

[Boom-stick]

Today I've been offered a custom .45 Taurus revolver that can chamber 45 Winchester Magnum (in moon clips), 45 Long Colt, 460 Rowland (in moon clips),45 ACP (in moon clips) and 45 Auto Rim.

I was looking for a .44mag but this seems very interesting although I confess to knowing nothing about the calibres listed other than the .45lc and ACP can anyone steer me in the right direction or should I hold out for the .44?
And will any of these offer .44mag performance?
(bear in mind I'm already set up for handloading the .44)

Boomstick

 

[Walkalong]

Sounds interesting.

The .460 Rowland is like a .45 ACP Mag, sorta, the .45 Winchester Magnum is just that, and the .45 Auto Rim is just a .45 ACP with a Rim.

I am assuming the gun was originally chambered for the .45 Colt. I do not believe you should try to get .44 mag performance out of this revolver, if you could. It would be the .45 Colt case you would get closest with.

 

[Boom-stick]

Thanks for swift reply Walkalong, that was a mini history lesson, infact if history lessons were like that at school I may have paid more attention (may have...)
the 460 looks quick though and this is being offered with 12" barrel so it'll be close to carbine type fps?

 

[telecaster1981]

Well, it looks like Walkalong gave you the lowdown on those cartridges...and I say 'buy it!' I've been looking for something just like that for a couple years now and I'd snatch that up! If you don't mind me asking, what's he asking for it?

Ben

 

[20nickels]

I looked in to this a couple of years ago. There was a lot of varying load data for the Rowland and it looked like near .44 mag performance in comparable bullet weights, but not quite. You are also punching a slightly larger hole in .451.
I really like the ability of .45 ACP and moonclips in my big bores, but that's just me. If that does not trip your trigger then the .44 you are already set up on will do everything the Taurus will do.
The safety police won't like this; "The only purpose served by the extended Rowland case is to prevent it from being chambered in guns not properly prepared to handle the cartridge". I've always wondered if you just trimmed this case back to .45 ACP length you could still load it to Rowland specs and shoot it out of your unmodified .45ACP REVOLVER.

 

[Boom-stick]

...what's he asking for it?

A LOT!!

It's a new custom piece and is working out to £800 +delivery.

I like the idea of it, moon clips are appealling, but Rowland brass is probably going to be pain to get over here?

 

[telecaster1981]

I like the idea of it, moon clips are appealling, but Rowland brass is probably going to be pain to get over here?

I'd be inclined to think it would be hard to get anywhere...I was just looking for 460 Rowland in Midway's latest catalog...yeah, nothing. And they supposedly have 'just about everything.' While I'm not advocating unsafe reloading practices, couldn't a fellow just load .45 LC to +P or +P+ levels and get the same performance as the 460?

 

[earplug]

I don't know the cost of revolvers in England.
If you don't need the power of a .44 Mag. hold out for a S+W 625 in 45 ACP.
I own both M-29 and 625, the 625 is much more fun to shoot or compete with, if you do matches.

 

[Boom-stick]

I don't know the cost of revolvers in England.
If you don't need the power of a .44 Mag. hold out for a S+W 625 in 45 ACP.
I own both M-29 and 625, the 625 is much more fun to shoot or compete with, if you do matches.

Unfortunatley S&W's only come over as customs and they are Mega Bucks, £1400 range ($2800)

 

[tipoc]

The 45 Win. Magnum is comparable to the .44 Mag. you can get a 260 gr. bullet up to 1500 fps. and a 185 gr. up to 1800 depending on barrel length. The round was introduced around 79-80 for use in the Wildley gas operated pistol and so it's a rimless design. Thompson center also offers some single shots in it. Commercial loads are available but not many.

The .45 Colt will do for you what the .44 Mag will and loads for this are available from Buffalo Bore, Grizzley and others.

My questions for the seller would be; Who did the work? Or does Taurus offer this as a production gun. Accuracy, as the nominal bore diameter of the .45 acp and the .45Colt may vary some how accurate is the gun?

Find out all you can about this piece before you buy it. Pick up a copy of Barnes "Cartridges of the World" when you can as well, helpful book to have.

tipoc

 

[Brian Williams]

Is it a Tracker? 5 shot or 6?
A 5 shot Taurus Tracker can and should be loaded to relativly low pressure loads in 45 Colt.

 

[Boom-stick]

it is 45 SS12 but I've just checked the Taurus website and it marked as dis-continued