My first - and longtime favorite - revolver cartridge was the .45 Colt. I had many SA Rugers so chambered. My first DA was the then new Ruger .454 Casull, ultimately followed by a 5.5" Redhawk in .45 Colt. 8.5 yr ago, life changed around my house - my wife shocked me with a new 4" 625-7 Mountain Gun (top, below.) in .45 Colt. It was later joined by a like new, actually older (625-6), version. The only other .45 Colt now in my stable is a Rossi/Puma 24" SS octagon barrel M1892 lever gun, the Rugers now being a memory.
The .45 Colt MG's beg for wood grips - and look 'traditional', save their one shortcoming - the barrel nomenclature is laser etched, not roll-imprinted - and it fades. Recoil, even with max (14k psi) SAAMI spec loads, which can tickle 900 fps with either a 255gr LSWC or 250gr Speer Gold Dot JHP from the 4" tube, is fine with wood grips. Can they take more 'oomph'? It's simple - the frame, barrel, and cylinder, albeit a tad shorter there, is the same as in a .45 ACP 625 - and it's rated for >22k psi! I'm happy at .45 Colt levels, having gotten the big thumper .454 Casull bug out of my system some years back.
The trigger, ejection, & accuracy with normal .45 Colts made the S&W take over my interest, making the Rugers superfluous - to me. YMMV!.
Stainz