Help me decide on a .45 ACP revolver

[AZAndy]

Ok, I KNOW the second person in here is going to wonder why I don't just buy a S&W 625 JM model. And the reason why is because those start at about $800. At least. While I would love to get one of these, money IS kind of a concern, so most Smith & Wessons are more distant possibilities.
This gun would be used for plinking and non-serious target shooting. Here's what I'm considering, in order from best to (for my purposes, not quality) to worst:

1. Charter Arms Pitbull. Not much of a target gun, with fixed sights and 2.5 inch barrel. But doesn't need moon clips, and is very affordable. Small and light enough to be put to other uses if necessary.
2. Ruger Blackhawk convertible 45 Colt/45 ACP model. Probably several hundred more than the Charter Arms gun, and I will be paying for a .45 Colt cylinder I will never use. Sadly, Ruger sells the .45 Colt gun without the ACP cylinder, but if the reverse is for sale I've never seen it. I'm not a huge fan of single actions, but of all options, this would probably be the most accurate.
3. A repro Remington 1958 Army blackpowder revolver, with an aftermarket .45 ACP cylinder. This would come out costing approximately as much as the Blackhawk, but I WOULD get two guns I would use out of it. I have no idea how accurate this combo might be. I handload .45 ACP, and i probably couldn't load anything too hot in this. And it is STILL a single action.
4. Smith & Wesson Governor. Shoots .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .410 shotshell. Needs moon clips, starts at $800 also, and ... well, I think it's ridiculous. Plus the freebore of this thing in .45 ACP is very long.
5. An old M1917. The newest of these was made in 1946, as far as I know. Also requires clips, and tend to be expensive even for beat-up examples.

Are there any options I'm missing? Can anyone vouch for any of these, either good or bad?

You don't have to use moonclips, if that's a sticking point for you. .45AR is still around, and that'll work just like a .38. I love moonclips myself and would recommend them to you, but I understand not wanting to take on a new tool or method.

One more gun to watch for is the S&W 325. It's an Airlight that in the PD version has a titanium cylinder. Sometimes you can get one for cheap; this one cost me $450 (without the reflex sight, that's a later addition). Finish isn't great, but I don't care. Had to do a little timing adjustment, but that was just a matter of peening the teeth on the ratchet a bit.



There's also a 325 Thunder Ranch model that doesn't have the Titanium cylinder, so it's a tad heavier, but still pretty light.

 

[Jim Watson]

Look at the Rimz rubbery clips. I gave a friend some for Christmas one year. He said they were not secure enough for competition speed loading but they ought to be fine for plinking.
https://www.ezmoonclip.com

 

[Fiv3r]

I REALLY like my Pitbull in .45. It's easy to shoot, didn't cost a ton, and has been both reliable and accurate. When I travel by car for vacation (back when we lived in a world where going out and about was a thing), I carry a .45 semi automatic and the Pitbull. The .45 (a 1911 or Shield) is what I keep on my person as my primary carry. The Pitbull is what I keep in the car for emergencies. If I have to leave my wife and daughter and go out on foot, the .45 Pitbull is something my non-shooting wife can handle and understand how to operate. This allows me to keep a primary gun I am familiar with on me while we travel and have a potent gun with no safeties to switch off and no light trigger that may result in a ND that she can use. It also means that I can just toss a box of ammo in the console that will feed both guns.

Anyway, the Charter Arms Pitbull was probably one of the better deals I've gotten in a long time. It's a keeper. A .45 colt Bulldog is on my short list.

 

[haybaler]

Did anyone mention the Ruger Redhawk in .45Colt and .45acp? It looks like another good option.

I've had .45acp ammo that would not feed in any of my autos and would not headspace properly in my Ruger Blackhawk so I loaded them in moonclips for my S&W Governor and it ate em right up. There is something to be said about moonclips. Loading them isn't too bad and I made a tool to unload the empties using a piece of 1/2 inch pvc about 6" long. There are better tools on the market but the homemade one works well.

.45Colt is a fun cartridge to reload and I like having the option of shooting either cartridge out of the same gun.

 

[Conelrad]

I went with the ACP Ruger for two reasons:

1...Boatloads of ammo here.
2...Much easier to source than .45 Colt out there.

Conelrad

 

[Jonesy814]

I bought a used 625 a couple years ago for just under $700. It's an older pre-lock model with a 5 inch barrel. I had it out yesterday. One friend calls it the gun you can't miss with

 

[35 Whelen]

Ok, I KNOW the second person in here is going to wonder why I don't just buy a S&W 625 JM model. And the reason why is because those start at about $800. At least. While I would love to get one of these, money IS kind of a concern, so most Smith & Wessons are more distant possibilities.
This gun would be used for plinking and non-serious target shooting. Here's what I'm considering, in order from best to (for my purposes, not quality) to worst:

1. An old M1917. The newest of these was made in 1946, as far as I know. Also requires clips, and tend to be expensive even for beat-up examples.

I wanted a 45 ACP revolver for the same purposes as you , and the 1917 filled the bill perfectly. I've bought three of these, all the 1937 Brazilian contract models, and they're relatively inexpensive, especially compared to original 1917's and are in fact less expensive than any other full size 45 ACP revolver. All of mine have been a little rough on the outside, but they all shot quite well. Coincidentally, I shot one of mine just today after work.

1. 
   I think these revolvers, with a handful of loaded moon clips, are the quintessential truck/tractor/boat gun; plenty of power for social work and most 4 legged biters in the lower 48, super fast to reload, and ammunition is plentiful. As others have said, moon clips are NOT required. Normally when I'm just target shooting and plinking I load mine without the moon clips and brass usually falls out of the chambers, or at worse is plucked out with a fingernail.

1. 
   
   

I handload so sometimes load/shoot 45 Auto Rim brass when I want to shoot heavy SWC's-

1. 
   

1. 
   35W

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Ruger Blackhawk convertible 45 Colt/45 ACP model. Probably several hundred more than the Charter Arms gun, and I will be paying for a .45 Colt cylinder I will never use. Sadly, Ruger sells the .45 Colt gun without the ACP cylinder, but if the reverse is for sale I've never seen it. I'm not a huge fan of single actions, but of all options, this would probably be the most accurate.

Here is my Blackhawk 45 Colt/45ACP that I bought brand-spanky new in 1975 for $150. I doubt you will find one for that price, but that was a lot of money for a kid in his twenties in 1975. Funny thing is, I didn't even want the ACP cylinder, I was able to find lots of 45 Colt reloads. Never even shot the ACP cylinder until a few years ago. No, it is not for sale.

A repro Remington 1958 Army blackpowder revolver, with an aftermarket .45 ACP cylinder. This would come out costing approximately as much as the Blackhawk, but I WOULD get two guns I would use out of it. I have no idea how accurate this combo might be. I handload .45 ACP, and i probably couldn't load anything too hot in this. And it is STILL a single action.

This one is chambered for 45 Colt, but you can buy one chambered for 45ACP from Howell Old West Conversions.

https://www.howellarms.com/overview

Note, because Howell sold the patent rights to his cylinder with angled chambers to Taylors Firearms, if you buy a 45 Colt or 45 ACP cylinder from him, it will be a five shot cylinder. You can only get a six shot conversion cylinder in 45 Colt from Taylors, and they do not seem to offer one chambered for 45 ACP. And yes, absolutely no heavy loads in one of these. Cowboy loads only if you are shooting it with Smokeless.

Be aware that Remington replicas, easily converted, have a cylinder that must be removed and that backplate taken off to load/unload the thing.

Not quite true Bob. If you buy one of Kirst's versions, you can install a conversion plate in the frame with a loading gate. Kirst does offer one in 45 ACP, but again, it is a five shooter.

https://shop.kirstkonverter.com/


The Governor? I wouldn't dream of owning such a ridiculous revolver. Neither it nor the equally ridiculous one made by Taurus.

An old M1917. The newest of these was made in 1946, as far as I know. Also requires clips, and tend to be expensive even for beat-up examples.

Howdy

The Postwar 1917s were made up from frames S&W bought back from the government. These were produced from 1946 until 1950.

The Brazilian Contract 1917s were sold specifically to the Brazilian government. These were made from new frames and all have a Brazilian shield marked 1937 on the side plate. Condition varies greatly. When they were imported back into the US some seem to have just been thrown into a wooden box and bounced around in the hold of a ship all the way from Brazil. I have two of them, one is in pretty nice shape, the other is pretty bunged up.






Sometimes you get lucky. I found this 1917 in a local shop. Very early, it shipped in January of 1918. It came complete with an almost full box of 45 ammo on half moon clips, also from 1918. The grips are not correct, but I like them.






Serrated hammer and GHS inspection mark instead of a Flying Bomb.






Lanyard ring and US Army marking.




US Property marking on the underside of the barrel.






Original 1917 from 1918 at the top of this photo, Brazilian 1917 at the bottom





You want a plinker? My choice would be a nice Model 1917. Shop around, the Brazilian contract models can sometimes be had reasonably. They may be a little rough on the outside, but they are usually fine inside.

Moon Clips? Absolutely not necessary. With a Colt 1917, yes, with a S&W 1917, nope. The case mouths will seat on the end of the chamber whether or not you have a moon clip. Of course you will have to poke the empties out with a stick.

Or, you could shoot 45 Auto Rims in them, specifically designed to be shot in 45ACP revolvers without the need of clips.

 

[WVGunman]

I don't get the Semi-auto in a revolver craze. I can see 9mm maybe because of the cheap ammo. But 45ACP?

It has to do with a combination of circumstances: 1) I reload .45 ACP; 2) For reloaders, revolvers are more fun to shoot because there's no need to walk around picking up brass, among other things; and 3) .45 ACP is an excellent and easy cartridge to reload, and is probably the easiest big-bore round to reload. At least, I believe it is for me.

Regarding #2, since I'm reloading the cartridge anyway, I can get in more shooting without having to scrounge brass. This is a bigger deal than you might think. The brass hunt at the end of the day is an annoyance that I'd gladly dispense with. Also, since the brass is not ejected from the gun at high speed to land on the (gravel or paved sometimes) ground, it is not banged up as much in a revolver as in an auto. Therefore, the brass lasts longer. Since .45 ACP brass is more expensive than most other common calibers, this matters. (I actually wouldn't bother loading my own 9mm unless I couldn't find any in the store. It's so cheap there's no point.)
Yet another advantage is that rounds loaded for a revolver can be up- or down-loaded much more freely than in an auto. If I want to fire 250-grain bullets at 400 fps, or at 1000 fps, a Ruger Blackhawk could do either, with no mods. A 1911 most certainly could not.
As for #3, 45 ACP is just a very forgiving round. It's low pressure, for one thing, which makes it a pretty easy round to shoot. And its big fat cases, big fat bullets, and large primers are all easier for me and my carpal tunnel to manipulate. The big cases are easier to find on the ground and easily differentiate from everything else. Heck, even the fact that it makes a big hole in the target is a plus, because I can easily see where I'm hitting. And the round's popularity mean there are lots of options for it. You can get it in revolvers, semi-auto handguns, semi-auto rifles, and can even buy a sleeve to fire it out of single-shot shotguns. Sure, .44 Mag and .45 Colt have large components, but those rounds are harder to find in the first place, their components more expensive, and have fewer options chambered in them. I do also load .44 Mag though. It picks up where .45 ACP leaves off.

 

[gotboostvr]

@WVGunman sums it up very well. I'll simply add that the short stumpy (comparatively to traditional revolver cartridges) work very well with moonclips. Especially the 45acp. They just *pop* into the cylinder. It's even more dramatic with a nice chamfer on the cylinder.

Getting the empties out isn't a problem either. Most of them just fall out since it's a low pressure cartridge. The last few are really easy to just flick out. I wouldn't want to do it in a combat situation, but that's what the moonclips and Auto Rim cases are for. It's a non-issue on the range.

 

[35 Whelen]

I have a first year production Colt Series 70 Gov't Model 45 ACP that I cherish it and love shooting it, but @WVGunman nailed it regarding having to pick up brass, such a pain. That's another reason a 45 ACP revolver is so nice.

If I want to fire 250-grain bullets at 400 fps, or at 1000 fps, a Ruger Blackhawk could do either, with no mods. A 1911 most certainly could not.

Once you decide on a revolver, order a back issue of Handloader No. 306 wherein you'll find a great article and over 400 loads for the 45 Auto Rim (Data is interchangeable with 45 ACP). All loads were developed and tested in a S&W.

35W

 

[Jack B.]

I just shoot 44 specials in a revolver if I want something around that caliber and I also shoot a lot of 45ACP out of a 1911. I've fixed the brass pickup problem with one of these.

https://ammoupusa.com/collections/rifle-and-pistol-brass/products/compact-ammo-up

 

[cfullgraf]

For the OP, for casual plinking and casual target shooting, I'd get something with adjustable sights. I'm a fan of S&W revolvers. Rugers are good revolvers, I just can't shoot single action revolvers well.

I'm a fan of moon clips. More convenient than speed loaders in my opinion. Besides my rimless round revolvers, I have three 38 Special S&W J-frames cut to accept moon clips.

With a good set of moon clip loader/unloading tools, recharging moon clips is a breeze. I have enough moon clips on hand to cover a range trip so that I do not have to unload and load them at the range.

 

[mcb]

For me moonclips have always been first and foremost about reload speed. I was attracted to USPSA because it was the first shooting sport I found that reloads had a meaningful impact on your score (along with all the other aspect of using a handgun, draw, moving, malfunction clearing (or lack of malfunctions), shooting in awkward positions, reloading, etc, not just accuracy). What division reloads most? Revolver! I started shooting Revolver in USPSA at the end of my second season. The 625 was* King of the division. I did not own or reload for 45 ACP handgun until I bought my 625 and even now it is the only 45 ACP handgun I use.

*With a rule change in 2014 the 8-shot revolvers became King of the USPSA Revolver division. The 929 is currently King with the 627/327/R8 a distance second.

 

[jmorris]

How much money are you wanting to spend? Assuming that is the driving force in you not getting what you really want.

I've been using GAP brass in mine for the last decade or so. Small primers ignite easier than large, they eject/reload a bit easier and require no tools to moon or demoon.

 

[edwardware]

Help me decide on a .45 ACP revolver. . .

. . .money IS kind of a concern, so most Smith & Wessons are more distant possibilities.
This gun would be used for plinking and non-serious target shooting.

I think the best .45ACP revolver for you is a .45Colt revolver. Same bullets and primers, rimmed cases, and much more common selection to look at.

 

[BobWright]

Not quite true Bob. If you buy one of Kirst's versions, you can install a conversion plate in the frame with a loading gate. Kirst does offer one in 45 ACP, but again, it is a five shooter.

When I posted that I was thinking of being readily interchangeable from cap-and-ball to cartridge and back at will.

Bob Wright

 

[Walkalong]

I foolishly sold a 625, wish I still had it. I'll never part with my 1955 target.

 

[PADutchman]

Whatever you decide don't make it an S&W 625JM. I bought one about 9 years ago. Biggest piece of junk I ever owned. First problem was the trigger pull was terrible. The trigger pull guage showed it at 5-6# double action. I bought a set of Wolf springs, which brought it down to about 3#. However then I had failure to fire on 3-4 rounds out of 6 constantly. Changed primers on my reloads to Federal but still had failures. Did some research and found out the firing pins in the 625JM are on the short side to pass the CA drop test. Bought and installed a new extended firing pin which help a little but still had 2-3 failures out of 6. Put the old spring back in and that solved the fail to fire issue, but then I'm back to the terrible trigger pull. I worked on that pistol for a year and couldn't get anywhere with it on a happy medium. For what I paid for that pistol I expected a whole lot more. Finally gave up and traded it in on something. Heard good things about the old 625. It's the JM series I don't care for.

 

[George P]

I bought a used 625 a couple years ago for just under $700. It's an older pre-lock model with a 5 inch barrel. I had it out yesterday. One friend calls it the gun you can't miss with
View attachment 908091

So what do you put through it so you can't miss with it.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

And its big fat cases, big fat bullets, and large primers are all easier for me and my carpal tunnel to manipulate. The big cases are easier to find on the ground and easily differentiate from everything else. Heck, even the fact that it makes a big hole in the target is a plus, because I can easily see where I'm hitting.

The very first round I learned to reload was 45 Colt, and all of those criteria apply. Big easy to handle bullets, big easy to handle cases, large pistol primers. Well, not the one about being easier to find on the ground, because I don't own any rifles chambered for 45 Colt, just revolvers.

I buy my brass in bulk from Starline. I usually buy 500 pieces at a time when I run low. 500 45 Colts cost $115, 500 45 ACP cost $102. The second round I learned to load was 44-40. $145 for 500. That is a significant difference, call me a spendthrift but I don't see much difference between $115 and $102 for 500 pieces of brass. I only load 45 Colt with Black Powder these days, (44-40 too) and loading with BP naturally costs more than loading with Smokeless because you use a heck of a lot more powder with BP. If I was still loading 45 Colt with Smokeless I would be using about 7.5 grains of Unique, which does not cost very much. Bullets I use 250 grainers, which probably don't cost a whole lot more than 230 grain ACP bullets.

 

[StrawHat]

I like ACP double action revolvers, specifically Smith& Wesson ACP revolvers. I have a few from 1918 through 20?? The best one? I carry a 22-4 as my EDC. Also have several other 4” tapered barrel ACPs that I enjoy. My 25-2 is a good shooter but not as good as my 625, ACP, Mountain Gun. Also have a 1917 Military and several 1917 Commercial Models. Great shooters if you can handle the long action. If you prefer the short action look for the Model 1950, Model 1955 and newer.

Action work is neither complicated nor necessarily required on any of these. All of mine have factory springs but they have been worked over to have smooth trigger pulls. To me that is much more important then a light trigger. All of my shooting is double action so a smooth pull is more important than a light pull.

Here are some of mine.

Kevin

 

[WVGunman]

I think the best .45ACP revolver for you is a .45Colt revolver. Same bullets and primers, rimmed cases, and much more common selection to look at.

The very first round I learned to reload was 45 Colt, and all of those criteria apply. Big easy to handle bullets, big easy to handle cases, large pistol primers.

All true, but I am looking for the ultimate in versatility. I want to be able to sit down and load some .45 ACP that will shoot in my 1911 OR my revolver. Or if I'm in the mood, whip up a batch of hot loads, then turn down the screw on the powder measure and make a bunch of pipsqueaks, with no other adjustment. .45 Colt is its own beast, with much going for it, but it doesn't have that kind of versatility. Unless I want to spring for a super-pricy specialty target gun in .32 S&W Long or .38 Special, or a Desert Eagle (definitely not) 9mm and .45 ACP are really the only options for what I want to do. Revolvers are available along with semi-autos for both, but for the reasons I named before, I really don't feel like reloading 9mm.

 

[WVGunman]

View attachment 908256 I like ACP double action revolvers, specifically Smith& Wesson ACP revolvers. I have a few from 1918 through 20?? The best one? I carry a 22-4 as my EDC. Also have several other 4” tapered barrel ACPs that I enjoy. My 25-2 is a good shooter but not as good as my 625, ACP, Mountain Gun. Also have a 1917 Military and several 1917 Commercial Models. Great shooters if you can handle the long action. If you prefer the short action look for the Model 1950, Model 1955 and newer.

Action work is neither complicated nor necessarily required on any of these. All of mine have factory springs but they have been worked over to have smooth trigger pulls. To me that is much more important then a light trigger. All of my shooting is double action so a smooth pull is more important than a light pull.

Here are some of mine.

Kevin

That stainless one in the middle is purty.

 

[StrawHat]

That stainless one in the middle is purty.

That is the 625, 45 ACP Mountain Gun. 4”, tapered barrel, round butt, black adjustable sights. I am looking to replace the fore sight with a McGivern bead.
Kevin