Looking for a 45 cal lever gun

[Clark]

The 45 Colt with 24 gr H110 250 gr XTP is not a high pressure load, but it is a high recoil load.
It will do 1500 fps in the rifle and 1200 fps in the Ruger revolver.
You can shoot a few of these to prove your manhood, but after a dozen shots, the fun drains out of it.

In any case I would break the edge on the Ruger hammer [should have been done at the factory] to protect the hand web from cutting.
I would put a recoil pad on the Winchester to protect the shoulder from bruising.

 

[RPRNY]

The 45 Colt with 24 gr H110 250 gr XTP is not a high pressure load, but it is a high recoil load.
.

Again, we have to be careful offering specific load advice to people when that is not published data.

24 grs H110 is 1.7 grs below the starting load listed in the Ruger only loads section of H110's marketer, Hodgdon, and that a powder that Hodgdon has repeatedly and specifically has warned against using in loads below published starting data. (It lists no H110 loads in the section for SAAMI compliant loads). Is 7% below published starting loads safe? Maybe. But, at a minimum, it is worth noting that the load is below published minimums for a powder that the manufacturer urges not be used at below published minimums. FWIW, which is only the value of my opinion and nothing more, I have used this exact load to great success on sub-150 lbs hogs from my Rossi 92.

 

[Reloadron]

I just picked up an Old Model Vaquero in .45Colt and wanted a companion for it. I got the Old Model because it will handle the Ruger only loads. Should I expect that any lever action rifle will also handle them?

My choice in a lever gun would be an older Marlin 1894S or Winchester 94 in the 45 Colt chambering, simply because I like those rifles.

As to Ruger loads? The majority of references I see to the heavier 45 Colt loading are suggested for Ruger Blackhawk revolvers and T/C (Thompson Center) Contenders. They are not suggested for the Ruger Vaquerp revolvers, not in any published load data I have seen anyway. You may want to give that some consideration when hand loading the 45 Colt cartridge. The mention of the Ruger Blackhawk and Thompson Center appear in the older Speer #12 and the newer Hornady 9th reloading manuals. Should you decide to push the 45 Colt cartridge I suggest a good tight crimp on the cartridges. Beyond that you are on your own so start low and work up.

Ron

 

[Llama Bob]

There are no published Winchester 92 or Marlin 94 only loads comparable to those for certain models of Ruger and Freedom Arms revolvers in any manuals that I have seen. Your opinion of what Marlin and Winchester rifles can handle doesn't cut it. Dangerous. Bad advice.

Varminterror is right, you are ignorant. There is no problem running "Ruger only" loads in a modern steel Winchester 1892, Winchester 1894, or Marlin 94. All three of them are designed for .44mag and more than sufficient.

 

[Llama Bob]

You could have asked and engaged in an actual conversation but you chose to take the low road instead with misguided absolutes and personal comments.

My statements are based on discussions with noted gunsmiths and authors Mic McPherson and Paco Kelly, along with Bob Baker of Freedom Arms. Along with many others I've inquired of building a fast twist levergun tuned for shooting long, heavyweight cast bullets. I spoke just last year with Jack Huntington and crew about building a Marlin 1894 in .500JRH and you think it can't take "Ruger only" .45 loads??? You are simply uninformed and out of your depth.

http://leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm

http://www.gunblast.com/Paco_Legacy_454.htm

100% correct. All of these higher pressure small frame lever guns are factory chambered in .44mag. Since steel can't read headstamps, it's safe to assume a .45 Colt load of similar bolt thrust will be fine. In practice there's a lot of margin beyond that, especially in the Winchester 92.

 

[Clark]

I calculate gun strength, and I verify with destructive testing, both in screw torque and overload work ups.
Looking at my Win 92s, they can take a lot.
When I look inside my Win 73, that scares me

 

[RPRNY]

Varminterror is right, you are ignorant. There is no problem running "Ruger only" loads in a modern steel Winchester 1892, Winchester 1894, or Marlin 94. All three of them are designed for .44mag and more than sufficient.

And you are rude, wrong, and at risk of doing someone harm.

Your opinion, no matter how highly you value it, is not the basis for giving advice to someone that they should exceed published loads for firearms manufactured to SAAMI Spec. I hope very much that if someone is ever a victim of your irresponsible and wrong assertions that you will be held accountable.

 

[Robert]

Oh enough. The sky is blue, no it's green, no it's blue here is some scientists that day so, no it's green because I say so... ENOUGH