Range report Colt 3rd gen SAA with oversized throats

[silicosys4]

So I had the chance to take out a new arrival, A previously well-enjoyed 1980 Colt New Frontier SAA in .45 Colt.

Initially I was a bit disappointed on receiving it...they cylinder has a bit more play on lockup than I'd like, maybe a mm of side to side and half a mm endshake, so hopefully I can tighten that up a bit. Don't know if that's normal but seems excessive from my experience with other SA's.

But I went ahead and replaced the goofy pachmayr grips with some 3rd gen grips I had laying around and decided to send some rounds downrange to see where we are at.

The only loads I have for the .45 Colt are some plinker reloads using a light charge of Unique under a Lee TL 200gr .45acp SWC sized to .452.
After reading that Colt .45 throats tend to be cut on the generous side, I gave it a try and was able to drop those same 200gr SWC's straight through all 6 chambers without resistance.
My basis for comparison is a USFA SA in .45 Colt, which requires mild finger pressure to push the same bullet through all 6 throats.

I was ready for sub par accuracy and heavy leading, but I got decent accuracy, 2-3" at 12 yards, and zero leading. Good enough for a range load.
Pretty surprising results after reading the various horror stories online about Colt's oversized throats.

 

[Slamfire]

After reading that Colt .45 throats tend to be cut on the generous side, I gave it a try and was able to drop those same 200gr SWC's straight through all 6 chambers without resistance.
My basis for comparison is a USFA SA in .45 Colt, which requires mild finger pressure to push the same bullet through all 6 throats.

My USFA Rodeo, the factory told me were 0.453 diameter throats.

Colts have the reputation for being anywhere between 0.452 to 0.458"

I had a 45LC S&W M25-2 with 0.456" throats and it did not shoot accurately with 0.452 cast bullets. It did shoot better when I found 0.454 commercial cast bullets, still I traded it for a S&W M1989 M25-7 with 0.452" chamber mouths. As that revolver shoots 0.454 bullets as well as 0.452, I ordered the larger bullets and shoot them in everything.

I was ready for sub par accuracy and heavy leading, but I got decent accuracy, 2-3" at 12 yards, and zero leading. Good enough for a range load.
Pretty surprising results after reading the various horror stories online

Shooting for group size at 12 yards is not exactly stressing. Rock Island Customer service thought this was acceptable at 15 yards, with a cheap 1911

these are targets by a good bullseye shooter, to show his ammunition was accurate

he did this holding the pistol in one hand, offhand

he did this with one hand, offhand at 50 yards

If your groups were two to three inches at 50 yards I would say you found your load.

 

[silicosys4]

My USFA Rodeo, the factory told me were 0.453 diameter throats.

Colts have the reputation for being anywhere between 0.452 to 0.458"

I had a 45LC S&W M25-2 with 0.456" throats and it did not shoot accurately with 0.452 cast bullets. It did shoot better when I found 0.454 commercial cast bullets, still I traded it for a S&W M1989 M25-7 with 0.452" chamber mouths. As that revolver shoots 0.454 bullets as well as 0.452, I ordered the larger bullets and shoot them in everything.



Shooting for group size at 12 yards is not exactly stressing. Rock Island Customer service thought this was acceptable at 15 yards, with a cheap 1911

these are targets by a good bullseye shooter, to show his ammunition was accurate

he did this holding the pistol in one hand, offhand

he did this with one hand, offhand at 50 yards

If your groups were two to three inches at 50 yards I would say you found your load.

I wasn't expecting anything close to 3" at 12 yards, so for a generic, cheap plinking load that shares the same bullet as my .45acp range load I'm perfectly happy.

 

[black mamba]

If your bullets are soft enough to slug up in the throats, then over-sized isn't a death knell to accuracy. Too hard a bullet and you have a problem.

 

[lightman]

That seems kind of sloppy for what is a fairly expensive pistol! Glad it shoots well for you.

 

[CraigC]

My New Frontier has terribly oversized throats but still shoots a .452" RNFP into an inch at 25yds. The 275gr Hunters Supply WFN over a stiff dose of 2400 shoots almost as well. I was shocked.

 

[silicosys4]

That seems kind of sloppy for what is a fairly expensive pistol! Glad it shoots well for you.

Haha, it does, doesn't it. I was wondering whether those stubby SWC's would fall through those throats without hitting the forcing cone sideways or blowing lead down the barrel.
I've read various reasons behind Colt's oversized .45 throats, none of which seem to hold water for the last 80 of the over 100 years that Colt was cutting them so large

 

[Jim Watson]

BP era Colts tended toward small chamber throats. Maybe the black would set them up in the forcing cone.

maybe a mm of side to side and half a mm endshake,

That's terrible.
People say "millimeter" like it was a small measurement. Not in gun fit. A millimeter is neary .04" which would be a goshawful lot of play and half that would be monster endshake.
Maybe show it to somebody with good gauges for a precise check.

 

[silicosys4]

BP era Colts tended toward small chamber throats. Maybe the black would set them up in the forcing cone.



That's terrible.
People say "millimeter" like it was a small measurement. Not in gun fit. A millimeter is neary .04" which would be a goshawful lot of play and half that would be monster endshake.
Maybe show it to somebody with good gauges for a precise check.

Enough that you can cock it, dry fire it, keep the trigger back, and rattle it like a maraca...Clackety Clack! I'll have to pick up a set of feeler gauges and see what the cylinder gap is
I chalked it up to the infamous 1980's Colt quality control.

 

[CraigC]

It might need a new bolt fitted to the window in the frame.

 

[LonesomePigeon]

In my 3rd Gen .45's I have been getting good accuracy with bullets cast from 1:40 tin and lead. The 1:40 seems to work better than pure lead or 1:20 and it seems to work well with both .454" and .452" bullets. There is some leading. Next time I buy lead from Roto Metals I think I will try some 1:30.