(PACO)

Those that voraciously disagree with the word ‘LONG’ in the phrase 45 Long Colt............don’t e-mail me.....my spiritual brother (for almost a lifetime), and dear friend, John Taffin, has been trying to change my position for decades....and John may be correct, as all of you may. But in this, I am unrepentant...why? Because among other reasons, I have a full box of 45 Short Colt ammo produced in 1883 and that got me to really investigate! Not Schofield...but “45 Short Colt” Ammunition.....(230 grain bullet/hollow base/28 grains B.P.) People back then called them LONG or SHORT Colts when making purchases......so do I today.

If Legacy truly has a 92 action that will take 454 full pressures over a sustained high number of rounds fired...like 10,000 of them...then they have made some changes to the steel and the design we don’t know about...in my tests now over one thousand heavy pressure commercial and in handloads, the 454 Legacy has performed wonderfully. I actually thought with full loads it wouldn’t sustain even that. But I’m now glad I can say I was wrong.!

Something has changed..I know a very late model, carbon steel built Browning/Winchester 92, will not take more than a few hundred rounds of 454 pressures before it gets a beginning case of bolt set back. My 1990s 45 Colt Rossi model ‘92 with 24 inch octagon barrel also didn’t do well at the 60,000 lb. Level of pressure. One Winchester was so bad, the mortises on the bolt itself had to be peened back in place, and the steel bolt blocks had to be given Mig Weld lines up the front of them, and ground and refitted to regain action tightness. In our case, I was reloading 45 long Colt cases to 60,000+cup. When a modern Rossi...a Christmas present from my children and wife three years ago, is loaded to a top end of 50,000 cup....no damage has occurred after thousands of rounds.

Because of the changes in today’s steels (since the discoveries during the 2nd WW, I would worry about any converted old 1892 Winchesters to 45 long Colt) modern Browning, Winchester, Legacy and Nave Arms, are made today from excellent steels and will take magnum pressures...Remember the first 357 magnum S&W rounds were rated at 47,000 psi. We tested original 1935 first run ammo in 357 revolvers last year and they gave well over 1500 fps from an S&W N-Frame 8 inch+ revolver...so the pressures had to be up there. The modern 92s no matter the caliber will easily take magnum handgun pressures. Certainly they take hot 44 magnum pressures without problems, so they will take the same in reloads with the 45 long Colt. I’m sure most know by now that friends John Taffin, Brian Pierce, Jim Wilson, Jim Taylor, myself and others have killed the big lie that 45 Colt brass is weaker than 44 magnum brass...or any other type. So 45 brass at these high pressures is not a problem.

So where are we.....? Modern 92s, factory chambered in 45 long Colt can take 50,000+ cup loads. But I wouldn’t trust custom rebuilt old 92 actions in 45 long Colt to be able to sustain those top pressures, unless I knew the date of the action, and it was at the very least well after the 1930s. Also I have found that some of the heavy loads I use daily in my Ruger S/As in long Colt, are too warm for the early 1980s Winchester 94 actions in 45 long Colt. I have blown extractors, loosened ejectors, on them. Now that is my warm loads in the Rugers. Most folks don’t load that high...and I can understand that.

So I would put the very upper limit on pressure in these fine model 94 Winchester and Marlin leveractions at 40,000+ cup...the same as the 30-30 class of top pressures for deer, black bear, and hogs. Use top 45 Colt loads for hunting and such, but lesser loads for fun, small game, pests, and varmints. They work really well on any size feral dogs or good sized ‘yotes.

Remember a medium load of 1600 fps for a 300 grain bullet from a 45 long Colt rifle at acceptable pressure with the right powders...and that can give 1700+ lbs of muzzle punch...!!!! Even a simple low pressure load that gives only 1000 fps with a 300 grain cast bullet gives over 660 ft.lbs of muzzle energy...so the Winchesters and the Marlins in normal actions give plenty of power. And in the lower 48..(lower 48 states) one could wonder why you would need more power than the standard Marlins and Winchesters in 45 long Colt. I like the 92 actions because I love the rifles....and having the potential of extra power when and if needed also helps...but it’s the actions I love. At the right range even Moose in the Minnesota regions will fall to 1700 to 1800 lbs of muzzle energy...with the right bullet.

Since few of us get to hunt moose in the lower 48, it is a moot question. But it will put elk, large wild boar, and big black bears right out of this life.....swiftly....When the right bullet is placed right, like in any hunting with any caliber....

Cast Performance (link on front page of Sixgunner.com), produces a WFN in 45/300 grain that is a killer with excellent accuracy. I thought the large meplate would slow penetration in large animals.....but at a simple 1700 fps it went stem to stern in a good size, tough old boar pig...(250 lbs on hoof).

I was sitting on my duff wondering why all of a sudden the ants were finding certain parts of my anatomy so fascinating...when I heard him coming and grunting and complaining, like his boss gave him a hard time at work. Ants forgotten, I lifted the Win/94 in 45 long Colt....300 grain WFN (wide flat nose) loaded to about 1500+ fps giving around a 1500 ft.lbs.or less of muzzle punch. He broke cover at 65 long paces...I was even with his chest, so I put it there...it traversed his entire body and exited after going thru his left hip joint (back leg joint socket). Kelly Brost owner of Cast Performance Bullets with his wife, the other half of the ownership....makes them right. It is an art to get the right lead/tin/antimony/ mix to have cast bullets penetrate so well at such velocities, and yet still expand at lower velocities....but obviously it is an art Kelly knows well.

I once whacked one of our famous and tough old jack rabbits (the Arizona type made from bailing wire, hard tack, and ½ inch leather strips) with one of Kelly’s 275 grain 45 slugs at around 2000 fps muzzle velocity. I know I hit him at right under 100 paces...even with recoil I saw bits and hunks go everywhere....but when I got there, I found nothing that resembled a rabbit of any kind..though there was a lot of very small pieces of fur and such over a six to seven foot circle. By the way that’s somewhat close to 2700 lbs of muzzle energy.

A better comparison indicator for me, of where a handloaded round is in the scale of killing ability...is to compare it’s standing against other rounds without the over rated muzzle energy figures. If you multiply the velocity times the bullet weight, and then divide by 7000 (number of grains in a lb, it’s the old Keith method) you get a better picture of actual power/killing levels compared to other rounds. 2000 X 275 div 7000 = KS(Killing Scale) of 79 for this 45 long Colt load from the Rossi 1892. A 44 magnum Ruger revolver with a 275 grain (same nose shape) cast WFN bullet at 1400 FPS velocity reaches a level of KS 55, and that’s a heavy handgun load that’s harvests larger medium game very well.

A 30-30 with a 170 gr bullet at 2200 FPS gives a level of power ranking at KS 53.4... ahh yes dear reader, the 44 mag from a long gun really does have more power at 100 yards than a 30-30/170 commercial load. Of course the 44 mag/275 gr. load above from a rifle, at basically the same velocity as the 275 gr./45 long Colt from a rifle has the same killing level potential as the 45 long Colt. There are difficulties with all measuring methods of bullet energy and killing ability since so much more is involved than just velocity and weight...but this works for me when we are comparing the same bullet shape/content and construct with changes in weight or velocity.

The neat thing about this method is you can take the down range velocities all the way out to your longest range and compare them with the down range velocities of other rounds, calibers and see the changes compared to each other. The 45 long Colt at 100 yards has slowed to 1600 FPS and the killing level has dropped to almost KS of 63 from 79. Where the 30-30 load has dropped to 1930FPS to a KS 46 from 53.4.....that should make a few yell ‘foul...can’t be’, but it is! And from my use of these 45 loads in the field for years on large game....I can tell you it is.....! As many gunwriters have stated over the years, a 44 mag or heavy loaded 45 long Colt fired from a rifle is more powerful than a 30-30 at 100 yards....actually they are more powerful than the great 30-30, at a lot further than 100 yards.....

So the next time someone states the 44 mag and 45 long Colt from rifles only has an advantage over the 30-30 under 100 yards...show him the error of his reality. But remember bullet drop with the larger calibers, is more than the 308 calibers ....But that never bothered me....mainly because I started rifle shooting without scopes and learned how to compensate....scopes were far from being seen, much less using them, when we were boys. (Some like to say so was smokeless powder, but I’m not that old).

Pushing a 335 grain cast WFN at 1800 fps is around top end for a 1892 action for me. That puts the KS at almost 86! So this gives a good picture of what a so called lowly 45 long Colt can really do. What a lion killer that 335 grain 45 long Colt load would be. The Win 94s and Marlins in 45 long Colt can push a 330 to 340 grain cast bullet to 1600 FPS and a KS of 76 and that’s no sleaze...because 40+ caliber bullets of this weight will penetrate incredible distances thru animals, with great disruptive force to tissue and bone. Except for upper bullet weight limit, because of bullet length and the less powder room in the 44 mag case and the 45 case....I see little difference in both up to 300+ grains. As long as shape, material of the bullet construction, and the velocity are the same. The slight differences in B.C. (Bullet Coefficient) make little down range differences between the two. Going to bullet weights of 325+grains and higher, begin the power level changes in favor of the 45 over the 44 mag...but as said is that potential power really needed in normal hunting in the lower states...Alaska yes, Africa fine...and it’s nice to have the potential if needed.

Personally I think they are beautiful, the actions are as smooth as glass on most, but they are weak because of the three part toggle bolt/action design. And pressure must stay around the original 14,000 cup (a little higher than PSI). Small deer at short ranges are my top limit on game size with these smooth but weal linked rifles...about what I would do with a 45 acp from a 14 inch T/C barrel. There are a number of importers on today’s market..but the 73s are all around the same strength...even the so called Iron Frames (which are soft machining steel) it is the design that is at fault. Too bad they can’t manufacture a stronger design, and keep it that smooth. The Henry Rifle Company is putting out a 44 magnum cosmetically looking 73, the internal system is NOT the weak three part toggle system....but I have not tested one yet....!

I basically stay with the old reloading manual levels of pressure for the 45 long Colt in reloading the modern repo ‘73s. Bullseye is too fast, my 6 grain load for example, under the Keith 255/260 cast bullet (cast not jacketed) at 800 FPS from a 7.5 inch 45 long Colt revolver has a nasty ‘fast peak’ pressure, and only1000 fps from the 20 inch rifle barrels.

Even though it is fine in modern Colt type thumb-busters, the pressure cycle for me and mine is wrong. 5 grains of Bullseye under 300 grain cast bullets would go around 820 fps from the 1873s at 13,000 cup, but I still stay with slower powders. Unique is always hard to beat in situations like this, 7 grains and 13,000 cup will give over 900 FPS from my rifle. But not surprisingly, good old 2400 runs turns in a stellar performance...at 12.5 to 13 grains and still around 13,000 cup...but because of it’s slower pressure rise/burn rate, 1110 FPS is the top velocity load for my 73s. Substantially above a 45 acp 230 grain at 800 FPS...or even the new hot loads of 165 to 180 grains over 1000 to 1100 FPS.

If I wanted to build a decent medium game load to 100 yards with the 73s...I would start with 165 to 180 grain bullets and 12 grains of 2400 (jacketed bullets) and work up very carefully. I have no doubt I could reach 1250 to 1300 fps with the 165s, probably safely....but why take chances with these expensive beauties? Stay at old factory level loads...and buy a ‘94 or ‘92 for heavy work.

Winchester’s 94 chambered in 30-30 will take 40,000 cup. I am sure the Marlin and Winchester leverguns in 45 long Colt will also...especially since both easily handle the 44 mag round in the heavy commercial loads. The case rims on the 30-30 and the 45 long Colt are close...the 45 long Colt WW brass I have measures .510 at the rim and the 30-30 R-P nickel brass measures .500. The body of the 45 brass is the same as the 45 acp brass .475, though the body at the case head of the 30-30 brass is much smaller, the taper causes about the same ‘backthrust’ with the same pressure loads as the larger rimmed 45 brass..

I load for the Ruger and the 94s so both can easily take the pressures of my hunting loads. My hunting load is 20 grains of 2400 and the 300/310 grain cast WFN LBT bullets of Cast Performance. In testing pressures for the Ruger years ago...Hodgdon found that 18.5/2400 under a 300 grain cast bullet gave 29,000 PSI...from my tight (barrel gap closed to minimum) Ruger 7.5" barrel S/A I was getting 1180 fps. From the 20 inch Win 94 carbine, that load was going 1540 fps. Which is a medium load from a Freedom Arms (300 grainer loaded to 1500 fps) handgun. Every pig I hit with that load gave up the ghost within 50 to 60 yards with side chest shots. Using the 300 grain NEI Giles cast .452 bullet in those days, and some of the 191/Lyman 300 grainers step sized down. Rarely did those slugs stay inside these big animals with side shots. 20/2400 from the long barreled Ruger gave 1240 fps. And raised the velocity from the 20 inch rifle barrel to 1650+ fps. Not surprisingly, because of the slower burn rate 4227, with 22 grains it gives near 1710 fps from the Winchester.

16.5/2400 under a 350 grain cast bullet was fine in my Winchester giving just at 1450 fps, and what a penetrator....out of the Ruger it went 1020 fps. When reloading 340 and higher weights in the 45 long Colt case one must be careful...the length of the bullet decreases the powder room...and pressures can skyrocket. Remington years ago tested 38 special wadcutter loads with 3.4 grains of Bullseye...pushing the bullet deeper into the case an 1/8th inch at a time till it bottomed out. The 147 grain wadcutter bullet is long and takes up a lot of internal space. At the bottom of the case the pressure was so high it could scatter a Python. Same kind of thing can happen with very heavy 45 bullets. So take care, reach any load with those bullets carefully, and with good reloading practices....

I like the 260 grain Keith cast bullets in the 45 long Colt rifles and handguns. 22/2400 in my guns go well over 32,000 CUP...they give near 1370 fps in the Rugers and well over 1800 fps in the rifles. And that gives a SK of 67..which is very good. There are better elk loads...but if I was out woods loafing with this load in a Winchester or Marlin levergun, and an elk was dumb enough to stop by to say hello or wave hi out to an easy 150 yards...he would join us for the winter. Restriction on the range would be because of my older eyes not the load. These types of loads at these velocities really begin to fall groundward after 150 yards.

There is a whole world of surprises waiting the reloader using the rifle powder ReL#7 in the 45 long Colt case for rifles. (Rifle powder not #7 pistol powder) With the 260 Keith I start with 25 grains and work up. I want anybody that wants to try it...to work up slowly so I’m not giving the top load..but the top velocity from the Winchester is 1800 to top end 2000 fps. And in the Browning 1892 action it will reach nearly 2200 fps or more and a SK of 82. Go slow with mag/pistol primers, and ReL#7 and because of it’s slow burn rate, it gives great velocities. H4227 is the other really good powder, but obviously not as slow as ReL#7.

Please read carefully, there is pressure and there is pressure. Any small change in bullet weight, case thickness, case length, primer type, and many others can change the pressure very quickly...and if you are playing with top loads...take care!!! The next list of loads I feel are top even in the 1892s much less the 94s. I know as I said the 94s are rated for 40,000 CUP level loads...but I would be very careful approaching even 34 to 35,000 CUP....then if it absolutely safe move up. Older but strong leverguns belong in the 25,000+ CUP levels, the new strong Marlins and Win 94s are certainly strong enough for the 30,000 to 35,000 CUP levels. The new strong 92s can go to 50,000 CUP but I would not give them a steady diet of that. DO THEY RECOIL? FROM THE BENCH SOME OF THESE LOADS WITH RIFLES WITH STEEL BUTT PLATES ARE DOWNRIGHT UGLY......

NEXT: Some very balanced rifle loads:

ALL LOADS TESTED IN MY 1892S.....WINCHESTER AND MARLIN 94S.

• 260 Keith 12/Unique 30,000 CUP for 1600 fps

• 260 Keith 18.5/2400 26,000 CUP for 1666 fps

• 260 Keith 20/2400 30,000 CUP for 1770 fps

• 260 Keith 22/2400 32,600 CUP for 1870 fps

• 260 Keith 23.5/296 22,000 CUP for 1599 fps

• 260 Keith 25/296 25,000 CUP for 1710 fps

• 260 Keith 26/296 30,000 CUP for 1850 fps

• 260 Keith 27/296 32,000 CUP for 1940 fps

• 260 Keith 26 H110 29,900 CUP for 1855 fps

• 260 Keith 27/H110 32,500 CUP for 1965 fps

• 260 Keith 22/H4227 29,000 CUP for 1710 fps

• 260 Keith 25/H4227 31,000 CUP for 1880 fps

• 300 grain WFN/LBT 15/HS7 32,000 CUP 1610 fps

• 300 grain WFN/LBT 24/H110 32,500 CUP 1705 fps

• 300 grain Lyman 191 (sized down to .451) 20/2400 31,900 CUP 1650 fps

• 300 grain Lyman 191 “ 25/H110 32500 CUP 1710 fps

• 300 WFN 27/H110 46,000 CUP/for 92s 2180 fps

• 340 SSK/WFN 24/H110 33,000 CUP 1680 fps

• 335 CAST PERF/WFN 26/H110 50,000 CUP (for strong 92s) 1910 fps (like a 45-70)

• 23/H110 1715 fps 31,500 CUP

• 20/2400 1675 fps 33,000 CUP

• NEI/Keith 325 27/H110 50,000 CUP (for 92s) 2121 fps (again like a 45-70)

350 grain WFN/LBT (CAST PERFORMANCE BULLETS)

• 16.5/2400 1450 fps/ 30,000 CUP

• 21/H110 1590 fps/ 32,500 CUP

• 24/H110 1660 fps/ 48,000 CUP