Colt Single Action .45 Revolver

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 4/10/2019 | J Dickson

[w1n1]

The 19th century’s legendary Colt Single Action Army Revolver rides on in the 21st.
Why would anyone today want to stake their life on a gun with a 146-year-old design and a 183-year-old lock work design? Well, there are good reasons, such as power and ease of hitting with the best pointing and fastest revolver ever made. I'm talking about Colt’s legendary M1873 Single Action Army .45 revolver.
Thanks to Hollywood, it is the most recognizable pistol in the world today and the most intimidating. It doesn’t need Hollywood’s hype, though. This gun can still stand on its own virtues.
Its .45 Colt cartridge was designed to put down a cavalry horse at 100 yards with one shot. The original load was a 250-grain bullet over 40 grains of black powder that gave 1,000 feet per second out of a 7½-inch barrel. The Army was tasked with ridding the plains of the buffalo and the Indians’ larder, and the cavalry troops found it great sport to ride alongside a buffalo and kill it with their powerful new Colt pistols. As a grizzly bear-stopper, it was tried and not found wanting.
With a .45 Colt you only need one shot per man and you can immediately turn your attention to his fellows who are also attacking you. If you have a smaller caliber and have to do a double tap, you are probably going to get killed quickly if you have even halfway competent adversaries. This caliber does not need expanding bullets to work. Read the rest of Colt single action 45 Revolver.

[Erik Latranyi]

I have several modern .45 Long Colt revolvers so I can use +P ammo and reload my own.

The Colt Anaconda in .45 LC is my favorite for hunting and self defense.

The Ruger Blackhawk is a nice single-action revolver, but I rarely use it now that I have the Anaconda.

My Ruger Vaquero is a short barrel cowboy action shooter.

[Abathar]

I would take my Python in .357 over either of my .45 LCs in a heartbeat.

The author obviously loves his single actions, and I’m a revolver man myself, but in no way is a single action superior to any of the new double action revolvers built today.

Nothing wrong with being a traditionalist, but this guy is taking his love of an era much too far. Heck, I absolutely love my .45-70s, and they certainly have their place still in hunting large game, but to think that cartridge is the pinnacle of achievement is as foolish as his believe of a single action revolver.

[Vaquero]

I have 2 old model Vaqueros in .45 Colt, basically Blackhawks, 1 regular 1 bisley that I used in cowboy action shoots for many years. Nearly Indestructible I have loads for hunting that greatly out powers my .44 mag redhawk.

I also have a second generation Colt SAA from 1961. In order not to blow it up accidentally all my magnum loads use jacketed bullets. All my light cowboy loads are lead hard cast bullets for easy identification. I only shoot my own reloads. I have bright orange warning labels on the magnum loads also.

The Colt is far more accurate than the Rugers. Probably due to an amazingly light crisp trigger pull.

[central_va]

Long Colt.

[Vaquero]

A Friend had a beautiful 6” Python. Quite a slick action. I had a 4” model 19 Smith also in .357 (gave it to my son) Also quite slick. I love both modern double action revolvers and old (Colt) and modern(Ruger) single action revolvers. Though I rarely shoot my double action revolvers in double action mode. Being a cowboy action shooter my ability to cock a single action as it is being leveled on a target makes it a wash for me as to which I would carry.

I have carried my 1884 trapdoor Springfield 45-70, deer hunting. Never fired it at a deer though. I did shoot a deer with a marlin model 1895 in 45-70. As I shot the fat doe through the ribs and didn’t hit any appreciable meat the gun was not overpowering. The doe dropped immediately.

[Snake Skin Sonny]

And THAT is the only long Colt there is.

I don't know why the insistence on calling it .45 Long Colt, when it was designated simply .45 Colt, all other .45's being ACP or Webley or other...but there is not and has never been, a Long Colt...except whatever is in that picture.

And that stuff was nasty.

[Lurker]

“the best pointing and fastest revolver ever made.”

I have a Colt Python that begs to differ.

L

[CopperTop]

I bought one of the Cimarron SAA clones last year. Great l'il gun. Fun to shoot with reasonable reloads.

It mostly just stays in the safe loaded up with snap caps, tho'. That said, it keeps the most fingerprints on it from playing with it every time I open the safe. d;^)

[NativeSon]

Works every time.

[central_va]

A completely unique experience.

[SJSAMPLE]

I was buying a new Uberti El Patrol repro and choosing among .45LC and .357Magnum. The gap between chambers on the .45LC looked paper thin, so I went with the .357 which can handle modern ammo.

[SJSAMPLE]

Sure, but there’s something about a case-hardened frame, single-piece wood grips and a deep charcoal blue SA revolver that you load through the gate. That, and a sweet Cheyenne rig to carry it in.

[Parley Baer]

I have a few Colt SAA. The oldest dates from 1876.

[Oatka]

I don't know why the insistence on calling it .45 Long Colt, when it was designated simply .45 Colt,

It is my understanding that the name came about when the Army ordered ammo for the Frontier forts. The Smith & Wesson top-break revolver was also popular with the cavalry due to its faster reload time. The problem was that the metallurgy of the time wouldn't allow it to be chambered for the more powerful 45 Colt, so the shorter 45 Schofield was invented.

As is usual, someone sent out cases of the longer 45 Colt to the S&W users, so the Army specified "Long Colt" for the M1973s and "Colt" for the S&W.