re 45 colt or 44 mag
which has more velocity and energy
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lots of variables there. 0 -
mason pro,
44 mag has both. It's a high pressure round where the .45 colt isn't loaded to nearly as high of pressures.
Edit:
Generally, a 200-400 fps advantage to the .44 magnum with same weight bullets. Most revolvers built to take a .45 Colt aren't built to handle the high pressures of the .44 magnum.0 -
CAN the 45 Colt be loaded to equal or exceed the 44 Mag? Yes. Is it smart to do so? No. Problem is not the weapon (well, sometimes it could be the weapon) the problem is the brass. Cut a 45 in cross section, and a 44. Note the difference in thickness of brass, especially near the base. Potential to blow out the case. Ungood.[B)] 0 -
As a factory cartridge goes, the awards have to go to the 44 Magnum.
There are some revolvers, and singleshot pistols that a 45 colt can be loaded really hot in, and hot enough to exceed all 44 Magnum ballistics. The firearms are are very sturdy like the Ruger Blackhawk, Freedom Arms, Ruger Redhawk, and the Colt Anaconda, as well as the S&W 460XVR, and TC Encore, to name a few.
As stated before, the loads that will exceed the 44 magnum ballistics, are +P or +P+ rated, and care must be excercised to get the appropriate brass to do so. I suspect that since you have asked this question, that you wil not have to worry about this for a while.
There are loads available from buffalo bore and Garrett, that are +P. Care must be taken not to put them in SAA or replica guns.
Best
EDIT1:
quote:According to Shooting Times ballistc tables:
45 LC 200 gr. 532 Ft. Lbs. Muzzel energy.
44 Rem Mag 250 gr. 1,859 Ft. Lbs, Muzzel energy.
I suppose you could goose up the 45 LC, but you've got a long ways to go.
Please go and look at the loads listed by CorBon, Buffalo Bore and Garrett. You will soon see that the 45 Long Colt can easily exceed the 44 Remington Magnum. However, it must be done using STRONG firearms, and STRONG casings. These loads must never be used in blackpowder guns, or their modern day replica's. Their frames are not strong enough. This includes SAA's, Remington single action revolvers, Smith and Wesson's, and any of their copies.0 -
CorBon offers three .45 Colt loads which equal or slightly exceed the "standard" .44 Mag factory loads. They call them .45 Colt "Magnum" loads and strongly caution that they should only be used in Freedom Arms, Ruger Blackhawk models (including the Old Vaquero), T/C single shots, H&R/NEF single barrel rifles, and one or two of the STRONGER lever actions (don't remember the Model numbers). First is a 265 grain Bonded-Core Hollow Point bullet at a muzzle velocity (MV) of 1350 fps and muzzle energy of 1073 ft. lbs. The second high pressure Cor-Bon load fires a 300 grain Jacketed Soft Point bullet at a MV of 1300 fps and ME of 1126 ft. lbs. The third load uses a 335 grain Hard Cast lead bullet at a MV of 1050 fps and ME of 820.3 ft. lbs.
Of course they could also be used in pieces designed to fire the .454 Casul and/or .460 S&W Mag.0 -
quote:Originally posted by mason pro
which has more velocity and energy
With ordinary factory loads, or to ordinary SAAMI cartridge specs, the .44 (Remington) magnum is much more powerful, yielding significantly higher velocities AND energies.
The reason, briefly, is that the .45 (long) Colt was originally designed in the 19th century using black powder. There is only so much velocity you could get from a bullet using steel from that era, and black powder, and the pressure standard of that round is relatively low.
The .44 magnum, on the other hand, was designed in the 1950s to use more powerful smokeless powder, in guns built of better steel.
Now, as mentioned, its *possible* to load .45 Colt cases to get loads that approach or even exceed ordinary .44 magnum ballistics.
But the problem is you have to be very careful which GUNS you put loads like that though, since many of them (particularly older ones) are simply not strong enough to handle .44 magnum like pressures and will blow up.
Also, you have to be careful which BRASS cases you load like that, since ordinary .45 colt brass cases (which are designed for lower pressures) may burst under extreme .44 magnum like pressure.
If you are interested in working with hot .45 Colt loads, the .454 Casull magnum is basically just a "magnumized" .45 Colt, designed to run at .44 magnum like pressures.0 -
According to Shooting Times ballistc tables:
45 LC 200 gr. 532 Ft. Lbs. Muzzel energy.
44 Rem Mag 250 gr. 1,859 Ft. Lbs, Muzzel energy.
I suppose you could goose up the 45 LC, but you've got a long ways to go.0
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