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.44 mag or .45 long colt

gunzforever
i want to know what has more power in general a .44 magnum or a .45 long colt, and what would be better for home protection also should i use BALL or hollow point
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10 comments

Date Votes
  • JAK71454
    The 44 mag has much more power than the 45 Colt. It is not called a .45 long Colt. I don't think I have ever seen ball ammo for a 44 mag. I am sure with a modern gun in .45 Colt you could load it up near 44 mag. power if the case will hold. Jim

    Jim Kammerer
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  • forthhorseman
    First, its 45COLT, not Long Colt despite what you might find printed elsewhere.

    Second, 44MAG in standard factory loadings is more powerful than 45COLT. 44MAG even in its more lightly loaded versions generally produces well in excess of 1,100fps muzzle velocity (1,200fps is quite common) and in the nature of 800ft/lbs muzzle energy. 45COLT is more in the area of 900 or so feet per second muzzle velocity or less for cowboy loads, etc.) and more in the nature of 400ft/lbs muzzle energy. 45COLT can be loaded to higher performance by someone who knows what they're doing and there are some much hotter "hunting" loads which nearly equal 44MAG performance. 45COLT is a good all around and fairly powerful cartridge. I personally find it much easier to shoot well than 44MAG and think it can make an excellent defensive cartridge. I recommend hollow points for home defense because there's a better chance the round will stay in the target as opposed to over penetrating and causing damage beyond the target.

    All of that being said however, another option is to get a 44MAG revolver like a Smith & Wesson 629 and shoot 44Specials in it. 44Special's power is much more on par with that of 45COLT but I have found it to be more accurate than 45COLT. Again, I recommend hollow point 44Specials for home defense to cut down on over penetration potential as I mentioned earlier.
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  • jamn
    44 mag in general has greater velocity if you buy your ammo. I have owned a 45lc and it was almost the same as 44spcl. I have seen some tests with guys that load their own ammo and used them in Rugers(I guess Rugers are approved for higher pressures)and they had almost the same velocity as the 44 mag but had greater penetration. My 45lc was a Taurus and was only approved for a 250gr at the most. I know that I shot at a 2X4(outside) with a 44 mag hollow point from about 50ft away and it did not move the board at all but it cut right through it with a perfect circle. I do not keep hollow points in my mag at home for this reason. I keep 44spl ball. I am in no way an expert either. Just my experience.

    James
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  • gap1916
    If you re loading the 45lc can be loaded as hot and even hotter than the 44mag. If you are just buying off the shelf the 44mag is the way to go. For self defense hollow points are not required for ither. I would use the 44spl in sjsn same for the 45lc. My 2 cents [8D]

    Greg
    Former Marine
    2nd A N G L I C O
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  • ghotie_thumper
    I have a ruger 45colt and a dan wesson 44mag. With the new loads by PMC and the like, you get energy pretty much equal to a 44mag in a 45colt. You can't shoot those higher pressure loads in all guns, refer to the ammo makers specs. You could always go with a 454casull which has more power than the 44mag and can shoot 45colt as well.

    Common Sense is an Uncommon Virtue.
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  • ghotie_thumper
    Almost forgot, the tendency of ball ammo to penetrate would generally give the edge to hollow point ammo in home defense situations imho. There are a few 'frangible' loads out there, Glaser comes to mind, that are available and are designed for defensive situations where you don't want a bullet to go through 4 walls a couple 2by4s and the neighbors cat. They are expensive but aren't intended for lots of target practice. Good luck.

    Common Sense is an Uncommon Virtue.
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  • aglore
    Loaded to the same pressure, the 45 Colt is better than the 44 mag. Once the 44 mag has been loaded to maximum, you can still equal that with the 45 Colt, but with the bigger case of the 45 Colt, you will soon surpass the 44 mag. Don't let people fool you with the idea that the 45 Colt case is not a strong case. The old ballon head cases are not strong, but those type of cases have not been made for the 45 Colt in 80 or more years.

    AlleninAlaska
    Delta Firearms & Supplies
    http://www.galleryofguns.com

    aglore@gci.net
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  • whompuss
    quote:Originally posted by JAK71454
    The 44 mag has much more power than the 45 Colt. It is not called a .45 long Colt. I don't think I have ever seen ball ammo for a 44 mag. I am sure with a modern gun in .45 Colt you could load it up near 44 mag. power if the case will hold. Jim

    Jim Kammerer

    Hate to tell you Jim but I have a box of .45 that is marked 45 Long Colt. If you walk into any gun store (not Wally World) and ask for Long Colt you will get 45 Colt vs 45 S&W or 45 Schofield, both of which will work in the 45 Colt (AKA LONG COLT>) You can debate until you are blue in the face and you will not change us old pharts that remember what a plug of chawing tobacco is.[:)]
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  • tsr1965
    one thing to remember if you are going to use this for home protection, or self defense against any two legged predators...use factory ammunition. If you do not, and the predator survives, there will most likely be a civil law suit in the future for you, if not a criminal suit. A lot of times it gets turned around where the would be victom becomes the prosecuted, and a DA could say the blood thirsty SOB, even concocted his own extra special deadly loads. However if the intruder is un able to speak on his behalf because they are providing nutrients for flowers, then it would be better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6...a point to keep in mind should deadly force ever be required.
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  • Cubslover
    44mag...period
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