.45 Colt +P Medium Frame Sixguns

Modern Revolvers Can Increase Performance

- Brian Pearce

In spite of the .45 Colt dating back to 1872 and being formally adopted by the U.S. military in 1873, it is just as modern and useful today as it was 150 years ago. Although it is no longer a state-of-the-art cartridge for military applications, it remains widely popular for recreational shooting, defense, competitions, big game and is offered in a variety of excellent single- and double-action sixguns and rifles. Its effectiveness is based on its large caliber and heavyweight bullets that offer reliable penetration and bone-breaking virtues. While sources often conflict on the ballistics of the earliest ammunition, by 1880, UMC offered ammunition with 40 grains of black powder behind a 250-grain bullet. This was a potent load that produced an honest 1,000 feet per second (fps) and helped the .45 Colt (technically not .45 “Long” Colt) earn an outstanding reputation when used in gunfights, to stop a grizzly or any other situation where a powerful sixgun was needed.

Smokeless loads first appeared around 1900 and the velocity was reduced to 870 fps (or today listed at 860 fps) with the same 250- to 255-grain lead bullets. Today, with stronger guns readily available, it has become hugely popular to load the .45 to greater pressures for improved performance on game and to flatten its trajectory at extended distances. Several factories offer +P-style loads, including Buffalo Bore, Hunting Shack/ HSM and many others, while most handloading manuals list “Ruger” data for stronger guns. Sometimes this information is rather vague, and the editor of each manual has their own idea as to what this “Ruger” pressure should be. Let’s take a closer look at the guns and suitable pressures for each.