.44 special/magnum vs. .45 Colt in popularity

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I havr 2 45 Colt single actions... one is also a 45acp convertible, and a 45 Colt double action.

Don't have anything against 44s, but I reload the 45Colt and 45acp and the cover all the ground I need to that starts with a "4".
 
well I don't have an answer, I've never been able to stick with just one of those calibers. I have rifles in 45 colt & 44mag as well as pistols. All the .44's are SA's but the .45 colts are both in SA's and DA's.
 
I have several of each, sa and da, plus an acp revolver and semi, three specials and two 44 mag carbines. For me, 44 magnums are for magnums loads and can be loaded to moderate performance levels if desired. 45 Colts can be hot rodded but why?
My favorite loads are as follows: 44 mag, 250 swc gc at 1250 for deer, 235 hp plain base at 900 for plinking, varmint, and fun. 44 special, 245 cast at 750. 45 colt, 255 swc at 1100 for deer, and a factory dupe load for fun. My Ruger Old Army shoots a 200 grain button nose at 800 in the conversion cylinder. The Win and Mar carbines get 240 grain jhps at whatever the recommended starting load produces. I see happy places for both.
 
I have several of each, sa and da, plus an acp revolver and semi, three specials and two 44 mag carbines. For me, 44 magnums are for magnums loads and can be loaded to moderate performance levels if desired. 45 Colts can be hot rodded but why?
My favorite loads are as follows: 44 mag, 250 swc gc at 1250 for deer, 235 hp plain base at 900 for plinking, varmint, and fun. 44 special, 245 cast at 750. 45 colt, 255 swc at 1100 for deer, and a factory dupe load for fun. My Ruger Old Army shoots a 200 grain button nose at 800 in the conversion cylinder. The Win and Mar carbines get 240 grain jhps at whatever the recommended starting load produces. I see happy places for both.
Do you see any difference between the 44 mag, 250 swc gc at 1250 for deer and the 45 colt, 255 swc at 1100? I would suspect that since you're right on the sonic boundary, the 150 fps difference would be cut in half at 50 yards.
 
Howdy

Let's see....

Nine 45 Colts,
Ten 44 Specials,
Two 44 Mags.

Almost all the 45s are single actions,
Almost all the 44 Specials are old double actions.
The Two 44 Mags are one double action and one single action.

I really have no use for the 44 Mags, usually only shoot them with 44 Specials anyway. Just bought them kind of because.
 
Three single action .45 Colts (plus one Rossi M92 lever action carbine), one single action .44 Special, and no .44 Magnums (though I have owned a couple of Ruger Super Blackhawks and a S&W Model 629 at some point in time).
 
I tell people the big difference in well built guns is if you don't handload.

If you want mostly target ammo 45 is the way to go.

If you want hot ammo 44mag is the way to go.

I find more cowboy loads than anything in 45, and very little 44spcl (except SD loads which im not gonna plink with) and full power 44mag.

If you handload, go with whichever you find first (or is cheaper)
 
Just got a 45 Colt Redhawk, also met a guy who just got a 44 Magnum Redhawk. I reload, I'm not sure if he does.
 
Do you see any difference between the 44 mag, 250 swc gc at 1250 for deer and the 45 colt, 255 swc at 1100? I would suspect that since you're right on the sonic boundary, the 150 fps difference would be cut in half at 50 yards.
Not really. Only have one deer with each and the damage was virtually identical.
 
Last year I went Ruger Redhawk for my camping gun. I went 45LC because I wanted bullet interchangeability with my muzzle loader. As I have gotten older I have tried to standardize supplies where possible.
 
I've got a number of .45acp guns, ranging from a Back-up through a Vacquero, several 1911s and a carbine. I've just never had an intact .45 Long Colt and I've never felt that I've needed one.
I've found the sad remains of a few lever guns in burned barns and creek banks, and a pair of revolvers that were probably in this caliber, but no intact guns.
 
Based on what sells in the shop where I work I'd say .44 Magnum is more popular.
Based on what sold at another shop where I used to work, that was two States away from where I am now, I'd say .45 Colt was more popular.
However CAS was a lot more popular in the area where that first shop was located. Also that shop catered to the CAS crowd.
As far as me personally, about two years ago I sold of all my .45 Colt's. I decided I wanted to simplify my ammo stockpile. I now have two .44 Special revolvers, one .44 Magnum revolver & one .45 ACP revolver. How significant is that? I used to carry a S&W 25-5 .45 Colt working armed security.
 
The .44 mag is at least 10x as popular as .45 Colt. I really thought and hoped that the Judge's popularity would change that, but it hasn't.
 
I have a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt and on the convertible side it shoots the .45 ACP. I also have a Ruger Blackhawk in .44 Special. It's all good!
 
Personally, have .44 Mag, 2 pistols and a rifle.

But I know a lot of guys around here who have neither a 45 nor 44.
 
44 mag is much more popular. Wide variety of loads available in that caliber. If you can reload you load 45 Colt to do the same jobs. You have to be careful to use them in guns beefy enough to handle them though.

I've always been of the school of thought to move up if you need something hotter. If I need more than a 357 I'm not going to hot rod it, I'm goin to a 44 magnum. Need more than that I'm using a rifle.

I don't guns like the Judge have had much impact on the popularity of 45 Colt. It's not that accurate and of limited use IMO. I would say CAS has had more of an impact in making the 45 Colt more popular but still not as much as the 44 magnum .
 
Those who shoot little but 44 Specials in their magnums may have missed that more or less standard 45 Colt gives a similar, painless shooting experience. The difference may be mostly in the hype and the testosterone associated with 44 Magnum, while quietly shooting it with anything but full power ammo.
 
I've just never had an intact .45 Long Colt and I've never felt that I've needed one. I've found the sad remains of a few lever guns in burned barns and creek banks, and a pair of revolvers that were probably in this caliber, but no intact guns.

Howdy Again.

I tend to doubt the sad remains of lever guns you found were chambered for 45 Colt, as lever guns were never chambered for that caliber until the 1980s with the popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting.
 
Howdy Again.

I tend to doubt the sad remains of lever guns you found were chambered for 45 Colt, as lever guns were never chambered for that caliber until the 1980s with the popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting.

The cartridges actually used by these relics were purely by guess. The bores were larger than .30 and smaller than .50, where there were bores. One from a burned barn site didn't even have a barrel.

Anyway, I have no experience with .45 Long Colt and I see no reason to add it to the very long list of calibers that I use and reload. (I try to reload in every caliber that I use, although I only rarely reload rimfires.)
 
I had two custom Ruger Bisleys built that are the same but opposite -- both with 5 1/2-inch banded barrels, both with six-shot oversized cylinders, both with Belt Mountain base pins, custom walnut grips, but one in .44 Magnum and blued, and one in .45 Colt in stainless steel. I like both calibers a lot, but prefer the .45 to the .44...

DSC_0118.jpg
 
I love both, HOWEVER when Ruger introduced the Redhawk in .45 Colt/ACP direct from the factory with no machining necessary by a gunsmith it changed my world. I can now load any .45 Colt load I want commercial or reloaded and if you are not a reloader the cheap cost of ACP ammo makes this gun arguably the most versatile handgun ever made. I know it's a bold statement but its my reality.
 
I love both, HOWEVER when Ruger introduced the Redhawk in .45 Colt/ACP direct from the factory with no machining necessary by a gunsmith it changed my world. I can now load any .45 Colt load I want commercial or reloaded and if you are not a reloader the cheap cost of ACP ammo makes this gun arguably the most versatile handgun ever made. I know it's a bold statement but its my reality.
Does the Redhawk also handle 45AR?
 
Does the Redhawk also handle 45AR?
Nope, but I don't consider that a deal breaker at all. When was the last time you've seen auto rim at Wally world or even a gun shop? If your a reloader I understand your view but if I don't want to use moonclips the .45 Colt and Schofield work fine. With the moonclips I can shoot GAP,ACP,Super,Rowland, and .45 magnum. Not much that AR can do if at all that I can't do with the plethora of other cartridges. IMG_20181004_124352161.jpg
 
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