Hot 45 Colt load questions

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Couple of questions:

Does anyone know if the Redhawk can candle the hot 45 Colt loads like the Blackhawk can?

Are issues with loose chambers causing brass to split an issue or more myth than fact with the Ruger?

Is the 454 Taurus revolver worth it's salt in the long run?
 
The .45 colt redhawk will indeed handle the heavy "ruger only" loads that you want to run .

I havent heard of brass splitting issues with rugers maybe my own ignorance perhaps?


They make a .454 Ruger Super Redhawk if you want a .454 and not a taurus, however ive shot the raging bulls and they seem to be well made and tough guns. Theres some models they just got right (i.e. raging bull,66,85, etc) just remember to check ANY revolver new or used with the proper checkpoints listed in the sticky.
 
The Redhawk is even stronger. Strong enough for loads that would wear out a Blackhawk in short order. There is 50,000psi data published for the .45Colt.
 
Great news. Thanks for the info.

Barry, I didn't mention the Ruger 454 simply because I don't want a 7.5" barrel and the dist. exclusive model (5") is ugly as sin to me.
I mean...look at it...:scrutiny: It looks like somebody jammed an extra barrel into the end of a Ruger Alaskan after dropping it onto a lathe.

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I've never heard of brass splitting in a revolver cartridge from overpressure.

Multiple reloadings and they eventually begin to split from the case mouth.
 
I've never heard of brass splitting in a revolver cartridge from overpressure.

Multiple reloadings and they eventually begin to split from the case mouth.

Forty-five Colt brass is a bit more tapered than other handgun rounds, and the case is long. When using carbide dies, the case gets swaged down to a cylinder. On firing, the taper is back, and on reloading, etc., etc. This taper-to-cylinder-to-taper cycle splits the brass. The cure is to partial resize -- only do enough to get the case back in the chamber and the brass will last longer.
 
There is 50,000psi data published for the .45Colt.

Really? Where might that be? I'd like to take a look at that.
Interesting that you'd find a published .45 colt load that is pressure wise running right alongside the hottest .454 casull loads in my Lymans #49 manual.
 
I recently picked up a Redhawk in 45 Colt to go with my Blackhawk. The cylinder on the Redhawk is larger in every dimension than the Blackhawk and the bolt notches are offset. It will handle the Blackhawk loads and beg for more.

I handled the Toklat SRH and it isn't as ugly as it looks in pictures, but it is still pretty ugly. If Ruger had made it with the Alaskan frame without scope ring cuts and used a round barrel instead of the slab side I would have gotten it instead. If it were chambered in 45 Colt only with a fluted cylinder it would be even better. If it used the SRH action with a Redhawk frame and barrel it would be my dream big bore revolver. The Redhawk in 45 Colt is a pretty sweet rig though. It's a keeper.
 
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Really? Where might that be? I'd like to take a look at that.
Interesting that you'd find a published .45 colt load that is pressure wise running right alongside the hottest .454 casull loads in my Lymans #49 manual.

Brian Pearce has published articles in Handloader magazine that have loads for the 45 Colt Redhawk. They should be pretty teeth-rattlingly brutal. I'll stick with loads that are still safe for the Blackhawk in mine but he has published loads for the Redhawk that push 50,00psi.
 
Is the 454 Taurus revolver worth it's salt in the long run?
I took my 5" Raging bull out today and shot 2 different 45 Colt loads and 2 different 454 loads. According to the box the Hornady 240s were pushing 1900 at muzzle. I didn't have a chrono to prove that, but it felt like it was pretty close.:eek: The 300 grain 454 rounds recoiled about the same as the 240s. The Winchester and Hornady 45 Colts felt like mouse farts compared to the 454 rounds. My freshman son shot the 454 also and had no problem. The porting along with the 50 ounces, and the Diamond Pro grips tame the recoil about as good as your gonna get. It really isn't as bad as people think.

I was skeptical about giving Taurus another go around, but this Raging Bull hasn't let me down so far. The lockup is rock solid on all 5 chambers and there is no leading problem in the barrel like I had in my Redhawk.

I highly recommend the Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips!! The factory ones are OK, but the Pachs are more comfortable. They have some kind of soft gel cushion where the web of your hand meets the grip.


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Brian Pearce has published articles in Handloader magazine that have loads for the 45 Colt Redhawk. They should be pretty teeth-rattlingly brutal. I'll stick with loads that are still safe for the Blackhawk in mine but he has published loads for the Redhawk that push 50,00psi.
I have shot some of Brian Pearce's 32,000 psi loads in my Blackhawk, and when it comes to even stiffer loads, I don't believe I want any of THAT pie!:p
 
Brian Pearce has published articles in Handloader magazine that have loads for the 45 Colt Redhawk. They should be pretty teeth-rattlingly brutal. I'll stick with loads that are still safe for the Blackhawk in mine but he has published loads for the Redhawk that push 50,00psi.

Found them after some searching.
Those are some hairy chested loads indeed, I guess that speaks a lot about Pearce's confidence in the Redhawk's strength. During my searching I did find some reference to the RH's cylinder strength being well in excess of the Super Blackhawks
 
Forty-five Colt brass is a bit more tapered than other handgun rounds, and the case is long. When using carbide dies, the case gets swaged down to a cylinder. On firing, the taper is back, and on reloading, etc., etc. This taper-to-cylinder-to-taper cycle splits the brass. The cure is to partial resize -- only do enough to get the case back in the chamber and the brass will last longer.

I don't have a .45LC, but was loading them beyond "Ruger Only" loads for my Freedom Arms .454 Casull before .454 las legal for Ohio deer. (.45LC WAS legal then) I never experienced any of these problems, but did hear of problems from the older style 45LC cases. I've got 5-7 reloadings on these same 3 sets of 45 cases right now. Don't recall the mfg of them all, but at least one set is RP.

I've got over 10 loads on all my Freedom Arms .454 brass, always full power loads. We'll see how long they last.
 
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