•••why no 45 colt rifle loads•••?

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Been hitting the local library for reloading manuals, they list 44 mag in the rifle section. I noticed there are no listed loads for 45 colt.
Do the really really new manuals list 45 colt rifle loads?
 
I'm assuming by .45 Colt you're referring to thr .45 Long Colt cowboy classic, not the .45 ACP...
I think traditionally .45 Long Colt was used as a rifle round in the classic matched chambering fashion...i.e. your revolver and rifle used the same ammo so it simplifies logistics.

I don't think the .45 LC case lends itself to higher-pressure loads, or slow-burning rifle powders, but i could be wrong. I know a lot of the lever-actions they were chambered in probably aren't suited to hot-loaded "rifle" loadings.

.45 LC's biggest draw in recent years seems to be in "cowboy action" shooting, and often reduced loads, rather than hot loads, are preferred as the targets arent hard or heavy and light recoil for rapid follow-on shots are sought...

Basically, there hasn't been much mainstream call for specialized rifle loadings in .45 LC. I would be rather surprised if newer manuals had anything older ones lacked.

You might be able to work up some specialty loads, but I'd say do it carefully...
 
It's listed as Ruger/TC/Rifle data. It's a handgun cartridge so it's under 45 Colt, but I just checked 3 manuals (Lyman, Hornady and Speer) and they all have Ruger/Contender/Rifle data.
 
I just happened to grab two of my manuals off the shelf, the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading 9th Edition and the Lyman 50th Edition Reloading Handbook and they both have data for 45LC. Data for rifle and pistol. Not sure what you are looking for.
 
You load it the same for rifle, it just goes faster in a longer tube.

The issue with '.45 Colt Rifle' loads is... they exceed the pressure limits established for the .45 Colt, period. Walkalong is correct... it's the same load, it just goes faster out of the rifle barrel. There is some debate over running Ruger-only .45 Colt loads in some lever-actions, I've raised it myself. If you are trying to get to .45 Colt Magnum loads, do yourself a favor and just buy a .44 Magnum.
 
Good point Charlie98, if they are asking about Ruger level, or S&W N Frame level, .45 Colt loads, it is a whole nother ball game.

My Speer #11 manual has a couple of pistol calibers in the rifle section as well as pistol, but the loads are the same, they just show the higher velocities of the rifle barrel.

It also has some "Ruger Only" loads in the pistol section. People have been loading "N Frame" (Made that up) level loads for awhile. (21K limit for them?)

The Western Powders 6.0 PDF has "standard" pressure 14K PSI limit .45 Colt loads, as well as 30K PSI limit .45 Colt loads which I assume are their 'Ruger Only" loads.

IIRC it is a 21K limit for N Frame revolvers. No SAMMI standards for this, just what folks have come up with based on the fact the N Frame handles 21K .45 ACP loads just fine with the same meat in the cylinders as their .45 Colt N Frames.

Just food for thought, and maybe some folks here who do this can chime in.

Or maybe the OP isn't asking this at all. :)
 
....I think traditionally .45 Long Colt was used as a rifle round in the classic matched chambering fashion...i.e. your revolver and rifle used the same ammo so it simplifies logistics...I don't think the .45 LC case lends itself to higher-pressure loads, or slow-burning rifle powders, but i could be wrong. I know a lot of the lever-actions they were chambered in probably aren't suited to hot-loaded "rifle" loading...

Actually the .45 Long Colt was not originally chambered in both revolvers and rifles, it was only in recent times that it was factory-chambered in rifles. This in contrast to the .38WCF, .44WCF, etc. so there are no “weak” traditional rifles in this chambering.

Some .45 LC cases have proven to be amply strong for high-pressure loads, hence the 25,000-30,000 CUP loads in many manuals. These generally use magnum pistol powders, but I have used faster rifle powders like W680 very successfully in my .45 LC rifles and handguns with 300+ grain bullets.


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Not to beat a dead horse... but there is no .45 Long Colt cartridge... it's .45 Colt. 'Long Colt' is a nickname.
Lol I was biting my tongue trying not to say anything but it’s true. The only reason people started calling it “long colt” is because the 45 schofield was chambered in colt revolvers which is a shorter case than the standard 45 colt. However interestingly enough it’s been so widely used I’ve seen some ammunition makers even use the name.
 
It's a useful term for differentiating it from other cartridges produced, patented, or popularly associated with Colt firearms in that caliber, pedantry aside.
 
Data for .45 Colt is prolific.
Remember that it was originally a Black Powder cartridge, while .44 Rem Mag began it's life as a smokeless powder cartridge.
This means that data for the .45 Colt has to be safe in much older firearms than the .44 Rem Mag does.

As already stated, there is plenty of T/C, Ruger Only data out there.

You're likely to see your best velocities using 2400 powder. A healthy scoop of Unique will push that big slug pretty good too.
 
It's a useful term for differentiating it from other cartridges produced, patented, or popularly associated with Colt firearms in that caliber, pedantry aside.

I guess... setting it apart from the .45 Short Colt. There's .45 Colt, .45 Schofield, .45 ACP, .45 GAP, .45 Super, .45 Magnum, .454 Casull... help me out here, I'm not seeing it.
 
I guess the more confusing phraseology would be the more coloquial "Colt 45" which often refers to .45 ACP...
The fact that OP stated it as .45 Colt would lead one to ASSUME he wasn't referring to ACP (or Automatic Colt Pistol), but we all know the old adage about ASSuming.

Sorry if i triggered a pet peeve by trying to ensure clarity.
 
We all know what people mean when they say .45 Colt or .45 Long Colt, I don't sweat it. It's been used so long (Wrongly or not) I kind of figure it is pretty much been adopted/included in the language of the gun culture.
 
Yeah, i was referring to 45 colt, not acp. I figured 90% of us here know what "45 colt" is.

Found a nosler manual with ruger/tc/encore loads with velocities for a 12" barrel. If i add 150 fps to the list of velocities will that get me into the infield of velocity for a 20" barrel?
 
The biggest difference I’ve encountered with loading for a rifle is that most of the SAA Revolver “Safe” loads won’t maintain case obturation and allows blow back of combustion gasses into the action and shooters face.

This is most obvious with Starline brass. Thinner brass such as Magtech isn’t as susceptible. An example is with the Lee 250gr RFN I had to bump my powder charges up from published max of 7.8gr to 8.2gr to keep from getting “gassed” by my 24”bbl Winchester M94.
My favorite load is the “Brian Pierce” load of LongShot with the 270gr RCBS SAA (10gr). He went as high as 11.2 for 1,100fps from 5.5” Flat Top Ruger, but the 10gr load is safe in my S&W 625 MtnGun.
 
I guess the more confusing phraseology would be the more coloquial "Colt 45" which often refers to .45 ACP...
No, and I see your point. :D I refer to the 'Colt 45' as a 1911, but that doesn't really narrow that down, either. My roommate in the Army liked Colt 45... but we're not talking cartridges at this point.

The biggest difference I’ve encountered with loading for a rifle is that most of the SAA Revolver “Safe” loads won’t maintain case obturation and allows blow back of combustion gasses into the action and shooters face.

Quite true... my brother's Winchester Trapper in .45 Colt would give you a good shot of gas in the eye unless they were loaded pretty heavily. Part of the problem was the oversized chamber, but I have sooty brass out of low level loads in my .41 1894, too.
 
Actually the .45 Long Colt was not originally chambered in both revolvers and rifles, it was only in recent times that it was factory-chambered in rifles. This in contrast to the .38WCF, .44WCF, etc. so there are no “weak” traditional rifles in this chambering.


2

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To expand on this a little: period 45 Colt had quite a bit different case construction and a very minimal rim which didn't allow much purchase for a rifle extractor and this is mostly why few if any rifles were chambered for it back in the day. Modern solid head cases have a turned rim and plenty of extractor purchase so we get to use the Colt in rifles.:)
 
What is posted above is correct.
Additionally, the 1873 SAA was chambered for the 45 Colt, not many were sold to civilians back then. The military was using converted muskets, 50-90 rifles and Trapdoor rifles in 45-70. They weren't going to use the 45 Colt in their rifles so no need to chamber a rifle in 45 Colt. (oversimplified but pretty much accurate lol)

For the ranch hands, cattle drivers, good guys and bad guys alike having their 1873 Colt Peacemaker and 1873 Winchester repeater chambered in 44-40 was a very good thing. I carry a SA Ruger and a Marlin levergun both in .357 Magnum when in the woods, very convenient.
 
To expand on this a little: period 45 Colt had quite a bit different case construction and a very minimal rim which didn't allow much purchase for a rifle extractor and this is mostly why few if any rifles were chambered for it back in the day. Modern solid head cases have a turned rim and plenty of extractor purchase so we get to use the Colt in rifles.:)

What's funny about that... I was hand priming some .45 Colt brass on my RCBS hand primer the other day. The Starline cases held and primed just fine... but my WW cases kept popping out of the cleats... the rim isn't pronounced enough to hold it. I have never had that happen with any other cartridge. I've always found the .45 Colt as a cartridge to be full of surprises like that.
 
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