I am considering getting a reproduction Peacemaker in 7 1/2 inch barrel. I have tried shooting this pistol in .45 Colt and found it uncomfortable to shoot. Just curious as to how a .44 Special compares in terms of recoil to .45 Colt? Also, I do not reload and wonder how cost/availability of ammo is an issue for the .44 special.
.44 special recoil vs. .45 Colt?
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sidheshooter
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Ammo expensive, recoil easy out of a peacemaker sized revolver. I find .45 colt 200gr Blazer to be a little hotter out of my dad's convertible than .44 spec 200gr Blazer out of my Sheriff's model even though it's a bit lighter with a much shorter tube.
45 Colt ammo
A 7 1/2 Colt SAA in 45 Colt is to myself comfortable with all standard ammo but is very comfortable with low powered cowboy ammo some of which is available in 200 grain instead of 255 grain bullets. 44 special ammo was loaded even lower in velocity from the factory than 45 Colt (750 instead of 850 FPS) but it too has lighter 200 grain cowboy ammo available. If you can try before you buy, then that would be good. good luck
A 7 1/2 Colt SAA in 45 Colt is to myself comfortable with all standard ammo but is very comfortable with low powered cowboy ammo some of which is available in 200 grain instead of 255 grain bullets. 44 special ammo was loaded even lower in velocity from the factory than 45 Colt (750 instead of 850 FPS) but it too has lighter 200 grain cowboy ammo available. If you can try before you buy, then that would be good. good luck
DM~
Member
If you use the SAME bullet weights, at the SAME velocity, in equil weight revolvers, you will have the same recoil. At least, you won't feel any difference.
DM
DM
35 Whelen
Member
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I simply can't imagine anyone thinking a 7 1/2" Colt SAA with todays anemic .45 Colt loads kicks too much, or even kicks hardly at all.
Maybe you should be looking at a .38 Special SAA, or .22 LR version if you are that recoil sensitive.
rc
Maybe you should be looking at a .38 Special SAA, or .22 LR version if you are that recoil sensitive.
rc
35 Whelen
Member
My buddies who come to the house to shoot their 9mm's and 380's think my .44 Specials REALLY kick. My plinking load is a 260 gr. SWC @ around 850 fps. Compared to a 9mm they DO kick.
35W
35W
BullRunBear
Member
I don't feel much recoil difference between 44 special and 45 Colt factory ammo and find them both rather mild, but maybe that's just me. RC is correct. If the 45 Colt bothers you, think about one maybe in 357 mag and shoot 38 specials out of it. Recoil would be negligible and the ammo cheaper. Also, not aware of any inexpensive 45 or 44 ammo these days.
You said you don't reload. If you go with the 44 or 45, consider starting. A basic single stage press and accessories, used if necessary, would pay for itself pretty fast. And both calibers REALLY benefit from handloading.
Jeff
You said you don't reload. If you go with the 44 or 45, consider starting. A basic single stage press and accessories, used if necessary, would pay for itself pretty fast. And both calibers REALLY benefit from handloading.
Jeff
Dnaltrop
Member
Even a basic press will pay for the press, the supplies and possibly a new .45 (or .44... I'm not the boss of you! 
) in surprisingly short order.
Some of my wife's 9mm loads are very sharp recoil rounds that can feel very heavy, my .45 loads can vary from a kid-friendly mousefart to "unpleasant in the extreme". The same thing would apply to a .357 Framed SAA, along with the ability to shoot cheaper .38 spl. (still worth reloading)
Was it the standard "Plow" handle SAA? a Bisley grip might be more to your tastes.
Wax rounds with shotgun primers are also excellent inexpensive practice when building muscle memory. Be careful on local laws as it could be construed as a firearm in some areas.
) in surprisingly short order. Some of my wife's 9mm loads are very sharp recoil rounds that can feel very heavy, my .45 loads can vary from a kid-friendly mousefart to "unpleasant in the extreme". The same thing would apply to a .357 Framed SAA, along with the ability to shoot cheaper .38 spl. (still worth reloading)
Was it the standard "Plow" handle SAA? a Bisley grip might be more to your tastes.
Wax rounds with shotgun primers are also excellent inexpensive practice when building muscle memory. Be careful on local laws as it could be construed as a firearm in some areas.
Hondo 60
Member
Recoil is a product of the ammo, not the gun.
One of the beauties of reloading your own is that you can tailor it to you & the gun.
I have a 44 Mag & a 45 Colt.
I've got some 44s that'd kill an elephant, but most of my reloads are very soft shooting.
Search around, I'd bet you can find ammo that'll better suit your wants & needs.
One of the beauties of reloading your own is that you can tailor it to you & the gun.
I have a 44 Mag & a 45 Colt.
I've got some 44s that'd kill an elephant, but most of my reloads are very soft shooting.
Search around, I'd bet you can find ammo that'll better suit your wants & needs.
Arkansas Paul
Member
If you get a chance try some "cowboy" loads in the SAA and see if they are any more comfortable for you.
If they are still a little much, I agree that .38 Spcl may be more suited for you.
As far as ammo availability, I see .45 Colt more often than .44 Spcl where I am located.
However, .38 Spcl is everywhere.
If they are still a little much, I agree that .38 Spcl may be more suited for you.
As far as ammo availability, I see .45 Colt more often than .44 Spcl where I am located.
However, .38 Spcl is everywhere.
Missionary
Member
Greetings
I am a 150 pound person. I have found through the years you can become acustomed to most any unpleasant event with just a bit of exposure.
The 45 Colt may seem rathere intimidating at first but in short order if you were to shoot one 25 rounds a day for one week you would soon begin to wonder about why you thought it was so awful.
I shoot a 454 BFR Casull. It took a few range trips to get my body accustomed to the muzzle blast and recoil but after 2 months it was like an old friend. Same with the Dan Wesson Supermag cartriges.
So just be aware.. you can adapt. The 45 Colt is a great cartrige to have about. It will do everything you could ever need a non magnum revolver to do. Yes I have several. Sadly I can only shoot them when up north there.
Mike in Peru
I am a 150 pound person. I have found through the years you can become acustomed to most any unpleasant event with just a bit of exposure.
The 45 Colt may seem rathere intimidating at first but in short order if you were to shoot one 25 rounds a day for one week you would soon begin to wonder about why you thought it was so awful.
I shoot a 454 BFR Casull. It took a few range trips to get my body accustomed to the muzzle blast and recoil but after 2 months it was like an old friend. Same with the Dan Wesson Supermag cartriges.
So just be aware.. you can adapt. The 45 Colt is a great cartrige to have about. It will do everything you could ever need a non magnum revolver to do. Yes I have several. Sadly I can only shoot them when up north there.
Mike in Peru
jad0110
Member
Unless you are only planning to shoot a few boxes of ammo a year, or you have lots of extra disposable income, .44 Special and .45 Colt are reloader's cartridges. Therefore, a .357/.38 may be more to your liking.
But as others have said, a reloading press and associated equipment would pay for itself relatively quickly. I have a Lee 4 Hole Turret Press, but if I had to do it over again I would probably have saved a bit of cash and gotten the Lee single stage breech block press with the quick die change bushings:
https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php...facturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41
The trick right now is finding primers and powder, but finding ammo can be tough too.
But as others have said, a reloading press and associated equipment would pay for itself relatively quickly. I have a Lee 4 Hole Turret Press, but if I had to do it over again I would probably have saved a bit of cash and gotten the Lee single stage breech block press with the quick die change bushings:
https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php...facturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41
The trick right now is finding primers and powder, but finding ammo can be tough too.
gamestalker
member
I tend to agree with RC on this, factory 45 LC is by no means uncomfortable to shoot, especially out of a 7 1/2" SA. And for that matter, 44 spcl. isn't typically either, but then again, it really depends on the type of loads you buy.
If we are talking about "Ruger, FA, Contender Only" loads in a 45 LC, then yes, it is going to let you know the hammer dropped. But 44 spcl. to me, even with a good stout load, is not nearly as heavy recoiling as the 45 lc with full pressure loads.
You might decide that reloading is right for you, considering that one can tailor the loads to their liking, and it will save you some money in the long run too.
GS
If we are talking about "Ruger, FA, Contender Only" loads in a 45 LC, then yes, it is going to let you know the hammer dropped. But 44 spcl. to me, even with a good stout load, is not nearly as heavy recoiling as the 45 lc with full pressure loads.
You might decide that reloading is right for you, considering that one can tailor the loads to their liking, and it will save you some money in the long run too.
GS
fireside44
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I have to agree. Most of today's modern loadings for .45LC save for maybe buffalo bore are pathetically weak. More pathetic are the retail prices on them IF you can find a box. Last box of .44 special ammo I looked at was $1 per shot, that was three years ago. It's a reloader's cartridge, end of story. The LC .45 is more or less the same.
Reloading is the only way, but if factory loads are all you can get and they recoil too hard, you need to find a new caliber, like .38 special.
Cosmoline
Member
Yes but what kind? There are a range of loadings from black powder up to near .454 Casull levels. It's very easy to develop a load that's easy on the hand in a peacemaker. If nothing else, cast bullets over compressed Goex will do the trick. Lots of fun, too.
I think your bigger problem is not reloading. There are factory rounds for both but they're expensive and limited. There's almost always room for improvements in accuracy and handling.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Howdy
Shooting a SAA or replica can sometimes be unpleasant, no matter what the caliber, if the shooter attempts to cram his entire hand onto the grip. With the entire hand crammed onto the grip, the trigger guard can whack the knuckle of the middle finger in recoil. Curling the pinky under the grip allows the shooter to leave a bit of space between the trigger guard and the knuckle of the middle finger, reducing the tendency to get whacked with recoil.
Shooting a SAA or replica can sometimes be unpleasant, no matter what the caliber, if the shooter attempts to cram his entire hand onto the grip. With the entire hand crammed onto the grip, the trigger guard can whack the knuckle of the middle finger in recoil. Curling the pinky under the grip allows the shooter to leave a bit of space between the trigger guard and the knuckle of the middle finger, reducing the tendency to get whacked with recoil.
BCRider
Member
Any gun who's caliber starts with a ".4" will cost much less to shoot if you reload your own ammo. The panic on reloading supplies SHOULD be dying off by this time but it may be a few months yet before powder, primers and bullets are readily available. But once that situation returns you SHOULD be able to reload either caliber for about 18 cents per round or roughly $9 a box. With this in mind compare it to the cost of factory ammo and the roughly $300 it would cost to build up a basic reloading setup. Then look at how much you like to shoot and you'll be able to crunch some numbers and figure out how long the money you save will take to pay off the reloading setup.
.45Colt and .44Spl from a couple of quick checks seem to both go for around $30 to $35 a box. So if reloads cost $9 a box you're looking at a minimum $21 saving a week based on shooting a box of 50 per week. If your reloading setup costs $300 that's only 3.5 months worth of shooting before you pay for the gear and are shooting for cheap.
And if you're like many of us you have a lot of other calibers where you could shift from factory to reloading so it would pay for the gear even sooner.
And add on the ability to custom load to the power level you like and the whole reloading decision would seem to be a slam dunk sort of deal to me. Even if you live in a smaller apartment a modest reloading setup can be put together that fits away in a medium size storage tote when not in use.
Frankly I would likely not have ANY rifles or "40'something" handguns if I didn't reload so I could afford to shoot them for fun.
.45Colt and .44Spl from a couple of quick checks seem to both go for around $30 to $35 a box. So if reloads cost $9 a box you're looking at a minimum $21 saving a week based on shooting a box of 50 per week. If your reloading setup costs $300 that's only 3.5 months worth of shooting before you pay for the gear and are shooting for cheap.
And if you're like many of us you have a lot of other calibers where you could shift from factory to reloading so it would pay for the gear even sooner.
And add on the ability to custom load to the power level you like and the whole reloading decision would seem to be a slam dunk sort of deal to me. Even if you live in a smaller apartment a modest reloading setup can be put together that fits away in a medium size storage tote when not in use.
Frankly I would likely not have ANY rifles or "40'something" handguns if I didn't reload so I could afford to shoot them for fun.
MCgunner
Member
I handload. I can load powder puff .45 Colt real easy by using my .454" round ball mold, load RB over Bullseye, very light recoil. It only uses 140 grains of lead per shot, too, so it's cheap to load. For more fun, I stuff pyrodex in the case, duplicate my cap and ball '58 remmy. It shoots low, though. Might not be a good load in a fixed sight revolver. I have a Blackhawk in .45 Colt. It's also pretty heavy being in stainless. Recoil with CAS loads is really not a problem.
.45 Colt is a great caliber, probably why it's still so popular, well that and cowboy action stuff. You didn't mention .44/40, but that really is best left to handloaders.
.45 Colt is a great caliber, probably why it's still so popular, well that and cowboy action stuff. You didn't mention .44/40, but that really is best left to handloaders.
MCgunner
Member
With a hot load, the gun rolls in the hand absorbing a lot of the recoil if you grip it this way. And, after the shot, I rotate the gun down with that little finger for the next shot. It's quite natural after you've shot that way a while.
Dnaltrop
Member
+1 on that MC. My hands are large enough that the recoil just puts the hammer where my thumb wants to ready the next shot.
Can tell when people think they need to manhandle the recoil, even on my Normal loads. The pistol is going to do what it's going to do, and you can move with it gracefully, or injure yourself trying to fight physics.
Can tell when people think they need to manhandle the recoil, even on my Normal loads. The pistol is going to do what it's going to do, and you can move with it gracefully, or injure yourself trying to fight physics.
onthehunt
Member
To me the recoil is the similar using the same bullet type...
That is a product of the ammunition and not the chamberig. You can buy 45 Colt ammo that ranges from cat sneeze to hold on tight. Cowboy ammo is quite light recoiling, if you can't handle those the 44 Special isn't going to be any easier.
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