View source for .45 Colt

{{short description|Revolver cartridge designed by the U.S. Army}}
{{Distinguish|.45 ACP}}
{{About|the ammunition type for revolvers|other uses|Colt .45 (disambiguation){{!}}Colt 45}}
{{Infobox firearm cartridge
|name             = .45 Colt
|image            = 45 Colt - 1.jpg
|image_size       = 300px
|caption          = 
|origin=United States
|type=[[Revolver]]
<!-- Service history -->
|service=1873–1892
|used_by=United States
|wars=[[Indian Wars]], [[Spanish–American War]], [[Philippine–American War]], [[Moro Rebellion]]
<!-- Production history -->
|designer=[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
|design_date=1872
|manufacturer= 
|production_date=1873–present
|number= 
|variants=.45 Colt +P
<!-- Specifications -->
|is_SI_specs= 
|parent= 
|case_type=Rimmed, straight
|bullet=.452
|neck=.480
|shoulder= 
|base=.480
|rim_dia=.512
|rim_thick=.060
|case_length=1.285
|length=1.600
|case_capacity=41.60
|rifling=1 in {{convert|16|in|mm|abbr=on}}
|primer=Large Pistol
|max_pressure=15900
|pressure_method=CIP
|max_pressure2=14000
|pressure_method2=SAAMI
<!-- Ballistic performance -->
|is_SI_units      = 
|bw1              = 160
|btype1           = TAC XP, Double Tap
|vel1             = 1125
|en1              = 450
|bw2              = 200
|btype2           = JHP, Buffalo Bore
|vel2             = 1000
|en2              = 444
|bw3              = 250
|btype3           = Nosler JHP, Double Tap
|vel3             = 900
|en3              = 450
|bw4              = 300
|btype4           = JSP +P, Cor-Bon
|vel4             = 1300
|en4              = 1126
|bw5              = 360
|btype5           = Nosler JHP +P, Double Tap
|vel5             = 1200
|en5              = 1151
}}

The '''.45 Colt''' (11.43×33mmR), often called the '''.45 Long Colt''', is a rimmed straight-walled,  [[centerfire ammunition|centerfire]]<ref>[https://www.ammo-one1.com/product-category/collectible-ammunition-current-obsolete-from-all-countries-single-cartridge-boxes/ammo-ammunition-for-sale-single-collectible-cartridges-currect-obsolete/all-pistol-calibers-single-cartridges-all-countries/inch-caliber-pistol-single-cartridges/45-colt-a-k-a-45-long-colt-single-cartridges/ .45 Colt, a.k.a. 45 Long Colt, Rimmed / Revolver that won the west. Single Cartridges], ammo1.com</ref> handgun [[cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] dating to 1872. It was originally a black-powder [[revolver]] round developed for the [[Colt Single Action Army]] revolver. This cartridge was adopted by the [[U.S. Army]] in 1873 and served as an official US military handgun cartridge for 19 years, before being replaced by the [[.38 Long Colt]] in 1892. Although there has never been a ".45 Short Colt" cartridge, the .45 Colt is frequently called the ".45 Long Colt" (.45 LC) to better distinguish it from the shorter and less powerful [[.45 Schofield]] cartridge, which was also in use around the same time as the .45 Colt.

==History==
[[File:.45 Colt U.S. Army ball cartridge diagram.jpg|thumb|left|Diagram of .45 Colt U.S. Army "ball cartridge" for [[Colt New Service|Army M1909]] revolver, with dimensions in inches.]]
The .45 Colt was a joint development between Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company (now known as [[Colt's Manufacturing Company]]), of [[Hartford, Connecticut]], and the [[Union Metallic Cartridge Company]] (UMC) of [[Bridgeport]], [[Connecticut]]. Colt began work on the revolver in 1871, and submitted a sample to the [[U.S. Army]] in late 1872. The revolver was accepted for purchase in 1873.<ref name="Taffin1">{{cite book |last=Taffin |first=John |author-link=John Taffin |date=2005 |title=Single Action Sixguns |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=978-0-87349-953-8|pages=39–41}}</ref>

The cartridge is an inside lubricated type. The [[rebated heel type bullet]] design of its predecessor, the [[.44 Colt]] (.452–.454" diameter bullet), was eliminated, since it was an outside lubricated type, which would pick up dirt and grit during handling. The .45 Colt replaced the [[.50 caliber]] Model 1871 Remington single shot pistol and the various cap-and-ball [[revolvers]] converted to take metallic cartridges in use at the time. While the Colt remained popular, the [[Smith & Wesson]] [[Schofield Model 3#Schofield Revolver|M1875 Army Schofield Revolver]] was approved as an alternate, which created a logistical problem for the Army. The S&W revolver used the [[.45 Schofield]], a shorter cartridge, which would also work in the Colt, however the Army's S&W Schofield revolvers could not chamber the longer .45 Colt,<ref name="cotw">{{cite book |last=Barnes |first=Frank C. |editor-last=McPherson |editor-first=M. L. |date=1997 |orig-year=1965 |title=Cartridges of the World |url=https://archive.org/details/cartridgesworld00barn |url-access=limited |edition=8th |publisher=DBI Books |isbn=0-87349-178-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cartridgesworld00barn/page/n271 270], 275}}</ref> so in 1874 Frankford Arsenal, then almost exclusive supplier of small arms ammunition to the [[U.S. Army]], dropped production of the .45 Colt cartridge in favor of the .45 Schofield cartridge. This resolved the Army's ammunition logistics problems, but there were still plenty of the longer Colt-length cartridges in circulation once production ceased. The Benet primed .45 Revolver cartridges were subsequently replaced by the 'Model of 1882 Ball Cartridge for Cal. .45 Revolver' which used an external Boxer primer and could be reloaded at the unit level.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hackley |display-authors=et al |title=History of Modern U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition |year=1998 |volume=1 |publisher=Thomas Publications |isbn=1577470338}}</ref>  The .45 caliber M1882 cartridge would be officially replaced by the [[.38 Long Colt]] in 1892 but would remain in production until 1896. In 1901–1902, it would once again be loaded by Frankford Arsenal for use in the [[Philippine–American War]].

In 1909, the newly adopted .45 M1909 cartridge was issued along with the .45 [[Colt New Service]] revolver. This round was never loaded commercially, and is almost identical to the original .45 Colt round, except having a larger diameter rim (.540 in (13.7mm)). The rim is large enough that it cannot be loaded in adjacent chambers in the rod-ejector Colt model.<ref>{{Cite book|last=United States. Army. Ordnance Dept|url=http://archive.org/details/coltrevolver00unitrich|title=Description of the Colt's double-action revolver, caliber .45, model of 1909 : with rules for management, memoranda of trajectory, and description of ammunition, September 10, 1909|date=1917|publisher=Washington [D.C.] : G.P.O.|others=University of California Libraries|pages=22}}</ref>

The .45 Colt remains popular with renewed interest in [[Cowboy Action Shooting]]. Additionally, the round has seen resurgence as a cartridge in handgun hunting and Metallic Silhouette Shooting competitions, beginning in the 1950s with the introduction of stronger, heavier framed handguns. The cartridge's popularity has also increased with the increased marketing of handguns that can also fire the [[.410 bore]] [[shotgun shell]], such as the [[Taurus Judge]] and the [[Smith & Wesson Governor|S&W Governor]], though first seen decades earlier in the [[MIL Thunder 5]]. While the [[.45 ACP]] uses .451 inches in diameter for jacketed bullets, and .452 for lead bullets, the .45 Colt still uses .452 inch diameter jacketed bullets and .454 diameter lead bullets, often adding to the confusion between the two cartridges with similar names as the .45 ACP and Model 1911 pistols will often be called ".45 Colt" in common usage, leading many to call the .45 Colt the .45 "Long Colt" similar to how other Colt revolver cartridges were named (i.e. [[.38 Long Colt]]). The .45 Colt became the basis for other rounds, such as the [[.454 Casull]], and in turn, the .460 S&W Magnum.<ref name=JT810>{{cite journal |last=Taffin |first=John |author-link=John Taffin |date=August 1, 2010 |title=A half-century with sixguns: the really big bores |journal=Guns Magazine |issn=1044-6257 |volume=8 |issue=41 |publisher=FMG |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/_/print/PrintArticle.aspx?id=241413527 |access-date=July 25, 2015}}</ref>

==Cartridge loads==
The .45 Colt originally was a [[Black powder|black-powder]] cartridge, but modern loadings use [[smokeless powder]]. The original black-powder loads called for {{convert|40|gr}} of black powder behind an Ogival & flat nosed {{convert|255|gr|g|adj=on}} lead bullet. These loads developed muzzle velocities of {{convert|1050|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. However, this load generated too much recoil for the average soldier and was, after a few years, reduced to {{convert|28|gr|g|abbr=on}} of black powder yielding {{convert|855|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} in Army tests. Then, the introduction of the Schofield revolver with its shorter cylinder, quick loading "Top-Break" frame, and chambered in [[.45 Schofield]] caused a problem for the Supply Corps in that they now had to supply two different types of .45 Caliber revolver ammunition. Further troubles were caused by the fact that the Schofield cartridge rim was too wide to load into adjacent chambers in the colt cylinder, turning the Colt into a three shooter (being able to only place a round in every other chamber), if the wrong ammunition was sent to that particular outpost. So, the Army came up with a short case narrow rim cartridge that only held {{convert|26|gr|g|abbr=on}} of black powder that could be used in both revolvers. That load gave about {{convert|760|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} with a {{convert|250|gr|g|abbr=on}} bullet out of the Schofield revolver with its shorter barrel.<ref name="fn2">{{cite journal|last=Taffin|first=John|author-link=John Taffin|date=July 2001|title=The Custom Loading .45 Colt|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_7_47/ai_75287317|url-status=dead|journal=[[Guns (magazine)|Guns]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826112140/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_7_47/ai_75287317|archive-date=August 26, 2007|access-date=February 14, 2011}}</ref> Because of the power of the {{convert|40|gr|g|abbr=on}} of black powder and its excellent accuracy, the .45 Colt was known as a sure man stopper and horse killer. It became the most-used cartridge at the time of its introduction, succeeding the [[.44-40 Winchester]].

The .45 Colt at that time did not enjoy the .44-40's advantage of a Winchester rifle chambered for it being available, thus allowing the use of the same cartridge in both a pistol and a rifle.<ref name = vent>{{cite journal |last=Venturino |first=Mike |author-link=Mike Venturino |date=1998 |title=Slingin' Lead |journal=Popular Mechanics |publisher=Jay McGill |volume=175 |issue=4 |pages=76–79}}</ref> According to rumor at the time, this was owing to early .45 Colt cartridges having a very narrow rim that caused ejection issues from a rifle chamber. Today, modern Winchesters, Marlins, and other replicas have remedied this omission almost 50 years after the fact, and .45 Colt is now available in modern [[lever-action]] rifles.

While this aforementioned rumor has been one of the numerous arguments used to explain the lack of a rifle chambered in .45 Colt, it may have simply been a case of Colt refusing to authorize the use of their patented .45 Colt cartridge in other manufacturers’ arms. Only after the expiration of Colt's original patents for the .45 Colt did it become available in a rifle.<ref name = vent/> This, however, does not explain the absence of a .45 Colt chambering (or indeed any of Colt's own cartridges) in the Colt-Burgess lever-action or Colt Lightning slide-action rifles. Thus lending more credence to the rumored basic problem with Colt's revolver cartridges when used in rifles. (The modern .45 Colt cartridge rim is still narrow, but features an extractor groove cut into the base of the case, a feature common to most modern cartridges but not at all common in the late 19th century.)

The U.S. Army's .45 Colt round used in its [[Colt New Service|M1909 revolver]], which had a barrel of {{convert|5.5|in}}, fired a {{convert|250|gr|adj=on}} bullet at a muzzle velocity of {{cvt|738|ft/s}}, giving a muzzle energy of {{cvt|297|ftlbf}}.<ref>{{cite book |author1=U.S. Army Ordnance Department |author-link1=United States Army Ordnance Corps |title=Description of the Colt's Double-Action Revolver, Caliber .45, Model of 1909, with Rules for Management, Memoranda of Trajectory, and Description of Ammunition |date=1917 |publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|U.S. Government Printing Office]] |location=Washington |url=https://archive.org/details/coltrevolver00unitrich}} Page 11 and plate V.</ref> Today's standard factory loads develop around {{convert|400|ftlbf|J|abbr=on}} of [[Firearm muzzle|muzzle]] energy at about {{convert|860|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}, making it roughly equivalent to modern [[.45 ACP]] loads. There are [[Cowboy action shooting|Cowboy Action Shooting]] loads which develop muzzle velocities of around {{convert|750|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}.

''Cartridges of the World'' states that .45 Colt should never be loaded to more than {{convert|800|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} in blackpowder revolvers.<ref name="COTW14">{{cite book|title=Cartridges of the World|date=2014|publisher=Krause Publishing|location=Iola, WI |isbn=978-1-4402-4265-6 |edition=14th}}</ref>

===High pressure ammunition===
Some handloads and factory-manufactured cartridges put this round in the same class as the [[.44 Magnum]], using specially made revolvers.<ref name="COTW14" /><ref>{{cite journal |last=Taffin |first=John |date=2010 |title=Big and heavy |journal=American Handgunner |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_3_34/ai_n56208962/}}</ref> These loads cannot be used in any original Colt Single Action Army or replica thereof, such as those produced by [[A. Uberti, Srl.|Uberti]], [[Beretta]], the [[Taurus (manufacturer)|Taurus Gaucho]], or the [[Ruger|Ruger New Vaquero]], as these guns are built on the smaller frame with thinner cylinder walls. These loads should be used only in modern large-frame revolvers such as the [[Ruger Blackhawk]], [[Ruger Redhawk]], and the original large frame [[Ruger Vaquero]] (sometimes referred to as the "Old Model" to differentiate it from the small frame "New Vaquero.")

[[Thompson Center Arms|Thompson Center Contender]] "Magnum" .45 Colt loadings can also be safely fired from any gun chambered in either the [[.454 Casull]] or [[.460 S&W Magnum]] cartridges, though proper feeding may be an issue in repeating rifles chambered for either .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnum as the [[Overall length|OAL]] is significantly shorter. Modern rifles with strong actions (such as the [[Winchester Model 1894]], [[Marlin Model 1894]], and new replicas of the [[Winchester Model 1892]]) chambered for the cartridge can safely handle the heavier loadings.

===Handloading===
Colt .45 revolvers made until early WWII had barrels with .454" groove diameters. After WWII diameters of .451–.452" were produced. Using .454" diameter bullets in the smaller barrels will work but will generate higher pressures. Cases used with .454" bullets may have to be full-length resized to work in newer guns.<ref name="Speer No. 10">{{cite book|title=Reloading Manual No. 10|date=1979|publisher=Speer - Omark Industries|location=Lewiston, ID}}</ref> Speer handloading guidance states that the loads they show should be used only in handguns made specifically for modern smokeless powder. The loads mentioned in No. 10 reloading manual state that they do not exceed {{convert|15,000|psi|MPa|abbr=on}}. This is the equivalent of +P loading as normal pressure for the .45 Colt is {{convert|14,000|psi|MPa|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Speer No. 10" />

In a section specifically titled '''"45 Colt for Ruger or Contender only"''' Speer makes reference to velocities up to {{convert|1,300|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} with {{convert|200|gr|g|abbr=on}} bullets. They also state that pressures do not exceed {{convert|25,000|psi|MPa|abbr=on}} (CUP). This is well beyond a pressure that can destroy even modern guns chambered in .45 Colt with the exception of the large frame Ruger Blackhawk, Ruger Redhawk, Freedom Arms Models 83 and 97, and Dan Wesson revolvers.<ref name="Speer No. 10" />

==Uses==
Colt began work on their 1873 Single Action Army Model in 1871. Sample cartridges submitted for Army tests were made by UMC, using the Benet cup primers; commercial ammunition used the Berdan-type primer, followed by the more common Boxer priming. Original UMC loads used a {{convert|40|gr|adj=on}} powder charge and {{convert|255|gr|adj=on}} bullet. This was reduced to {{convert|35|gr|adj=on}} of powder, and later, by the Army, to {{convert|28|gr|adj=on}}.

The .45 Colt cartridge remains in use {{age|1873|1|1}} years after its introduction. It is used as a [[hunting]] load on animals the size of [[deer]] and [[American black bear|black bear]]. Heavier handloads will take the same range of [[game (food)|big game]] animals as the [[.44 Magnum]]. Several two-barrel [[derringer]]s are sold that are chambered in .45 Colt, and some of these derringers can chamber a [[.410 bore]] [[shotgun]] shell without any modifications being required.<ref name=Ahern>{{cite book |last=Ahern |first=Jerry |author-link=Jerry Ahern |date=2010 |title=Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed-Carry Handguns |publisher=F&W Media |isbn=978-1-4402-1383-0 |pages=207–208}}</ref> Revolvers chambered in .410 shotgun, such as the [[Taurus Judge]] and the [[Smith & Wesson Governor]], are usually chambered for the .45 Colt as well. A popular use for the .45 Colt today is in [[Cowboy Action Shooting]], where the round is often fired from either original or replicas of the 1873 Colt Single-Action Army.<ref name=BBS>{{cite book |last=Taffin |first=John |date=1997 |author-link=John Taffin |title=Big Bore Sixguns |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=978-0-87341-502-6 |pages=33–37}}</ref>

[[Winchester Repeating Arms Company|Winchester]], [[Marlin Firearms]], [[Henry Repeating Arms]], [[Chiappa Firearms]], [[Taurus (manufacturer)|Rossi]], [[A. Uberti, Srl.|Uberti]], [[Cimarron Firearms]] and other manufacturers produce lever-action rifles chambered in .45 Colt. Colt has resumed production of the Single-Action Army, and many SAA replicas and near-replicas as well as modern-design single-actions by Ruger are chambered for this cartridge.

==Influence on other cartridges==
The .45 Colt became the basis for the much more powerful [[.454 Casull]] cartridge, with the .454 Casull having a slightly longer case utilizing a small rifle primer in place of the large pistol primer. Any .454 Casull revolver will chamber and fire the .45 Colt and the [[.45 Schofield]], but not the inverse due to the Casull's longer case. The [[.460 S&W Magnum]] is a longer version of the .454 Casull cartridge. Likewise, .460 Magnum revolvers can chamber and fire the three shorter cartridges, but again, not the reverse.<ref name="COTW">{{cite book |last1=Barnes |first1=Frank C. |last2=Skinner |first2=Stan |date=October 20, 2009 |title=Cartridges of the World 12th Edition: A Complete and Illustrated Reference for Over 1500 Cartridges |publisher=Krause Publications |pages=568 |isbn=978-0-89689-936-0}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:cartridges 20081227.jpg|.45 Colt shown alongside other cartridges. From left to right: [[.30-06 Springfield|.30-06]], [[7.62×39mm]], [[.454 Casull]], .45 Colt, [[.357 Magnum]], [[.38 Special]], [[.45 ACP]], [[9×19mm Parabellum]], [[.380 ACP]], [[.22 Long Rifle]]
File:45 Colt.JPG|.45 Colt cartridge featuring a jacketed [[Hollow-point bullet|hollow point bullet]]
File:45colt.jpg|All-lead hollow point and [[Soft-point bullet#Flat-point bullets|flat nose]] .45 Colt cartridges
File:Colt .45 LC Cartridges.JPG|.45 Colt cartridges
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[11 mm caliber]]
*[[List of rimmed cartridges]]
*[[List of handgun cartridges]]
*[[Table of handgun and rifle cartridges]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt45lc.htm Article on the .45 Colt and the handloading therof]
*[http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm John Linebaugh discusses loading the .45 Colt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206015326/http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm |date=2009-02-06 }}
*[http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/45colt.html Ballistics By The Inch .45 Colt results.]

{{Rimmed cartridges}}
{{Colt's Manufacturing Company}}

[[Category:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1873]]
[[Category:Military cartridges|45 Colt]]
[[Category:Pistol and rifle cartridges|45 Colt]]
[[Category:Colt cartridges]]
[[Category:Rimmed cartridges]]