Your Choice... Super Blackhawk .44 Mag or Blackhawk .45 Colt ??? Which would it be?

[Guest rod locker]

Fixing to purchase another handgun for myself. The indoor range I go to does not allow anything over a .44 Mag to be shot. But I really would like a .45 Colt for nostalgia reasons. I would have to find somewhere else to shoot it. So which pistol would ya'll opt for if given the chance?

[Sandman]

.45 colt.

[R1100R]

I have had one in 41 Mag for years. My understanding is the 45 LC is available with a .45ACP cylinder.

ACP is cheaper to shoot.

[Guest BenderBendingRodriguez]

It's hard to argue with nostalgia, but you can't shoot nostalgia. .44 Mag is a really nice round, and it seems pretty well accessible around these parts. Can't always say the same for .45 Colt. Though finding a new place to shoot could be a nice change of pace. I would probably go for the .44, but you're not really going to go too wrong either way.

[leroy]

Lotsa good bullets for both of them. We shoot em both. Pick the one you make the best deal on.

leroy

[Guest BenderBendingRodriguez]

Oh, if you could switch the Colt to ACP, that would make my vote a lot harder. ACP is plentiful.

[TNWNGR]

I prefer the .45 Colt and one of the Ruger's with a .45ACP extra cylinder is what I would suggest. As to the range you shoot at do they allow shooter's to shoot .45ACP pistol's? If so then the .44 Magnum allowance is deceptive as factory .45 Colt ammunition is fairly mild. With handloads in a Ruger or other overbuilt platform is a romping stomping catridge. I believe that you should question the range managment and perhap's file an appeal.

[Patton]

Well if they let you shoot a 44mag then the 45LC should be a little less brutal with sound and impact. For me the 44mag as 44mag cost a little less than 45LC around here. If you get a 45acp cylinder than I would go with the 45/45.

[Caster]

Despite some people's opinions, the 45 colt, when chambered in a Blackhawk or equivalent, CAN compete with the 44 mag on most any level. There's a hornets nest argument there, but read some of John Linebaugh's writings on the matter. He's is for fact and for certain more experienced on the matter than most nay sayers. Some of his loads are scary. I use his data and they are VERY stout, but highly manageable.

[Patton]

^Yes, after owning both I agree neither one is considered a light handling round. I got rid of the 44 thinking I could shoot it more and cheaper but there wasn't enough difference.

[Caster]

Patton, I respectfully disagree with the light handling comment. ALTHOUGH this applies to handloaders ONLY. If you only shoot factory ammo, the I'm inclined to agree.

I have loaded some 200g roundnose boolits with AA nitro 100 chronographing an average of 800 fps that were a blast to shoot. They'd bring a smile to anyone's face at how docile they are.

[Patton]

I don't shoot 'hot' ammo any more. I used to think that hot rounds was were it was at but I have been very disapointed with some Buffalo Bore ammo that was hot and not being able to put it on target and it wasn't because hard recoil. I had a range officer when I was in a police academy tell me he had experienced the same thing of some ammo just being too hot. If I did reload I would probably get back into shooting large bore revolvers but i just can't find the cost of the ammo to be worth the fun.

[Clod Stomper]

Do you handload? If so, I would get the .45 Colt. In the Blackhawk, it can easily be loaded to a .44 Mag level. And you can shoot factory pressure ammo for fun. Of course, if you handload, you can also load .44 Mag lighter, too. But if you like the idea of having a .45 Colt for nostalgia, I'd get that. Plus, like others have said, you can get a .45 ACP cylinder for it.

If you do not handload, your choice can be narrowed down by deciding if you're just going to be plinking or if you may have need for more terminal energy. .44 Mag for energy and .45 Colt for self-defense or plinking.

I'm guessing that your range rule against anything over .44 Mag probably means anything over .44 Mag power. You should clarify that with them. They really shouldn't have any problem with you shooting a .45 Colt since it is generally much milder than .44 Mag.

Will

[Jonnin]

Most indoor ranges are saying nothing more *powerful* than a 44 magnum (due to noise or destruction of the range backstop or whatever), not fussing about the diameter. A 45 colt is a fraction of the power of a 44, but its slightly bigger around. It should be a non issue to fire a 45 in a range that can take a 44, from any perspective, ask your range officer or whoever first but double check your rule as I suspect they did not mean raw diameter when they made that rule, its probably meant to stop the 50 cal guns (like 50 a&e which is a 44 mag on steroids).

[I_Like_Pie]

If you are a reloader....Both are reloader's cartridges otherwise you won't be able to afford shooting them.

That being the case you get what you have dies, powder, and bullets for. They can both cover the gamut from 600fps target loads to 300+ grain sledgehammers.

Both are very versatile to the point of sameness.