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Ruger 45 colt accuracy

9K views 39 replies 18 participants last post by  Darto 
#1 ·
I remember reading a while back (on GBO I think) that the oversize throat of the Ruger 45 colt made it hard to get good accuracy with cast bullets? Did I read/remember correctly or am I all wet? I'm thinking of a wheel gun again and the 45 colt is appealing to me with cast bullets. BTW I would probably be casting my own bullets as I already own the equipment (except for molds) to do so.

Thanks, Charlie
 
#2 ·
Since Bill died and new management took over Ruger has cleaned up their act. They are putting correctly sized throats on their revolvers now. All of them I've bought in the last several years have been right on and way more accurate than I am these days.
 
#4 ·
It was the other way around, undersized throats in the cylinder for the barrel bore/groove dimensions; not uncommon on the 45Colt's., not so much on the 357s and 44s. The usual fix is to throat ream the cyl. to a min. of barrel groove dia. Older models, used or new, may still have this issue. They often shoot jacketed bullets OK but are a disaster with lead alloy (even hard alloy), and most of us cant afford to shoot much jacketed.
Many of the newer models are better in this regard, though one can get a tight spot just at the cyl. chamber proper transition to the actual throat or a constriction in the barrel portion that screws into the frame.
Are you dead-set on a 45? The reports on the 44s have been quite good and although it is really a .43 it is a dandy in either 44Spl or 44Mag with cast bullets and have plenty of thwack. My 357 50th Anniv. model is splendid and economical to boot.
Read this:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-431244.html
 
#5 ·
All the Rugers I own are accurate, especially the 1911 it's on a par with pistols costing twice what it did.
The competition shooters from horseback out in Arizona all use the Ruger Vaquero, some of them are all factory and haven't had anything done to them.
 
#6 ·
Thanks everyone!

Gcrank, a 44 mag is on my list as is a 41 mag. I was mainly info gathering on the 45 colt as I remember reading about the throat issues in some pistols.

If I buy a 45 colt and it doesn't shoot cast well (my loads will mostly all be self cast reloads) how difficult is the fix?

Thanks, Charlie
 
#7 ·
It is not difficult, IF you have the right revolver chamber throating reamer. IMO most are better served by sending just the cylinder (after it proves if it is a shooter with lead, or not) to one of the specialists who do just such work. Hopefully someone here has a link for that or will maybe do one for you.
My first suggestion was going to be for a chap called www.cylindersmith.com but I cant get his site/homepage to come up. He did good work for some friends a while back and I think last year was only doing 45's. There will be others if he no longer does.
 
#8 ·
Simple as sizing your bullets to your cyl mouths... Measure, buy/cast and move on. EASY PEASY.

CW
 
#9 ·
Wont do it if the cyl. throats are smaller than the barrel groove dia. unless maybe you shoot soft lead with black powder so they will 'bump up' in the barrel forcing cone.
They will shoot, that is to say, they will go out the end of the barrel, leaving leading in the bore and after the first few shots have no accuracy.
Lots of us have BTDT.
 
#10 ·
gcrank1 said:
Wont do it if the cyl. throats are smaller than the barrel groove dia. unless maybe you shoot soft lead with black powder so they will 'bump up' in the barrel forcing cone.
They will shoot, that is to say, they will go out the end of the barrel, leaving leading in the bore and after the first few shots have no accuracy.
Lots of us have BTDT.
Yea huh... ;) Then just ream cyl to barrel and your done! ::)

CW
 
#11 ·
But, if the cyl. chamber mouths are at least barrel groove dia. what CW says will probably work right off the bat; and nowadays, with the improved Ruger cyl boring your chances for that are good.
BTW, for low pressure cast bullet loads I often do not resize the cases. I fit the largest dia. cast bullet that fits the fully fire-formed case mouth and only give a smidge of crimp. To determine that largest dia. bullet I will just barely roll back any residual crimp with a flaring tool or my ever present round backed needle nose pliers. This also lets me insert another bullet easily.
So, decap, flare, recap, powder charge, bullet, crimp lightly and its good to go. My loads basically fall or pop out easily and not resizing makes the brass last about forever and can save a good amount of time if you cant use carbide dies (no need for case lube, resize, then remove case lube).
 
#12 ·
Y'all are scaring me on the 45 colt. I had my big bore wish list narrowed down to 41, 44, 45.......kind of leaning towards the 45 but I just want to buy one, take it out of the box, cast, load and shoot (accurately). Which of the 3 I list above would be the best bet for that?

Thanks for all the replies.

Charlie
 
#13 ·
Don't let folks scare you off on a Ruger BH in .45 Colt. Ruger has their act together these days. All of my Ruger BHs are right on with the cylinder throats. These days in my hands they shoot as well as do FA revolvers cuz I'm the weak link. My hands aren't as steady and my eyes don't focus on that front sight like they used to.

All three of my Ruger BH 45s are right at .4525". Ruger is getting it right these days. I used to be one of their most vocal detractors but the guns I've bought from them in the last half dozen or more years have been as good as my S&W revolvers.
 
#14 ·
cbourbeau32 said:
Y'all are scaring me on the 45 colt. I had my big bore wish list narrowed down to 41, 44, 45.......kind of leaning towards the 45 but I just want to buy one, take it out of the box, cast, load and shoot (accurately). Which of the 3 I list above would be the best bet for that?

Thanks for all the replies.

Charlie
Bill is right Charlie,

DONT be turned off to the Ruger and surely NOT to the excellent 45 Colt you would be missing out on one of the best hand gun calibers ever made.

I have 8 Blackhawks, two are 45 Colts. I also have four more "Italians" and Two actual Colt model P revolvers all in 45 Long colt. Then I have a few rifles and carbines too!! Its one of my favorite calibers and for good reason. its so versatile. Its also a great big game hunter at moderate ranges from strong guns. From ol timers its still a freezer filler but ranges need to be rebated a bit. There is GOOD REASON its 140+ years old!

CW
 
#15 ·
Sounds like you don't have a set of pin gauges. I would recommend purchasing a set or at least get the pin gauges for the revolvers you're interested in. For instance, for the 45 Colt, you probably want 0.4525 cylinder throats - so obtain a minus 0.452 and 0.453 pin gauge - The 0.452 will drop completely through while the 0.453 pin gauge won't, telling you that your throats are probably 0.4525. Take these pin gauges to your LGS and measure the cylinder throats before you put your money down.
 
#16 ·
Graybeard said:
Don't let folks scare you off on a Ruger BH in .45 Colt. Ruger has their act together these days. All of my Ruger BHs are right on with the cylinder throats. These days in my hands they shoot as well as do FA revolvers cuz I'm the weak link. My hands aren't as steady and my eyes don't focus on that front sight like they used to.

All three of my Ruger BH 45s are right at .4525". Ruger is getting it right these days. I used to be one of their most vocal detractors but the guns I've bought from them in the last half dozen or more years have been as good as my S&W revolvers.
What he says......

I bought a Ruger Blackhawk convertible with the 5.5" barrel early this year, and when shooting with it's preferred load (jacketed 250 gr. XTP), it is probably the most accurate handgun I own. I'm getting 2" groups at fifty yards with it, and couldn't be more pleased. I also get good results with hard cast 250 gr. RNFPs. I like it so much, I bought a 4.625" version .45 Colt Blackhawk, that I haven't had a chance to shoot yet. I expect good results from it too. I don't think someone can go wrong with these revolvers. I began having a love affair with the .45 Colt, to the tune of the fact that I'm thinking about dropping out of the .44 mag handgun thingy. This Blackhawk with my load is that great.......
 
#19 ·
5-Hole you assumed right about me as well ;D I don't have gauges but I may have to invest in the two sizes you recommended if I shop at LGS versus online.

Thanks, Charlie
 
#21 ·
scattershot said:
You may be overthinking this a bit. Buy a revolver, and go shoot it. If the bullet you want to shoot passes (barely) through the cylinder throat, you're good to go.
Do you mean if I pulled a bullet and pushed it through the cylinder throat it would barely fit?
 
#22 ·
ive owned probably a dozen older large framed 45 colts and all of them needed cylinder reaming. Afterward some shot great some shot average. Ive had much better luck with 44 mags. All the 44 mag rugers ive owned have been shooters right out of the box. Now the newer small framed 45 colts seem to be much better shooters and are built with correct tolerances. But you give up the ability to run power levels that compete with the 44 mag. Not a real bad thing as they do run at levels of power that will kill about anything short of a large moose or big bear with authority. Most of my hunting with 44 mags is usually at about that level anyway.
 
#23 ·
Yes, bullet(s) will work if you can get a selection of, say, .451, .452., 453 and VERIFY those dia with a mic/dial caliper (a good DC!) and mark the center of the base with a centerpunch mark; ie 1 dot for .451, 2 dots for .452, etc. Be careful with them and dont force their fit. Hardcast alloy is best, though what you can get trumps that. Some casters will send you sample packs of their bullets for a nominal fee. If you com with one see if they will provide you with those 3 to find out what your gun will need to feed it. Be sure to save them safely packaged and labeled for future ref.
 
#24 ·
Ruger may have fixed the cylinder throat problem to some degree but it still exists. I bought a flat top .45 Colt/.45 ACP earlier this year and the cylinder throats on both the .45 Colt/.45 ACP cylinders slugged at .449.

Cylindersmith has retired by there's a fellow who goes by the name Dougguy on the cast bullits forum who has stepped up. He offers reaming and polishing of the cylinder throats at prices comparable to what cylindersmith did.

Don't let that discourage you. I love my .45 Ruger.
 
#25 ·
As I do not want to join another forum to get contact info, can you clear it with Dougguy to post his link up here?

To the OP, your post made (yes, you made me) go play with my TALO 'light' Vaquero Birdshead 45ACP the past couple of days. I have had it a few years but not played with it much. The cyl. throats were originally pin gauged at .4525 and bullets of .452-.452+ did, in fact lead the barrel. Now the alloy was our 'garagalloy', but it has worked well in a variety of guns including rifles up to about 1400fps. I HATE scrubbing lead and lost a whole year somewhere (if anyone finds a year wandering around with my name on it, pls send it back to me).
So, I resorted to buying a cheap box of TULA 45ACP steel case, 230gr. ball ammo at Walmart. I have slowly shot it up and just finished off the last five the other day. I figured the old 'shoot a box or two of jacketed' thru a new revolver cant hurt. Surprisingly they print about only a bit high and (not surprisingly, I seem to do this with sgl act rev's) a tad left and very reasonably tight at 15 yd., standing, one handed (as God, Col.Colt and Wm. Ruger intended). The felt recoil is just fine in the BH. (Isnt spec hardball about 230 @ 830fps-ish?).
I have run some 200-230gr. cast (garagalloy) load development bullets thru it now to find a load that shoots 'to the sights' and have NO leading. I would guesstimate my loads at about 700-750fps, similar to the old 44Spl (really my fav); funny how my cast bullet loads all kinda seem to end up about there.....still, I 'develop' instead of just going there by default ::) .
SO, get a 45 if that is what you want, if it doesnt work out, get another one, see which of the two you like better and sell the one you dont like.
Enjoy the 'hunt' ;) ,
'Cranky
 
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