45 Long Colt Ammo 

45 Long Colt Ammo

45 Long Colt Ammo . The ammunitiongunbroker has a wide selection of .45 Long Colt single-action revolvers for sale at an affordable price. We also offer a wide variety of rifle ammunition, rimfire ammunition, pistol ammunition, and shotgun ammunition. There are many ammunition brands we offer, including Wolf Ammo, Winchester Ranger, Winchester Pheasant, Federal Gold Medal, Federal Nosler Partition, Fiocchi Ammunition, and Hornady Black Rifle, among others. We strive to provide quality ammunition and outstanding customer service at a reasonable price. Shop now to find quality ammunition for shooting and other uses.

Historical Background of .45 COLT Ammo:

In 1872, gunmaker Samuel Colt developed the .45 Colt as a black powder cartridge for his Peacemaker revolver, which is perhaps the most iconic cartridge in America. Generally known as the .45 Long Colt (LC), this round measures 1.6 inches in length. This cartridge carries a .454-inch bullet in a straight-walled, rimmed case measuring 1.285 inches. An expanded pistol primer is featured along with a pressure of 14,000 pounds per square inch (psi).

With modern testing, it has been estimated that the original .45 Colt cartridge could achieve velocities as high as 900 feet per second (fps). It contains 40 grains of black powder and 255 grains of the lead bullet. As modern ammunition, .45 Colt loads produce a muzzle blast of 400-foot pounds (ft*lb) and reach speeds of 860 feet per second. 45 LC and .44 Mag are common comparisons since both are black powder rounds. The 45LC and the 45LCX have similar ballistic numbers, so they are both capable and effective rounds.

.45 LC rounds are a favorite among big-bore firearm fans for their accuracy and stopping power, and they continue to be popular. In general, factory loads are easier to handle than magnums (such as .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .460 Magnum, and .500 Magnum), but they also provide better knockdown power.

Types of .45 Long Colt Ammo:

There are many types of ammunition in the .45 Colt caliber, just as there are many types of other calibers.

Lead round nose (LRN):

Round and lead bullets are at the core of LRN ammunition – a universal-style cartridge to be used for target practice, hunting, or self-defense.

Lead round nose – flat point (LRN-FP):

In the late 1800s, this ammunition was intended to improve feeding into lever action rifles, hence the term cowboy bullet. LRN-FP ammunition is similar to LRN ammunition with the exception of a flat point at one end; it was used by cowboys to improve hunting.

Lead flat nose (LFN):

The flat nose of LFN ammo makes it ideal for target shooters and allows it to create a clean-cut as it passes through a paper target, so scoring is easier and more accurate. Additionally, it has a lighter powder load and is more expanded upon impact, making it easier to handle for some shooters.

Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP):

These rounds are most commonly associated with self-defense or hunting since the lead bullet is covered with a harder metal, most often copper and the hollow point in the bullet allows it to expand more on impact than typical LRN rounds.

Total Metal Jacket (TMJ):

To prevent lead exposure, some shooting ranges require the use of TMJ bullets, which have a fully jacketed bullet inside a hard metal casing; they function much like full metal jacket (FMJ) bullets.

Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point (LSWCHP):

LSWCHP ammo has an extended hollow point in addition to its wadcutter design, which enhances expansion and self-defense. This type of ammo is frequently allowed in places that do not allow hollow points.

#9 Shot (Skeet):

There are #9 Shot Shells available in .45 Colt so that someone looking for something a little different can have a shotshell that can be used in skeet shooting. The shots are loaded with small lead projectiles.

Is 45 Colt better than 45 ACP?

There is a common comparison between .45 Colt and .45 ACP ammunition. This isn’t surprising since both cartridges have a similar bullet size and are American icons. .45 LC was developed for revolvers and .45 ACP for automatic pistols, but Samuel Colt developed them both.

Long Colt has a slightly larger bullet diameter, measuring .454 inches, compared to ACP, which measures .451. There are many differences between the two ammunitions, including their size and shape. There is also a significant difference in case of size between the ACP and .45 Colt, leading to a longer overall length of 1.6 inches for the Long Colt and only 1.275 inches for the ACP (1.285 inches compared to .898 inches). In addition to having a wider diameter and a larger thickness than the Auto, the LC case is 0.032 inches thicker.

There is a 7,000 psi difference in maximum pressure between the cartridges, despite the vastly different sizes of the cartridges. (The .45 Long Colt has a maximum pressure of 14,000 psi, while the ACP has a maximum pressure of 21,000 psi, according to SAAMI). While their velocities are similar, the Long Colt ranges between 900 and 1,300 fps, and the .45 ACP ranges between 835 and 1,350 fps. When it comes to muzzle energy, there are some significant differences between the two. In comparison to the Long Colt, the ACP muzzle energy stays much lower, from 356 to 587 ft*lb, while the foot pound-force ranges from 444 to 1,151 ft·lb.

It means that the average shooter needs to know what this means. There are likely to be more recoil and muzzle blast with the .45 Long Colt, which will make the gun harder to shoot and require a longer period of time to return to target due to the increased recoil and muzzle blast. As the numbers suggest, the difference in recoil may not be as strong as it appears, due to the fact that revolvers – like the .45 LC – tend to absorb more energy force when firing a cartridge than semi-automatic pistols (often smaller and lighter).

Frequently Asked Questions
How powerful is the .45 Colt, .44 Mag, and .357 Mag?

The .44 Mag is more powerful than the .45 Colt and the .357 Mag when compared to the others. It has in excess of both muzzle energy and velocity even when compared to the .45 Long Colt.

What type of gun shoots 45 Colt ammunition?

Taurus Judge, a five-shot wheelgun, and Smith & Wesson Governor, a six-shot revolver that fires both the .45 ACP and the .410 bore, are the most common firearms with the .45 Colt chambering. There are also a number of carbines chambered for the .45 Colt.

What is the best way to make a .45 Colt blank?

Check out our wildcat guide for more specific information on handloading the .45 Long Colt blanks popular with Cowboy Action Shooting.

Do you need help finding .45 Colt Ammo?

Please call us  for more information on our 44 Long Colt Ammunition.

Showing all 8 results