Lots of cowboy shooters insist on using the .45 Colt but want .38 special recoil. The huge powder capacity of the .45 long Colt gives them problems when using small powder charges behind light bullets. Chamber pressures of such loads are so low that few smokeless powders will burn consistently.
There has been a solution proposed, that being a .45 Short Colt called the "cowboy special". It has a .45 Colt head but shortened to .45 ACP length. Let me tell you, that is NOT a solution but simply exchanges one problem for another.
I bought 100 cases from "Adirondack Jack's Trading Post" before I even thought about it. The price is fair, $25.00 with shipping included. It seems to be decent quality brass and is head stamped ".45 Cowboy Special".
I loaded up 20 rounds, five each of 4 different powders, using .45 auto rim "starting loads" and went shooting. Bummer! Holes all over the place! Not one load gave a group I would even call a "group" at 25 yards. Six to ten inches!
Well I should have thought of this before I ordered the brass. We all know that accuracy from a revolver requires that the bullet fit the chamber throat. With the cowboy special brass being shorter than the .45 Colt chamber the bullet has to rattle through more than 3/8" of empty chamber before it even reaches the throat. The 200 grain bullets I was using have only 1/4" of bearing surface, meaning they could not be delivered to the chamber throat straight and centered, thus lousy accuracy.
This would be a fine cartridge if a revolver were chambered expressly for it, although the Ruger with a .45 ACP cylinder is probably even better. Using this brass in a .45 Colt chamber may be OK for the cowboy shooter who shoots only very large targets at very close range, it certainly does have an advantage in low recoil loads. As for me, anyone want some brass?
There has been a solution proposed, that being a .45 Short Colt called the "cowboy special". It has a .45 Colt head but shortened to .45 ACP length. Let me tell you, that is NOT a solution but simply exchanges one problem for another.
I bought 100 cases from "Adirondack Jack's Trading Post" before I even thought about it. The price is fair, $25.00 with shipping included. It seems to be decent quality brass and is head stamped ".45 Cowboy Special".
I loaded up 20 rounds, five each of 4 different powders, using .45 auto rim "starting loads" and went shooting. Bummer! Holes all over the place! Not one load gave a group I would even call a "group" at 25 yards. Six to ten inches!
Well I should have thought of this before I ordered the brass. We all know that accuracy from a revolver requires that the bullet fit the chamber throat. With the cowboy special brass being shorter than the .45 Colt chamber the bullet has to rattle through more than 3/8" of empty chamber before it even reaches the throat. The 200 grain bullets I was using have only 1/4" of bearing surface, meaning they could not be delivered to the chamber throat straight and centered, thus lousy accuracy.
This would be a fine cartridge if a revolver were chambered expressly for it, although the Ruger with a .45 ACP cylinder is probably even better. Using this brass in a .45 Colt chamber may be OK for the cowboy shooter who shoots only very large targets at very close range, it certainly does have an advantage in low recoil loads. As for me, anyone want some brass?