44mag or 45 Colt - which is most versitile??

onedash · Jan 30, 2019

bigcountry said:
One warning about shooting 45colt in 454 guns. If you do it alot, you will shoot up pressures when you shoot the 454. I shot 45colts in ruger 454 for like 1000 rounds. I had trouble chambering the 454's. Had a carbon ring, that had to take to a gunsmith and ream out.

In my 460 if I shoot 45 colt before firing 460 the fireball is much larger and extraction is much harder.
I bought a lead removal cloth that works like magic to clean it. Nothing else seemed to work, even scrubbing with solvent and bronze brush. That cloth works amazingly fast. It just rubbed right off.
the 3% rule applies since it designed for removing lead.

onedash · Jan 30, 2019

Art3 said:
And...I mean, how can you really call yourself a red-blooded American without at least one .44mag

By getting a S&W 460 XVR!

CrazySanMan · Jan 30, 2019

Art3 said:
I get the ideas of wanting to simplify and stock up. I was always reluctant to get into a new caliber, but reloading changed that for me. If I may humbly suggest, if you are planning on having different loads in the same caliber for different applications (and maybe a few guns that can't handle the hot ones), that really isn't much different than having different calibers. If you are going to stockpile 50,000 rounds for the future, you are still going to need 50,000 rounds...regardless of whether they are all the same or half .44 and half .45. Don't deny yourself enjoyable guns today because you are worried about feeding them tomorrow. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed anyway.

I have all three calibers mentioned, but shoot .357/38 the most, probably because of ammo cost and the fact that I have more .357's than any other caliber. You can get big guns in .357, but you really can't get little ones in .44 or .45. Sometimes, you need a little one Also, a medium weight .357 revolver shooting light .38 special is great for welcoming new or timid shooters. Personally, I like .45 in old guns and black powder. And...I mean, how can you really call yourself a red-blooded American without at least one .44mag

Right now I'm actually leaning toward 357. The gun I carry the most is a 3" SP101 in 357 and my truck gun is a snubbie 38. I'm thinking about starting CAS, going to go watch a local match this Saturday, and 357/38 would be most economical for that.

I've heard that 357 is marginal for hunting mule deer so I'm planning on a SRH Hunter in 44 mag for hunting muleys with and I'll keep my 30-06 for elk and if I ever get a black bear tag. I'll keep 223 and 7.62x39 but just feed them factory ammo. I also kept 1 9mm, a Glock 26 that is my back up carry gun. I keep it in my nightstand pistol vault with a big 17 round mag in it for a better grip and it's my main home defense gun because of the night sights and TLR-6 light/laser on it.

I have several guns up for sale now at the LGS and as they sell I'll start buying 357s for CAS and the 44 mag for hunting.

bigcountry · Jan 30, 2019

onedash said:
In my 460 if I shoot 45 colt before firing 460 the fireball is much larger and extraction is much harder.
I bought a lead removal cloth that works like magic to clean it. Nothing else seemed to work, even scrubbing with solvent and bronze brush. That cloth works amazingly fast. It just rubbed right off.
the 3% rule applies since it designed for removing lead.

It is really the carbon buildup that you need to get off. The lead removal screens helps considerably.

ras_oscar · Feb 11, 2019

Blacksmith101 said:
All of the extended magnum guns can safely shoot their shorter precursor cartridges at lower pressures.

Although if you do that regularly, be sure to clean the cylinder of all carbon. Carbon can accumulate in the .001 at the end of the cylinder and make chambering the longer round difficult if not impossible.

I have a Super Redhawk Alaskan and always shoot .44 mag out if it. The carbon has accumulated on the face of the cylinder and I have not yet found a reliable way to get it off. If I were looking for the ability to shoot the lighter loads, I'd probably load them into the full length cartridge case and find some way of marking them.

John from MD · Feb 11, 2019

The easiest way to clean a .357, .44 or .45 cylinder that you shoot short rounds in is to chuck a bronze brush in your drill and run it into each chamber. This works every time and does not damage your gun at all.

TheOriginalMexicanBob · Feb 11, 2019

ras_oscar said:
I have a Super Redhawk Alaskan and always shoot .44 mag out if it. The carbon has accumulated on the face of the cylinder and I have not yet found a reliable way to get it off.

Use your favorite gun cleaner (we all have our favorites and I'm not going start that war) on the cylinder face and let it soak for a day or two. Use a good bronze brush and scrub it...I've seen guys use a bronze rotary brush on a drill to make the cylinder face on stainless revolvers look brand new with no powder residue at all. I'm not endorsing that...just have seen others do it.

Once it's clean, use Renaissance Wax on the cylinder face if not the whole revolver. The wax provides a barrier and makes it easier to clean the next time. It doesn't keep the powder rings from occurring...just easier to clean away. Reapply the RenWax each time and make life easier each time you clean.

John from MD · Feb 11, 2019

ras_oscar said:
If I were looking for the ability to shoot the lighter loads, I'd probably load them into the full length cartridge case and find some way of marking them.

That's what God made plastic baggies and magic markers for. :innocent0

Magnumite · Feb 11, 2019

You may consider using specific head stamps and bullet combinations to identify loads. Example in 44 Magnum a Federal case and JHP means a load of 15.5 grain of Blue Dot or 23.0 grain H110 (both yield 1275 - 1300 fps from a 5.5” Redhawk) and standard primer. A hard cast SWC in the same case indicates a 19.7 - 20.5 grain charge of 2400. A red marker dot on the primer of any loading indicates an absolute top end load.

I gave up on keeping cylinder faces clean long time back. Its arduous, texius and yields no positive results for the efforts. I just clean as normal and all the polishing over the years won’t affect it. But that is just me. I know it is a sore spot for many.

K-43 · Feb 11, 2019

John from MD said:
That's what God made plastic baggies and magic markers for.

So easy to do as John said and use a permanent marker on the container or put a mark on each case.
I mark ladder workups by writing the powder and charge on the side of the case or putting a number on the case face, tying it to my notes.
8x57 loads for my K43 get marked with a slash on the case face so that I know not to put any load with no slash in the magazine!!
Easy, peasy, semi-permanent. Ink comes off when tumbling, but not during normal handling.

John from MD · Feb 11, 2019

I mark ladder workups by writing the powder and charge on the side of the case or putting a number on the case face, tying it to my notes.

I do the same for workup loads. Once I get a "standard practice load", I just mark the ammo can and load them in. If I have several different loads, like .44 spl and magnum for pistol and rifles, I keep them in baggies and mark the baggies. It easy to just grab a baggie and through it in my range bag for the gun(s) I will be shooting that day.

Bisleyfan44 · Feb 11, 2019

CrazySanMan said:
Can 357 be pushed high enough to be a good deer caliber?

The 357 is a great deer round. I've had good success with it using Ruger Blackhawks. Everything from 158 JSPs, 180 JHPs, Elmer's 173 SWCs, and Veral's 180 WFNs. They all do great on deer.

Disclaimer, I only hunt with handguns from ground blinds and stands and keep ranges at 50 yds max. Never hunted with a rifle in 357, that may give you more range.

I've shot deer with 357s, 41s, 44s, and the 45 Colt. Inside 50 yards with proper shot placement, I can't tell them apart when hit similarly, except for the recoil. Deer react no differently when hit in the ribs with a 357 or hit in the ribs with a 44. Dead deer.

And the 357 gives you better options for home defense, 38s and 357s. JMO

Aventus · Feb 11, 2019

John from MD said:
The easiest way to clean a .357, .44 or .45 cylinder that you shoot short rounds in is to chuck a bronze brush in your drill and run it into each chamber. This works every time and does not damage your gun at all.

How about cleaning the face of the cylinder? This is the biggest trouble spot to clean for me? The Lead Away cloths used to work great but it seems like they have been reformulated because they really don't work anymore. Thanks in advance,

TheOriginalMexicanBob · Feb 11, 2019

Aventus said:
How about cleaning the face of the cylinder? This is the biggest trouble spot to clean for me? The Lead Away cloths used to work great but it seems like they have been reformulated because they really don't work anymore. Thanks in advance,

In my previous post I said guys have used a small bronze wire wheel in a drill to clean the face of the cylinder. After it's clean use Renaissance Wax on it which, while it doesn't keep the powder rings from forming, does make subsequent cleaning easier.

I would only use the wire wheel method on a stainless gun.

Magnumite · Feb 11, 2019

Using a wire wheel can leave very small marks which give flame blasts a route to travel through. That could lead to premature flame cutting fissures.

John from MD · Feb 11, 2019

Aventus said:
How about cleaning the face of the cylinder? This is the biggest trouble spot to clean for me? The Lead Away cloths used to work great but it seems like they have been reformulated because they really don't work anymore. Thanks in advance,

If the pistol is stainless, then you can use an eraser made for pen ink and it will take the carbon off. If your cylinder is blued, you can try shooter's choice lead remover. I use it to take the lead out of my compensators and the carbon goes with it.

That said, I only ever cleaned the cylinder faces for a customers gun that I had worked on. I don't waste my time doing mine as I shoot 3 to 5 days a week and cleaning cuts into my shooting and reloading time. :lol:

John from MD · Feb 11, 2019

Magnumite said:
Using a wire wheel can leave very small marks which give flame blasts a route to travel through. That could lead to premature flame cutting fissures.

If I brass brush damages your steel, you don't have steel. It's a matter of metal properties.

Magnumite · Feb 12, 2019

A true brass brush wouldn’t hurt it. But I had visions someone using one of those stainless bristeled ‘tooth brushes’ on it.

GunBum · Feb 12, 2019

Magnumite said:
A true brass brush wouldn’t hurt it. But I had visions someone using one of those stainless bristeled ‘tooth brushes’ on it.

I’ve been scrubbing the cylinder face and the inside of the top strap with either a stainless or bronze ‘tooth brush’ on my 629 and 686 for over 20 years. I’m sure they’ll die eventually. The 629 gets shot 2-3 times a month, and the 686 gets shot at least weekly, and usually multiple times a week. If I don’t scrub them, especially the 686, the buildup gets bad enough that the cylinder binds.

I’m sure the sky is probably falling, and the world is coming to an end because I abuse these fine firearms. :lol2:

dreadpirate · Feb 12, 2019

Muleskinner said:
but I can tell you a large, powerful round like that would make mincemeat out of small game like rabbits.

So?

44mag or 45 Colt - which is most versitile??

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