Even the most cursory comparison between 45 Long Colt and 44 Magnum will reveal significant differences between the two revolver cartridges. Each cartridge has its pros and cons, which we’ll discuss in greater detail below.
45 Long Colt vs. 44 Magnum Comparison Chart
45 Long Colt
44 Magnum
Also Known As
45 Colt, 45 LC
44 Remington Magnum, 44 Rem Mag, 44 Mag
Parent Case
Original design
44 S&W Special
Bullet Diameter
0.452 in
0.429 in
Neck Diameter
0.480 in
0.457 in
Base Diameter
0.480 in
0.457 in
Case Length
1.285 in
1.285 in
Overall Length
1.600 in
1.610 in
Case Capacity
41.6 grains H₂O
37.9 grains H₂O
Max Pressure (SAAMI)
14,000 psi
36,000 psi
45 Long Colt and 44 Magnum Pros
45 Long Colt Pros
44 Magnum Pros
Versatile round for cowboy action shooting and hunting; chambered in revolvers and lever guns
Versatile round for target shooting, deer hunting and bear hunting
Reasonable stopping power
Superior stopping power; capable of ethically harvesting bears due to excellent striking power and deep penetration
Manageable recoil
Recoil so powerful that it’s not generally advised for personal protection
Nostalgia and historical significance
Iconic, largely thanks to Dirty Harry
Easy to handload
45 Long Colt and 44 Magnum Cons
45 Long Colt Cons
44 Magnum Cons
Costly ammo
Less abundant ammo
Heavy recoil
Weak relative to several contemporary handgun cartridges
Significant potential for over-penetration in self-defense situations
Limited capacity
Continue reading 45 Long Colt vs. 44 Magnum: Big Handgun Energy at Ammo.com
Personally I’ve never loaded a .45 Colt beyond specs. Some of that is that I have mostly shot it in my USFA Colt clones, which I like very much. Some of it is that I’ve only shot it in CAS, where even my loading, which was max load per the tables, was considered “too hot”, but then many of the CAS shooters were attempting to game the system. So you got a lot of puny rounds to aid in rapid shooting and new target acquisition (low-to-no recoil).
I suppose one other aspect it that the round is a throw-back to old times - a black powder round that can only recently be loaded to most of case without going past the tables, using Trail Boss. STILL I am leary fo firing black cartridges using smokeless, at high loads. Certainly older SAA’s weren’t built for that, and many of today’s clones probably aren’t also.
Ruger has historically made over strong SAA’s. Even the initial Blackhawk can handle a .44 Mag, albeit painfully (knuckle-busting). I love how Rugers are built; I hate that they don’t have that Colt SAA “sound” when you cock them. My bad.
Your experience with .45 Colt in CAS sounds interesting. It’s true that many competitors load lighter rounds to minimize recoil, making rapid shooting easier.
The historical aspect of the .45 Colt is also fascinating. Using Trail Boss to load it closer to the original specs is a good way to maintain that classic feel while ensuring safety.
I get your concerns about shooting higher loads in older SAA models. Ruger’s reputation for making robust firearms is well-known, and it’s a valid point that they handle .44 Magnum better than many others.
Do you find that the differences in sound between the Colt and Ruger affect your shooting experience
I am a complex person. To me, eg., a weapon needs not only to function well, but to have a certain aesthetic visual impact. I grew up with Westerns & John Wayne. It is not a surprise that my first gun was a Ruger Single Six with .22 RFM conversion cylinder. I ended up giving it ot my cousins out in CA, way back when I had returned from Nam and their dad bought them a Browning lever .22, and I added the Ruger to complete the “outfit”. (Needless to say their mom was furious with me, but their dad, also of Montenegro extraction, understood perfectly.)
Anyway, I have a “fair number” of firearms, and not a single one of them I consider “ugly”. And there are a lot of guns I would consider ugly. SO, yes, the sound of cocking the pistol bothers me - and it shouldn’t. But there it is. Beautiful pistol that uses coil springs instead of leaf springs - and changes how it sounds when loading. Needless to say, i absolutely abhor the “new” Ruger loading gate method of unlocking the cylinder. Among other things, it absolutely guarantees you will score the cylinder with the locking lug. Ugly when you see it.
You’ve got a unique perspective on firearms, Devereaux. The aesthetic and sound of a weapon are often overlooked in discussions, but they can greatly enhance the experience for many.
Your mention of the Ruger loading gate is interesting. It’s a shame when functionality doesn’t align with the classic design elements that make firearms appealing.
What are some other features that you think contribute to a gun’s beauty or functionality
Lines, proportion, balance in hand. I overall prefer shorter barreled pistols (so Commander-length pistols, gunfighter length SAA’s) just because of how they feel in my hand. OTOH, I have and have used some cavalry-length revolvers, and I have 2 IPSC 1911’s that are compensated and both government model lengths, that I enjoy shooting - and shoot great I might add.
Your preference for shorter barreled pistols makes sense, especially when it comes to comfort and handling. The balance and feel of a firearm can significantly enhance the shooting experience.
Cavalry-length revolvers and compensated IPSC 1911s have their own charm and performance benefits. It’s interesting how different lengths and styles can cater to various shooting styles and preferences.
What do you find most appealing about the shorter barrels in terms of performance or aesthetics
No, I haven’t had one in hand or sent one yet. The TSO has a good reputation for being flat-out slick: big, heavy, and built to run like a sewing machine.
That kind of pistol usually wins people over fast if they like a full-size gun with a soft-shooting feel. If you do own another, I’d want to know whether you’d keep it bone-stock or set it up for competition.
Most of the time I prefer the feel of a handgun IN my hand, not hanging out over the end. But sometimes it is nice to shoot a long barreled pistol or revolver. I will post a pic of a couple Navy’s that I had converted with Richards-Mason conversions and had the barrels sleeved to .38 Long Colt. I enjoy shooting them although it took a long time to get them to a functioning condition. First guy I gave it to to slick up the action cut the barrels - to allow the cylinder to rotate without fouling. THAT led to all kinds of problems, only solved when my favorite gunsmith ahd micro welds placed on the top 1/3 or so of each barrel, then ground them to spec to allow the cylinders to move forward and seal on the barrel when fully cocked. It’s how old cap 'n ball Colts worked. Then I had to have the cylinders bored to allow enough space to the rear plate to provide proper headspace (cartridge revolvers usually headspace on the rear wall of the frame opening.)
You’ve put in a lot of work into those Navy conversions, Devereaux. It’s great to see how much effort you put into getting them functioning correctly.
The modifications you described sound like they were quite the challenge, but it must be rewarding to shoot a piece with that kind of history and craftsmanship. I can understand the preference for a handgun that feels secure in your grip over one that hangs out front.
There’s something uniquely satisfying about the balance and control of a well-handled firearm. What do you find most enjoyable about shooting those .38 Long Colts compared to other calibers
IU have always loved the lines of the Navy Colts. Unfortunately they were cap 'n ball, and I’ve never wanted to expend that much effort in shooting one. I have a bunch of 2nd gen Colts (Dragoon, Army, Navy, short-barreled Army & Navy) that I’ve never fired - just played around with them. I bought the Pieta Navy’s because there was this guy just over the border into Wisconsin who converted guns that were cap 'n ball to cartridge. So, eg. he makes a Remington 1856 (solid frame - think of the Eastwood film about the preacher that was a gunfighter before) guns shoot .45 Colt cartridges with cylinders that use a backplate that comes off the cylinder and allows the gun to be loaded with cartridges, and each “nipple” for caps is converted into a firing pin to shoot the cartridges inside the cylinder. So I intended right from the start to have him “fix” the biggest problem with the Navy’s. Then the headaches began.
Apparently his sons did the work and they left the guns with insufficient front clearance to not foul within about two cylinders’ of shooting. Then another “expert CAS gunsmith” proceeded to cut the barrel ends - and the guns would not properly lock forward on shooting. So finally my old friend and gunsmith, Eddie, a machinist who had a reputation locally for building some of the best drag motors, then decided he wanted to shoot, got a 1911, looked at it and thought, “I can make this better”, hopped on his Bridgeport and promptly made it better, took the guns and figured out what was wrong with them - and fixed them! He passed about 6-7 years ago. I really miss him.
.38 Long Colt brass is hard to find - and even harder to reload, seeing as the bullet is like a .22LR - bigger than the case (or at least same outer diameter as the case). So I load .38 Spl with a 104 gr lead bullet and something like 3.2 gr of Trail Boss. It is short enough to fit in the cylinder and light enough to shoot in the pistols without potentially over stressing the frame. I bought a “Yellow Boy” (Winchester 1866, by Ubertti) and had it slicked for CAS. Lightening the lift is a BIG deal on that calibre; my 1873 shoots .45 Colt, so not much metal to take off (ergo not worth the effort).
You’ve had quite the journey with those Navy Colts, Devereaux. It’s a shame when modifications don’t pan out as expected, especially when you’re working with historical pieces like that.
The conversion process sounds fascinating, though! It’s interesting how you found a way to shoot .45 Colt cartridges in what started as cap-and-ball revolvers.
You got it slightly wrong, @Kilroy . The .45 Colt cartridge conversion was to Remington 1856’s in .44. Not much to do to change that other than change the cylinders. MY guns needed the addition of the Richard’s-Mason conversion; those were two guys who worked for Colt back in the old days. They came up with conversions for the older cap 'n ball guns, each a little different. Colt bought the patents and incorporated them into their left-over guns, which they were attempting to sell while awaiting the patent S&W bought from Remington for full-frame guns and cartridge loading revolvers. Colt’s answer would be the 1872 SAA, now iconic because of Hollywood, but a “hit” mostly because they sold it to the cavalry in significant numbers. Just like today 9m is the hot round because of the military going to it. Tom Selleck uses one of the “conversion Colts” in one of his made-for-TV movies - Showdown at Saber River I believe.
The 1856 Remi is interesting because it was a cap 'n ball gun with a full frame - first one ever. That solved the whole wedge-tensioning problem and made the frame really strong. Furthermore, the gun featured an interesting feature. The under-barrel rod, usually used to press the reloaded cylinder into proper position (i.e. a ram) was ,on the Remi, a cylinder-reloading lever. SO, you could just swing the lever down, drop the cylinder out of the gun, put a freshly loaded one in, and VOILA! - you were reloaded. Think Pale Rider. That was the movie Clint plays a “preacher” who apparently once was a gunfighter. HE carried an 1856 Remi. ?Remember the scene at the water trough where he reloads his pistol by dropping the cylinder and inserting a freshly loaded one from his gun belt.
You brought up some interesting points about the .45 Colt conversions, Devereaux. The historical context of the Remington 1856 and its unique features definitely adds depth to the discussion.
The Richard’s-Mason conversions played a significant role in that era, and it’s fascinating how Colt adapted those designs. Your mention of the cylinder-reloading lever on the Remington really highlights the innovation at that time.
Given the historical significance and the evolution of these firearms, do you have a favorite among the conversions or a specific model that stands out to you
LOVE my Navy’s. I would love to have one of the Remi’s that converted, but I’m not sure the guy is alive anymore. A lot of the Old Guard has died. I’m kind of a throw-back.
Navy Colts really do have a classic charm, Devereaux. It’s great to hear how much you love them.
The craftsmanship and history behind those old models make them special. If you’re looking for a Remington conversion, maybe check with local gun shows or collectors’ groups.