.45 Colt Duty Revolvers

[That Guy]

I have one question about the Model 25s and duty ammo because I have no practical experience with them: how was extraction with the small rim on 45 Colt cases?

I actually have no idea, so sorry for stepping out of my lane. But if it helps any, the extraction of mostly Magtech brass has been just fine in my 625. (I've tried a few different loads but my standard one launches a 250 grain bullet at around 900fps. This is with a 4" barrel.)

[awp_101]

This probably should be it's own thread but I'll go ahead and ask.

For those of you that ran the .45 Colt on duty, if 10mm revolvers had been a thing back then would the .45 Colt still have been the preferred choice? Let's assume something like a 6 shot GP that used the same extraction system the 9mm Six series did so moon clips were not required and the department was supplying the ammo. Maybe not full house Norma spec loads but something between those and .40 S&W.

Or would this "what if" be better considered as a .357 or 10mm?

[Hambo]

This probably should be it's own thread but I'll go ahead and ask.

For those of you that ran the .45 Colt on duty, if 10mm revolvers had been a thing back then would the .45 Colt still have been the preferred choice? Let's assume something like a 6 shot GP that used the same extraction system the 9mm Six series did so moon clips were not required and the department was supplying the ammo. Maybe not full house Norma spec loads but something between those and .40 S&W.

Or would this "what if" be better considered as a .357 or 10mm?

It was revolver heaven then, we just took it for granted. If your department allowed it, you could could buy an N frame in .357mag, .41 mag, .44Spl, .44mag, or .45 Colt. There was no problem to solve with 10mm. The problem was that a lot of departments offered one choice of caliber: .38 Special.

[sharps54]

This probably should be it's own thread but I'll go ahead and ask.

For those of you that ran the .45 Colt on duty, if 10mm revolvers had been a thing back then would the .45 Colt still have been the preferred choice? Let's assume something like a 6 shot GP that used the same extraction system the 9mm Six series did so moon clips were not required and the department was supplying the ammo. Maybe not full house Norma spec loads but something between those and .40 S&W.

Or would this "what if" be better considered as a .357 or 10mm?

While I'm interested in the responses of those that were there I have to wonder what the 10mm could offer over the .41 Mag (especially considering the .41 police loads) which was available at the time aside from less sure extraction?

[Wayne Dobbs]

This probably should be it's own thread but I'll go ahead and ask.

For those of you that ran the .45 Colt on duty, if 10mm revolvers had been a thing back then would the .45 Colt still have been the preferred choice? Let's assume something like a 6 shot GP that used the same extraction system the 9mm Six series did so moon clips were not required and the department was supplying the ammo. Maybe not full house Norma spec loads but something between those and .40 S&W.

Or would this "what if" be better considered as a .357 or 10mm?

Hambo is correct. Most LEOs were hard focused on revolvers and their classic calibers. The 10mm was barely a blip on the radar and the performance we were getting with the known effective calibers (.357, .41, .44 Mag and Special and .45 Colt) eclipsed anything that new and off the wall that was intended for "electric guns" (as they were derisively termed in that time).

[Dagga Boy]

This probably should be it's own thread but I'll go ahead and ask.

For those of you that ran the .45 Colt on duty, if 10mm revolvers had been a thing back then would the .45 Colt still have been the preferred choice? Let's assume something like a 6 shot GP that used the same extraction system the 9mm Six series did so moon clips were not required and the department was supplying the ammo. Maybe not full house Norma spec loads but something between those and .40 S&W.

Or would this "what if" be better considered as a .357 or 10mm?

WAY overestimating cops and any sort of ballistic “science”. Much was based on rumor, stories and legend. Most stuff actually performed the same when you hit the right stuff. The reality was that non flash retarded .357 Mag was like shooting a giant flame ball. .41 and .44 Mag were similar, but harder to control for most cops. .44 Special and .45 Colt were simply classic, well figured out rounds that simply made big holes, got to where they really needed to be in humans, and did something we don’t often discuss....they did really well hitting big bone structures, which is a dirty little secret of why I think a lot of the legend of these big bores played out when hitting extremities. We had a legendary shooting at my agency before I arrived when an officer hitting a knife wielding mental case six times with .38 and did not stop the threat. A back up in the room with a .45 Colt fired a single round that hit the teen in his femur and dropped him like a rock.....the .38 died that day at my old agency.

Nobody gave much of a crap about stuff like the 10mm. My place wanted .45ACP period Post the .45 Colts and had no interest in anything else. Big, slow moving trains simply was a good combo THAT COULD BE CONTROLLED. Because we bullseye qualifies every month, having a very controlled big round was good. Not many could shoot a great bullseye course to 25 yards on an indoor range with full house .44 Magnum. That is why the .45 Colt was such a good choice for us. Honestly, the places shooting medium framed guns with full house .357 Mag had accuracy issues with many officers if they qualified with duty loads.

[Jim Watson]

Anecdote alert:

Overheard in gun store, cop to clerk and customers:
"The .44 magnum is too high velocity, the bullet doesn't stay in a man long enough to hurt him. One of our guys shot a robber with one and he just ran off, the bullet went clear through and killed an old man in his rocking chair on the front porch."

A deputy here carried a .44 magnum. He had large strong hands, he could really apply the "Spock pinch" to a suspect. I expect he could handle the big gun for a cylinder full. But when it came time to qualify, he borrowed a friend's Python.

[awp_101]

While I'm interested in the responses of those that were there I have to wonder what the 10mm could offer over the .41 Mag (especially considering the .41 police loads) which was available at the time aside from less sure extraction?

Ah, I forgot about the .41 Mag and police loads which really wouldn't give anyone a reason to really clamor for a 10mm revolver.

[Dagga Boy]

Ah, I forgot about the .41 Mag and police loads which really wouldn't give anyone a reason to really clamor for a 10mm revolver.

The .41 Mag was the thinking man’s revolver.....and they didn’t make it, which tells you everything you need to know about law enforcement firearms selection.

[spinmove_]

The .41 Mag was the thinking man’s revolver.....and they didn’t make it, which tells you everything you need to know about law enforcement firearms selection.

Can you expound on this, please? I’m not very well versed in wheelgun calibers, but this thread has been thoroughly educational and enjoyable.


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