So these big rounds created no profitable reason to go to the 45 Colt handgun rounds in rifles, after the 45 Colt patents were expired. Mississippi Deptartment of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks, State Agency: This cartridge has certainly earned its position at the top of the list, as the .30 … But the XS sights were without question faster. However, averaging the times of shooter one and two showed the XS Sights 10 percent faster than the standard factory sights. 45 Colt Ammunition They currently offer this in 357 mag, 44 mag, and 45 Colt which is the one I have. Download the Get Loaded® and Safe & Secure promo redemption forms. Rifle 2: Marlin 1894 with XS Sights. www.marlinfirearms.com Why a Lever Action Rifle still makes sense. only by the installation of XS Sights. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, State Agency: He then reattached it to the barrel buy cutting a new dovetail. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, State Agency: Compare 45 colt ammo from the top online retailers to find the lowest price. load too. Online shopping from a great selection of discounted 45 COLT Lever-Action Rifles at Vance Outdoors. The key to its innovation and performance is the patented elastomer Flex Tip ® technology of the FTX ® and MonoFlex ® bullets. I have taken more game with the lever action than with any other type. 30-30 Winchester. post front and aperture rear sight. Tests were conducted at 30 yards and represent about 60 percent of the penetration depth you can expect in 10-percent ordnance gelatin. Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources, State Agency: Standard pressure .45 Colt loads should generate no more than an average of 14,000 CUP +P .45 Colt loads can be loaded to pressures as high as 25,000 CUP. This creates a conundrum for ammunition manufacturers. Each box of DoubleTap .45 Colt +P ammunition has the following warning; “These loads are safe in all large frame Ruger revolvers, TC Contender, and Freedom Arms firearms. This includes .327 Federal Magnum, .357 Magnum, .44 Rem. That left the Gold Dot from DoubleTap at 1,400 fps, a DoubleTap 255-gr. antiqued and customized quite a bit. However, the optics on both of these rifles did reduce my group sizes slightly. Our next best level action rifle really takes on a very high-quality … Rhode Island Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: Henry Big Boy. The 225-gr. Idaho Department of Fish & Game, State Agency: Keep the rifle angled, not straight up and down, and simply feed the rounds into the magazine, bullets facing up. Though he’ll be the first to tell you, hitting targets from horseback isn’t easy. Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, State Agency: Alaska Department of Fish & Game, State Agency: These loads are safe in ALL Model 1892 leverguns, as well as ALL Winchester & Marlin 1894s.”, Handloading data for the .45 Colt reflects different power levels as well. Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: First he removed the rear, plastic butt-plate and cut a crescent in the stock. Walker and I both found it enjoyable to carry the leverguns around in the hardwood timber. Keith SWC load at about 1,550 fps and the DoubleTap 225-gr. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Compared to finding a deer during the West Virginia season, the previous tests were easy. www.doubletapammo.com Due to High Order Volumes, Expect Delays in Processing Orders. New Hampshire Fish & Game Department, State Agency: One was California Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: Wyoming Game & Fish Department, State Agency: Enter To Win A ADCO BH Best Arms Semi-Auto Shotgun Prize Package! Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, State Agency: We discussed the rifles at length and decided to configure them a bit differently; one old-style and one new. Enter your email address to receive our best deals and other store updates. Contrary to what many believe, the .45 Colt cartridge in lever-action rifles is a modern endeavor. Last year my longtime shooting partner, Johnny Walker, rounded up two new Marlin 1984 Cowboy rifles in .45 Colt. With all the plastic fantastics and AR-15’s and AR-10’s one might think there … For most of my life I have kept a lever action rifle handy for all around use. NOTES: Rifle 1: Antiqued Marlin 1894 with factory sights. 45 Colt 225 gr FTX ® LEVERevolution ® Item #92792 | 20/Box US Patent: 8,161,885 | 8,413,587 | 7,380,502. The drill consisted of starting with the rifle at the low ready and firing one shot at each deer target to establish a total time. Originally, the .45 Colt cartridge was loaded with a 255-grain bullet and 40 grains of black powder. There have been many modern upgrades to ammunition for the older wheelguns and lever-action rifles in the past decade, and the .45 Colt is no exception. Winchester’s 250-gr. Walker also smoothed the action, thinned the forearm and installed a Marbles flip-up tang sight we ordered from Brownells. Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually work out that way, and for many people, the main limiting factor is money. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: Find .45 Long Colt lever-action rifles from a variety of manufacturers. is something Marlin should consider as factory standard. Walker is a hunter and one of the best rifle shots I know; he’s won the WV Off-Hand Muzzleloading Championship more times than anyone. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: was also fitted with a factory-style folding blade rear sight that was All were tested from the bench by Walker and me by firing at least two, 5-shot groups at a distance of 50 yards from a sandbag rest. the modifications made to both rifles can be found at Brownells. The two .45 Colt leverguns used in the tests started out identical. Walker and Ellis canceled each other out with one shooting slightly faster with the factory sights and faster with the XS sights. My rifle received one modification; the factory sights were removed and a set of XS Sights were installed. Some smaller and specialty manufacturers offer .45 Colt ammo loaded to substantially higher pressures. Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: cutting a new dovetail in the barrel to attach the magazine tube. The best rifles in history have a legacy that cannot be overshadowed by the newest technology or modern ballistic advancements. We could have used the flip-up Marbles sight on the antiqued rifle but again, since it presented a very similar sight picture to the XS sights, we felt this would have been redundant. This necessitated cutting a new dovetail for the front sight as well. For the initial launch of the HammerDown product line, Federal selected the most popular lever-action rifle calibers. The results were interesting. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Rhode Island Department of Fish & Wildlife, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Mississippi Deptartment of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks, Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources, Michigan Deptartment of Natural Resources, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. We wanted to see how well both rifles shot so we assembled a variety of loads from Buffalo Bore, DoubleTap, Federal, Remington and Winchester. READ MORE. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism, State Agency: Original leverguns, like the 73 and 92 Winchesters, were chambered in revolver cartridges but not the .45 Colt. Arizona Game & Fish Department, State Agency: Find Bulk 45 colt ammunition fast and cheap with Americas best ammunition search engine. Then we’d compare their performance on the range and in the field. Many modern lever actions are chambered for handgun-based calibers—like the .357 Magnum, .327 Fed Mag, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt—yet there are few, if any, loads tailored for rifle … All these firearms fire the same .45 Colt cartridge but depending on their date of manufacturer and materials used, some are capable of digesting different power levels of this cartridge. I swayed the results in favor of the XS Sights as being faster; possibly because of my familiarity with them. When the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed a federal lawsuit against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) a couple of weeks ago. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: None the less, I wouldn’t and didn’t feel the least bit handicapped woods hunting with the open-sighted Marlin, except during times of low light at early morning and dusk. Walker went a bit further on his rifle. For simplicities sake, these loads are broken down into two categories; standard pressure and +P. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, State Agency: all lever action rifles.22 lr lever action.22 mag lever action.22 wmr lever action.30-30 lever action.308 win lever action.405 lever action.44 magnum/.44 special lever action.44-40 lever action.45 colt (lc) lever action.45-70 lever action For the most part, major ammunition manufactures like Remington, Winchester and Federal load standard pressure .45 Colt ammunition. LEVERevolution® ammunition outperforms conventional loads for high weight retention, delivering up to 40% more energy than traditional flat point bullets. Uberti 1886 Centerfire Rifles. LFN Cowboy action load was used for this test. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Astonishingly, the average group size for both rifles was identical. Probably the best source for information about what ammo can be fired in what gun is to look at the warnings on the ammunition boxes from ammunition manufactures. One of the Marlin 1894 Cowboy rifles was modified with an XS The patented Flex Tip® technology of the FTX® and MonoFlex® bullets provide higher ballistic coefficients and velocity increases of up to 250 fps over traditional flat point loads while still providing shock-absorbing safety in tubular magazines. He builds southern mountain-style muzzleloading rifles and rifles his own barrels. Barnes X bullet penetrated 11.5″, expanded to .71″ and retained all its weight. Rounds like Winchester’s 45-65...and Marlin’s 1881 leveraction in 45-70 eclipsed the need for the 45 Colt in rifles. The originals, loaded in the slightly shorter .44 Henry Rimfire, would hold 16 total. The action is smooth and reliable and the recoil is considerably low for such a powerful caliber. www.brownells.com This necessitated Magnum, .45 Colt, .30-30 Win., and .45-70 Government. Illinois Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Sign up to receive new product announcements, special offers, and the annual product catalog. we found this tang sight for the Marlin 1894. This custom rimfire rifle is the oldest continuously produced rifle of its kind. Contrary to what many believe, the .45 Colt cartridge in lever-action rifles is a modern endeavor. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, State Agency: The key to its innovation and performance is the patented elastomer Flex Tip® technology of the FTX® and MonoFlex® bullets. Walker is, how shall I say this, a throwback. New propellants provide maximum muzzle velocity at conventional pressures, resulting in flatter trajectories and more downrange energy. Cowboy action is the best event found for these rifles today and they are chambered in a variety of cowboy action rounds like the 44-40, or 45 Colt. adjustable for windage and elevation. Terminal bullet testing in some left over Bullet Test Tube media confirmed our notion these bullets were big-game capable. State Agency: Interestingly, I ran the same 2-deer drill with my Remington R15 in .30 Remington AR and my New Ultra Light Arms Model 20 in .243 Winchester. Reported velocity (Vel) and standard deviation (SD) are the average of five rounds fired over an RCBS Ammomaster chronograph positioned 15′ from the muzzle. North Dakota Game & Fish Department, State Agency: Safe to use in tubular magazines, these bullets feature higher ballistic coefficients and deliver dramatically flatter trajectory for increased down range performance. Walker didn’t like the look of the full-length magazine tube, so he shortened it to only extended about 2″ past the end of the forearm. NOTES: Drill consisted of firing one shot at a deer target at 50 yards and one shot at a deer target at 75 yards under time. The next test involved Walker and Chris Ellis, another good shooting levergun aficionado, and me shooting at deer targets placed at 50 and 75 yards. Buffalo Bore, a much respected ammunition manufacturer, is owned and operated by an enterprising fellow named Tim Sundles. Hornady does not sell core products directly to the public - we kindly ask that you contact retailers about availability. can be loaded to "X" amount of pressure with an adequate safety margin, so can the .45 Colt. of this Marlin 1894 Cowboy to make it look more authentic. R92 357 Mag 24" 12 Rounds Octagonal Barrel Stainless Steel / Brazilian Hardwood For example, in the Speer Reloading Manual #14 you will find standard loads and loads specifically listed for “Ruger & Contender Only.”. He then heated and molded the factory plate to fit that crescent. LEVERevolution ® represents a breakthrough in ammo design for lever action rifles and revolvers. Because WW-296 and H-110 should be used with 90% or more of that space filled for best results, too much pressure and velocity can be created for our purposes. That magazine will take thirteen 255 grain rounds, and with one in the chamber, you have 14 rounds of 45 Colt. (800) 237-4444, Brownells West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, State Agency: extended only about 2″ past the end of the forearm. Richard’s gunsmithing friend antiqued the wood and metal This is more penetration and expansion than you will see from any .30-30 Winchester factory load and on par with some .308 Winchester loads. Also, staggering numbers of Ruger Blackhawk and Vaquero revolvers are out there along with the modern .45 Colt leverguns, including Italian copies of original Winchesters and modern Marlins and Winchesters. The higher ballistic coefficients of the FTX® and MonoFlex® bullets produce consistently flatter trajectories than conventional bullets and provide overwhelming downrange terminal performance. Other common rounds include:.38 Special/.357 Magnum,.44 Special/.44 Magnum,.41 Magnum,.444 Marlin,.45-70,.45 Colt,.32-20 Winchester,.35 Remington,.308 Marlin Express,.22 caliber rimfire, and.300 Savage. Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: In 1875, the US Army adopted this cartridge and that revolver. Lever Actions Today. Part of our plan came together perfectly. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, State Agency: Their accuracy results were exactly opposite. There is no reason why the .45 Colt and the .44 Magnum cartridges should have same pressure safety margin. Most factory ammo is … This leaves .738" of room inside the .45 Colt case for powder if the case is trimmed to 1.275". JHP load from Buffalo Bore drove to 13.75″, expanded to .67″ and had a recovered weight of 210 grains. Robert Campbell. Many original .45 Colt handguns still exist and there are thousands of 1873 Colt replica handguns in use. faster than the factory blade rear and bead front. Published In The GUNS Magazine 2012 Special Edition. Most Popular Sold; Ammo Cases; Long / Large Gun Cases; Small Gun Cases; QP Headwear. LEVERevolution® represents a breakthrough in ammo design for lever action rifles and revolvers. Regardless, I’m sure we had more than enough gun. The most common cartridge for a lever action gun is the Winchester.30-30, which was paired with the Model 1894. Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, State Agency: Missouri Deptartment of Conservation, State Agency: The .45 Colt cartridge was originally introduced in the 1873 Colt Peacemaker, single-action revolver. My times were no better with these more modern rifles. Best .45 Colt Lever Action Rifle. In addition to the flip-up tang sight from Brownells, the antiqued rifle Gain a deep knowledge of ballistic science and access our improved ballistic calculator. Original leverguns, like the 73 and 92 Winchesters, were chambered in revolver cartridges but not the .45 Colt. Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, State Agency: The average of the three times and total misses are shown. Don’t just sit back and read about it. Walker also shortened and re-crowned the barrel to eliminate the dovetail initially used to secure the magazine tube. Caliber/Gauge: 45 Long Colt Select A Product Type Handguns (361) -Derringer -Pistols -Unknown Handgun Long Guns (129) Reset Selection for Calibers 45 Long Colt (490) We sell Firearms, Ammunition, Optics, Parts. Pennsylvania Game Commission, State Agency: All the stuff needed to make Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, State Agency: And, we figured we should both be able to take a deer with each rifle. We have to give the 45 Long colt, another pistol/lever-action rifle cartridge, an honorable mention here as well. The other only received a set of XS Sights. can you shoot jhp ammo in a 45 colt lever action rifle, can you use 45 lc p ammo in a rossi rifle, corbon 45 colt p 300 gr in rifles, corbon 45 long colt ammo, how hot of loads and a model r92 rossi in 45colt handle, speer 45 lc lever action loading, what ammo can you shoot in new henry 1860, what ammo to use in 45lc lever action rifle (800) 544-8892. Short, handy, light and powerful the Rossi .45 Colt carbine has much to recommend. ... Rossi USA 45 Colt Large Loop Lever Action w/16" Round Blue Barr ... QP Gun & Ammo Storage. Nevada Department of Wildlife, State Agency: Second, HammerDown is specifically engineered for any and all lever … More to come on the ammunition, but first, let me explain how Walker customized these rifles to reflect his old world approach and my more modern take. This sight combination proved Introducing the latest products from the worldwide leader in ammunition. factory buttplate achieved this modification. We appreciate your business and want you to know we are doing everything possible to continue to respond to the record level of demand for ammunition, bullets, cartridge cases, reloading presses and accessories. Wisconsin –-(Ammoland.com)- I was trying to pass a brand-x lever action rifle … Like he does on many of the muzzleloading rifles he builds, he antiqued the wood and the metal so the rifle looked like it had passed through a time portal from sometime back before the turn of the century. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, State Agency: NOTE: The innovative LEVERevolution® FTX® and MonoFlex® bullet designs may require a newer magazine follower to provide best possible functioning of the last round out of the magazine in certain guns. The most astonishing modification Walker performed was the antiquing. This is among the best go anywhere solve any problem rifles. While never traditionally chambered in a lever-action rifle, modern gun makers put the .45 Colt in lever-actions to appeal to Cowboy Action Shooters. Cutting a crescent in the stock, then heating and bending the Henry Big Boy Brass 45 Long Colt for Hunting Deer & Delaying Evil Major Van Harl USAF Ret. Shooting assistant Chris Ellis with the Marlin 1894 that was modified Each shooter ran the drill three times with each rifle. It was concluded that with regards to accuracy, both sights offered the same level of precision. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, State Agency: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, State Agency: Despite our best efforts, we failed to even get a shot. Michigan Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: According to my Sierra Infinity ballistics program this load generated five times more recoil than standard pressure loads. These were the two loads we settled on. Barnes XPB at an even faster 1,700 fps. It’s 24 degrees out with a 20-mph wind to emphasize just how chilly it is. 444 Marlin The 444 Marlin was the largest lever-action cartridge ever to hit the market when it was introduced in 1964. This sight system proved faster than factory sights. The personal-protection-type loads from Winchester — the PDX 1 and Silver Tip — were passed on for the same reason. Create your own history and live your own adventures with this carbine and leather combo. After all, history has shown there are few combinations as deadly as a hungry man with a lever-action rifle. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, State Agency: Henry Big Boy Color Case Hardened 45 Colt Lever-Action Rifle $1,045.00 $869.99; Brand: Henry; Item Number: H012CCC; Order by Aug. 9. Though with proper bullet placement there’s no doubt all those tested work, we ruled out the low velocity loads to circumvent drastic point of impact changes between the muzzle and 100 yards. Choose the lowest price from multiple warehouses. It holds 10 rounds, has a barrel length of 20 inches, weighs 8.75 pounds, and the trigger breaks right around 4 pounds. This is the very same rifle as was developed by Henry in 1850 model save for the caliber. Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, I’ve just finished playing fetch with my wild woman of a mixed breed mutt, Maisie. Smooth Quiet and Reliable Action . Thank you for your support. Shotgun Ammo Buyers Guide; Company; About Us; Site Directory; And, the flip-up Marbles sight we acquired from Brownells was specifically installed for shooting at longer ranges and was zeroed accordingly. The Buffalo Bore bullet shot well in the antiqued Marlin and the almost as fast DoubleTap X bullet load shot accurately from the other rifle. If the firearm is not able to be repaired, it will be replaced at no charge to you. Close. Cabela’s The magazine tube on the antiqued Marlin was shortened so it Actually those 2 powders would work best slightly compressed according to Mr. Linebaugh. Henry Big Boy 45 Colt Lever Action Rifle with Large Loop $1,017.00 $939.99; Brand: Henry; Item Number: H006CL; Order by Aug. 9. The majority of lever action rifles are chambered in .30-30 like this Winchester Model 94 clone (bottom), or revolver calibers such as .44 magnum, .45 Colt, or .357 magnum like the Marlin 1894 (top). Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, State Agency: (800) 741-0015, DoubleTap Ammo Shotgun Ammo Buyers Guide; Company; About Us; … This is a point that seems to escape some proponents of very high pressure .45 Colt loads, who argue that if the .44 Mag. mounted. New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, State Agency: JHP bullet at a sizzling 1,850 fps. My sample is in the 45 Colt chambering and … If anything ever goes wrong with any gun you buy with the Tombstone Tactical Supplemental Limited Lifetime Replacement Warranty, it will be repaired. New York Department of Environmental Conservation, State Agency: Brownells is a great source for almost anything gun related and is where Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, State Agency: © document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Copyright Hornady®, Designed and developed by IdeaBank Marketing. We needed to determine what load we felt would be the most suitable for deer. The 1894 Marlin antiqued by Walker looks right out of the old west. We ruled out the Buffalo Bore LBT LFN 325-gr. Sign-up now to to keep your GUNS Magazine content coming every week — no matter what! It was the first lever action rifle to… The 260-gr. Maybe because there’s not a rifle that’s any more American than the levergun or maybe it’s because there’s a little cowboy in all of us. Online Gun Shop, Shooting Supplies & Ammunition. This seemed like a worthwhile project for two gun guys to undertake over the fall and winter months. (866) 357-1066, Marlin Firearms Each shooter performed this drill three times with each rifle, using the factory sights on the antiqued rifle and the XS sights on the other. Walker trains horses so they will be oblivious to gunfire when the shooter is For all practical purposes, .45 Colt lever-action rifles in modern firearms were inspired a great deal by competitive cowboy action shooting. He trains horses and even mules so you can shoot from their backs and often competes in mounted cowboy action shooting. www.cabelas.com Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, State Agency: A plate like this In terms of accuracy, the rifle can shoot 4-5-inch groups at 100 yards using the best grade ammo. Buffalo Bore is specifically known for offering higher pressure or “heavy” loads for cartridges like the .35 Remington, .45/70 and the .45 Colt. One of the most beloved and longstanding designs in history (even including designs outside of the firearms industry) is the lever action rifle. By the way, Brownells has everything you need to complete the modifications performed on both of these rifles, along with a variety of other levergun tuning goodies like new springs to lighten the trigger pull and lever lock. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: My chestnut version with border stamping and a silver concho carries 30 rounds of.45 Colt ammo in tight loops that won’t let any out until you want them out, and it’s suede lined and adjustable. On each box of +P .45 Colt Buffalo Bore ammunition you can find the following warning; “All heavy .45 Colt +P ammunition is to be fired only in a Ruger large frame, Colt Anaconda, Freedom Arms revolvers, T/C, Winchester 94 and Marlin 94, NOT for use in the small frame Ruger Vaquero.”, DoubleTap Ammo, which is steered by Mike McNett, is more of a mainstream ammunition manufacturer but they also offer specialty and +P loads for a number of the older cartridges like the .45 Colt. Exceptional accuracy and overwhelming downrange terminal performance. Few guns stir that all-American pride like the “Made in America or not Made at All” … Reported accuracy is the average of at least two groups fired by two different shooters from a sandbag rest at 50 yards. This is a lever action, .45 Colt rifle with Henry’s hardened brass receiver. For more info: Since the flip-up peep sight from Brownells somewhat replicated the sight picture with the XS Sight, the standard open sights on the antiqued rifle were used during the tests. This hard-cast lead bullet would no doubt shoot through a hippopotamus end to end, but it was unpleasant to shoot; it hit you like heartache. The final remaining load was from Buffalo Bore: a 260-gr. This load produced around 900 fps from the Peacemaker. This was a simple modification anyone should be able to perform, requiring no gunsmithing talent.