.45 long colt...... not for me.....u ?

[DirtyDan]

Hey all

Just had a pistol sent back to smith & Wesson for the 3rd time (I'm done with it)

When I went to extract the shells the lifting "star" would jump over some of the shells leaving them stuck in the cylinder

Well just got a tarus judge and it did the same thing !

We think it's the ammo,  rim not big enough .45 long colt

Shotshells load unload normal

Wanted to bounce this past you guys

Dan

[MarkT]

Have a derringer in .45LC.  It's a kicker!  Extracts OK.

[Jess from VA]

Never had .45 Colt (long colt).  But I have 44s and 45acp (rimless with moons) revolvers, and a bunch of 38/357s, and I've never had that extraction problem with an ejector star. (The 2.5 inch K frame has a shortened ejector rod, so you need to point the gun up/rear of cylinder down, and smack the ejector rod with authority to get reliable extraction).

Plenty of rim to grab on the .45 Colt, so it's a mystery.  If the ammo is especially hot, and you get a bunch of case expansion in the cylinder, it can make them difficult to get out, but the star should do it every time on rimmed cartridges.  Or, if the cylinder was bored a bit too wide for the cartridge, that also could cause excess case expansion and grabbing.  Or if the cylinder walls have not been honed perfectly smooth, that can also cause excess grabbing.  Or if you are shooting soft lead bullets (as opposed to more expensive jacketed bullets), a lead ring can form in the cylinder at the depth of the case mouth, and that can cause grabbing, if the lead ring is not adequately cleaned out (and this is especially common shooting .38s in .357s, and .44 Spls in .44 Mags.... shorter cartridges).

Oily cylinder walls might also help (but that is a work around, and unsat).

I tell you I am a fan of older generation Smith revolvers, with no key lock on the side plate please.

If you don't want that .45 Colt back, ask Smith for a comparable .44 Mag in replacement (both are N frames).  .44 Specials also work in them, and don't give the harsh recoil of the magnums (or the .45 Colt).  (.44 Special has about the same stopping power as .45 acp... or a bit more with longer bbls)

Smith historically has a good warranty (lifetime) and should make things right for you.  I'd like to hear back from you on how it works out.  

[Chrisj CMA]

Before I knew about the 6.5" barrel .500 I was looking at the .45LC

I was holding the .45 Colt when my eye caught the revolver of my dreams.

The .500 S&W in 6.5" is the big bore revolver to end all others in my mind.  Shot the original 8 3/8" and was under impressed.  Balance not right for me.  The 6.5" fits me perfectly.  I did have to send it back for a change out of the cylinder stop spring but now it's flawless.

Most exciting revolver I have ever shot!

[Serk]

Only .45LC I've got is a titanium Taurus with a ported barrel... Tiny little thing that literally doubles it's weight when it's loaded, but it's actually pretty comfortable to shoot with that ported barrel...

But I'm not much of a wheel gun guy in general.

[Pete]

The 45 Colt does in fact have a small rim relative to its size and other calibers. This goes back into the 19th century and has been problematic for hand ejector types of revolvers. Remember the caliber was developed for revolvers that used an ejector rod, ejecting 1 round at a time.

It can be overcome somewhat by using cases that are slightly larger and proper technique and a properly tuned hand ejector. I do not remember which manufactures rims were slightly larger, get a caliper and measure some.

Lower power loads may not expand the cases well leading to the problem also especially if they are over resized and loaded with .451/2 bullets, try .454 bullets.

As a last resort a custom cylinder for a particular round can be made/tuned.

[X Ring]

Oily cylinder walls might also help (but that is a work around, and unsat).

NO!  This is dangerous and can lead to a kaboom!  Chamber walls should always be clean and dry!

Marty

[Jess from VA]

Oily cylinder walls might also help (but that is a work around, and unsat).

NO!  This is dangerous and can lead to a kaboom!  Chamber walls should always be clean and dry!

Marty

Well, I didn't mean running with oil, just the swab you'd do after a proper cleaning.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Odd that you'd have the same problem from two different guns in the same caliber.

Did you try a different brand/bullet weight/box of ammo?

Ammo can vary from box to box, batch to batch and brand to brand to a surprising degree. If the load you are shooting is a little hot it can make the brass hard to extract. And, what's hot in one gun maybe OK in another due mainly to chamber variations. Loads that are too light will not swell the brass enough to seal the chamber resulting in dirt getting between the brass and the chamber walls and making extraction difficult.

As Jess mentioned above, I also don't see a problem with leaving the cylinders lightly oiled instead of dry. Breakfree CLP is my choice and what I use on my customers guns. Does well as a rust preventive, fair as a cleaner and great as a lubricant.

[solo1]

In my many years of shooting and reloading I always thought that the caliber is referred to as a .45 Colt
Not long Colt. New expression to keep from mixing with .45 ACP?

I personally prefer .44 special.

[Pete]

Oil in the chambers is a BAD idea and creates excessive pressure on the recoil shield. While you can get away with it on moderate loads, some of the modern high pressure loads would be dangerous with oil in the chambers.

This is especially true with the Taurus as the case head is not completely supported (design defect). That is why some 410 shells will swell at the head and lock the Taurus up.

The problem is the small rim and chamber diameter.

45 Colt is correct but as with many things 45 "long" Colt has come to mean the same vs 45 ACP (automatic Colt Pistol) or 45 Colt ACP.

[phideux]

I have 4 45 Colts, all single action revolvers, an original 1st generation Colt, a Ruger Blackhawk, a Special Edition Ruger Vaquero with a short barrel and a Bird Head grip, and a Beretta Stampede which also has a short barrel and a Bird Head.
I love taking a bunch of cases, scoop them full of Black Powder, crunch a chunk of lead in there and head to the range. The smoke, the Sparks, the smell, that good old BP smell, awesome.

[Jess from VA]

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2016/10/robert-farago/truth-45-long-colt/

While it may have been popular for shooters of the Old West to tote a carbine and revolver in the same caliber, this was done with rounds such as the 44-40 and 38-40. None of the old time rifle makers ever chambered a rifle in 45 Colt until the late twentieth century for the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting.

The reason for this had to do with the case dimensions of the original 45 Colt and its almost nonexistent rim. The round was simply not suitable for use in a lever action or slide action rifle. Modern cases use a slightly larger rim, so the issue has been addressed and made logistics for Cowboy Action Shooting much easier on the participants of the sport.

But, a look around the internet shows that the problem still remains in some .45 Colt DA revolvers.

[Jess Tolbirt]

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2016/10/robert-farago/truth-45-long-colt/

While it may have been popular for shooters of the Old West to tote a carbine and revolver in the same caliber, this was done with rounds such as the 44-40 and 38-40. None of the old time rifle makers ever chambered a rifle in 45 Colt until the late twentieth century for the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting.

The reason for this had to do with the case dimensions of the original 45 Colt and its almost nonexistent rim. The round was simply not suitable for use in a lever action or slide action rifle. Modern cases use a slightly larger rim, so the issue has been addressed and made logistics for Cowboy Action Shooting much easier on the participants of the sport.

But, a look around the internet shows that the problem still remains in some .45 Colt DA revolvers.

until it got stolen i had my great grandfathers 1873 colt 45 thumbuster,,and your article says they never made one?

[CajunRider]

I've been using a Ruger Single Six in .45 Long Colt for a few years now.  I've never had a problem (other than finding someone who carries .45 Colt ammo in something other than "cowboy action" loads). 

But, being a single six, it obviously uses a different method of extraction than a double action. 

With the rim of the .45 being a known issue, I'd day you have two choices... see if S&W is willing to trade you for a different model, or sell it and use the proceeds to buy a different model. 

[Pappy!]

I have experienced exactly what you are currently experiencing.
I used to do my own handloads for my Ruger Stainless Blackhawk in .357 Mag.
Once I got the loads past the production loads and into the faster and higher pressure "fun" stage the cases started sticking to the cylinders.
I ended up polishing the cylinders and not a single stick from that point on. Give it a shot....so to speak.

[fudgie]

Love my Winchester .45 Colt. Kicks worse then a 12 ga but its accurate. 

Bought it new in 1997 for $250. Was offered $2000 a few yrs ago but I happily declined. 

[DirtyDan]

Well smith and Wesson did good gave me a refund. Picked up a .357 K frame 4 inch 6 shot as a open carry piece

I did not know that the rim of 45 LC was an issue.......do now

More to follow

Thanks all

Dan

[Jess from VA]

Well smith and Wesson did good gave me a refund. Picked up a .357 K frame 4 inch 6 shot as a open carry piece

I did not know that the rim of 45 LC was an issue.......do now

More to follow

Thanks all

Dan

Good deal.  Great choice.         What model? (stamped on the cylinder yoke, inside)

[Crackerborn]

Now you need the Henry Mares Leg in .357 to go with the K-frame.

http://www.henryusa.com/rifles/mares-leg/

I just went with the Big Boy for a grins at the range. Effective range is 100 yards or less in .357.