.45 Colt

The .45 Colt cartridge (known colloquially as the ".45 Long Colt ", or ".45 LC") was introduced by Colt in 1873 for the famous Colt Single Action Army, often known as the Peacemaker single action revolver. The US Army adopted the cartridge in 1875 and it remained in use until 1892, when it was replaced by the .38 Long Colt. Originally a blackpowder cartridge, modern loadings use smokeless powder. Standard loads develop around 400 ft·lbf (542 J) of muzzle energy, though in certain firearms the round can be loaded to the levels of the .44 Magnum. Because of this, the .45 Long Colt was the most used cartridge of its time, preceded by the .44 WCF (also known as the .44-40). It was said that the round was powerful enough to knock a man to the ground in a single shot. It is also extremely accurate.

It is even today popular for big game hunting and will take about the same range of animals as the .44 Magnum, but less effectively and the range must be far shorter. A two-barrel derringer is also still sold that is chambered in .45 Long Colt, and these derringers will also chamber a .410 bore shotgun shell without any modifications being required. Similarly, .45 Long Colt cartridges are still occasionally fired in .410 bore shotguns by U.S. farmers needing to kill a mule or horse humanely.

Some very heavy handloads and some cartridges loaded by small companies are around that put this round in the same class as the .44 Magnum. Such loads are NOT the standard ammunition put out by the major companies such as Winchester and Remington.

The older or weaker guns cannot stand the stress of these maximum loads, so the shooter must know what he is about if he uses them. Failure to take care might result in a ruined gun or personal injury.

The .45 Colt is the basis for the more powerful .454 Casull round.

The 45ACP round has a higher muzzle velocity, but less stopping power.

See also

• List of handgun cartridges
• 11 mm caliber