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The Darksider's Den / Re: How did we get these "Calibers"?
« Last post by Mako on Today at 07:02:09 PM »There are some very true statements about the alternative cartridge the Army adopted to use in both of their service pistols in the 1880s.
The ".45 Colt Government", ".45 Government", ".45 Army", M1887 or various other names given to the cartridge that would fit both the Colt and the S&W was definitely a cartridge. But they were all definitely not the .45 Colt.
The .45 Colt was, the .45 Colt; and as others have also pointed out the .45 Colt has always been and always will have a 1.6" long case.
It's interesting to look back at how people may have begun to identify the .45 Colt as the "Long Colt" to differentiate it from the shorter original .45 S&W cartridge (.45 Schofield) or the later M1887 cartridge and I believe today most people call it that out of habit and at some point in the 40s, 50s or 60s called it that because of the .45 ACP. I have had a lot of people argue with me that it is the Long Colt and that ammunition boxes are marked that way. They are either surprised or continue to argue when they can't find a manufacturer that calls it "Long Colt".
I tend to not even correct people anymore when they call things like magazines, clips (it really doesn't matter), but when it comes to ammunition, correct nomenclature is important, such was the case in the 1880s and it is today as well. Rims matter, on this and other cartridges.
~Mako
The ".45 Colt Government", ".45 Government", ".45 Army", M1887 or various other names given to the cartridge that would fit both the Colt and the S&W was definitely a cartridge. But they were all definitely not the .45 Colt.
The .45 Colt was, the .45 Colt; and as others have also pointed out the .45 Colt has always been and always will have a 1.6" long case.
It's interesting to look back at how people may have begun to identify the .45 Colt as the "Long Colt" to differentiate it from the shorter original .45 S&W cartridge (.45 Schofield) or the later M1887 cartridge and I believe today most people call it that out of habit and at some point in the 40s, 50s or 60s called it that because of the .45 ACP. I have had a lot of people argue with me that it is the Long Colt and that ammunition boxes are marked that way. They are either surprised or continue to argue when they can't find a manufacturer that calls it "Long Colt".
I tend to not even correct people anymore when they call things like magazines, clips (it really doesn't matter), but when it comes to ammunition, correct nomenclature is important, such was the case in the 1880s and it is today as well. Rims matter, on this and other cartridges.
~Mako