160 gr vs.200 gr

[Dead Eye Dave]

I have been ordering .45 LC cartridges from Great Basin Cartridge Co. for a couple of months now.  Great cartridges by the way.  I notice that the 160 grain kicks more than the 200 grain.  Might this be because the same amount of powder goes in the cartridges but the 160 grain is lighter and therefore has more recoil?  Am I crazy?  Insane?  Or close to right in my thoughts? 

DB

[Adirondack Jack]

The lighter bullet will be moving faster, be louder (half of perceived recoil is noise), and yes, may kick a little "sharper" though the actual recoil energy may be the same or less than the slower, "push" from the 200.

It's tough to get the 160 slowed down enough in the big ole .45 Colt case and still have shoot accurately. This is part of the reason for the development of the Cowboy .45 Special cartridge.

[Dead Eye Dave]

How is the Cowboy .45 Special as a cartridge?  Any "cowboy" guns that it wouldn't work well with?  Pistol or rifle?

DB

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[Dr. Bob]

Howdy DED,

Check out the thread at the Darksiders Den.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,19557.0.html

It will make it easier to use on the toggle link Winchester clones. 

Will work in .45 cal. revolvers chambered for 45 S & W and 45 Colt

[Button]

Takes quite a bit more powder to get a 160 gr goin' than a 200 gr. The heavier the bullet, the less powder required & vice versa, SMOKELESS ONLY. Git yer laughin' gear 'round that 

[Adirondack Jack]

Cowboy .45 Special will work in any handgun ever chambered for .45 Colt or .45 S&W.  it also happens to work very nicely in almost all handguns chambered for .45 ACP as well.

In rifles, there are three distinct choices.

  Marlins require fairly extensive re-work, currently only being done by Spur spur45@macomb.com   About fifteen such rifles currently exist, of which I own #s 1 and 2   It's a durn hillbilly assault rifle, Har!

  The new carrier soon to be released (I just got my production prototypes for field demonstration and show and tell today, and as soon as we round up the carrier blanks we have on order and get the CNC work scheduled, a production run will commence) will make '66 and '73 rifles run with it also.  The carrier ought to run as well as whatever ya got now, with no palpable difference, and  allow use of lighter bullets with decent accuracy.  A '60 Henry version will follow shortly thereafter.

I am told that at least some winchester '94AEs chambered in .45 colt will run the cartridge just as they are.  I have not tried it, but I have a report that one feller tried it and lo and behind they fed flawlessly.  Not that I'd suggest a 94AE as a "gamer rifle", but if ya got one and like it.....

The short case severely reduced case capacity and RAISES pressures (just like .45 ACP VS Long Colt) so at modest levels with light bullets we still get enough pressure for a decent burn. I have successfully shot bullets as heavy as 318 grains, and as light as 120 grains with the short cases.