As their names may suggest, .45 Long Colt and .44 Magnum are very similar rounds.
Ever wondered what the specific differences are?
In this article, we will go over some key differences, and what situations may be better for each caliber.
What is .44 Magnum vs .45 Long Colt?
.44 Magnum
For starters, the name .44 Magnum is slightly misleading.
.44 Magnum midwayusa.com
This name would suggest that the bullet is .44 inches in diameter, when in reality, it is .429 inches in diameter.
The bullet is fired from a 1.285 inch case. This round can be used in handguns, rifles, and revolvers.
While it is newer than .45 Long Colt, it is still a relatively old round.
.45 Long Colt
Unlike the .44 Magnum, .45 Long Colt is true to its name.
.45 Long colt ammunitiontogo.com
The bullet is approximately .45 inches in diameter.
Similar to the .44 Magnum, .45 Long Colt is fired from a 1.285 inch case.
This specific round is used solely in revolvers, and is an extremely historic round. It was first designed over a century ago.
What's different between .44 Magnum vs .45 Long Colt?
Size Difference
As you can tell, the .45 Long Colt is the same height as the .44 Magnum, but slightly wider.
As a result,
- a .44 Magnum bullet is about 96% of the weight of a .45 Long Colt bullet
- A .45 Long Colt bullet weighs approximately 250 grains, while a .44 Magnum bullet weighs approximately 240 grains
Ballistic Differences
Ballistic testing has shown that .44 Magnum is shot much faster than .45 Long Colt. When shot from a similar length barrel, .44 Magnum will be much faster.
For our purposes, we will use a 5 inch barrel for a comparison.
When shot from a 5 inch barrel, .45 Long Colt has a muzzle velocity of 957 feet per second, while .44 Magnum has a muzzle velocity of 1270 feet per second.
.44 Magnum shoots a bullet that is nearly the exact same size at a much higher rate of speed.
What this means to you, is that .44 Magnum is deadlier.
This improved performance is the result of nearly 100 years of ammunition and weapons technology advancements between the creation of .45 Long Colt and .44 Magnum.
Recommendations
Given this ballistic data, I would recommend using .44 Magnum over .45 Long Colt in a self-defense or hunting scenario.
If you are simply shooting for fun, both cartridges are extremely fun to shoot, and either will work.
Overall, both .44 Magnum and .45 Long Colt are excellent cartridges. While .44 Magnum has better ballistics, .45 Long Colt is an absolutely iconic American cartridge.
With more modern weapon technologies and more versatile weapons, .45 Long Colt has remained relevant today. Weapons such as the Taurus Judge and the Smith & Wesson Governor are capable of shooting .45 Long Colt, along with .410 bore shotgun shells, so the round still sees plenty of use.
Harvey,
You need to do some research about the .45LC; it is not “used solely in revolvers” as it has been chambered in lever action rifles for decades.
I was thinking the same thing Kurt, especially since I own a 45LC lever gun! I also feel that the 44 mag recoil isn’t worth the small gain in power. As I get older, I’ve discovered, I would go 45LC all day long vs 44 Mag, for hunting or self defense. 45LC is a well proven round, with less perceived recoil in the same gun. (compare the Ruger Alaskan in each caliber and you will see my meaning) Both are great rounds, the 45LC is, in my experience, plenty of cartridge. (you can always grab some Buffalo Bore if you want a little more velocity out of that 45LC)
the 44 mag is used in lever action rifle’s for decades too, he used revolvers to compare apples to apples. I prefer the 44 mag in my Marlin lever, 429 bullet affords better range.
Exactly! I thought I read it incorrectly the first time. I have a Henry Big Boy classic that shoots .45 LC.
You lost me when you used .45 Long Colt….
45 Colt can be loaded to much higher pressures than .44 Magnum in modern weapons like the Ruger or T/C.
It has greater mass, with much greater speeds and pressures.
Look it up. Any reloading book should have information. .44 Magnum can’t compare.
You can do anything better with the 45 provided you have a modern firearm to handle the pressure and you know the pressure signs to look for.
Not exactly, though it’s somewhat of an academic point. Cal 45 Colt can be loaded to higher pressures than 44 Magnum FACTORY loadings, and can handle heavier bullets, but in standard weight bullets in FACTORY RUGER or similarly capable firearms, 44 Magnum can always exceed 45 Colt pressure capacity with bullets of similar size ratio and construction, as the 45 Colt firearm has less metal (about 80% of the 44) in the cylinder and barrel. Point is, and has been made by the experts – of which I am not one – is 45 Colt only needs to work at 80% of the pressure and velocity of 44 Magnum in a comparable loading, to get the job done, as it uses larger, thus heavier (at similar ratios) bullets.
It’s also worth mentioning that .45 Long Colt +P loads are the ballistic equivalent of .44 Magnum, ergo if you have a firearm strong enough to handle such hot loads like a Ruger Redhawk/Blackhawk, 1892 Lever Action Rifle, or basically anything chambered for .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnum, then you already have .44 Magnum level power at your disposal.
Personally, I think that .45LC is plenty potent enough as it is, already offering more power than .44 Special or .45 ACP in certain Standard Pressure self-defense loads, and there are even hotter loads which are still Standard Pressure offered by Buffalo Bore which launch a 255gr SWC at 1000fps which are safe to use in any revolver manufactured this century. I can’t imagine ever needing more power than that out of a handgun, at least not for anyone who isn’t going big game hunting in Alaska.
I think it advisable to be careful lumping all 1892s together when it comes to firing hot ammo of any caliber. Even newer Miroku-made Win 1892s using modern steel and manufacturing techniques are not known to be as strong as a Rossi M92, but I wouldn’t be afraid to run them a bit hot. Just not Ruger/Rossi hot. Certainly no Linebaugh loads for the weaker 92s of any make or vintage.
Linebaugh did us a huge service pushing H110/W296 to its limits for hot 45 Colt loads, but you don’t want to fire his hottest loads in 6 shot Rugers. They’ll eventually kaboom at the cylinder stop notches first. That’s why Linebaugh, Bowen, et al convert guns to 5 cylinder for the super-hot and larger caliber loads 45 Colt and up. Going to 5 cylinder beefs up the cylinder due to more metal between cartridge holes, and moves the notch to between the cartridge holes as I understand it. I think Linebaugh and Bowen use slightly larger cylinders to boot.
The only true advantage the .44 mag has over the .45LC is the cost and availability of retail shells. As a reload and the variations of how hot one can make the shell make the .45LC an all around superior load for use in both long gun and pistol. I reload 240 for my Ruger with 6 1/2 barrel and 300 for my Henry with a 27 inch 1-9 twist barrel. Granted my Henry was special made since they only offer 24″ but I’d put my weapons up against any .44 mag combo any day of the week for overall accuracy and pleasure to shoot.
You have a 27 inch barrel on a .45lc? You’re either a complete idiot or a liar.
On a revolver, no.
Both calibers are available in a lever action rifle.
Henry makes the 44 and marlin as well as uberti offer .45LC lever guns.
This is not something most people consider when talking pistol calibers, so I hardly blame you for over looking it.
It’s called a rifle. Idiot.
I pretty sure he was referring to a rifle not a hand gun no need to call him an idiot or a liar.
Enjoyed your response regarding .45LC. Purchased a Henry for my Grandson in that caliber and have a question. Hornady vs Buffalo Bore for an 11 year old? All in all do you have a suggestion? Thank you kindly.
I disagree with you on a minor point. I believe that the 45 long colt is superior for self defense.
At nearly 1000 FPS a 230 grain 45 slug is more than capable of dealing with any adversary the reduced recoil allows for faster follow up shots. Also there is the issue of over penitration where you can seriously injure someone you do not intend to injure. While the 44 magnum is a far better hunting cartridge I strongly believe the 45 long colt to be a better self defense round. Not necessarily my first choice but definitely a solid round.
Don’t forget the +P 45 Colt in the Rugers. They will rival any 44 mag. with less recoil and bigger bullets. Less recoil means more Accurate follow up shots, and bigger bullets mean more OUCH…..OUCH…..OUCH….OWIE.
The bigger the rock, the more it hurts. 355gr. medium cast 45 colt. Done deal.
The 355 gr. 45lc is a real thumper.
I have a 44 magnum Henry Big Boy rifle, and I am thinking of using a .45 caliber round for target practice. Is it safe? Thank you in advance for your response.
NO! NO! NO! .45 Colt is thicker than .44 magnum. The Colt would jam and possibly ruin your barrel. Check your owner’s manual and or your local gun shop to be sure. It’s like AR15’s, they can’t interchange 5.56 NATO and .223 rounds unless they have been specifically made to use both. Don’t risk injury and damage to your rifle…stick to your.44 magnum ammo!
5.56 .223 are the same caliber projectile, the 5.56 nato is loaded to higher pressures so a barely made for .223 is not rated for that. It’s reversed for 308 and 7.62 nato, same case same projectile but 308 is loaded hotter than 7.62 nato as 7.62 nato is intended for full auto fire in military m240bravos, the lower pressure allows for longer sustained fire without over heating the barrel.
Actually the civilian version of both rounds .223 & .308 have a slight difference of the shoulder versus the 5.56 x 45 & 7.62 x 51 NATO rounds. A rifle with a cut chamber for a .308 WILL chamber a 7.62 x 51 but it is a very tight fit. I know this for a fact as I built a custom rifle using a Mauser 98 action and had a gunsmith cut the short chambered barrel.
Most quality AR style rifles will take either .223 or the 5.56 with no problem.
I only feed my M1A 7.62 x 51 NATO rated ammo. It cost too much to screw up.
Bad idea. .45 Colt shouldn’t fit into your chamber. Bullet diameter of a .44 Magnum (or .44 Special) is .429″, while the bullet diameter of .45 Colt is .451″ or .452″.
Use .44 Special for target practice in your rifle.
No you can not fire a 45 in a 44. A 44 is not actually .44 caliber Otis closer to .43 and a 45 is .45
Why argue my friends. This is still American….you can have both. Ballistics? Stopping power? Having not been shot by either….still no need to chose. Enjoy what you enjoy.
They’re not arguing for the sake of arguing. If you’re not familiar, in our culture, we have these discussions because we seek to correct misinformation and be specific. There’s no hate or anything that I can see. It’s just people educating each other on the different sciences involved with a complex topic like firearm ballistics. I’m sure they enjoy it plenty and want everyone to do what makes them happy, but this will help guide many people for a long time in the future. Had I just read the article, I would’ve gotten the understanding .44 is more powerful and that is that. These fellows in the comments have made some fine points. +P or hardcast lead will quite possibly give you more power than .44. Maybe not than .44 +p, but it muddles the simple info given by the author. Question everything.
I love them both. Either will do the job.
I have several 45 colt guns I’ve. Loaded mild to wild and shoot with a buddy that does the same with the 44 mg we don’t. Argue we just shoot and have fun
It’s .45 Colt not Long Colt, I don’t know when or by who that it started but there is N0 .45 Long Colt
So Bear; defence is best with a 44 Mag.? or can a 45 long colt be effective to drop a very cwazy deleriously hungwy starved bear.???? Othervise use my suppa 454 or granada to covince bear Not to eat Joebear…
Since they are not interchangeable, it really comes down to the gun as to which caliber you use.
44 Mag Self Defense: I have never understood the folks that think using 44 S&W Magnum for self defense in typical situations is a good idea. It’s not that it’s a poor performer in terms of terminal ballistics. Just the opposite, it’s TOO GOOD of a performer. It’s akin to using 50 BMG for personnel where the saying goes “you kill the guy you were shooting at, the block wall behind him, and his 5 buddies” (assuming they were stupidly all lined up right behind him). Of course, all of that’s assuming a bit, I suppose, like heavy hunting bullets, but anecdotally, the guys I’ve heard talking up 44 Mag for SD make no allowances for downrange safety or actual combat conditions, like being on a “2-Way Range” where adrenaline is a factor, the enemy has a vote, and you are highly likely to miss with your first shot, which is why we use ammunition and weapons tailored for conditions where follow-up shots are expected. The 44 Magnum cartridge and its associated firearms are not the weapon of choice, certainly not in standard or hot loadings. Better off running 44 Spl or 44 Spl+P for those situations.
45 COLT High-Pressure (Ruger, Rossi M92, etc.)
I hope I’m preaching to the choir here, but for those who have not “joined” as it were:
1. ALWAYS carefully work these loads up FOR YOUR GUN. Read up all you can on said firearm(s) and verify throat diameters, etc. Ruger throats vary. I THINK the newer ones are “right” but YMMV.
2. 45 Colt/LC +P is technically a misnomer, as there is no standard for it (SAAMI or CIP), I think. Hence the “High Pressure” and/or “Ruger-only” naming you will find in those reloading books that actually carry that data.
3. Not all 1892 actions are up to Ruger-level loads. Older 92s are not going to be as strong due to metallurgy, and some newer ones in 45 Colt were not built the same as their 44 Mag and 454 Casull versions. DON’T ASSUME. Rossi M92s are, but from what I have read, some of those firearms may still have problems with case separation due to oversize chambers. AGAIN, learn all you can about the firearm, technical model data and individual firearms details, and work up loads accordingly and carefully. Don’t expect someone else’s load to perform the same in your particular firearm. Don’t even assume it’s safe. Do your research.
I like the 45. Look at that pattern of success through history. Bad ass I’m talking about the gun and the PREZ Happy shooting
45 long colt +p with a 300gr projectile moving at over 1300 fps fired from a pistol is better than any 44 mag. The factory +p rounds are described as to be used on Dangerous Game. Add to that the increased performance when fired from a rifle and the question is. What else would you need ?
My Henry Lever Action 44 Mag is my Favorite. Old eyes I had to put a scope on the Rifle but killed many Deer. I don’t need to take longer than a 100 yard shot. If shooting in open terrain My CVA 450 and CVA Optima Muzzleloader will do the trick.
My question though is what usually costs more to shoot, 44 mag or 45lc? I imagine the 44 magnum round is more expensive but I could be wrong.
So, can you, or can you not, use either .44mag or .45 long colt ammo in either gun. I’m confused. Only the correct answer will suffice.
To sum up, 45= Big hole in something or someone, 44= big Hole in something or someone.
I beg to differ I own a 45 long colt reviver and a 45lc lever action carbine. Octagon barrel windage sites , beautiful rifle . Weighs about a ton