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Anybody own a .45 ACP revolver?

9K views 29 replies 21 participants last post by  rice paddy daddy 
#1 ·
Been looking a the Taurus Tracker in .45 ACP. That funky plastic star clip worries me. It would seem that if you lose it, you're SOL.

Should I jut get a .357 mag revolver?
 
#3 ·
+1
Get a .357
That said the clips are more for extraction than firing.
The revolver will work but you need to punch the cases manually.
I don't know about the Taurus but that's how my dads 1917 worked.
 
#5 ·


I have a S&W 625 revolver. I run metal moon clips.

You could lose a moonclip (or a speedloader for that matter). Moon clips are cheaper than speed loaders if you lose one. Buy a bunch of moon clips and don't worry.

You can still operate a .45ACP revolver without moon clips, but you would have to eject the shells with a pencil (or some other similar object).
 
#6 ·
The simple answer is buy both.

I have several revolvers in .357 and a couple of revolvers in .45 ACP. For similar levels of power, the .45s are much more pleasant to shoot.

If your budget can handle it, consider S&W and Rugers. I have a S&W 625JM that is super. My Ruger GP100 is also super. I would stay away from Taurus. IMO, they QC is inconsistent, particularly their heat treatment. Some parts are too soft and wear quickly. Some are too hard and fracture.
 
#8 ·
No, just .45 acp.

I've definitely got my eye on the GP100 as well. Price isn't too bad at all and hey, it's a Ruger.
 
#14 ·
The biggest kick I have on the .45 ACP, in a revolver is pulling the empties from the full moon clips...A Demooner tool is a must have item...
It's that or shoot auto rim cartridges...
Peter
 
#15 ·
I have a GI issue 1917 S&W and it's a pretty fun gun to shoot. I never really gave much thought to losing full/half moon clips since I have enough for about 30 reloads.

I would probably buy a 357 if you do not have a good wheel gun but the 45 can take care of business just as well.
 
#16 ·
#17 ·
Been shooting a 5" 1950 Smith for years, and have qualified a number of times on LE courses, to prove it could be done.

The .45 is easier to shoot than the .357 in a wheelgun, less muzzle blast and noise, a bigger bullet which is always good, and when I need a couple rounds of snakeshot, I just switch to the Auto-Rim cases and drop in a couple.

There is nothing that the .357 can do that the .45 in a wheelgun can't do, especially if you handload.
 
#18 ·
I also have an N-frame S+W and use moon clips.

I see the concern that a 45ACP (which does mean Automatic Colt Pistol after all) was intended for use in a pistol not a revolver and that the clips are sort of a kluge. They do work very well however, and as has been said before, make for a faster reload than anything else out there. So, for defensive work with a revolver, something that uses moon clips may well be the best possible choice.

As far as being worried about losing them and being SOL, the same could be said for an automatic pistol and the magazine. Actually, a 45ACP revolver without the clips would be more useful than a 1911 without a magazine. I can improvise clips but I don't think I could improvise a magazine.
 
#19 ·
I saw this is an older post but thought I would add to it. I own a colt 1917 .45acp revolver. Corbon and a couple of other ammo makers are now making ammunition, the .45 auto rimmed, that does away with the need for the moon clips and half moon clips. Back in the 80s remington made this round but they discontinued it and so Ive been hoarding my last two boxes since then. I saw someone above posted thier old 1917 had the smoothest action theyd ever experienced and I have to agree these are sweet old pistols and the new ammo gives an already great round even greater self defense capabilities.
 
#20 ·
I was at a gun shop years ago ,and passed up the oppurtunity to get a ruger that the cylinder was actually designed for .45 acp .
At the time I passed on it because I vowed that the next hand gun would be a .454 in a dual action, a broader range of ammo to fit it.
Ok, so I weakened a few days later when I spotted a ruger black powder bicentenial single action, @ $200. I felt guilty (almost) walking away from the pawn shop with it. dump another $200 for another cylinder and I can shoot regular .45 long colt.
Now if they made a .45 acp cylinder for it ,i'd be stylin.
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
I have two S&W 1917's (.45acp) and a Ruger Blackhawk convertible (.45acp/.45Colt).

I use full moon clips in the 1917's, and I find loading to be faster than using speed loaders to load my .357 (YMMV).

I don't know about the tracker, but my 1917's can be loaded and fired without clips (but the empty cases would have to be removed manually, as the extractor would have no rim to engage).

Still, if using the clips is something you don't want to do, you could always use .45 Auto Rim ammo... http://georgia-arms.com/45autorim.aspx
 
#23 ·
I have a S&W 1917 with the barrel chopped to 3 1/4". With full moon clips it makes for a sweet shooting big bore. Also the short acp cases connected by the full moon clip make for a very positive extraction and the cases can't jam under the extracter star like they can with a regular round.
 
#25 ·
Yes, but, in the time it takes you to reload one chamber on a single action you can completely reload a gun that takes moon clips.:thumb:

Al
 
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