.45 Colt +P Loads for S&W 25-5 and New Ruger SAs

[Bret4207]

1. Winchester was not going to build a rifle with another company's name on the cartridge.
2. Rim diameter was so small on the early cases, the extractor would not reliable extract the fired case, especially when dirty.
3. With the 44 WCF already in carbine and revolver, they didn't see much need for another pair.
IMHO

I read recently in, IIRC, one of Whelens books that at one point Winchester and Colt came to an agreement that Winchester wouldn't make revolvers and Colt wouldn't make rifles. Not sure how accurate that was, but Colt didn't do much with rifles after a point and Winchester gave up on revolvers way back.

 

[RicinYakima]

Remember the same article by Col. Whelen. I seem to remember it from "The American Rifle" book.

 

[david s]

Somewhere in one of my books is a photo of a prototype Winchester Revolver from way back when. Supposedly it was made to scare Colt from considering making lever rifles.

 

[RicinYakima]

Colt made pump action rifles from 1884 till 1904. That appears to be when they ran out of parts, as they didn't make anymore after the agreement with Winchester.

 

[obssd1958]

I owned a Colt Lightning pump rifle, chambered in 38-40 and manufactured in 1891, for awhile. It had been rode hard and put away wet, then refinished - sort of. Someone had reblued it, but they weren't able to get the pits put of it without polishing it down too far, so the surface was pretty rough. The bore was truly sad, but with a .406 diameter cast bullet, it actually shot pretty well. It was one of the most fun guns that I've ever shot!!

 

[Glaciers]

I have a Colt Lighting 44-40 that’s a brown gun but crispy action with a very good but dark bore. Shoots great and as Don says “Fun”

Middle rifle

 

[fiver]

USFA made a dead on copy of the lightning.
my pop had one [maybe still does?] but it really put the Taurus copy to shame in every way imaginable.
it was in 45 colt BTW.

 

[Glaciers]

Sorry for the Lighting drift but couldn’t be helped.

But, back to the 25-5 and the venerable Colt cartridge.

The Smith model 25 in the Colt cartridge is a pistol that is certainly at the top of my short list. But only in a 4” barrel.

In the meantime I’m picking up a Ruger 4” Red Hawk in 45 Colt and 45 AR. Heresy I know, but a nice pistol with lots to offer.

 

[Bret4207]

Somewhere in one of my books is a photo of a prototype Winchester Revolver from way back when. Supposedly it was made to scare Colt from considering making lever rifles.

Volcanic?

 

[Bret4207]

Sorry for the Lighting drift but couldn’t be helped.

But, back to the 25-5 and the venerable Colt cartridge.

The Smith model 25 in the Colt cartridge is a pistol that is certainly at the top of my short list. But only in a 4” barrel.

In the meantime I’m picking up a Ruger 4” Red Hawk in 45 Colt and 45 AR. Heresy I know, but a nice pistol with lots to offer.

I should have an N frame Smith, I suppose it's a M-25, coming back here. Shiny nickle and 8 3/8" I think, but with my memory these days I could be wrong. I'll likely play with it and then it will go to for sale. Nickle and long barrels just aren't my thing. $$$ will go to the church as it's from a deceased members estate.

 

[RicinYakima]

Here it is:

 

[CZ93X62]

That looks like the cross-bred offspring of the S&W Schofield and a S&W N-Frame Hand Ejector. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to un-see it. LOTS of S&W lineage, for certain.

 

[Bret4207]

Certainly not the Volcanic. Maybe that pre-Winchester? The meds have really messed with my memory.