American Handgunner Jul/Aug 2011 - Jeffersonian

Smith & Wesson recently recreated their Model 1917. At left
is an original version, with the new on right.
Revolvers chambered for .45 ACP can
be very accurate, as this group fired
with a Smith & Wesson Model 25 (aka
Model 1955 Target) shows.
to point out what I think are not the
greatest revolver cartridges ever, despite
the genuflecting some people do at
the mere mention of them. Those are
namely the .44 Special and .45 Colt.
Both are good old calibers for which
I own several handguns each. But the
best ever? No way! Now its time to
point out what I do think is the very
best, all around revolver cartridge. Are
you ready?
Huh? What?
It’s the .45 ACP! That’s right, the
.45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) is
the very best ever round for ordinary,
everyday revolvers. Its case capacity
is correct for its bullet weight and ballistics,
with no tiny charges of powder
floating around in a huge case meant
originally for black powder. It was
the first revolver cartridge used in
“speed-loaders,” otherwise known as
half-moon clips. And now there are
full-moon clips too. And, it’s capable
of fine accuracy from some guns. It’s
one of the easiest and most versatile
cartridges for reloaders, and it has a
stepbrother identical except for having
a rim on the case, if that trips your
trigger instead of fiddling with clips.
That, of course is the .45 Auto Rim.
In 1917, when the United States
stuck its nose in a European war, it did
Continued on page 93
All that’s required to load both .45 ACP and .45
Auto Rim cases with a standard set of .45 ACP
dies is a different shell holder.
“
CCI’s .45 ACP shotshells warned,
Do Not Fire In REVOLVERS . I took
that as a personal challenge and did so.
The Smith & Wesson
Model 22 (aka Thunder Ranch
Revolver) is a versatile .45 ACP
revolver because it can be loaded
with .45 ACP rounds in half-moon or
full-moon clips or with .45 Auto Rim
rounds in standard speed loaders.
”
During WWI the military packaged .45 ACP
cartridges in half-moon clips. Shown with the
original box is a Smith & Wesson Model 1917
and loaded clips as they would have come from the box.
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