This is a Interesting 45 Colt!



http://i383.photobucket.com/al...8photos/DSC03590.jpg
Michael

That's really neat, Michael! Tells about it......details, man, details!

Whit

I can't do that right off the bat! Must keep one curious for a little while, develop some questions that sort of thing!

Ever see one of these?

Anyone ever see a DW in 45 Colt?

This gun does have a rather lengthy, but interesting history!

Michael

that's pretty cool ... i haven't ever seen one in stainless+45lc

I have never really been a DW fan to be honest, but to the best of my knowledge this is the only 45 Colt they ever built! I am not the know all bastard, because I certainly don't keep up with these things, but this was built on special request for me in 2005. What they have done since I don't really know. Anyone???

Michael

Kind of funny, really. First handgun I've seen that was imprinted "45 LONG Colt. Especially one made in the USA.

Cause I own two Brazilian made Taurus's, one is a Raging Bull and the other Totally Titanium snubby, both chambered in the correct designation and just plain old, 45 Colt.

I mean, since there never was a short Colt how can there be a Long Colt?

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:
Kind of funny, really. First handgun I've seen that was imprinted "45 LONG Colt. Especially one made in the USA.

Cause I own two Brazilian made Taurus's, one is a Raging Bull and the other Totally Titanium snubby, both chambered in the correct designation and just plain old, 45 Colt.

I mean, since there never was a short Colt how can there be a Long Colt?

Yeah, that designation bugs me too. Makes no sense.

Dave


I knew someone would take notice of that! I find it funny too. I don't know where they got that idea from but they did--I did not tell them to put that on the gun. But then none of those guys had any experience at all in 45 Colt, until this particular gun they had never built one, this I know for a fact. Now since they got bought out several years ago (I think) and what they have done since, even if they are still building guns or not, I don't know, don't keep up with things like I used to. But I agree--LONG???

Michael

45 colt, irredgarless, 45 LC, 45 longcolt ..

"colt 45", in the non-specialist slang, means ACP ... lots of persons don't understand the difference ..

its unimportant .. if that bugs you guys, your life is GREAT if 4 letters that have zero impact on how the gun shoots, "bugs" you . LOL

None of my Colt Anacondas, Colt SAA, Other SAA,Rugers, Smiths and Taurus's say Long----All are 45 Colt. Funny!

Michael

I think it is pretty interesting that it does say that. Makes it yet again a bit different!

OK no one else knows of any others?

M

None other then the famous John Linebaugh used 45 L.C. to designate the 45 Colt:



I think somebody gave him a bad time, since none of the guns that I can find that followed number 25 Seville had that same roll marking on the barrel...

I'm far from the knowledgeable expert here, but I have heard this reasoning for the Long Colt's name. The 45 Long colt got that designation at the beginning of it's life in the 1800's (70's?) as a Black powder round, when the schofields were another primary weapon of the military. The schofields had a 45 caliber schofield round which was shorter, and thus the ammo was not interchangeable. When the soldiers would BS and such they nicknamed the 45 colt the "long colt" to differentiate it from the schofield round. Brief, but basically correct. Wikipedia probably has this in more technical terms if anyone wants more info.

here's the link, I read it and I was a bit off, the S&W revolver was the secondary pistol, and it's round could be fired in the Colts, but not the other way around. The reason for the Long designation is the same.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_Colt

That is one very interesting gun. Is changing the barrels for different applications practical? Does it take much time, or change the POI? Pretty cool gun.

quote:

That is one very interesting gun. Is changing the barrels for different applications practical? Does it take much time, or change the POI? Pretty cool gun

Daniel
Changing barrels is very easy, takes about 2 minutes and the gun is ready to go. I have not changed barrels or even shot this gun in a couple of years, but I don't recall any issues with change of the POI. I actually sorta forgot about it until just recently on a thread we had about carry guns for bears or some such, and I got several of my 45 Colts out and took some photos.

I will complete the story soon about this gun and how it come about if I can generate some curiosity?

Michael

Curiosity generated. Spill it if you know what's good for ya. BTW, how much did she cost you, if you don't mind? I'll bet that there would be some interest in this rig if DW would do some more. Does she handle full house rounds well?

OK then. In June (I think) of 2005 I made one of my normal trips to South Africa. This is the year they changed the Firearms Laws. In years past I take any handgun, even a 45 ACP, get my permit, get to my truck and gear up concealed and go anywhere in South Africa I wanted to go, heeled legally, just like I would in the GREAT state of South Carolina!

Well I knew the change in laws, had some connections in Pretoria with the police there. So I had a legal permit from the station in Pretoria for my handgun when I arrived! A Kimber Ultra 45 ACP. One that I had carried on many trips to SA. Well J'Burg decided that my permit was not legal for my handgun. I also had two rifles with me, permit from Pretoria station too! J'burg said rifles were ok--Confiscated my handgun, made a great big ugly hairy deal out of it. Waving it around for all to see. It was some time around there for about 5 hours, I was in a very foul mood and was very lucky to get out without going to jail!

This really turned into a big ugly affair, but in the end I did get some retribution for the way I was treated. As stated I know quite a few folks in South AFrica, my wife is South African. When her family got the story things started happening. I was put on the radio for a national radio station interview. This went out across the entire country. I told my story, exactly as it happened. Within an hour after that I had J'burg police calling stating that there was going to be a big investigation and the officers involved were going to be investigated for the treatment I received, and so on and so forth. Then minutes later PHASA called (Pro Hunter Ass South Africa) big interview and talk with them and they got involved. I made quite a stink, as much as I could anyway-I was royally pissed off. As soon as I returned to US soil I contacted everyone I could including Safari Club and others and made even a bigger stink!

But even while in South Africa I was already scheming how to screw em over! This is when I thought of the DW guns, and changeable barrels! The new law stated that "hunting handguns" could be brought into country for hunting purposes only! So I made some phone calls while in South Africa and got the process started. I had a few contacts close to DW so I used them. I am 45 Colt sorta guy and wanted nothing but 45 Colt! DW agreed so I had a great big long 8 inch barrel--BIG UGLY LONG HUNTING ONLY GUN, then a normal 6 inch barrel, then a tiny little 2.5 inch barrel! Now what do you figure Michael had in mind? I am not really a handgun hunter! If you guessed that Michael was thinking bring this great big long heavy revolver with a scope on it in country for hunting, then as soon as I got to my truck change the barrel to the 2.5 inch gun and strap up--then you win the prize behind door #1. I figured that would screw them over right! Kiss my hairy tail I have outsmarted you again!

Well this would have been a perfect solution to any normal problem like that, but the hoops one had to jump thru to get a handgun in country of any sort began to be not worth the hassle! And even if I had got it in, and did exactly as planned, then have to use the thing in a defensive situation I would spend the rest of eternity in SA behind bars, legal or not! You see the letter from your PH has to state that even if you bring a handgun in it is for HUNTING ONLY and he cannot and will not ALLOW YOU TO USE IT FOR SELF-DEFENSE!!! Believe that? SELF DEFENSE IS ILLEGAL IN SOUTH AFRICA!!!!!

So after playing with the DW for a few months it found it's way into the safe and that is where it has been for a few years now!

What did I do about South Africa? I still screwed em! I rigged up my little short, light, fast handy Winchester 16 inch M94 in 45 Colt with 8 rounds in the magazine. 300 gr Hornadys at 1600 fps and easy to handle. Used to take it, load it, throw it behind the seat, but still easy to get too. Still would have been in a Sh&t storm if I had to use it, but better than my pocket knife I figure.

The DW is pretty strong gun, at least equal to a Ruger chambered in 45 Colt. I have not pushed it's limits, but have run some 250 gr Hornadys at 1350 fps in it before without issue. I drug it out the other day and think when I can get some time in between shooting some rifles I will start shooting it some.

So that is how it come about. DW said at the time they had never done a 45 Colt. The serial number was supposed to start with MDM, but somehow that got lost and they put the MDM on the side, which is ok too. That's my initials by the way. I have been very happy with it, and it certainly would have full filled the mission I had in mind for it, but circumstances were a little to screwy to mess around much.

Michael

awesome .. but, doesn't SA regiser the BARRELS?

The barrel, only if it had a serial number on it.

They make no mention of barrel length--or at least they did not in years past. Certainly not on rifles either. Or they did not last year anyway, but that could change from one minute to the next. At the time--no, unless it had a serial number and then they would have only wrote that down.

M

Class, Class; the reason the reference 45 Long Colt exists comes from the late 1870's when the Cavalry out west would sometimes be shipped Colt and sometimes be shipped Schofield revolvers. Schofield was an army major with some influence at the War Dept. He worked with S&W to try and get their big framed revolvers some army contracts to compete with Colt. The Schofield/S&W revolvers had a cylinder quite a bit shorter than the SAA. The 45 Schofield cartridge is 1.10" long, the 45 Colt cartridge is 1.285". The military was just as stupid then as they are now. They actually shipped some of the S&W revolvers to some cavalry units in Arizona, and then sent 45 Colt ammunition to them by mistake. In a short time the designation 45 Long (for the)Colt designation came into general use, military and civilian markets. Fast forward to the end of WWI. The military needed more handguns, so they contracted with Colt and S&W for 45 caliber revolvers. They were easily built, and bored the cylinders thru. Those necessitated the 1/3rd and later the 1/2 moon clips for speedy load and extraction. That is why you see so many New Service and S&W M1917 revolvers chambered for the 45 acp/auto rim cartridges. After the war, the USPS got thousands of them.

Rich
DRSS

Michael,

if you are good, I promise to send you some pictures of my Colt Anaconda with four-inch barrel.

Rich

Rich

I WILL BE VERY GOOD! I would love to see a photo of a 4 inch Colt Anaconda!

Rich, I hear those things are very hard to come by, and somewhat rare? Do you know much about these?

I promise to be very good!

Michael

quote:

Colt Anaconda with four-inch barrel

45 COLT

so i take it you never got the kimber back???

TBEAR

The very next day I had made an arrangement with an exporter to pick up the the WMD (Kimber) and export it back to Atlanta, where I had one of my guys pick it up and bring it back home, along with every magazine and each piece of deadly ammo! It actually cost me more than the handgun to have this done, but there was no way I was leaving it behind at any cost--Nothing or no one left behind! Anyway this little Kimber had been a close friend in many a tight place!

I even one time dispatched a charging warthog with it.

It now resides safely here at home with me!

Michael

Awww. And everyone lived happily ever after. Nice tale, michael.

As a post script: I doubt that any of those 1870's cavalry gents are still with us, although none other than the 'famous John Linebaugh' must think so, and every new shooter is cautioned to only insert ammo into your handgun that matches the designation stamped on the gun (doesn't Rooger actually roll stamp a whole litany of cautions on their guns?), wouldn't some owner of this DW in the future have trepidation when he can't find .45 Long Colt ammo?

quote:

"colt 45", in the non-specialist slang, means ACP ... lots of persons don't understand the difference ..

Yet no one gets confused over the 45 Auto rim vs. the 45 Auto? Pa-leeze. If you don't know the correct ammo to fit your firearm, such as sticking a 30-06 down the pipe of a 300Win mag, you get exactly what you deserve. It's called the Darwin theory!

quote:

Awww. And everyone lived happily ever after. Nice tale, michael.

Dave

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy!

As for names--Hell I live in confusion every day! What's one more add on to that!

OK RICH--still looking for the photo of that "elusive" 4 inch Anaconda in 45 Colt! Are you real sure about that? I actually have two 6 inch Colt Anacondas in 45 Colt! A 4 Inch?

Are you pulling our legs here?

Michael

IDAHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RICH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I have been GOOD! I am still waiting on the 4" 45 Colt Anaconda!

It's beginning to wear me down however!

Michael

Very nice Dan Wesson and a great story.

Thank you.

PM sent.

Promise, in the morning I will get some pics to you. A friend at Colt told me mine was one of six that got out before Colt decided not to build any. It is about the PPP*

Rich

*Perfect Packing Pistol

Great story, Michael! Glad you got your Kimber back!

LeonardC

Got your PM and will post in your post about the DW. Interesting. I see that there is a possibility that some more were made, but appear all blued. I am sure someone over on this DW Forum will or may know a good deal about this.

It appears that it may not be 1 of a Kind---but at least they may be very very few of them????

Rich

I am looking for PHOTO of that gun! In one of "THE BOOKS" I don't recall which one, but it stated for several years that there was between 6 and 11 of these 4" Colt Anacondas in 45 Colt that left the factory??? I am not so sure?

I do know that there are not many of them and would hope and assume they have some value?

Michael

Thanks Marko--Yes I am very glad I got the Kimber back too!

Funny, I had just put a set of nice Mammoth ivory grips on it before that trip! I was a pissed off individual, the little dip that was handling this affair was actually NOT SAP--just security operating under SAP. He was walking up and down, and at times holding my kimber above his head announcing that he had confiscated a "SELF DEFENSE" handgun--to the entire office, which was also full of other hunters off the plane! Imagine that? Well I decided I had about enough of this, so as he was prancing around I physically grabbed the Kimber out of his hands, got in his face and told him that he was not getting the grips off the gun, I would remove them!

Well I searched thru every little tool I had, but had nothing to take the grips off, so I had to return it to him! What a mess! I swear it's a wonder I am still not over there in jail to this day!

Michael

Thanks for posting at DWF.

There are other DW.45LC out there. There was talk about short barrels on .44 (large frame in general?) and folks thought there were none made shorter than 4". Yours shows there is at least one!

Leonard
No, thanks to you for giving me the DWF to go to.

Maybe when I had the gun built they were talking about never building one with a 2.5 inch barrel?

Who knows? Might be BS anyway.

Regardless of all that it's a pretty good gun! It shoots a damn sight better than I can shoot it!

Michael

Well I think Rich is pulling our legs!!!!

Colt Anaconda 4 inch 45 Colt?

I don't know Rich, maybe you are confused between 4 inches and 6 inches? But I always thought it was supposed to be the other way around?

Come on now, fess up and put up the proof!

Michael

I would love to see a four Anaconda as well! Come on Rich, post up!

Michael 458, Interest generated here, would like more info.

Hey Swampshooter

Well glad you are interested, but what more info would you like?

Michael

You know Whit, I am beginning to think that this 4 inch Colt Anaconda in 45 Colt is just a figment of someones imagination? Can such a thing really exist?? I wonder if Rich has not had to run quickly and have his measurements checked by a professional and learned that indeed 4 inches is now 6 inches? Since doing so maybe he is in his shop right now with the hacksaw?

I don't know, it is taking a lot of time to actually see this "phantom" 4 inch 45 Colt, so my imagination is running away with me?

Where oh Where are the 4 inch 45 Colt Anacondas?

Michael

Oh Rich, where are you??????

Come on now......

We are waiting in anticipation........