Dueling .45s

Welcome back! This week, we're facing off and rippin' leather with the .45s for a good old show down. We're pitting the .45 long colt against the .45 auto.


The Guns:
For this duel, we'll be using a Cimarron Pistolero chambered in .45 Long Colt and a Rock Island Armory 1911-A1 CS chambered in 45 ACP.

The Old:
The Cimmaron Model 1873 Pistolero is a single action, six shot revolver. For those that aren't familiar, a single action revolver is a hammer fired revolver that requires the shooter to cock the hammer before each shot. This revolver weighs in at 2.4lbs and features brass accents on the frame and wood grips with a 4 3/4" barrel length. This gun feels great in your hand and just rests naturally when you hold it. The action is smooth and what I would consider fairly light for a single action, but I have felt much lighter. The rear sight is merely a groove cut into the top of the frame and the front sight is a more traditional blade style. For such basic sights, the Pistolero seems to index very quickly and makes sight acquisition quite easy. 

The New:
The Rock Island Armory 1911-A1 Commander Special is a semi-auto traditional military handgun. This gun, as it's name implies was put into the market around March in the year 1911, but there were trial models released before then. The US Army began using them around this same time. This gun is tried and true and said to have nail driving accuracy. Weighing in at 2.2lbs with traditional wood grips and the Commander Special 3 1/2" barrel, this handgun sports the rugged 1911 physique with the size of most compact handguns. The RIA 1911-A1 CS features a 7rd magazine, the traditional tang safety, and external hammer. The rear sight is a fixed U style sight, the front sight is a low blade style sight. The 1911 feels good in the hands, but not nearly as natural as the Pistolero. The 1911 indexes well and is easy to find and keep your target. 

The Ammo
We'll be using 2 different types of ammo in each handgun. They are as close as I could possibly get to demo these guns during the great ammo shortage of 2021.

45 Long Colt:
- Hornady LEVERevolution 225gr FTX
Muzzle Velocity: 960fps
Muzzle Energy: 460ft-lbs

- Bitterroot Valley Ammunition 255gr Cowboy Action RNFP
Muzzle Velocity: 725fps*
Muzzle Energy: 298ft-lbs*

*Data for this specific ammo was not available, these numbers are based off other brands of the same caliber and grain. 

45 Automatic Colt Pistol (Auto/ACP)
- Hornady American Gunner 185gr XTP 
Muzzle Velocity: 970fps
Muzzle Energy: 386ft-lbs

- Armscor 230gr FMJ
Muzzle Velocity: 849fps
Muzzle Energy: 368ft-lbs

The Duel:
Now I know this test isn't perfect. Differing barrel lengths, different types of ammunition, etc. I tried to get my hands on ammo that was at least similar in desired outcome, and these were all I could come up with. 

I'm really looking forward to putting these two iconic handguns to the test and seeing how the ballistics perform. Head over to YouTube this weekend and look for the video on the Idaho Rifleman channel! You can also check us out on Facebook and Instagram by searching Idaho Rifleman! Please like and subscribe!

God bless!
Idaho Rifleman



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