I’ve always loved .45 LC and .454 Casull. One of my favorite revolvers still to this day is my S&W Model 25 and I’ve been hand loading “+P” loads for it for quite some time. Then I found the .454 Casull and really was able to get crazy with my hand loads. Personally I feel that full house .454 doesn’t feel much different than shooting hot .44 mag but with much better ballistics.
.45Colt is certainly a good cartridge, especially when loaded for a strong revolver such as the larger framed Rugers. 454 took this to another level, then 460 took that to another level.
I would agree whole heartedly with the .44 magnum comparison! During this demonstration the two recoil impulses were relatively the same in my opinion. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment!
Some of the history is written up in one of Jeff Cooper's books including experiments using custom cylinders in Colt SAA, .45Colt cartridge cases, and loads using multiple powders at the same time.
I remember when a five shot SA revolver in .454 Casull was considered THE ultimate handgun for folks who spent a lot of time in the wilderness. IIRC Ruger was the only manufacturer who made one as regular (but limited) production.
It would in my mind still be an excellent choice! It really does not recoil a ton more than the .44 magnum and has more knockdown. I think the revolvers available in .454 are a bit more unwieldy due to their overall relative size, but if that is not an issue, she is still a remarkable handgun round for sure. Thanks for your view and leaving a comment.
When the Soviet Union was collapsing a lot of their inventory was being sold off. It was possible to obtain a 75mm cannon that could be towed behind a car. At that time all you were hearing in Police Departments was "Fire Power". I put in a request to use one of these cannons, but got turned down. The idea was to take a good pistol such as the Sig Sauer 225 which fit the hand very well and was easy to control and make it a double stack in the Model 226 which no longer fit the hand well, but gave you "Fire Power". The idea of carrying a rifle caliber in a pistol that the average person can't shoot well is ridiculous.
I shot a Dick Casull .454 Magnum pistol back in the late 80s with my gun fanatic friend. I also shot a .44 Magnum long barrel hair triggered pistol with heavy loads (or is it hot?) as well. (That's what my friend said). The Casull 454 pistol was a palm bruising experience. The hair trigger 44 Magnum caused me to accidentally discharge, plus in my hand it seemed like a .22 compared to the Dick Casull 454. I'm not knowledgeable or very experienced with guns, I was just sharing that unforgettable experience.
