It was a .45 Colt Day Today

[JimT]

Spent a little time on the Range this morning playing with my Linebaugh Ruger .45 Colt.

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This old gun has always been accurate. Unfortunately I have not always been. And the older I get the easier it seems to not shoot as well as I used to. However it's not all bad. This gun is easy to shoot fairly well. I had a load with Green Dot that I wanted to test. Using the SSK 270-451 bullet, the Green Dot load shot well, but was slow and hit about 4" high at 20 yards.

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I think it will benefit from one more grain of powder. I will try that out soon.

The other load is the old Lyman 454190 ... a copy of the original .45 Colt bullet. I like this one. I cast them from a really old Lyman mold my Dad rescued. He enjoyed resurrecting old molds.

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The SSK load

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The Lyman load

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[Scott Tschirhart]

I’ve always liked that old gun and you have killed a bunch with it.

[JimT]

I’ve always liked that old gun and you have killed a bunch with it.

Yessir. I believe it rivals the .41 Magnum and may even have more credited to it than the .41 does.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Did John flattop that gun for you or did you use a hoof rasp?

[JimT]

Did John flattop that gun for you or did you use a hoof rasp?

I used my hoof rasp and then a mill bastard file and eventually sandpaper of fine grit.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I used my hoof rasp and then a mill bastard file and eventually sandpaper of fine grit.

That’s what I figured. That’s why you and I get along so well.

[JimT]

My old horseshoe rasp has milled a lot of gun parts! When I quit shoeing horses and sold my shoeing gear I kept the rasp. It's handy for a lot of things including laying alongside some aggressive person's ear. It's heavy enough it give good account of itself.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Leaves a distinctive mark as well!

[AmBraCol]

I don't recall where I got it, but that 454190 mold makes a nifty bullet. I cast up a bunch of them a couple years ago when my Mom was quite ill and I was up there helping care for her. I'd sit with her a while as the pot heated up, cast a bunch, go back and sit with her a while, and so on. Then I set up the RCBS sizer in the dining room and set there with her while I sized them up. Need to get back up there and send some down range. Never have tried Green Dot powder. I think the ones I loaded were over a snifter of Unique, but I'd have to dig 'em out of the cache to double check. I recall you writing about that pistola and Linebaugh putting the finishing touches on it for you.

[Walt]

Jim, is that a five-shooter? BTW, nice scrimshaw work!

[JimT]

Jim, is that a five-shooter? BTW, nice scrimshaw work!

No, it's a standard 6 shot. John Linebaugh rechambered a Seville .44 Magnum cylinder to tight .45 Colt tolerances and fitted it to the Ruger when he rebarreled the gun for me.

PS - my late wife did the scrimshaw. She did a lot of some years ago.

[Ysabel Kid]

PS - my late wife did the scrimshaw. She did a lot of some years ago.

That's wonderful Jim. I can't imagine anything more special.

[JimT]

Here's some samples of her work:

[Ysabel Kid]

Stunning!!!

[Walt]

Very nice, Jim....thanks!

[Bill in Oregon]

Nice sixgun, Jim, and such a wonderful and capable caliber.
For those who don't remember Twyla's excellent work:
https://www.leverguns.com/scrimshaw/Default.htm

[Rube Burrows]

Very nice sixgun. 45 colt is my favorite caliber and the one I have the most of.

[Griff]

Very nice sixgun. 45 colt is my favorite caliber and the one I have the most of.

LIkewise.