How do cowboy-era revolvers compare to modern weapons? The Box O’ Truth
The Box O Truth 06.20.11
Just how far have we come in firearms technology? Find out in this compare and contrast piece from the experts at the Box O’ Truth.
I have had several readers, many from other countries, ask about how American cowboy pistols would compare to modern firearms. Today, we will take a look. The most common “western” cartridge would surely be the .45 Long Colt. Many will say that it ought to be called simply the “.45 Colt”, as there is no “.45 Short Colt”. But to distinguish it from the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge, I believe the .45 LC is a good name. This round was very common, especially after Sam Colt designed the .45 Colt Peacemaker, also known as the Colt Army Revolver. It is said that a cowboy was once asked why he carried a .45. His answer was, “Because Sir, Mr. Colt doesn’t make a .46.” In those days, the only way to increase the effectiveness of a pistol was to increase the diameter of the round and the weight of the bullet. Black powder would only drive bullets so fast.
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