I’ve always been a fan of the .45 Colt. Traditionally, it launches a big heavy bullet at relatively low pressures, but can also be juiced up out of certain platforms to give .44 Mag a run for its money. To get the full potential out of it you really have to handload, but that’s half the fun.

I hike and backpack a good bit, so I’m always looking for woods gun options. A few years back I bought a snubby Model 69 in .44 Mag, then this past year I picked up a 329PD. At 33.5oz unloaded, the 69 is a bit heavy to carry around all day, and at 25.8oz the 329PD is fantastic on the trail but absolutely brutal to shoot. I’ve always thought that a lightweight snubby in .45 Colt might be the goldilocks option that I’m looking for, but good luck finding one.



I’ve known about the Taurus 450 Titanium for a while now, but I’ve been burned a couple times in the past by Taurus revolvers, so I pretty much swore them off. But I just couldn’t kick the idea of a big, low-pressure .45 Colt thumper out of a 19oz package roughly the size of my Model 69. I found one on Gunbroker this week, and the bidding stayed reasonable so I decided I had to take a chance on it and see what this thing is all about.





First impressions were pretty good. Cylinder lockup and carry-up are good in both DA and SA. Fit and finish is on-par with my Smiths, and while the grips aren’t much to look at they provide a very positive purchase and nice padding in the backstrap which may well be very necessary with this thing. It’s LIGHT…only 19.4oz unloaded. The trigger isn’t awesome, but it’s not horrible and I don’t plan to mess with it, at least not right away. Cosmetically, it takes a lot of visual cues from an S&W, which I find pretty attractive. Dimensionally, it’s pretty similar to the L-Frame 69 snubby, although it has an even shorter barrel.











Although it looks like a Smith on the outside, I’ve discovered quite a few mechanical differences, and I haven’t even popped the side plate off yet. The cylinder lock gets its tension from a spring-loaded plunger that sticks out of the crane extension, rather than a spring wedged against the inside of the frame like a Smith. This spring seems pretty weak, so we’ll have to see if it’s strong enough to reliably provide positive lockup under recoil in such a light gun. On the upside, it should be pretty easy to upgrade if necessary.

I had read that the cylinder is a bit short, which can cause issues with overall length on some loads, but so far everything I’ve tried has fit with room to spare. The forcing cone is extremely thin at the bottom…for those who are concerned about shooting hot loads through S&W K-Frames, this thing takes that to a whole new level. It definitely won’t be getting anything but standard pressure .45 Colt shot though it…no +P or Ruger only (and no, that’s not a crack in the photo, just a stain)!



Another difference between the Taurus and the Smith design is the cylinder arbor. Instead of simply slipping off after unscrewing the ejector rod like a Smith, the Taurus arbor is pressed into the cylinder and had to be pressed out. I originally planned to disassemble and clean it because the cylinder isn’t spinning as freely as most of my Smiths, but once I saw how much force would be necessary to get it apart so I decided to just leave it for now.

At the Range

I took the whole .45 colt collection out to the range this morning to compare them, and ended up putting about 75 rounds through the 450.

I started with my go-to .45 Colt handload, which uses my home-cast 250gr powdercoated lead round-nose-flat-points (feeds better in the levergun than a semi-wadcutter, but still has a nice flat meplat) over 8 grains of Unique. This is a pretty moderate .45 Colt load, and chronographs at 1145fps out of the rifle, 929fps out of the Blackhawk, and a substantially slower 772fps out of the snubby 450.



The gun is very light and bounces around quite a bit under recoil, but the rubber grip has excellent backstrap padding, and there’s none of the pain that you experience shooting a .44 Mag like the 329PD. The gun locked up properly every time, and never jumped time. No bullets jumped crimp, and nothing bound up against the forcing cone. Extraction was smooth and easy with no stickiness whatsoever. The grips leave plenty of room for a speedloader, and the big bullets index and slide into the charge holes almost on their own. I did have one light strike, but with the primers I was using I’m not ready to blame the gun for that one.

The gun is controllable…I shot a 5 rounds in under 5 seconds at 5 yards drill and was pretty happy with how it manages recoil and gets back on target. At 5 yards, it seemed to hit pretty close to point of aim, too.





The barrel porting is stupid. Almost 20 years ago I owned a Taurus .44 Mag with the same type of porting, and it projected really obnoxious blast and muzzle flash right into the shooter’s face. The 450 has the same fireball, but thankfully less blast pressure than the .44 Mag. It’s still obnoxious and distracting, doesn’t do much for recoil mitigation, and likely cost me a few fps in muzzle velocity out of that already short barrel. It’s also a PITA to clean. I really wish they hadn’t ported it.



The biggest problem, though, is that the darn thing just isn’t accurate. I started in SA at 15 yards with the 250gr load and half the rounds were off paper, high-left. I moved up to 10 yards and was able to keep them on paper, but it was still all over the place. I shot some out of the Blackhawk, too, just to prove that it isn’t the load and that I don’t really suck that bad!



I went home and loaded up some 230gr bullets and two different 200gr ones that I found in my pull-down extras pile. Both of these seemed to shoot better than the 250s. Still not fantastic, but at least I could keep them on the target. The photo below is the 230gr load at 10 yards, and the 200s were both inside the 10 ring at 10 yards, albeit one at the top and the other at the bottom. I’m going to have to get some more 200s and see if I can develop them further into something that works in this gun.



Ultimately, I don’t think this gun is ever going to be the powerhouse alternative to the .44 Magnum that I hoped it would be. That Smith 329PD will not only handle the hot and heavy Underwood loads, but it’ll pretty easily keep them in the black on a B8 at 25 yards. You may feel like you smacking your hand with a hammer while you’re doing it, but for a gun that’s carried far and shot little, that’s an acceptable compromise. The heavier Model 69 will handle those loads comfortably and with even more confidence. The Taurus won’t stabilize the heavier bullets enough to shoot them accurately, the short ported barrel limits your velocity, and the thin forcing cone makes it unsafe to try pushing them any harder.

I think where this gun could have a viable role is as an alternative to a .38/.357 airweight. If you want to push a heavier, larger-diameter bullet than a .38, it gives you that ability in a very lightweight yet easy to shoot and carry package. But it’s just unrealistic to expect it to contend with the .44 Mag. Historically, this makes sense, as the .45 Colt was the army’s answer to poor performance of the .38 in the Philippines, back before magnum cartridges were a thing.

If I can find a load for it that will produce consistent accuracy, I’ll put it through the milk jug penetration test and see how it performs. For it to be a keeper, though, it’s going to have to be capable of hitting where it’s aimed.

I have had one labeled as "Ultra-Lite" for a couple of years but have never shot it.
I will be following this thread.

PC

quote:

Originally posted by PCWyoming:
I have had one labeled as "Ultra-Lite" for a couple of years but have never shot it.
I will be following this thread.

PC

Cool! I've never been able to definitively determine what the difference between a "Titanium" and an "Ultra-Lite" is. From what I've read, the "Ultra-Lite" is a bit heavier, and I believe uses an aluminum alloy frame with a steel cylinder, whereas the titanium is all titanium except for the steel barrel liner and internals. Can you shed any light on this? Also, is your barrel ported or un-ported?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 92fstech,

I have owned my two(2) 450 Taurus pistols for many years now. I have one Ti frame one, like yours, and One Ultra-Lite Alum. framed unit. I would NOT take for either of them and have run Ks of my hand loads through them......more through the Ti framed one as I have owned it longer.

I CCW the Ti gun for quite a while with the CCI blazer 200gr JHP ammo. A really lightweight package and easy to carry in any of my holsters made for S&W snub K framed guns.

For just fun range shooting, I loaded up 185gr plated bullets behind Trail Boss powder and have a great, and comfortable trip. Shooting 50-75 rounds is no problem, and I have arthritis in both wrists. I shoot my Ti framed gun better than I shoot any of my other revolvers......so it is my favorite. I did a bit of polishing and changed some springs and got an excellent SA trigger pull.

I am always on the lookout for another Ti gun.....not sure why, just am. It is my "go-to" handgun when I carry a large caliber CCW.

Thanks for the excellent report. Thinking about your observations I can’t help but wonder if an ideal compromise would be a 329 PD with custom handloads heavy for caliber bullet at subsonic velocity.

quote:

Thinking about your observations I can’t help but wonder if an ideal compromise would be a 329 PD with custom handloads heavy for caliber bullet at subsonic velocity.

It's absolutely an option, and I have loaded some of those for range plinking. The 329 is an incredibly versatile handgun within its niche, and the .44 mag leaves you a lot of room to work with. I carry the potent stuff, though, because if you've only got six they might as well be hot ones.

What I was really after was a gun with the weight and capabilities of the 329 in a package the size of the 69. The 450 gives you two of the three, but unfortunately the one you don't get is the most important.

quote:

Originally posted by GT-40DOC:
I have owned my two(2) 450 Taurus pistols for many years now. I have one Ti frame one, like yours, and One Ultra-Lite Alum. framed unit. I would NOT take for either of them and have run Ks of my hand loads through them......more through the Ti framed one as I have owned it longer.

I CCW the Ti gun for quite a while with the CCI blazer 200gr JHP ammo. A really lightweight package and easy to carry in any of my holsters made for S&W snub K framed guns.

For just fun range shooting, I loaded up 185gr plated bullets behind Trail Boss powder and have a great, and comfortable trip. Shooting 50-75 rounds is no problem, and I have arthritis in both wrists. I shoot my Ti framed gun better than I shoot any of my other revolvers......so it is my favorite. I did a bit of polishing and changed some springs and got an excellent SA trigger pull.

I am always on the lookout for another Ti gun.....not sure why, just am. It is my "go-to" handgun when I carry a large caliber CCW.

It sounds like yours prefers the lighter bullets, which means there's hope for mine yet. Have you ever tried heavier bullets in yours, and if so how did they shoot?

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

Cool! I've never been able to definitively determine what the difference between a "Titanium" and an "Ultra-Lite" is. From what I've read, the "Ultra-Lite" is a bit heavier, and I believe uses an aluminum alloy frame with a steel cylinder, whereas the titanium is all titanium except for the steel barrel liner and internals. Can you shed any light on this? Also, is your barrel ported or un-ported?

Apparently there are three variations of the 450.
https://www.genitron.com/Handg...rus/Revolver/45-Colt

Mine is ported.

PC

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
What I was really after was a gun with the weight and capabilities of the 329 in a package the size of the 69. The 450 gives you two of the three, but unfortunately the one you don't get is the most important.

Have you looked into a 329 Night Guard? That might be the goldilocks gun you're desiring. Scandium N frame, 2.5" bbl but a steel cylinder opposed to the titanium one in your current 329. The steel cylinder adds a couple ounces that might help with recoil mitigation.

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Perry:

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
What I was really after was a gun with the weight and capabilities of the 329 in a package the size of the 69. The 450 gives you two of the three, but unfortunately the one you don't get is the most important.

Have you looked into a 329 Night Guard? That might be the goldilocks gun you're desiring. Scandium N frame, 2.5" bbl but a steel cylinder opposed to the titanium one in your current 329. The steel cylinder adds a couple ounces that might help with recoil mitigation.

Looked? Absolutely. But those things were expensive when they were in production, and now they're just crazy. The last one I saw was twice what I paid for my 329, which is already probably the most expensive handgun I own. At my income level that's just plain out of reach...I wouldn't even have the 329 if I hadn't stumbled into it used at an LGS that gave me a fair trade deal on several guns that I was no longer using.

I have considered sourcing a model 29 Cylinder for the 329, and may do that at some point, especially if the coating on the TI one ever starts becoming an issue. For now it's working well and I don't want to mess with a good thing.

I also wish they were still making the Night Guards...they were definitely unique and IMO a pretty practical application for the modern revolver.

That Taurus .45 might make a pretty good dispenser for these:

https://doubletapammo.com/prod...tandard-dt-snakeshot

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
That Taurus .45 might make a pretty good dispenser for these:

https://doubletapammo.com/prod...tandard-dt-snakeshot

Indeed it would, and I actually have a few that a buddy put together. I should give it a try.

I have been a handloader since 1972,and 45 Colt is one of my favorite calibers to load and shoot. I have loaded everything from 280gr lead down to 160gr plated bullets in 45LC brass. The heavier bullets do better in my Colt SAA guns with 5 1/2 and 7 1/2" bbls. The 185gr bullets were primarily for comfort and cheap rounds for the range......they happen to also be accurate. My Ti framed gun didn't like the heavy bullets much at all...and I didn't either.

I also have a Taurus revolver like the 450 (K frame), but all steel gun, beautifully polished glossy blue finish in 44 Special. It handles hotter loads with no problems, and still comfortable to shoot. It is unported, but same "ribber" grips etc.

You do realize carpel tunnel isn’t on the New Jersey Parkway, right. .

I am not recoil sensitive but every time I read one of your posts about light weight 44’s or some such my fingers go numb.

Not trying to derail your thread 92 but would you consider the Taurus Judge Ultra-Light with the 2.5” cylinder and the 3” barrel? I do not like the looks of the 3” cylinder on their Public Defender model.

I ask because I have the Taurus Judge Ultra-Lite with a 4” barrel (limited production many years ago) and mine shoots the 45 Long Colt round extremely well as it relates to recoil. Accuracy is ok (I have never shot it past 7 yards). Just wanted to share this idea with you.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
You do realize carpel tunnel isn’t on the New Jersey Parkway, right. .

I am not recoil sensitive but every time I read one of your posts about light weight 44’s or some such my fingers go numb.

Lol, I actually like these guns because I'm a wuss, not the other way around!

My EDC at work or around town is a full-size P320 or P229 in 9mm, because while they're pretty big and heavy to carry, they're easy to shoot. And since there's a fair chance I am going to end up using them now and then, it's absolutely worth the extra weight and bulk to have the best tool for the job.

The revolvers are "vacation guns". In 15 years of backcountry hiking I've only drawn a gun one time, but I've walked thousands of miles and climbed thousands of feet of elevation. Last year in Alaska we climbed a pretty gnarly ridge, about 4,000 feet at a very steep incline, and I did it with a 37oz Model 69 strapped around my neck. I got sunburnt, dehydrated, and the weight of that gun scored a big gash across the back of my neck. By the time we were done, I was wishing I had taken a lot less gun and a lot more water! Extra weight on the trail sucks, especially weight you don't use.

If you're smart and make good choices, the likelihood of needing a gun is pretty low on the trail, but if I do need one I want it to be potent. I don't shoot them a whole ton on the range, either...enough to make sure they're zeroed to my chosen load and that I'm proficient. I always take a range session or two to brush up before a trip as well. The majority of my actual revolver range time is with steel .357s shooting .38 wadcutters, because pounding your hands to a pulp on a regular basis really isn't that fun.

quote:

Originally posted by sigarmsp226:
Not trying to derail your thread 92 but would you consider the Taurus Judge Ultra-Light with the 2.5” cylinder and the 3” barrel? I do not like the looks of the 3” cylinder on their Public Defender model.

I ask because I have the Taurus Judge Ultra-Lite with a 4” barrel (limited production many years ago) and mine shoots the 45 Long Colt round extremely well as it relates to recoil. Accuracy is ok (I have never shot it past 7 yards). Just wanted to share this idea with you.

I have a couple of issues with the Judge.

1. It's bigger than I need it to be. I'll never shoot .410 out of it, so I'd rather have the shorter cylinder sized specifically for .45 Colt. The 3" judge is actually the same overall length as my 329PD, and weight is about the same. Given those numbers, I'll stick with the Smith in .44 Mag every time. The 450 is significantly smaller than any variant of the Judge, hence its appeal.


2. Theoretically, the longer jump between the case mouth and the forcing cone should yield poorer accuracy. That may not always play out, though, as your Judge is accurate and my 450 is not. For woodland creature defense I want a gun that I can competently work with from 25 yards and beyond, because if you have to shoot one closer than that you're probably getting mauled.

92 - Thanks for responding and providing very good points/issues I had not considered.

This thread continues to be another great learning opportunity for me.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
That Smith 329PD will not only handle the hot and heavy Underwood loads, but it’ll pretty easily keep them in the black on a B8 at 25 yards.

OK, now I'm curious. I've shot Underwood loads out of my 329 both the 305gr hardcast and the 220gr. Penetrator. While they fire, ejection from both loads requires a punch to remove the case from the cylinder, they will not eject just using the ejector rod on the revolver.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
That Smith 329PD will not only handle the hot and heavy Underwood loads, but it’ll pretty easily keep them in the black on a B8 at 25 yards.

OK, now I'm curious. I've shot Underwood loads out of my 329 both the 305gr hardcast and the 220gr. Penetrator. While they fire, ejection from both loads requires a punch to remove the case from the cylinder, they will not eject just using the ejector rod on the revolver.

They stick a little bit in mine, but a moderate tap on the ejector rod with the palm of my hand will knock them right out. I'm not sure if I just got lucky, or if it's a result of my cleaning process, but I haven't had any problems with heavily-stuck cases. To be fair, I've also been shooting the Underwood 255s and not those 305 monsters.

I've been hesitant to get too aggressive cleaning the titanium cylinder for risk of scratching the coating, so I only shoot jacketed or coated bullets through the 329. To clean it I typically run a few passes with a brass tornado brush, followed by dry patches (no or very minimal solvent) and a nylon brush to the front of the cylinder. So far that seems to be working.

In contrast, on my steel guns I'm not above scrubbing lead out of the chambers with a stiff steel chamber brush and using harsh abrasives and chemicals on the cylinder face. The "special treatment" when cleaning is probably my least favorite thing about the titanium guns, but I'm learning to overcome my OCD and just accept that it isn't going to be visually spotless.