New Man

[Medicine Bear Charley]

Evening,
New to the forum, trying to catch up on some lost time. I'm currently shooting a pair of Open Tops in 44 Colt, switched from my Vaqueros some years ago and now have a burning desire at maybe getting myself a couple of Schofields. I understand there are some issues with these pistols at least the reproductions. Some differences too, I have briefly started working my way through the forums and making notes on what might be important. I could use suggestions, and any questions I should ask as I find potential ladies to invite home.
Is there a block of numbers to be aware from the early Cimarron replicas or have most been recalled? Uberti is the only game in town for new, and I see there are some real differences of opinion on some of the earlier models. If I have the winning lottery ticket tonight S&Ws might be nice.
Thank you all for taking time to read this and hope to chat with you around the fire in the not too distant future.

Medicine Bear Charlie,
Slow down a bit....you'll get a more harmonious outcome......

[Irish Dave]

Welcome to the forum Charley.
You'll find lots of friendly folks here as well as plenty of advice and suggestions ... most of it very knowledgeable and helpful.
Enjoy.

[Trailrider]

So far as I've heard, Cimarron recalled all the Schofields made by Armi San Marco (ASM), though I suppose you could find one floating around somewhere.  They'd make an excellent paper weight or wall hanger, but I wouldn't shoot one unless somebody that really knew what they were doing had done major surgery on the locking surfaces. Even then, I wouldn' trust them.

So far as the Uberti Schofields and the Smith & Wesson 2000's are concerned, the general consensus is that they don't do well with black powder, lacking the gas ring relief that the originals had.  OTOH, they are pretty good pieces.  The S&W has a shorter frame to prevent rechambering to .45 LC.  The Uberti follows the frame length of the original, with the cylinder lengthened and the rear of the barrel shortened accordingly to take the longer round. The top strap is also beefed up slightly.  They are okay for SAAMI-standard .45 LC pressures.

Welcome to the campfire, Pard! 

[Medicine Bear Charley]

Now if I'm reading right I can fire 45 Schofield in a 45 Colt?

[St. George]

Of course you can.

The recoil is like that of a .45ACP.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Trailrider]

Now if I'm reading right I can fire 45 Schofield in a 45 Colt?

Yup. Just like shooting .44 Specials or .44 Russians in .44 Magnum pistols. (Rifles may not feed the shorter rounds in any caliber.)

[Pancho Peacemaker]

I have run into one problem trying to run .45 S&W in a .45 Colt chambered weapon. 

The S&W round has a slightly larger rim diameter.  If you have a revolver with very tight machining tolerances, you will have trouble feeding the .45 S&W round.

The example I have:  The Beretta Laramie:  I have two of them chambered in .45 Colt.   You cannot fully seat .45 S&W rounds in the cylinder.

I do have good experience feeding .45 S&W rounds in several Uberti toggle link rifles chambered in .45 Colt (with no modifications).  As long as the S&W rounds have an OAL of 1.43", they feed well.


Specs:

45 Schofield

Case type Rimmed, straight
Bullet diameter .450 in (11.4 mm)
Neck diameter .477 in (12.1 mm)
Base diameter .477 in (12.1 mm)
Rim diameter .522 in (13.3 mm)
Rim thickness .060 in (1.5 mm)
Case length 1.100 in (27.9 mm)
Overall length 1.430 in (36.3 mm)



45 Colt

Case type Rimmed, straight
Bullet diameter .454 (lead), .451 (jacketed)
Neck diameter .480 in (12.2 mm)
Base diameter .480 in (12.2 mm)
Rim diameter .512 in (13.0 mm)
Rim thickness .060 in (1.5 mm)
Case length 1.285 in (32.6 mm)
Overall length 1.600 in (40.6 mm)

[Tascosa Joe]

I do not have an issue with Schofield rounds in any of my Colt or USFA SA pistols.  They generally are a plesure to shoot.  My normal load is 28 gr 2F with a 230 gr bullet.

[Medicine Bear Charley]

Thanks Gent's I will stash this in my reloading file.....

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Sometimes, but not too often, chambering 45 Schofield rounds in a 45 Colt Vaquero can be a problem. Again, because of tight dimensions. I have two Vaqueros that will not accept a 45 Schofield round in one chamber each. The wider rim hangs up on the metal near the cylinder ratchet teeth.

Necessity at a match one day forced me to fix this problem on one gun with a file. Haven't gotten around to the other one yet.

Other than that, any 45 Colt revolver that can chamber 45 Schofield rounds can shoot them. Rifles can be another story because of Over All Length.