.45 Cowboy special

[Bunk Stagnerg]

Good Day Maker of Coffins
To answer your query, yes the .45 Cowboy Special (.45 Short) is a .45 ACP with a .45 Colt rim (not auto rim) and .45 ACP target loads work quite nicely.

Personally I use the suggested DD receipt of 1.3 c/c Gun Powder (FFFg) and the JP 210 RNFP bullet. It pretty much duplicates the original .44 Henry cartridge. To ease the strain on my wrists I use the same 1.3 c/c FFg and the 175 gr Slim with a war cut fron an orange juice box to give a bit of compression.

I have some doubt about cutting down .45 Colt cases to that short length because of case capacity and inside diameter. There was an article in the Chronicle a couple of years ago about that idea of case forming a ,45 short and what a conversion convulsion it was.
However cutting down .44-40 cases with a somewhat thinner case wall might work.
I would suggest make one and see if it will hold the powder and bullet with out swaging the .452 bullet down to too small.
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[Dick Dastardly]

FWIW the 1.3cc of FFFg is my standard load for .38 Spl under a 158g Snakebite Greasewagon bullet.  That comes out to 20 grains of powder.  Plenty of smoke and flames.  This is a mild 45 Cal load that doesn't shake the open top guns apart.

DD-MDA

[Bunk Stagnerg]

RIGHT!!
And the smoke and fire drives the nitro shooters nuts.
I will confess that I have come back to the dark side after wandering in the wilderness of IDPA and IPSC, self loading pistols (*) and  smokesomewhatless powder but Brother I have seen the light, and come back to the way of the soot.

* But I did stay true to the Master JMB and his guns.
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[Coffinmaker]

Gaday Bunk!!

I must profane ignorance of what query I had.  However, since I have the memory of a Gnat, I are not surprised.  I have been a proponent of the Cowboy 45 Special since it's inception, which occurred in parallel to my own development of the "45 SQUIRT."  The 45 Squirt is simply a 45 Schofield case cut to 45 ACP length.

I have made my own 45 Specials by cutting down 45 Colt cases, along with the 45 Squirt (same asme) and found the difference in case capacity when compared to the "real" Cowboy Special as to be insignificant.  The real difference is is the thickness of the brass at the case mouth.  45 Special is thinner, like the mouth of a 45 Colt.  Home made 45 Special and 45 Squirt are full case thickness thus are a little fatter at the case mouth when loaded.  I've also found that to be insignificant.

In my personal opine, for the dedicated CAS shooter, who prefers his/or her calibers to begin with a "4," the 45 Special is just about perfect.  Of course, I am an admitted recoil wimp and don't really care for fillers, so reducing case capacity is the perfect answer.  For pistols I use a massive (chuckle giggle snort) 130Gr custom bullet or an equally yuge 160Gr pill with a full case of 2f APP.  Pleasant indeed.  And ....... TA DA ...... with APP (massive smoke cloud), spotters who stand behind me have no clue where the bullets go.  Does in fact drive the Nitro crowd up the wall so to speak.

Keep yer powder dry.  Oh, I have given over to the TRUE pistols.  Cap Guns-R-Us.  I now reserve suppositories for my Henry(s).

Coffinmaker

[Pettifogger]

Long before the Cowboy Special I was cutting and loading what I called the .45 CAS.  From left to right, .45 Colt, .45 Special, .45 CAS.  When AJ started making the .45 Special brass commercially available I gave up cutting down my own brass.

[Coffinmaker]

PLUS ONE to Pettifogger 

While I have on hand several thousand 45 Squirt, made from 45 Schofield and 45 Colt brass, The day AJ shipped my first thousand Cowboy 45 Special cases, I took the jig off my lathe.  Trust me, cutting 45 Colt down to C45S or Pettifoggers 45 CAS or my 45 Squirt is a ROYAL PITA.  I now also have several thousand C45S cases and intend to never spend another day standing over a hot lathe (besides, I sold the lathe when I retired).

Coffinmaker

[Dick Dastardly]

If you don't mind, this would be a good place to post the contact information where me and others can purchase C45Spl brass.

Thanks,

DD-MDA

[Coffinmaker]

Sure DDD

Google Foo.  "American Cowboy Ammo" or acammo.com and your there.  They don't list C45S reloading brass on their web page so you have to give them a call.

Coffinmaker

[Bunk Stagnerg]

 I was told today that Star Line is now turning out that brass I am not sure of the head stamp. I will check and let y'all know.
Speaking of smoke clouds i think i was awarded a couple of misses today  because spotters could not see the hit.
Revolver load 1.3 c/c FFg 175Slim BL bullet
Rifle load 1.3 c/c FFFg 200 JP BL bullet.
The rifle has a Happy Trails modified lifter.
Bunk

[hp246]

I was told today that Star Line is now turning out that brass I am not sure of the head stamp. I will check and let y'all know.
Speaking of smoke clouds i think i was awarded a couple of misses today  because spotters could not see the hit.
Revolver load 1.3 c/c FFg 175Slim BL bullet
Rifle load 1.3 c/c FFFg 200 JP BL bullet.
The rifle has a Happy Trails modified lifter.
Bunk

I asked Starline at the SHOT Show about whether they were turning out .45 Cowboy Special Brass.  They said they were in wait and see mode.  They have a contract to produce it for a manufacturer, but were not sure if that contract was going to be filled.  They said if the manufacturer backed out then they would consider selling brass.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

I guess if enough people ask about it they may start. It would not surprise me if that brass wasn't made by starline for AJ and his successors
Bunk

[Bibbyman]

I guess if enough people ask about it they may start. It would not surprise me if that brass wasn't made by starline for AJ and his successors
Bunk

Yes, it's been made by Starline. I talked with a guy at Starline last fall at their factory in Sedela Missouri.  I complained about the poor availability of the C45S and urged Starline to take over marketing of the brass as I didn't want it to fail. He just commented that they wouldn't stop producing it.

[Coffinmaker]

Starline has always made the Cowboy 45 Special brass.  In the beginning, there was Adirondack Jack.  A friend of mine.  He pursued his idea of the the ADEAL reduced power round for shooters of 45 Colt chambered guns, to give them an even chance with the Fast Guns shooting 38s.  He wanted reasonable (light) recoil with everything.  Smokeless, Holy Black, Subs, the whole enchilada.  The result was the Cowboy 45 Special.  He then took the great leap of faith (Indiana Jones) and had Starline do a run of his case design (50,000) pieces in the hopes he could sell enough to break even.  Where was I??  Oh yea.  Starline has always made the C45S.  There were contractual obligations that limited production to the owners of the Head Stamp.  Post AJ "BOO HISSSSSSS"

I would be incredibly tickled if those claims to the Head Stamp went Doo Doo (Extinct Dumb Bird) and Starline could offer the brass as another one of their offerings to the general shooting public.  Expecial since I can't afford to bring the 45 Squirt to market 

Coffinmaker

[Bunk Stagnerg]

What I like about the .45 CS is when loaded with 20 grain of FFFg and a 200 grain bullet (RNFP Big Lube) it pretty much duplicates the original Henry .44 caliber load I use in my (Uberti) 1860 Henry with a Happy Trails modified lifter.
Just after I did the modification Friend Coffinmaker told of the 35 cent modification with an allen set screw and a drop of locktite.
I also found out the .45 CS cartridge OAL, when loaded with the .45 Slim truncated FP (Big Lube), will not feed through the rifle. That, I had to learn, was at a match. That is what is called experience, something you get right after you needed it.
Y' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[Dick Dastardly]

Coffenmaker, I agree.  I'm not wanting a cheap source.  I'm just wanting a reliable source.  Price 'em the same as, say, 45 Colt and put 'em on their web site as just another offering.  I like and use Star Line brass.  I just ordered 500 pieces of 38-55.  I've been very pleased with Star Line brass and would happily buy some more C45Spl. brass were it offered at standard brass prices.

DD-MDA

[Coffinmaker]

Absolutely DD.  Not concerned with .... Cheap.  Concerned with reliable availability.  AJ was always reliable.  Then for Medical reasons, he had to bail and sold the business.  That buyer of the business only did part of the business.  They sold the business.  ACA picked it up and have really gone ....... sort of.  Be nice if someone would just get it done.  It's a great little cartridge.  Enough of this hiding it already.

Coffinmaker

[Pettifogger]

Coffenmaker, I agree.  I'm not wanting a cheap source.  I'm just wanting a reliable source.  Price 'em the same as, say, 45 Colt and put 'em on their web site as just another offering.  I like and use Star Line brass.  I just ordered 500 pieces of 38-55.  I've been very pleased with Star Line brass and would happily buy some more C45Spl. brass were it offered at standard brass prices.

DD-MDA

+1

[Bunk Stagnerg]

I was told that cheap refers to quality inexpensive refers to price. I will go for inexpensive every time over cheap.
Bunk

[Johnny_Cyclone]

Tried to send this to American Cowboy Ammo, LLC , but the contact link on their website is no longer valid.

Hello,

Was wondering if you had new 2017 price list for .45 COWBOY SPECIAL BRASS?

All I could find on the forums was from back in 2015. Seems most were waiting for your website to come online with a Shopping Cart for the quick "click and pay" by CC.

old info found on the forums:

COWBOY 45 SPECIAL BRASS

ROUNDS            PRICE            SHIPPING              TOTAL
250                    90.00                5.95                  95.95
500                    180.00              12.65                192.65
1000                  335.00              12.65                347.65
2000                  670.00              17.90                687.90
.. at this time we are only accepting Cashier's Checks or Money Orders.

http://acammo.com/index.php/news/5-american-cowboy-ammo-acquires-original-cowboy-45-special

Thought I'd check, as you may not offer just brass anymore.

Thanks,

Johnny

Anyone know how to contact them, or if someone else has the rights to the cartridge?

[hp246]

Yes, send them an email at this email address.  tHey will send you a price list.  support@acammo.com