Behind the Bullet: .454 Casull

[Graybeard]

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2016/12/30/behind-the-bullet-454-casull/

by Philip Massaro - Friday, December 30, 2016

1873 was a pivotal year for firearms and cartridge history; it saw the unveiling of the Colt Single Action Army revolver and the U.S. Army’s adoption of the .45 Colt cartridge. Talk about a match made in heaven! A dependable, strong, accurate revolver, chambered in a cartridge pushing a 255-grain round nosed lead bullet at over 1,000 fps made for a combination that would go on to become the name of a Major League baseball team. Fast forward to the mid-20th Century, and you’d see experimenters pushing the envelope of those late 19th Century cartridges. The .38 Spl. evolved into the .357 Mag., the .44 Spl. morphed into the .44 Rem. Mag., and at the hands of Dick Casull and Jack Fullmer, the .45 Colt would transform into the .454 Casull. While many handgun hunters use the .45 Colt very well in the hunting fields, Casull and Fullmer really cooked up a winner.

Although it was discussed in a 1959 issue of Guns & Ammo magazine, Dick Casull’s namesake wouldn’t be put into commercial production until 1983, when it became available in the Freedom Arms Model 83 revolver. Not that there are any flies on the old .45 Colt—OK, .45 Long Colt, if that makes you feel better—it’s a cartridge that, when chambered in a strong, modern pistol, will give impressive ballistics. I carry and hunt with the .45 Colt in a stainless Ruger Blackhawk, and wouldn’t hesitate to take any feral hog or black bear with it. But, and this is an important but, no matter what you do to the .45 Colt case it won’t be a .454 Casull. Dick Casull’s case is longer, thicker, stronger and will beat the venerable Colt cartridge by over 300 fps with any bullet weight. Pushing a 300-grain to a muzzle velocity of 1,600 fps, you can effectively use a .454 Casull to hunt anything on the North American continent.

Structurally, the Casull case is more than an elongated .45 Colt. It is longer—1.383” for the Casull vs. 1.285” for the Colt—but it is thicker, with a case head set up for a small primer pocket. The Casull case uses a small rifle primer, while the Colt uses a large pistol primer, which not only provides a hotter spark for the larger powder charge, but enhances the strength of the case.

While the latest developments in hunting handgun technology—namely the gargantuan .460 S&W and the .500 S&W—may dwarf both the .454 Casull and .45 Colt, I feel the .454 makes a perfectly logical balance of weight, recoil and horsepower. Due to the fact that the Casull is simply an elongated .45 Colt case, the Casull chamber can and will shoot .45 Colt ammunition, making for a very effective and affordable practice round, as well as a solid choice for a shooter who is new to using a hard-kicking handgun, and wants to develop good skills at the lower recoil level.

There are many good choices of projectile for the Casull’s power range; bullets that will easily stand up to the higher impact velocities. The Swift A-Frame will make a great choice for those interested in hunting truly large game with a handgun, as will the Barnes XPB. The A-Frames are available in 265, 300 and 325 grain weights, while the Barnes is offered in 200, 225 and 250 grains. Grizzly and Corbon ammunition offer some good hard-cast lead projectiles that will also ruin a game animal’s day. Hornady’s XTP and Speer’s Gold Dot are also wonderful choices for both hunting as well as a personal defense round.

The .454 Casull requires a heavy crimp, to keep the projectiles from working their way out of the case during recoil, so if you intend to load your own ammunition, please keep that in mind. It is not a cartridge for the faint-of-heart, and will require a shooter to put in a considerable amount of time at the practice range in order to become a proficient hunter. However, once that happens, you’ll have a very effective hunting tool in your hands.

[Lloyd Smale]

had 3. was never impressed. lots more noise and recoil than a 44 mag or ruger level 45 colt and not a bit better at killing. handgun power and effectiveness is 90 percent bullet diameter, id much rather face a griz with even a 480 loaded with a 400lfn at 1100fps than any 454 load

[DDZ]

Buddy of mine bought a Freedom Arms .454 years ago. He never liked the recoil, so I offered to buy it from him. He didn't want to sell it. Sent it off to have the barrel ported, and still didn't like the recoil, and the additional noise. He still has it, but don't think he has ever shot it much. I bet two boxes of ammo hasn't been run through it. I really liked the fit and finish of the gun. Very well made handgun. 

[Lloyd Smale]

they are no doubt the best fitted handgun made, even tighter than the best customs. ive owned 3. all were fantastic shooters. i would have probably kept the 475 if they would have made it in a blued version. i like stainless guns for "work" guns but a custom costing ove 2k? make mine with mile deep bluing and if possible some case hardening. had john make me one stainless 500. it was kind of cool. his first 4" 500. a round butted vaquero and jim taylors wife made me a set of scrimshawed ivory micarta grips for it. i picked it up at one of his seminars and he had orders for 6 more of them that day. headed home smiling the next day because i not only had that little beauty but also a brand new 4 5/8s blued 500 i won as the main door prize, nicest thing ive ever won. that was the peak of my linebaugh ownership. i had 6 of johns guns one that dustin his son built thats the most beautiful handgun i ever owned. another 4" vaquero but blued round butted with an oct barrel and a case hardened frame. also had the FA 475 and about another dozen customs by clements, forkin and gallagher. also had a 454 and a 97 45colt FA. most came when i was working making big money in-between marriages, i think for about ten years i had at least 2 customs in progress all the time. many that have sadly gone down the road to pay for other toys and guns. once i retired i found if i really had to have something else had to go. 

Buddy of mine bought a Freedom Arms .454 years ago. He never liked the recoil, so I offered to buy it from him. He didn't want to sell it. Sent it off to have the barrel ported, and still didn't like the recoil, and the additional noise. He still has it, but don't think he has ever shot it much. I bet two boxes of ammo hasn't been run through it. I really liked the fit and finish of the gun. Very well made handgun.