.454 Casull Revolver - When Dirty Harry dropped the famous line in 1971 about the .44 Magnum (specifically the S&W Model 29 revolver) being the most powerful handgun in the world, it was technically incorrect; It is the most powerful
Up to pistols in the world can be factory wheelguns made to hold the power of the 454 Castle cartridge.
.454 Casull Revolver
The 454 Casull is a magnum revolver cartridge used around the world to bring down the biggest game animals. Born in 1957, this cartridge produces nearly twice the power and recoil of the .44 Mag. The 454 Casull was so large when it came out that no revolver frame on the market was large enough to handle it without extensive modification.
Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan 454 Casull
The .45-caliber Magnum comes on the heels of the introduction of the .44 Mag, which was introduced more than 20 years after the .357 Magnum hit the scene. Thanks to Elmer Keith, there was a lot of excitement about the new magnum cartridge in those days. The term "magnum" refers to a hotter (with more powder) cartridge than normal. The term was first coined by legendary gun maker, Holland & Holland in 1912 when they introduced the Timeless .375 H&H Magnum.
Today, the 454 Castle is still known as a powerhouse in the pistol hunting world. Freedom Arms, Ruger, and Taurus all have production revolvers chambered in powerful magnums, and several single-shot options as well. Although the 454 has outdone its power with newer pistol cartridges, these features make it a favorite among pistol hunters.
The Taurus Raging Bull proved to be a very popular 454 Casull revolver. It has since been phased out and replaced by the company's Raging Hunter line, but you can still find the Raging Bull on the used market.
In 1957, the magnum pistol cartridge was all the rage. The .357 Magnum has passed 20 years of success on the market, and the .44 Magnum revolver and Smith & Wesson's Model 29 were introduced two years ago. Meanwhile, a Utah gunsmith named Dick Castle and his associate Jack Fulmer attempted to develop a revolver powerful enough for the new heat and the powerful Wildcat cartridge, the 454 Cassul.
Revolver Taurus 454 Raging Bull 6,5\
Going from the .357 to the .44, it only makes sense that the .45 would be the next caliber to earn the magnum designation. There are several factors involved in making a .45 caliber magnum revolver: the diameter of the cartridge, the weight of the bullet, and the pressure required to propel the bullet at high velocity.
The development of the Castle 454 blew away many Colt single action army revolvers. At the time, no other revolver on the market could hold such a large diameter cartridge and was modified to withstand extreme pressure. He eventually solved this problem by changing the Colt cylinder to only five rounds instead of six. This, combined with the removal of flutes in the cylinder, provides enough steel in the chamber for magnum pressure. This is not easy and requires much internal re-engineering of the revolver.
Announcing the magazine cartridge. The new cartridge surpasses the .44 Mag as the most powerful handgun cartridge available today. After 39 years, the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, or SAAMI, finally adopted the 454 Castle as its standard cartridge in 1998.
The 454 Casull was borrowed from another magnum and developed from a successful cartridge, in this case, the .45 Colt (aka .45 Long Colt, .45 LC). This new Magnum .45 used a .452-inch bullet with the same diameter as the old .45 Colt, but the pressure was higher, which produced better ballistics. SAAMI lists the average pressure generated by the .45 Colt at 14,000 psi. The 454 Casull comes in at 65,000 psi.
Casull: A Legendary Handgun Hunting Cartridge
Both Casull and Fulmer recognized this dramatic difference in pressure and lengthened the case slightly to prevent chambering and possible damage to the Colt .45 revolver. 454 Casull has a maximum case length of 1.383 inches or 0.1 inches long. The .45 Colt can safely fire the 454 cartridge but not vice versa. The same thing is done for .38 Special and .357, and .44 Special and .44 Magnum.
Casull head cases are also different because they are stronger, designed to withstand significant pressure increases. Instead of using a large pistol primer like the .45 Colt, it was designed to use a small rifle primer. Shotgun primer cups are slightly thicker and therefore stronger and can take more pressure than pistol primers. The smaller size allows for more brass in the case head which makes it stronger.
Carbon rings can form in the chamber and cause overpressure when firing full-power Castle loads. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly clean the cylinder after shooting a .45 Colt chambered in a .454 Casull.
454 Casull exhibits impressive ballistics for a handgun. It is extremely versatile and can be loaded with anything from a 200-grain bullet to a massive 360-grain bullet, as the Buffalo Bore is listed as capable of taking large game up to 2,000 pounds.
Ruger Super Redhawk Double Action Revolver In .454 Casull
On the low end, Hornady's 454 Casull 200 gr MonoFlex Handgun Hunter advertises ammunition for medium and large game up to 1,500 pounds. Tested from an 80-inch barrel, this copper bullet had a flat trajectory when spotted at 50 yards, dropping just 1.5 inches at 100 yards. Muzzle velocity is 1,950 fps, producing 1689 ft-lbs of force. This, combined with a solid bullet that retains 95% of its weight, makes for an exceptionally deep penetration and good defense cartridge.
In the middle is Hornady's 454 Casull 300 gr XTP Mag. Fired from a 7.5 inch barrel, this load is slower than the 200gr but produces more energy due to the heavier bullet. At launch, it has a power of 1,813 foot-pounds and a velocity of 1650 fps.
Compared to the original 45 Colt, the difference is impressive. A Colt .45 loaded with smokeless powder in a revolver can fire a 250-grain bullet at about 900 fps. The same bullet exiting the .454 Castle travels at 1,900 fps: more than twice the muzzle velocity of the .45 Colt.
"The 454 Casull is best with a heavy bullet, because of its speed or penetrating power in game animals." -
File:taurus Raging Bull Revolvers (.44 Mag And .454 Casull).jpg
Throughout most of its existence, the 454 Cassul was considered a wildcat. No commercially available revolvers have been issued for rounds older than 20 years. If someone wants the power of a 454, they should modify a Colt single action Army and fit it with the new enlarged cylinder. Freedom Arms changed in 1983 when they worked with Dick Cassul to introduce the Model 83. Since then, both Ruger and Taurus have introduced successful 454 revolvers to the market.
The Freedom Arms Model 83 in 454 Castle has the old ergonomics of a single-action revolver, but like the first 454 Castle revolvers it was made from a modified Colt SAA revolver.
The Freedom Arms Model 83 is a five-shot single action revolver similar to the Colt Single Action Army. Generally considered semi-custom firearms, they can be purchased in a variety of configurations.
The "Field Grade" model starts at $2,750, while the "Premier Grade" starts at $3,225. They are expensive, but you get what you pay for A
Rare Massive .454 Casull Taurus Raging Bull Revolver
Described the Model 83 as "... not only beautifully made, perfect in fit and finish, but a rifle that inspires confidence."
In 1997, Ruger began chambering the Super Redhawk for the 454. It was the first 454 Castle double-action revolver available on the commercial market.
The Super Redhawk boasts an integral scope mount and other conveniences including an included scope. Adding a pistol scope or red dot to a platform like this really adds versatility and coverage when hunting. Suggested retail for this revolver is $1,459
A year after the introduction of the Ruger Super Redhawk, the five-shot Taurus Raging Bull. This allows hunters to obtain a double 454 Casull revolver at a more affordable price. At $649, it's a big hit for Taurus. Since the introduction of the Raging Bull, they have released several other models chambered for cartridges, including the Raging Judge M513, which can take 454 Castle, .45 Colt, and .410 Shotshell. In fact, all 454 Casule revolvers can take much lighter, and much less expensive, .45 Colt (aka .45 Long Colt) ammunition. Some can load a .45 ACP with a moon clip.
Bfr, .454 Casull, Stainless Steel
The Raging Bull has since been discontinued and replaced in the Taurus catalog by the Raging Hunter line, which won American Hunter's 2019 "Hunting Handgun of the Year" award.
A pair of 454 Taurus revolvers recently saved two Alaskan hunters from a charging moose — one hunter, Tana Grenda, used his last Taurus.
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