.45 Schofield

Infobox Firearm Cartridge
name= .45 Schofield


caption=
origin=United States flag
type= Revolver
service= 1875-1892
used_by=US Army
wars=
designer= Smith & Wesson
design_date=1875
manufacturer=Smith & Wesson
production_date=
number=
variants=
is_SI_specs=
parent=
case_type=Rimmed, straight
bullet=.450
neck=.477
shoulder=
base=.477
rim_dia=.522
rim_thick=.060
case_length=1.100
length=1.430
rifling=24
primer=Large pistol

is_SI_ballistics=
bw1=200
btype1=Lead SWC
vel1=959
en1=209
bw2=230
btype2=Lead (factory load)
vel2=730
en2=276
bw3=250
btype3=Lead
vel3=710
en3=283
bw4=
btype4=
vel4=
en4=
bw5=
btype5=
vel5=
en5=
test_barrel_length=
balsrc= "Cartridges of the World" cite book
last = Barnes
first = Frank C.
editor = McPherson, M.L.
title = Cartridges of the World
edition = 8th Edition
origyear = 1965
year = 1997
publisher = DBI Books
pages =270,275
isbn = 0-87349-178-5] / Accurate Powder " [http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Handgun/Standarddata/45Cal(11.5mm)/45%20S&W%20Schofield%20also%20CA%20app%20page%20148.pdf .45 S&W Schofield] " data from Accurate Powder] The .45 Schofield or .45 Smith & Wesson is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson for their S&W Model 3 American top-break revolver. It is similar to the .45 Colt round though shorter and with a slightly larger rim, and will generally work in revolvers chambered for that cartridge. In fact, US government arsenals supplied .45 Schofield cartridges for both the Schofield revolver and the Colt Army revolver to simplify their armament needs. .45 Colt cartridges cannot be used in .45 Schofield firearms, since the .45 Colt is a longer cartridge.

History

This cartridge was originally designed as a black powder round. This revolver was patented in the USA on 20 June 1871 and 22 April 1873 by Smith and Wesson. It was a Smith and Wesson Model 3 that was modified by Major George Schofield to make it easier for a cavalryman to reload while riding. While the Colt 45 had more power, the speed at which a cavalryman could reload a Schofield was less than 30 seconds, half of the time for a Colt 45. By 1879, the U. S. Army had purchased 8285 of the revolvers. Due to its lesser power and recoil compared to the Colt .45, it became the standard cartridge of the Army, though the Colt 1873 still was the main issue side arm of the Army. The .45 Schofield cartridge was shorter than the .45 Long Colt. It could be used in both the Schofield and the Colt 45 Peacemaker, but the .45 Long Colt was too long to use in the Schofield. As a result, by the 1880's the army finally standardized on the Colt .45 Model P.

The Schofield was quite a popular handgun in the old west, and may have been used by General Custer the Battle of the Little Big Horn. It has been claimed that had all of Custer's men had the Schofield revolver, the results at the Little Big Horn may have been different. This is not likely, however, since the Indians significantly outnumbered Custer and his men and were well armed.

ynonyms

*.45 S&W
*.45 S&W Schofield
*.45 M1877 ball revolverMany reports indicate that while the .45 S&W cartridge could be used in a gun chambered for the .45 Colt, not every chamber in the gun could be loaded at the same time. Because of the larger diameter rim on the S&W cartridge, the rims would interfere with each other when attempting to load every chamber of a .45 Colt chambered gun.

ee also

*List of handgun cartridges
*List of cartridges by caliber
*11 mm caliber

References

External links

* [http://www.sam-hane.com/sass/schofield/index.html .45 Schofield Revolver]
* [http://www.reloadammo.com/45soload.htm Reloading info]
*US patent|138047 Schofield, G. W., "Revolving Fire-Arm", Issued 1873