Head to head

.44 Magnum vs .45 Colt: Maker-Page Loads and SAAMI Specs Side by Side

By Cole Harlan, EditorUpdated Nov 5, 2026How we verifyEditorial standards

The biggest cited difference is pressure: SAAMI lists a 36,000 psi maximum average pressure (transducer) for .44 Magnum and 14,000 psi for .45 Colt. This page puts .44 Magnum and .45 Colt side by side using only our own ammo guides, .44 Magnum ammo (23 loads) and .45 Colt ammo (12 loads), plus the cartridge specs SAAMI publishes in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-2022. The guides copy bullet weights, velocities, energies and test barrels from maker product pages (checked Nov. 4, 2026). We don’t rate or rank cartridges, and we don’t subtract one maker’s velocity from another’s, because their test barrels differ.

How to read this page: every number is copied from a maker page or from SAAMI, and a test barrel length sits next to every velocity (or says the maker lists none). A dash (—) means the maker has no load in our tables for that cartridge. Fire only the cartridge your firearm’s maker says it is chambered for.

SAAMI specs side by side

These are the figures in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-2022, as already recorded in the SAAMI sections of our .44 Magnum and .45 Colt guides. Pressures are as SAAMI lists them.

Measure	.44 Magnum	.45 Colt
SAAMI name	44 REMINGTON MAGNUM (44 REM MAG)	45 COLT
Drawing issued / revised	05/29/1979 / 07/12/2021	02/12/1987 / 07/13/2021
Maximum average pressure (transducer)	36,000 psi	14,000 psi
Crusher pressure	40,000 CUP	14,000 CUP (the table shows 140 in CUP/100)
Cartridge overall length	1.535 in min to 1.610 in max	1.515 in min to 1.600 in max
Case length	1.285 in (−.020)	1.285 in (−.020)
Bullet diameter	.4320 in (−.0060), labeled lead bullet	.4560 in (−.0060)
Bore / groove diameter	.417 in / .429 in	.442 in / .450 in
SAAMI velocity test barrel	8.275 in solid or 4.000 in vented	7.260 in solid or 4.000 in vented

SAAMI measures pressure two ways for these cartridges, by transducer and by crusher; compare psi with psi and CUP with CUP, not across. Both cartridges share a 4.000 in vented test barrel option but have different solid-barrel lengths (8.275 in and 7.260 in), so check which barrel a velocity was measured in.

Load ranges by maker and test barrel

Each line groups one maker’s loads that share a test barrel, so a velocity is only ever shown with the barrel it was measured in. Ranges are bullet weight and muzzle velocity as the maker page prints them. Do not read across makers: their barrels and bullets differ. For how barrel length moves velocity, see our barrel length vs velocity data.

Maker	.44 Magnum loads in our table	.45 Colt loads in our table
Federal	4 in vented test barrel: 6 loads, 180 to 240 gr, 1,085 to 1,460 fps 6 in vented test barrel: 3 loads, 225 to 280 gr, 1,170 to 1,380 fps 6.5 in vented test barrel: 1 load, 300 gr, 1,150 fps 20 in test barrel: 1 load, 270 gr, 1,615 fps	4 in test barrel: 1 load, 225 gr, 860 fps 4 in vented test barrel: 1 load, 225 gr, 830 fps 6 in vented test barrel: 2 loads, 210 to 235 gr, 850 to 913 fps 20 in test barrel: 1 load, 250 gr, 1,025 fps
Remington	test barrel not listed: 4 loads, 180 to 240 gr, 1,180 to 1,610 fps	4 in vented test barrel: 1 load, 237 gr, 850 fps test barrel not listed: 3 loads, 225 to 250 gr, 750 to 850 fps
Hornady	5 in test barrel: 1 load, 300 gr, 1,050 fps 7.5 in vented test barrel: 4 loads, 200 to 300 gr, 1,150 to 1,500 fps 8 in test barrel: 1 load, 240 gr, 1,620 fps 8 in vented test barrel: 1 load, 200 gr, 1,475 fps	3 in vented test barrel: 1 load, 185 gr, 920 fps 4.75 in vented test barrel: 2 loads, 225 to 255 gr, 725 to 960 fps
CCI	test barrel not listed: 1 load, 240 gr, 1,200 fps	—

Same maker, same line, both cartridges

Where one maker sells the same product line in both cartridges, the loads are listed side by side exactly as the maker pages print them. We match lines by the maker’s own product-line name in our guide tables (ignoring a trailing “Rifle” or “Handgun”). Compare only within a row, and check the test barrel in each cell.

Maker line	.44 Magnum	.45 Colt
Remington High Terminal Performance	44 Rem Magnum: 240 gr Jacketed Soft Point, 1,180 fps, 742 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 23002 44 Rem Magnum: 240 gr Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point, 1,180 fps, 742 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 23010	45 Colt: 230 gr Jacketed Hollow Point, 850 fps, 369 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 23012
Federal HammerDown	44 Rem Magnum: 270 gr Bonded Soft Point, 1,615 fps, 1,564 ft-lb, 20 in test barrel, item LG441	45 Colt: 250 gr Bonded Hollow Point, 1,025 fps, 583 ft-lb, 20 in test barrel, item LG45C1
Federal Power-Shok	44 Rem Magnum: 180 gr Jacketed Hollow Point, 1,460 fps, 852 ft-lb, 4 in vented test barrel, item C44B 44 Rem Magnum: 240 gr Jacketed Hollow Point, 1,230 fps, 806 ft-lb, 4 in vented test barrel, item C44A	45 Colt: 235 gr Jacketed Hollow Point, 850 fps, 377 ft-lb, 6 in vented test barrel, item C45LCB
Remington Core-Lokt	44 Rem Magnum: 240 gr Core-Lokt Hollow Point, 1,220 fps, 793 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item R20228	45 Colt: 237 gr Core-Lokt Hollow Point, 850 fps, 380 ft-lb, 4 in vented test barrel, item 20272
Hornady LEVERevolution	44 Rem Magnum: 225 gr FTX® LEVERevolution®, 1,410 fps, 993 ft-lb, 7.5 in vented test barrel, item 92782	45 Colt: 225 gr FTX® LEVERevolution®, 960 fps, 460 ft-lb, 4.75 in vented test barrel, item 92792
Federal American Eagle	44 Rem Magnum: 240 gr Jacketed Hollow Point, 1,230 fps, 806 ft-lb, 4 in vented test barrel, item AE44A	45 Colt: 225 gr Jacketed Soft Point, 860 fps, 369 ft-lb, 4 in test barrel, item AE45LC

What the sources say when you choose

These are points taken from the figures above, each with the page it rests on. They are not recommendations or scores.

If pressure rating is your question: SAAMI lists a maximum average pressure of 36,000 psi by transducer and 40,000 CUP by crusher for .44 Magnum, and 14,000 psi by transducer for .45 Colt (its table also shows 140 in CUP/100). Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-2022.
If bullet weight is your question: the .44 Magnum loads in our table run from 180 gr (Federal Power-Shok Handgun C44B) to 300 gr (Federal Solid Core P44SHC1). The .45 Colt loads run from 185 gr (Hornady Critical Defense 92790) to 255 gr (Hornady Cowboy 9115). Sources: those maker pages.
If you want to see the printed velocities: the slowest and fastest .44 Magnum muzzle velocities in our table are 1,050 fps, 5 in test barrel (Hornady Subsonic 90888) and 1,620 fps, 8 in test barrel (Hornady Backcountry Defense 90868). For .45 Colt they are 725 fps, 4.75 in vented test barrel (Hornady Cowboy 9115) and 1,025 fps, 20 in test barrel (Federal HammerDown Handgun LG45C1). These come from different barrels and bullets, so we show them side by side without a difference. Sources: those maker pages.
If you are comparing against a box or a chronograph: SAAMI’s velocity test barrel is 8.275 in solid or 4.000 in vented for .44 Magnum and 7.260 in solid or 4.000 in vented for .45 Colt. Many maker pages list a different barrel or none, as the tables above show. A shorter barrel than the one a maker lists will likely give lower velocities than the box; see our barrel length vs velocity data, including the .44 Magnum and .45 Colt pages. Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-2022 and the maker pages linked above.
If chamber fit is your question: SAAMI publishes a separate cartridge drawing for each, with case length 1.285 in (−.020) for both, bullet diameter .4320 in (−.0060) for .44 Magnum and .4560 in (−.0060) for .45 Colt, and groove diameter .429 in and .450 in. Check the cartridge named in your firearm’s manual or marked on its barrel. Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-2022.

Not yet verified

Winchester and SIG Sauer loads are not in either guide’s table: each guide records Winchester pages that say “There is no ballistics data available at this time” and a 403 access error from SIG Sauer.
Speer: both guides record that Speer’s caliber list and its Gold Dot and Lawman product pages show no load for these cartridges.
CCI: the only CCI bullet load in our tables is the .44 Magnum Blazer Brass 5244; our .45 Colt guide found no CCI .45 Colt bullet load. CCI’s pest-control shotshells are shot capsules and are not in either table.
Test barrels: Remington (both guides) and CCI (.44 Magnum) pages list no test barrel on some loads, and Hornady’s pages list no stock status.
A dash in the range table means the maker has no load in that guide’s table, not that the maker sells none.
Prices, recoil, accuracy and hands-on results are not in our data, so this page says nothing about them.

See the full tables in our .44 Magnum ammo and .45 Colt ammo, the barrel length vs velocity data, .357 Magnum vs .38 Special, .357 Magnum ammo, 10mm Auto ammo, the new ammo of 2026, all ammo releases and all comparisons.

Frequently asked questions

What is the SAAMI maximum pressure for .44 Magnum and .45 Colt?

SAAMI lists 36,000 psi (transducer) and 40,000 CUP (crusher) for .44 Magnum and 14,000 psi (transducer) for .45 Colt, in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-2022.

Do .44 Magnum and .45 Colt use the same test barrel length?

SAAMI lists 8.275 in solid or 4.000 in vented for .44 Magnum and 7.260 in solid or 4.000 in vented for .45 Colt, per our guides. Maker pages often list a different barrel or none.

Which is better, .44 Magnum or .45 Colt?

We don't rate or rank cartridges. This page copies maker-page figures and SAAMI specs side by side, and it does not cover price, recoil or hands-on results.

Where do these numbers come from?

From our own ammo guides (.44 Magnum ammo and .45 Colt ammo), which copy maker product pages, and from ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-2022.

SAAMI specs side by side

Load ranges by maker and test barrel

Same maker, same line, both cartridges

What the sources say when you choose

Not yet verified

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Sources

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