Last updated September 2026 · By Nick Hall, who still thinks .45 Colt is the most underrated cartridge in an American gun shop
Quick take: Remington is shipping a .45 Colt version of Core-Lokt Handgun to dealers now. It is a 237 grain jacketed hollow point in a nickel-plated case, running 840 fps, at $37.99 for a box of 20. It joins 10mm Auto, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .357 Magnum in the line.
- The load: .45 Colt, 237 grain jacketed hollow point, nickel-plated case, 840 fps.
- The price: $37.99 MSRP for a 20 round box.
- The line: Core-Lokt Handgun already covers 10mm Auto, .41 Remington Magnum, .44 Remington Magnum and .357 Magnum.
- Availability: shipping to dealers nationwide now.
Core-Lokt has been Remington’s hunting bullet since 1939. Putting it in .45 Colt is less a new product than an admission that people never stopped hunting with the cartridge.
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Table of Contents
Why .45 Colt Refuses to Die
The cartridge is from 1873. It should have been buried three times over by the .44 Magnum, the .454 Casull and every modern semi-auto round.
It survives because it does something none of those do. It throws a heavy, wide bullet at a modest speed, which means it hits hard, penetrates well, and does not beat you or your gun to pieces doing it.
There is also the platform question. .45 Colt runs in single action revolvers, in modern double actions, in lever guns, and in the Taurus Judge alongside .410. Very few cartridges span that much hardware.
What 237 Grains at 840 fps Is For
That is not a magnum load and it is not trying to be. 840 fps is standard pressure territory, which is what you want if your revolver is a Colt clone or anything else not rated for Ruger-only pressures.
A 237 grain jacketed hollow point at that speed is a deer and hog load inside sensible range. The jacketed hollow point construction is doing the work that a hard cast bullet does differently: more expansion, less straight-line penetration.
For anyone whose .45 Colt is a lever gun, the same load picks up a couple of hundred feet per second out of a rifle barrel, which pushes it into genuinely capable territory for woods hunting.
The Nickel Case Is Not Decoration
Nickel plating on a hunting cartridge does two useful things. It resists corrosion, which matters when rounds ride in a belt loop through a wet autumn, and it feeds and extracts more smoothly from a revolver cylinder that is dirty.
It also makes the rounds easy to see in low light, which sounds trivial until you are reloading a single action at dusk.
None of that is worth paying a premium for on range ammunition. On thirty rounds a year of hunting ammunition it costs nothing and occasionally saves you something. Remington lists the line on its Core-Lokt Handgun page.
Where It Sits on Price
$37.99 for 20 is a dollar ninety a round, which is normal for factory hunting handgun ammunition and expensive for anything you plan to practise with.
That is the usual .45 Colt reality. You practise with cheap cowboy action loads or your own reloads, and you keep a box of the good stuff for the season.
Our deer cartridge guide covers where handgun rounds sit against rifle calibres, and the lever action roundup is the place to start if this has you thinking about a .45 Colt carbine.
The Practical Advice
Check what your gun is rated for before you buy anything in .45 Colt. The cartridge is loaded across a wide pressure range and the gap between a standard pressure load and a Ruger-only load is large enough to matter.
This one is standard pressure, which makes it broadly safe across the platform. That is part of why it is a sensible addition to the line.
And pattern or group it before the season rather than during it. A 237 grain bullet will not hit where your 255 grain cowboy loads hit, and finding that out from a rest is much better than finding it out from a deer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new Remington .45 Colt load?
A 237 grain jacketed hollow point in a nickel-plated case, running 840 fps, sold in 20 round boxes at $37.99 MSRP. It is part of the Core-Lokt Handgun line.
Is it safe in older or standard pressure revolvers?
It is a standard pressure load rather than a Ruger-only or magnum-pressure load, which makes it broadly suitable across .45 Colt firearms. Always confirm against your own gun's manual before firing anything new in it.
What else is in the Core-Lokt Handgun line?
10mm Auto, .41 Remington Magnum, .44 Remington Magnum and .357 Magnum. The .45 Colt is the newest addition.
Will it work in a lever action rifle?
Yes. .45 Colt lever guns will run it and will add roughly a couple of hundred feet per second over a revolver barrel, which improves its performance on game.
Is it available now?
Remington says it is shipping to dealers nationwide.
Related Reading
- The best deer hunting cartridges
- The best lever action rifles
- The best .44 Magnum revolvers
- The best .357 Magnum revolvers
- The best revolvers
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