Thanks for the information and experience. One of the reasons for the 45 Colt cylinder is that I have about 500 rounds of 45 colt from cowboy loads to +P Buffalo bore that would like to shoot. Also, at this point I am not reloading but that is in the planning stage. I am leaning heavily towards a 5 1/2"barrel but will shoot the 7 1/2" for a while before deciding. Thanks again.