Heavy black powder hunting cartridge for Sharps and Winchester single-shot rifles; one of the most powerful .45 caliber buffalo cartridges, sitting between the .45-90 and .45-110.
Type: Rifle
Introduced: 1876, United States
Parent case: .45 Sharps family
Standardization: Proprietary
Bullet diameter: 0.458" (11.63 mm)
Rim type: Rimmed
Primer: Berdan Large Rifle
Production status: Discontinued
Also known as: .45-100 · .45-100 Winchester · .45-100-550
History: Introduced in 1876 as part of the heavy .45 Sharps family, the .45-100 was used by buffalo hunters and Creedmoor long-range competitors. The number designates the powder charge in grains — 100 grains of black powder gave this cartridge serious long-range authority at the cost of significant recoil.