45-70/90/120

bandit86

bandit86

CGN frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
29   0   0
Location
Ilderton, Ontario
These old lever guns, are they like revolvers where a 357 magnum take a 38 special becaus it's just a shorter case? Are the 45-70, 90, 120 the same case family so a 70 can ha used in a 120?
 
I don't have the 3 1/4" 120 but do have the 45-70...90...and 110 and yes they are all the same rim and base diameter and all can be made from RCBS basic cases. As far as firing the shorter in the longer chamber, there is no safety issues but extensive use like this can leave gas wear at the shorter case mouth making it unusable with the longer cases.
Just for the record, the longest case in a lever gun was the 45-90, from there up were all single shot cartridges.
 
C-FMBI - what about the .50/110, that came in the 1886, are those rounds shorter than the .45/90?
 
1899, 50-110 same length as 45-90 but a larger base dia........same as 348. If my info is correct.

Ardent; Never seen a case split, the expansion is relatively small compared to a lot of other cases being fireformed..............250 sav to 250 AI, 300 H&H to 300 Wby.............I've done 1000 of these with less than a 1% split shoulder loss and that's with W-W brass. Maybe if you got some old brittle brass but certainly not as a rule.
 
bandit86 said:
That's what I was asking. So Once fired I can resize 45-70 cases in a 45-120 die?
Click to expand...

Negative on loading 45-70 with 45-120 dies, other way around, you can use the shorter dies to load the longer cases. These are not straight cases as the handgun cases are, they have a fair amount of taper then about a 1/2" neck (straight section up to the case mouth). The 45-70 has a quicker taper than the 45-90 and it has a quicker taper than the 45-110 etc.
 
Last edited:
They headspace on the rim, not the case mouth.
Crimping a 45-70 case if it is the proper length will not affect headspace.
Rimless straight wall cases like a 45 ACP headspace on the case mouth.
 
woodlotowner said:
I was under the impression (from several written sources) that case length was critical in these tapered cases, since they head space on the case mouth. Where would a 45-70 cartridge head space in a 45-90 or larger chamber? I realize the main issue here is to not have a case that is too long and intrudes into the bore causing possible pressure issues, and that 45-70 cases can be only lightly crimped (if crimped at all) to allow the case to head space on the case mouth, so I assume that head spacing is simply not an issue in this scenario?
Click to expand...

the only rounds that i known of that headspace on the mouth are rimless rounds like 45acp .

the 45-70 family all have rims and are headspaced on the rim .
 
bandit86 said:
I think I'll just stick to the 45-70

What other chamberings are similar, 44special, 44 mag and 444? Anything else in the big 45s?
Click to expand...

45 schofield , 45 colt , 454 casull , 460 s&w .

with the 44's you can add 44 russian and 410 shotgun ( assuming the chamber is long enough ) .


there is also 458 wiin , 458 lott and the various wildcats based on a shortened 458 win case ( one that comes to mind is based on a 2 " 458 win case .... the name escapes me right now ) .



if you try any of this you need to make sure the frearm is strong enough for the highest pressure round you intend on firing in it
 
I'm thinking the .410 shotshell would be much too long to chamber, but you can buy 44 shotshells.
However they would be much less effective than a .410.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom