Antique 45 70 Revolver (pics)

[dingus]

Well i got this old beauty out again and decided to finish and shoot it somemore with 2400 smokeless. I thought some new pictures and the info would intrest some.
Its a Francotee Counet two of the best Belgian gun makers in Europe at the time. Its got Other people involved in it to its marked (MF) is a German fellow it has this on its side i think its something to do with the steel.

SzaZ
v/
CUSS STAHL

In the pics you can see the 45 70 case shortened by 1/2 inch.
thats a 44 Magnum below it.
I have been useing 2400 and its shooting a .458 Dia HB 250 gr bullet the Cases extract with the Ejector no problem. 45 70 cases are very strong to, thick walled brass!
I think it can take more still as thats only a 45 Colt max 2400 Load for that bullet weight.
Its not a huge gun tho and handles that load nice with two hands.
I nearly sold this gun a year ago till i figgered out a Shortened 45 70 case would work with some Tinkering.
The Rim on the 45 70 is un touched just the case shortened so that parts easy.

The gun is abit ugly but it grows on you as it will put down anything has a like new bore is decent accurate. and fits in a Bianchi #111 Cyclone RH cross draw

Click on pics to enlarge.






This last pic shows the 45 70 and the 44 Mag together to give you and idea of the size of this canon.

 

[heavenIsAlie]

oh that is a cool gun. and easy brass making for it to

 

[tonyg]

I'm a big fan of artillery...........

 

[MauserMike]

Is this a gun that you should be shooting smokeless in? (from the standpoint of safety and preservation of the gun)

 

[dingus]

Is this a gun that you should be shooting smokeless in? (from the standpoint of safety and preservation of the gun)

2400 has a low presure Curve like BP. Read the Sticky at the top about smokeless in Antiques ^^^

Its all about the Type of Smokeless you use.
This gun is built like nothing ive ever come accross with a very thick chamber walls double locking paddles big cylinder axis pin ect.

If push came to shove id rather hurt it than one of my SAA Colts tho

 

[vagrantviking]

Thats very interesting! I've never even heard of anything like it. Wonder what the original chambering actually is.

The history of a pistol like that would be something! Shoot and enjoy!

 

[mooncoon]

Are you sure the cuss stahl is not fluss stahl or fluid steel?

cheers mooncoon

 

[dingus]

Nope its very Clear Doug.
its Cuss Stahl

Its Guss Stahl on most other guns of this style so mine the C must be a G tho it looks like a Clear C to me.


the MF is a German guy who was well known Max something i cant remember his last name off the top of my head.

The Maker Counet and Francotee worked together on this beast as both there names are on it. i think going from Alans info its pretty Rare.
Its not like them Typical Cast steel Gassers you see.

The Orignal Caliber was the big 11.3 Gasser Cartridge. thats why the Cylinders so long.
the orignal gasser rd was 45 mm long 21 gram bullet
case was 35.8 mmit was rimed and strait sided.

In any case its a Cool gun and Packs a good Wallop

 

[dingus]

Heres what Alan has to say about the markings Guss Stahl from his Little guns site.


Quate**German makers were fond of indicating the type of steel in their barrels, a practice that continued up until about WW2. In the 1840s, most barrels were still made from iron, not steel. "Guss Stahl" undoubtedly indicates that the barrel is made from a specific type of steel, but I do not know what type. Metallurgy was in its infancy then, and designations for various types of steel were not at all uniform, nor were the chemical or physical properties of any of the various types.**

That other German Fellow MF was Max Fliegenschmidt

 

[david doyle]

If a guy had a 45-70 lever gun that would cylce the same cartridge that would a pretty neat pair of guns! Or even a bolt action rifle that would feed it, maybe an enfield or siamese mauser conversion.
Be nice to have a revolver that fires a cartridge worthy of putting in a rifle.

 

[gregs5190]

Dingus is that the firearm you use to dispatch the always dangerous "great northern red squirell" ? Sorta like swatting a fly with a Buick!

 

[MauserMike]

2400 has a low presure Curve like BP. Read the Sticky at the top about smokeless in Antiques

Good info. The issue is you almost need a footnote when you post about smokeless in a BP gun on the internet in case somebody tries something foolish.

As for BP corrosion, I think the problem is a bit overblown IMHO. I would say that the old fashioned primers were a bigger contributor to barrel pitting than the BP itself.

 

[dingus]

Dingus is that the firearm you use to dispatch the always dangerous "great northern red squirell" ? Sorta like swatting a fly with a Buick!

LOL No my dogs do that no problem if they can get them before they Climb the trees.
I will be packing this gun on my Wilderness hikes with my Dogs tho as i have nothing as powefull thats also fast to Reload.

Yes i agree about the Footnote on Loads of Smokeless. I removed the FPS i was getting that way theres no real load listed.
I doubt theres anyone with and Antique Revolvers that shoots shortened 45 70 cases but ya never know.

 

[DEZ]

How about some pics of a target at 25yds or there about what kind of group are you getting?

 

[kershaw]

At the risk of offending some purists, I think that it would be pretty easy to sleeve the cylinders and fire 2 1/2 .410 shells from it.
.410 would likely create less pressure, and considering that its an antique you could legally walk around and pot grouse with it.

 

[dingus]

At the risk of offending some purists, I think that it would be pretty easy to sleeve the cylinders and fire 2 1/2 .410 shells from it.
.410 would likely create less pressure, and considering that its an antique you could legally walk around and pot grouse with it.

Ever shoot a shotshell outas a Revolver with heavy Rifleing.
Its Sprays out pretty fast in swirls so i been told.

Better to use SPEER Shot caps there little plastic Capsules that the shot goes into it.
There Cheep like $7 for 25 Caps.
You fill them then load like normal bullets in the Brass cases.
There great for target practice. or Rattlers i bet
Once the Capsule leaves the barrel it then opens up and the shot pattern is much better.
I have 45 Cal Shot capsules that will work in this gun.
they work in 455s and 45 Schofield guns to.
Im not certin how Legal they are so ive Never shot them of Course
i just have them. For Survival situations.

Dez no pics of target. Let me do some more load developement frist.
its getting 3 inch groups at 25 yds now but i know it will do much better.
Im gona try some Trail boss loads as well as 2400 Again.
My 2400 Loads were quite hot and hot loads never seem to shoot as good as target loads.
Maby its just me Hanging on for dear life