No, I'm not a lever action fan boy, and I haven't yet jumped on that bandwagon. I mean, I've been eyeing those, but come on! My collection of range toys is already so vast that it would take an entire year of range trips just to give each one a spin.
Here's a little background on me: I'm not a hunter, and my outdoor escapades consist of a few hikes and one camping trip a year. In these wilderness areas, bears and cougars roam free. But wait, don't get your knickers in a twist—this isn't another "best gun for bear defense" thread. I carry a couple of cans of bear spray (thankfully unused so far) and that's enough for me. My wife and I did have two memorable bear encounters, though. In one hilarious incident, while biking through the woods, my wife accidentally smacked into a black bear crossing our path. Her bare leg grazed the bear's wet nose, prompting a bewildered stare from the creature as if we were the village idiots. After that brief, comical moment, we all went our separate ways.
When I recount this tale to friends who have no much knowledge about guns and laws, they often ask why I don't carry a gun in the woods. Well, I wish, but some areas don't allow it, and in others, it needs something in non-R format, which are bulky and unwieldy. If only I could bring along one of my beauties, like the mighty 460SW XVR or some other gems in my collection. On that note, I'd stick to a bear spray.
Here come my relatives, who now want to join us for hikes and camping trips. They're paranoid about wild animals and insist I bring along some form of protection—i.e., a gun. So, my wife grants me a no-holds-barred budget (I'm talking unlimited, baby), which of course led me to more gun purchases, including some expensive antique revolvers and rare gems like the antique C96 so I can technically carry those things in the woods. But, alas, none of these are perfect fit for bear defense, even the "powerful" 44 Russian antique caliber.
That's when I stumbled upon the Lever Action Mares Legs, a compact firearm with an overall length of 24 inches. I had always dismissed these quirky rifles, assuming they were R. I was really surprised to learn they are actually non-R. They're not exactly practical for hunting or range target shooting due to their lack of a full stock, small sight radius, and the sheer ridiculousness of mounting a scope. However, when you're being chased by an animal, your shooting distance is pretty much zilch, making this gun a perfect contender for bear defense.
After some research, I set my sights on the Chiappa 1892 Mares Leg, available in 357, 45LC, and 44 Mag. With bears in mind, the 44 Mag was the obvious choice. But then I remembered my lovely 460SW XVR and my penchant for reloading 45LC cartridges. If you don't know 460SW accepts wimpy 45LC, 454 Casull and some other less powerful calibers where the only difference is the case length and powder charge.
Yes, reloading is my other hobby, since I have many interesting guns in odd calibers, where I have no other choice but reload. Basically, now I reload every caliber I have, including the boring 9mm. However, I still have nothing in 44 Mag and that requires me to buy another set of dies and reloading materials for that new Mares thing.
You might be wondering about the 45LC cartridges in my 460SW. Well, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to see how far I could push the limits of the 45LC cartridge in my 460SW. After doubling the powder charge listed for the 45LC's max load, I found myself in 454 Casull territory in terms of bullet energy and powder charge. But for the gun itself, this was still small potatoes.
Interestingly, the Casull is essentially an overcharged 45LC with a longer casing to prevent accidental use in 45LC firearms. The hot-rodded load I concocted was quite snappy, but it worked like a charm in the 460SW, with no trouble ejecting the casings. The only hiccup - Large Pistol Primers started imprinting, indicating I'd reached the pressure limit for pistol primers. No wonder 454 Casull requires Large Rifle Primers!
To remedy this, I dialed 45LC down to max load + 80%. Now, after three successful reloads with no issues, this has become my go-to "pet" load (perfect for when I want to give my wrist a break from shooting the 460SW cannon). A quick comparison of powder charges reveals that this "pet" load is equivalent to the max load of a 44 Magnum. Considering that the 45LC and 44 Mag have almost the same case capacity, this conclusion seems spot on.
So, I do have a developed and tested load in 45LC caliber replicating the power of 44 Magnum along with all supplies to produce it. At this point I start thinking - it would be great if I can use those 45LC "pet" loads in a modern lever gun, so instead of buying 44 Mag I can go with 45LC. Looking at Chiappa parts diagram - it appears all three calibers share same receiver and other parts. I guess the only difference is the barrel and bolt, but I think they all made to conform to the strongest caliber of 44 Mag, therefore I would assume the pressures of 44 Mag should be OK in 45LC gun of the same model.
The question then becomes: Can I use my 45LC +P loads, which replicate the power of the 44 Magnum, in the Chiappa 1892 Mares Leg chambered in 45LC? So, my fellow firearms enthusiasts, has anyone else ventured down this path? Or should I play it safe, stick with the 44 Mag, and invest in a new set of dies and bullets for my new Mares?
Here's a little background on me: I'm not a hunter, and my outdoor escapades consist of a few hikes and one camping trip a year. In these wilderness areas, bears and cougars roam free. But wait, don't get your knickers in a twist—this isn't another "best gun for bear defense" thread. I carry a couple of cans of bear spray (thankfully unused so far) and that's enough for me. My wife and I did have two memorable bear encounters, though. In one hilarious incident, while biking through the woods, my wife accidentally smacked into a black bear crossing our path. Her bare leg grazed the bear's wet nose, prompting a bewildered stare from the creature as if we were the village idiots. After that brief, comical moment, we all went our separate ways.
When I recount this tale to friends who have no much knowledge about guns and laws, they often ask why I don't carry a gun in the woods. Well, I wish, but some areas don't allow it, and in others, it needs something in non-R format, which are bulky and unwieldy. If only I could bring along one of my beauties, like the mighty 460SW XVR or some other gems in my collection. On that note, I'd stick to a bear spray.
Here come my relatives, who now want to join us for hikes and camping trips. They're paranoid about wild animals and insist I bring along some form of protection—i.e., a gun. So, my wife grants me a no-holds-barred budget (I'm talking unlimited, baby), which of course led me to more gun purchases, including some expensive antique revolvers and rare gems like the antique C96 so I can technically carry those things in the woods. But, alas, none of these are perfect fit for bear defense, even the "powerful" 44 Russian antique caliber.
That's when I stumbled upon the Lever Action Mares Legs, a compact firearm with an overall length of 24 inches. I had always dismissed these quirky rifles, assuming they were R. I was really surprised to learn they are actually non-R. They're not exactly practical for hunting or range target shooting due to their lack of a full stock, small sight radius, and the sheer ridiculousness of mounting a scope. However, when you're being chased by an animal, your shooting distance is pretty much zilch, making this gun a perfect contender for bear defense.
After some research, I set my sights on the Chiappa 1892 Mares Leg, available in 357, 45LC, and 44 Mag. With bears in mind, the 44 Mag was the obvious choice. But then I remembered my lovely 460SW XVR and my penchant for reloading 45LC cartridges. If you don't know 460SW accepts wimpy 45LC, 454 Casull and some other less powerful calibers where the only difference is the case length and powder charge.
Yes, reloading is my other hobby, since I have many interesting guns in odd calibers, where I have no other choice but reload. Basically, now I reload every caliber I have, including the boring 9mm. However, I still have nothing in 44 Mag and that requires me to buy another set of dies and reloading materials for that new Mares thing.
You might be wondering about the 45LC cartridges in my 460SW. Well, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to see how far I could push the limits of the 45LC cartridge in my 460SW. After doubling the powder charge listed for the 45LC's max load, I found myself in 454 Casull territory in terms of bullet energy and powder charge. But for the gun itself, this was still small potatoes.
Interestingly, the Casull is essentially an overcharged 45LC with a longer casing to prevent accidental use in 45LC firearms. The hot-rodded load I concocted was quite snappy, but it worked like a charm in the 460SW, with no trouble ejecting the casings. The only hiccup - Large Pistol Primers started imprinting, indicating I'd reached the pressure limit for pistol primers. No wonder 454 Casull requires Large Rifle Primers!
To remedy this, I dialed 45LC down to max load + 80%. Now, after three successful reloads with no issues, this has become my go-to "pet" load (perfect for when I want to give my wrist a break from shooting the 460SW cannon). A quick comparison of powder charges reveals that this "pet" load is equivalent to the max load of a 44 Magnum. Considering that the 45LC and 44 Mag have almost the same case capacity, this conclusion seems spot on.
So, I do have a developed and tested load in 45LC caliber replicating the power of 44 Magnum along with all supplies to produce it. At this point I start thinking - it would be great if I can use those 45LC "pet" loads in a modern lever gun, so instead of buying 44 Mag I can go with 45LC. Looking at Chiappa parts diagram - it appears all three calibers share same receiver and other parts. I guess the only difference is the barrel and bolt, but I think they all made to conform to the strongest caliber of 44 Mag, therefore I would assume the pressures of 44 Mag should be OK in 45LC gun of the same model.
The question then becomes: Can I use my 45LC +P loads, which replicate the power of the 44 Magnum, in the Chiappa 1892 Mares Leg chambered in 45LC? So, my fellow firearms enthusiasts, has anyone else ventured down this path? Or should I play it safe, stick with the 44 Mag, and invest in a new set of dies and bullets for my new Mares?
