Range Report - Original Northwest Mounted Police .45-75 Winchester 1876 SRC

[Win 38-55]

After considerable time gathering very scarce brass, along with dies and a bullet mould, I developed a smokeless load for my original .45-75 NWMP carbine, issued in 1882. 28 grains of 5744 under a soft-cast 350 grain bullet gives me 1,330 fps (out of my 22" barrel). My first five shots were at 50 yards, getting an idea of where it shoots (about 9" high at 50 yards and 8" high at 100). My last five shots were at 100 yards, but those rear sights are dadgummed hard to see with my 67 year-old eyes, so I took a piece of masking tape, made a little hole in it with the tip of a ballpoint pen, and stuck it to the lens of my glasses to make a peep sight. It definitely helped. Here's a photo of the carbine at the range, and the 100 yard target. One of the first shots was a bit of a flyer to the lower left, but the other four gave a 2 & 7/8" group at 100 yards. I placed an original .45-75 cartridge on the target to give some scale and history.

 

[MC One Shot]

Win 38-55, Thank you for the report. Glad you were finally able to source some brass. I would say that it shoots fairly well. Do you plan on trying some BP as well? The old hole in the tape does work. There are several outfits that make apertures for glasses, Lyman off the top of my head for one, Merit another. An aperture will help you shoot better. I put a contact in my right eye to see sights better when using open irons. With aperture sights such as tang or Soule sights I do not need to. Not sure if your tang is drilled for tang sights or not but that is an option as well.

 

[oldrodder]

Win: Nice rifle! Do you find that A-5744 burns dirty? I've used it in 40-65 & 45-70. Great accuracy but leaves unburnt powder in the barrel.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Win: Nice rifle! Do you find that A-5744 burns dirty? I've used it in 40-65 & 45-70. Great accuracy but leaves unburnt powder in the barrel.

One of the old timer tricks to fight the fouling was to blow into the bore. The moisture in your breath softens the particles. Quiggly did it in the movie. The DCRA long range cartridge shooters use a puff tube, which is a length of vinyl hose into the open breech.

 

[Re3iever]

Nice gun! Nice shotting!

Retreever

 

[Win 38-55]

Win: Nice rifle! Do you find that A-5744 burns dirty? I've used it in 40-65 & 45-70. Great accuracy but leaves unburnt powder in the barrel.

I've often observed grains of 5744 in the bore of other calibers, but not so much this one. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is something to do with having to use (because of the shallow primer pocket due to a thinner rim) a large pistol primer instead of a rifle primer, but that doesn't really make sense to me - I would expect less complete burning with a pistol primer. Perhaps it is something to do with the milk bottle shape of the case that give more consistent, complete combustion.

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Beautiful rifle, thanks for the report. Love getting the old iron working again.

 

[mooncoon]

I've often observed grains of 5744 in the bore of other calibers, but not so much this one. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is something to do with having to use (because of the shallow primer pocket due to a thinner rim) a large pistol primer instead of a rifle primer, but that doesn't really make sense to me - I would expect less complete burning with a pistol primer. Perhaps it is something to do with the milk bottle shape of the case that give more consistent, complete combustion.

I think that unburned powder in the barrel is a result of the pressure being too low for complete combustion. With antique guns and relatively weak actions it is probably something we have to accept. I have noticed unburned powder when using light loads of some smokeless powders in damascus shotguns

cheers mooncoon

 

[cooey43]

I have shot my original Win. 1876 rifle , also in .45-75 for years with the following ammo. I have 3 such rifles.
1 - Reformed .348 Win. Brass ( easy to do).
2 - RCBS Cast bullet # 45-300-FN with gas check , which I cast from wheel weights.
3 - 22 grains of 2400 powder
4 - It goes @ 1300 f/s.
5 - Accuracy is "UNBEILIVABLE" . 100 yd targets ; many with 1" groups
most with 2" groups.

I have a freind with same gun in .45-60 that shoots with same accuracy.

 

[Win 38-55]

I have shot my original Win. 1876 rifle , also in .45-75 for years with the following ammo. I have 3 such rifles.
1 - Reformed .348 Win. Brass ( easy to do).
2 - RCBS Cast bullet # 45-300-FN with gas check , which I cast from wheel weights.
3 - 22 grains of 2400 powder
4 - It goes @ 1300 f/s.
5 - Accuracy is "UNBEILIVABLE" . 100 yd targets ; many with 1" groups
most with 2" groups.

That is very interesting information. Thanks for posting. My main problem in shooting is that the rear sight has such a tiny little notch that much more difficult to use than the normal Winchester rear sights on the other two other original 1876 rifles I've owned and shot. I do think about a little faster powder such as 2400 or Blue Dot. I wanted to go with the original bullet weight, so I ordered a custom mold from Accurate Molds that would drop a 350 grain bullet. There is/was a company that made .45-75 brass to original specs, but I got their last bag.

 

[Willy Tincup]

Great looking rifle. Those bench tops look familiar; is that LRRC?

 

[Brutus]

I likey these kind of posts.
Got a low wall 22 1885 (year unknown), 1901 lever shotgun (1910) and a 30-30 M94 carbine. (1956)
If I had the funds that HB 243 M70 would be under my roof right now.

Lovely things of blued steel & walnut.

 

[Win 38-55]

Great looking rifle. Those bench tops look familiar; is that LRRC?

No. I'm an hour or so south of you.