56-56 and 56-50 Spencer blanks

Tuolumne Lawman · August 23, 2006, 09:30:14 AM

Howdy to the camp!

Taylors is selling bags of (100) copper colored, injection molded plastic blanks that work in both original and Armisport 56-56 and 56-50 guns. They take about 25 grains of BP and a 209 shotgun primer, and are reusable. I think they are around $ .30 (30 cents) apiece. I believe they could be drilled out from the front and made to accept more powder, and closed with florist crumble foam from the nose.

I just got some, but haven't had time to play with them. Better than spending a bunch of money for .348 brass, and messing with shortening them, etc. Won't hurt as much to loose a few, either!

major · August 29, 2006, 09:08:59 AM

TUOLUMNE LAWMAN
If you want to shoot blanks out of a Spencer then the ones in 44 Russian or 45 Schofield are much easier to make blanks for, and a lot cheaper. Check out this article at:
http://www.9thnycavalry.webeditor.com/spencer_article.html
Terry

Tuolumne Lawman · August 29, 2006, 10:16:03 AM

Howdy Pard,

Great article! I use a Sharps in my re-enacting, as the California Hundred did use 59 and 63 Sharps Carbines. It's even easier and cheaper yet<g>! I got the plastic blanks for the 56-50, as I have the Infantry rifle, and that is the only caliber it comes in. Mike Harvey is going to be sending me a 44-40 Spencer carbine to do an article on. Maybe I can have him change it to a .45 Scofield. Some guys use 44-40 or 38-40 brass with crumble foam noses for blanks in .45 Schofield carbines.

major · August 29, 2006, 11:12:13 AM

TUOLUMNE LAWMAN

The same blanks that I make out of 44 Magnum brass for the 44 Russian model will work fine in the 45 Schofield one. I have loaned and sold the same blanks I use in my 44-40 Henry & 44 Russian Spencer to those that use the 45 Schofield and they report no problems with them.

Terry

Steel-eye Steve · August 29, 2006, 01:10:01 PM

Quote from: major on August 29, 2006, 11:12:13 AM
TUOLUMNE LAWMAN

The same blanks that I make out of 44 Magnum brass for the 44 Russian model will work fine in the 45 Schofield one. I have loaned and sold the same blanks I use in my 44-40 Henry & 44 Russian Spencer to those that use the 45 Schofield and they report no problems with them.

Terry

I use .44 mag cases in a .45 Schofield Spencer also. This system works well for me.

major · August 29, 2006, 03:22:22 PM

Steve
Do you have any problems with the extractors not always removing the spent cartridge? I have had some issues with my 44 Russian model. Also do you star crimp and bottle neck the 44 Mag. brass and how much powder do you use? Do you include lube in your cartridges?
Terry

Steel-eye Steve · August 31, 2006, 12:21:59 PM

Quote from: major on August 29, 2006, 03:22:22 PM
Steve
Do you have any problems with the extractors not always removing the spent cartridge? I have had some issues with my 44 Russian model. Also do you star crimp and bottle neck the 44 Mag. brass and how much powder do you use? Do you include lube in your cartridges?
Terry

With .44 Mag cases no. I tried using .45 Colt, thinking that they would seal the chamber a little better, they fed and got rid of the blowback, but were hard to extract. I went back to the .44 Mag as the small amount of blowback wasn't worth the extraction issue. Instead of a star crimp I run the case into a .45 bullet nose forming swaging die, model 101 from C&H dies, http://www.ch4d.com/ . This creates a bullet nose on the blank, allowing it to feed through the mechanism. It works well. I have not needed to lube the cases. I wonder if your .44 Russian chamber is creating an issue similar to what was happening in my experiment with .45 cases.

major · August 31, 2006, 01:15:34 PM

Steve
I can see how forming the bullet nose on the 44 Mag. for use in a 45 would work but when it is used in a 44 Russian or 44-40 Henry it is also necessary to shoulder form the tip of the case to simulate the size of the bullet in the end so it will chamber. The shoulder forming also seams to help with the extracting process. With a straight walled case when the cartridge is fired the crimped end opens and gets pushed against the chamber and the brass tends to grab as it is being pulled out. The shoulder forming of the end makes the overall size of the end smaller and when fired it does not expand enough to grab the sidewalls of the chamber. Do you think that if you shoulder formed the 45's they would extract better and eliminate the blowback?
I have been thinking about using a 44-40 seating die to reduce the size of the opening just enough to keep the wad from coming out instead of the star crimp die. But I will still need to shoulder form the brass. I will be working on this over the winter. The lube is not to make the cartridge slide in or out better it is used to keep the fowling soft and make it easier to clean. It also prevents a build up of hard coke that could shoot out the barrel or jam up a cartridge in the breach. I put just a drop in each cartridge.
Do you use a Blakeslee box or feed them in 1 at a time? And can you reuse the 44 brass or does you crimping process make them unsafe to reuse?
Terry

Steel-eye Steve · August 31, 2006, 08:34:03 PM

Quote from: major on August 31, 2006, 01:15:34 PM
Steve
I can see how forming the bullet nose on the 44 Mag. for use in a 45 would work but when it is used in a 44 Russian or 44-40 Henry it is also necessary to shoulder form the tip of the case to simulate the size of the bullet in the end so it will chamber. The shoulder forming also seams to help with the extracting process. With a straight walled case when the cartridge is fired the crimped end opens and gets pushed against the chamber and the brass tends to grab as it is being pulled out. The shoulder forming of the end makes the overall size of the end smaller and when fired it does not expand enough to grab the sidewalls of the chamber. Do you think that if you shoulder formed the 45's they would extract better and eliminate the blowback?
I have been thinking about using a 44-40 seating die to reduce the size of the opening just enough to keep the wad from coming out instead of the star crimp die. But I will still need to shoulder form the brass. I will be working on this over the winter. The lube is not to make the cartridge slide in or out better it is used to keep the fowling soft and make it easier to clean. It also prevents a build up of hard coke that could shoot out the barrel or jam up a cartridge in the breach. I put just a drop in each cartridge.
Do you use a Blakeslee box or feed them in 1 at a time? And can you reuse the 44 brass or does you crimping process make them unsafe to reuse?
Terry

Yes, I use a Blakeslee box. Its a pain in the but when mounting, but reloading is a lot faster and easier on horseback. I don't really recover my spent blanks as most of the time I am either firing mounted, or am dismounting and remounting. I have a huge supply of cases, so they are cheap enough to lose.