,45/70 in 45/100

[Tubac]

Gents ,
Do any of toy fine fella's know if .45/70 cartridges and be fired safely in a rifle chambered for .45/100 straight case Sharps?
Thanks,
Tubac

[James Hunt]

Since it is all the same .45 basic case it would seem you can always fire a .45-less cartridge in a .45-more rifle. I would think accuracy would decline as the bullet must "jump" before it hits the rifling. If wondering, take it to the range and let the fella next to you have the honor of the first shot - and see how things go.

[Tubac]

James ,

Thanks, it just seems to me that a 100 gr of powder is a bit much for paper punchin'. 

Tubac

[Delmonico]

Neither are a straght case as appears like 22 Short/LR or 38?357, there are many problems with doing in it that has been discussed in at least one thread before.  Maybe it should be dug up and stickied.

[Delmonico]

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,7892.0.html

[Tubac]

Thank you.

Tubac

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Tubac,
I too, pondered doign that exact same thing, but decided I didn't want the "jump" so I decided to load 70 Grans in a 110 case and fill the rest with cornmeal or grits compress and load the 110 like usual and it worked like a charm.
I was looking at a 45-90 before I just bought the Pedersoli Rolling Blocjk and that is what I was going to do with that cartridge......unless I was going for those 1000 yd targets. For CAS ranges, even the long range, it should be fine. Not for precision long range though I'd suspect.

[Tubac]

Charlie,
Thanks for your help. I couldn't see 1000 yards away, let alone hit something at that range.
I'm tryin' to work a deal for 45-100. we'll have to see how it goes.
Thanks again,
Tubac

[James Hunt]

Tubac: maybe I'm going over old territory here so I apologize if I am saying the blatantly obvious to you - I have a .45-70, (2) .50-70's, and a .45-110. The 70's worth of powder are easy to load, you can just dump the powder in, add a little compression, use a decent lube and it is reasonably accurate at least out to 200 yds which is all I can hit anything at anyway. However I purchased a .45 2 7/8 (110) which I load with 95 - 105 grains of 1f or 2f respectively and pretty stiff compression using 525 g. plus SPG lubed bullets. I shoot it successfully now, but it took me a year to figure out the load subsequent to vertical stringing, case stretching, excessively fouled bore, inadequate blow tube use, poor barrel prep - etc. If it had not been for the Shiloh board I would still be trying to get on target. It is a wonderfully accurate round but it is finicky. I have come to appreciate the opinion of many that once you get over 70 - 80 g of BP you have to pay attention to what you are doing, and as you move to 100 or more grains it becomes alchemy.

Point being if you get a great deal on the .45-100 gun by all means, but I suspect that your load workup may take more effort. The idea of using less than the cartridge holds with a filler of some sort may work out but I'd want to know that ahead of time, it may prove to be less accurate than loading it as intended. If it isn't a great deal I'd rethink the issue and get the cartridge you really want.

It is the sage advice of many that if you have only one gun it should be a ...., well I'm sure you know the story and I agree with it entirely. I can shoot my .45-70 Pedrosoli with very little fouling and minimal blow tube use - a few puffs (110 takes 5 - 7). My .50-70's are the same in both a 68 cartridge conversion carbine and a Shiloh. In fact I don't even use a wad in the .50-70. In all three of these guns I can shoot 6 - 10 shots with pie plate accuracy and NO blow tube use with the cartridge chambering without difficulty (this is particularly true of the old carbine!!!!).

Words of advice from someone who has been down that hard difficult road ahead of you!!!!!

Of course the angst of trying to determine which BPCR you should buy is pretty pleasant angst!!!!!!! 

[Tubac]

James,
Thank you for your help. I'm basically a pistolero,
but I got the idea of a "buffalo rifle" in my head.
I also have a'68 carbine conversion in .50/70,
but it's a military weapon.
The .45/100 was based on the flawed premise
that the .45's were like "short" "long" & "long rifle".
I'm glad you brought up difficulties in loading 100
grain cartridges, that and the price of ,45/100 brass,
($1.44 a piece!) may well nail the coffin shut on the
.45/100 deal. But if I get a good enough deal, who
knows?
Would you mind posting photos of your '68 conversion?

Tubac

[James Hunt]

Tubac: with pleasure.



The sword is a model 1872 officers saber with the officers initials and 1876 inscribed on the scabbard. The belt plate, cap pouch and Hagner cartridge box (.50 gvt) are original - the belt and holster are repro. The cartridge is original, copper and internally primed.

The carbine is a little rough externally, particularly the forearm. But the bore lining is as bright and clean as the day they did it. It shoots to pie plate accuracy at 100 yds with a 450 grain bullet sized at .515 over 63 grains of 2f and no wad - albeit nearly 12 inches high with the site at the lowest setting.

[Tubac]

James,
What a nice carbine, and the sword is really something. Thanks for posting the photo.

Tubac