45/70 into 40/65 and now back to 45/70

[michael m]

Has anyone taken 45/70 cases and turned them into 40/65, sure a lot of people have.

But has anyone taken these reformed cases and tried to remake them into the original 45/70 brass?

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I have not had reason to but it would be very simple to do. If you put 8-9 grains of Unique into a primed 40-65 case, fill the rest of the case with corn meal, saving a little room for a tuft of paper, load the case into your 45-70, pull the trigger and it will once again be a 45-70 case. Works every time. I forgot to mention that it would be a good idea to anneal the case before taking any of these steps..

[country gent]

Annaeal and do a very few first, If trimed to the length after forming to 40-65 ( as they should have been) they may be on the short side when reformed to 45-70. With softer cast buulets you may get a lead or paper ring left in the chamber with short cases. Try 5 or so cases and see what they end up at.

[Good Cheer]

Keep the corn meal off of the Unique unless you're gonna go bang the same day.

[elk hunter]

Nearly fifty years ago I did try to make some back to 45-70 and most of them split. Most of the cases were very old balloon head stuff made before I was born and I didn't anneal them first. Wish I had those rifles now: one was an 86 Winchester and the other an original Model 1895 Marlin square bolt.

[MT Chambers]

Why would you do this?

[michael m]

Glad you asked.. I do not own a 45/70 but I do own a 40/65 and shoot it well I have about 100 brass that was sized to 40/65 that I do not use any more. I thought about what to do with them, but since the 45/70 is gone I can't try to fireform back to original 45/70 headstamp.