Strength of Uberti 1866 45 Colt?

[twotrees]

Will it handle the same loads as I load for the Cattleman 45? (8.5 gr Unique, 255 semiwad cutter) Or is this old design even weaker that that?

Thanks in advance,

[NickSS]

I have a henry rifle in 45 colt which is the same action as the 66 but does not have a fore arm and no loading gate in the receiver. I have used the load you have stated with my rifle and have had no difficulties. I think it is safe for any standard 45 colt load but none of the hot ones used in Rugers and contenders.

[Larry Gibson]

I seriously doubt those rifles would be available if they weren't quite capable of handling standard 45 Colt loads. I use the same loads in both my Uberti revolvers (Artillery and Evil Roy) in my Uberti M73 and Rossi M92. My standard load for all pushes a 200 gr cast at 1150 and 1225 fps out of the rifles.

Larry Gibson

[Grapeshot]

As long as you are not feeding your '66 T/C or Ruger loads as a steady diet the action will hold up to a long life of Colt SAA loadings. I have never had a problem with my '73, which utilizes the same toggle link action with loads of 17 grains of 2400 and a 250 grain LRFN boolit or the standat=rd .45 Colt load of 8 to 9.0 grains of Unique. I've had my '73 since 1982 and it was my primary SASS and hunting gun for years and still shoots rings around any other levergun on the market.

[Boerrancher]

Now I can't speak for the 45LC in a 66, but I do have a 44-40 in one. I shoot 11 grs of Unique on a 200 gr RNFP boolit. It is the max load in my Lyman 45th edition reloading manual, but it shoots the most accurate out of my rifle. I keep a close eye on my headspace and toggle linkage, and so far, 1,000+ rounds out of it, there have been no adverse effects. I have had the gun for nearly 20 years now and though it is not an every day shooter like my Mod 92 in 45LC is, I don't hesitate to take it out a couple times a year and run a couple hundred rounds through it. I even took it deer hunting one year, but that is a different story for another time.

Best wishes,

Joe

[John Taylor]

Had one of the brass frame Henrys come in with a stretched frame in 45 Colt. Some one was using heavy loads.

[Larry Gibson]

Well I asked 3 distributors of those rifles in .45 Colt at "Winter Range" down at Ben Avery Range down Phoenix way on Saturday. After they quit laughing they said the same thing I said; They wouldn't be sold in .45 Colt if standard .45 Colt loads could not be used.

Larry Gibson

[Boerrancher]

Had one of the brass frame Henrys come in with a stretched frame in 45 Colt. Some one was using heavy loads.

Someone tried shooting a case full of unique or blue dot out of it, or maybe a double max charge of bullseye. I have seen many guns wrecked because people were shooting max or close to max loads of bullseye and accidentally double charged a case.

Best wishes,

Joe