Anyone load for 71/84 Spandau?

[mazo kid]

If so, what components do you use, how do you form brass, etc.? TIA

[Bullshop]

I did for a time some years ago. I bought 11mm Mauser brass. It was no more expensive to buy it ready to load than to buy something to form it from.
I have the RCBS mold for a 400gn FNPB boolit. RCBS made one for the 43 Spanish and one for the 11mm Mauser. We have both molds.
I believe I used the same mold to feed an 11mm French Gras as well. Also many years ago!

[leadman]

Graf usually has the 43 Mauser brass in stock. I cast the Lyman .446" boolit for my 43 Mauser. Also size the Lee 300gr 45 caliber pistol boolit to .450" and shot this. The throat is large on my gun.

I load 20grs of 2400 with 2grs of poly-fil and it shoots well.

[justashooter]

i use 300 grain .452" pistol bullets pushed thru a .446 sizing die that i made from a 7/8 X 14 bolt in a single stage press. i use 45-90 cases with rims turned down about 10 thou and lee sizing dies. the rim is thin so the case bumps forward and primers set back about 1/16" on firing, but with 12 grains blue dot to get around 1000 fps it's not going to affect case life.

if you want to get up close to factory loads (370 @ 1450 fps) you can try thin small diameter o-rings pushed down the body against the rim, or make up some .060" shim stock rings to superglue to the front face of rim. this will give you case life like 30-40 shots per case.

the 45-90 body diameter is 15 thou less than chamber, but mid range loads expand the case to fit nicely, and subsequent full power loads will be fine.

[enfield]

yup, 45-90 brass is a simple way to go, they go through the sizer slick and with the rim turned down a wisker they fit fine. ( its such a small amount that without a lathe you could spin em in a drill chuck and use a file or something ) . I found 18 to 21 grains of 4759 or 10 to 11 gr trailboss is a good smokeless load.

[mazo kid]

Thanks for the tips! A friend of mine has the rifle and he would really like to shoot it, mostly with black powder loads.

[Ed in North Texas]

If your friend isn't planning on shooting lots and lots of rounds, he might want to go with the Bertram .43 Mauser brass. While it is significantly more expensive than an equal number of .45-90 cases, it lasts almost indefinitely. And he can buy 20 Bertram @ $58 (Graf's), or 100 .45-90 WCF @ $92. If he's going to shoot much, go with the .45-90, but otherwise the Bertram might be a better option - and no alteration needed (and correct headstamp if that matters). Another option, if he's in no hurry, is that Captech (former Jamison) is back in business and may be producing .43 Mauser again before long. Buffalo Arms produces cases from .348 Win, but their prices are only a little below Bertram and Bertram is the better brass.

Ed

[TommyT]

I shoot my 71/84 regularly now. I use Bertram .43 Mauser brass that can be purchased from Graf's. The Lyman 340 grain .446 bullet works well for me over 72 grains of 2F Goex BP. My rifle will shoot 3 inches at 100 yards all day with this load.