Handi rifle ML be chambered in 45-70?

[shawnba67]

Me and my father both have old H+R 45 cal break action muzzleloaders. These feature a removable breech plug, which has been exchanged for one chamberd in 45 colt. However it is really rather anemic, being a ML original there isn't any room to Ruger up your loads. Would another rechamber to 45-70 be safe enough to pursue the idea a little farther? I know I would have to bush the firing pin, that big ole PC pin is hell on cci's primers. This would mostly be done just to be more interesting than a H+R buffalo rifle. Was also thinking about short chamering it to 1.8 inchs to be IN legal for deer. So maybe a 45-60 abomination. If your curious 458 barrel with 452 colt bullets accuracy was horrible til I seated them touching the lands now its a solid 3" 200yd gun. No idea how but it is.

[bigted]

I had one of these muzzleloaders about a hundred years ago and I had the same thing in mind then ... so took it to an uncle of a friend named Cuthbert and asked him the same question ... his reply ... first was a goofy look on his face ... then the explanation about the cast shotgun style frame that all was mounted on ... followed by an education on the difference in cast steels and modern steel both cold and hot rolled.

he was kinda stern and I never went to visit him again ... however I did find out that he was a recognized gunsmith nationally and he was one of the smiths tasked to provide some parts for an item of ordinance that went to the moon on the first expedition. so in retrospect I gathered that his info was prolly rite on the money in his estimate of the "not a good idea" thing.

wish I had spent some youthful exuberance and intelligence and stuffed my distain for what I considered a "grumpy ol fart" and tried to get close to him for some of his tips on gunsmithing ... but ... guess what ... didn't ... so much for being as smart as I thought I was. oh youth!

[seaboltm]

Could it be done? Maybe. But Handi rifles in 45-70 are cheap. Sell the ML and buy a Handi in 45-70.

[shawnba67]

Bigted thanks much for your info. It had completely escaped me that the ML version of the action may be very different as seeing in ML form it would never see bolt thrust(Iknow no bolt but I didnt know what else to call it). I got stuck on chamber pressure. Thanks again