Info on .45-70 Blanks, Please 🙂

[No_1_U_Know]

Howdy...

I got these .45-70 Blanks from my dad, but unfortunately, he's no longer around to tell me anything about them. I'm wondering if these are full or half loads. Anyone have any data on what those should be, in weight?

233304

If there is a better place for this post, I'm all ears.

Thanks!

N1UK

[Dusty Bannister]

I suppose you might google 45-70 blank ammo and get a lot of hits. Try this one. It shows several samples in the first few replies.

https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/45-70-blanks/1705

[arlon]

Navy used 45-70 blanks for line throwing gun. Someone gave me a bunch of the brass.. Didn't like the brass.

[swamp]

When I was mining, they used a 45-70 ram set laying track. The track went from the mine to the mill. Had a few fired brass and they loaded, shot fine.
swamp

[Ron in PA]

In 1972, I was in the Navy. On the USS CH Roan DD 853 we had a H&R line throwing guns.

[Hardcast416taylor]

One of the most prized rounds I have in my collection is a blank .45/70 that was one of the blanks used in the movie `The Last Samurai`, had a friend working on the set at the time.Robert

[No_1_U_Know]

When I was mining, they used a 45-70 ram set laying track. The track went from the mine to the mill. Had a few fired brass and they loaded, shot fine.
swamp

So I guess the crimp come fully-unfolded upon firing?

[No_1_U_Know]

One of the most prized rounds I have in my collection is a blank .45/70 that was one of the blanks used in the movie `The Last Samurai`, had a friend working on the set at the time.Robert

Robert,

I also worked on some film sets. The most exciting was as Brad Pitts's stand-in on Killing Them Softly for about three weeks. There was a scene where Brad's character shot someone with a semi-auto pistol from a passing car. I picked some of the casings up, and when I was traveling to visit Mom - who's a huge Brad fan - they wouldn't let me take them on the plane. Empty casings. ********!

I was thinking I may like to sell these to re-enactors.

[No_1_U_Know]

In 1972, I was in the Navy. On the USS CH Roan DD 853 we had a H&R line throwing guns.

The same people that make the .45-70 used by so many to hunt, during the primitive weapon season???

[No_1_U_Know]

I suppose you might google 45-70 blank ammo and get a lot of hits. Try this one. It shows several samples in the first few replies.

https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/45-70-blanks/1705

Great info! I'll have a look!

[swamp]

So I guess the crimp come fully-unfolded upon firing?

When I got them they looked like a standard fired case. I was working in the stopes level. A friend was down on the track level and picked the up.
swamp

[Ron in PA]

The action is the same, but it had a spool on the barrel.

[Harry O]

In 1972, I was in the Navy. On the USS CH Roan DD 853 we had a H&R line throwing guns.

My father told me one time that they had converted trap-door Springfield rifles with blank 45-70 cartridges when he was in the Navy (1944-1945). They were used for line throwing.

[samari46]

Navy from '64 to '67 and they are line throwing blanks M32's I believe for the H&R line throwing single shot rifles. Even though I worked in the engineroom always seemed to get stuck when replenishments came around. Frank

[No_1_U_Know]

The action is the same, but it had a spool on the barrel.

Gotcha!

[No_1_U_Know]

Navy from '64 to '67 and they are line throwing blanks M32's I believe for the H&R line throwing single shot rifles. Even though I worked in the engineroom always seemed to get stuck when replenishments came around. Frank

Thanks Frank! You are saying you recognize these as being for those line throwing rifles?

[samari46]

Yes, had a couple of the fired cases from those line throwing H&R rifles. I lost them and weidener's had them on sale some years back. Got about 500 or so and no crimp. I'm assuming that they had some sort of wad either glued in place much like the old brass shotgun shells that had the shot charge printed on them. Mine are headstamped WCC 67 M32. OK, just looked in my copy U.S Army small arms identification book which lists this cartridge. Appears there was a crimp and the mouth of the case was sealed with red lacquer. So based on the above info the crimp was straightened out when these cases were demilled way back when. Cases look just like regular 45/70 cases except for the headstamp. Have resized a couple and stuck a 500 grain hornady softpoint in them. Fit just fine in my Ruger #1. Frank

[No_1_U_Know]

Yes, had a couple of the fired cases from those line throwing H&R rifles. I lost them and weidener's had them on sale some years back. Got about 500 or so and no crimp. I'm assuming that they had some sort of wad either glued in place much like the old brass shotgun shells that had the shot charge printed on them. Mine are headstamped WCC 67 M32. OK, just looked in my copy U.S Army small arms identification book which lists this cartridge. Appears there was a crimp and the mouth of the case was sealed with red lacquer. So based on the above info the crimp was straightened out when these cases were demilled way back when. Cases look just like regular 45/70 cases except for the headstamp. Have resized a couple and stuck a 500 grain hornady softpoint in them. Fit just fine in my Ruger #1. Frank
Thanks Frank. These have some kind of paper with printing on it on top of each charge, under the crimp. When I get home, I'll have a closer look and see if I can read anything. I'm guessing at this point, that these are charged with Smokeless Powder.

[1Hawkeye]

Aren't M32's loaded with black powder ? I have a couple of emptys in my collection WCC53.

[No_1_U_Know]

Aren't M32's loaded with black powder ? I have a couple of emptys in my collection WCC53.

I don't know, but I just opened one of the cartridges, which was damaged, and it's black powder. A half-load, apparently.

[samari46]

Rechecked the army manual. Data say smokeless powder but does not say which one. Loaded to 20K pressure. Possible that earlier cartridges of this type were loaded with blackpowder. My manual is dated April 1994. Frank

[No_1_U_Know]

Rechecked the army manual. Data say smokeless powder but does not say which one. Loaded to 20K pressure. Possible that earlier cartridges of this type were loaded with blackpowder. My manual is dated April 1994. Frank

I'm sure these are older than that.. possibly MUCH older. My dad had a lot of stuff for a long time!

[samari46]

Sounds like me,I have had stuff for a very long time. Heck I have stuff squirreled away and forget about. So when I actually find it, it almost like Christmas. Frank

[No_1_U_Know]

Sounds like me,I have had stuff for a very long time. Heck I have stuff squirreled away and forget about. So when I actually find it, it almost like Christmas. Frank

Is there a market for this stuff, Frank?

[samari46]

Truth be told even though I bought these pulled down blanks from Weidener's years back I haven't tried them out yet. Still working on the last Remington bulk brass box of 500 cases that I also bought from Midway. Learned my lesson regarding hot loads in the 45/70 awhile back. Since I don't hunt anymore and only punch paper cast bullets at trapdoor speeds is all I need. When I got the WCC67 M32 blanks they had already gone through the demilling process all powder, wads and primer were removed so basically I got was just the cases. Is there a market?, from what I gather in reading the various threads here and on other forums I would say yes. Check current prices on Remington, Winchester brass and price slightly lower. Hope this helps. Seems 45/70 brass at trapdoor levels does last for a good many shootings. Hot loads not so much. Frank

[No_1_U_Know]

I suppose you might google 45-70 blank ammo and get a lot of hits. Try this one. It shows several samples in the first few replies.

https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/45-70-blanks/1705

Wondering what all of this chatter is, on "blank" powder...

[beagle]

Natches sold off a batch of the .45/70 line throwing cases some years back. I bought a couple of hundred. They'd been pulled. WCC head stamp. I had a Number 1 Ruger .45/70 at the time so I processed what I could (many were dented beyond salvage and split). After resizing, I attempted to use them in my .45/70. Only about 20% would chamber due to rim thickness so I gave them to a friend with a trapdoor Springfield and they worked well in it. Evidently the tolerance for those were all over the map. Nice looking brass though./beagle