What is a .40 2 1/10 ?

[1Hawkeye]

Not to sound like a greenhorn but just what caliber is a .40 2 1/10 ? Is it a sharps bottle neck or straight or as the caliber and length would hint to is it a .40-65 WCF. Iv'e seen a couple of shiloh's in that caliber that are in my price range but can't find out exactly what it is and it appears the seller only knows whats marked on the rifle.

[Deadeye Bly]

It is quite possibly what was called the 40 Gov't round. It was a bottleneck cartridge based on the 45/70 necked down to 40 caliber. There were two versions of it, one with a longer neck than the other. I think it was developed by Dan Phariss before Ron Long started using the 40/65 Winchester. It is seldom encountered and dies for it are hard to find. I sleeved the chamber on one to the 40/65 Winchester round for a customer. It seemed to work out well. The 40/65 is a 40 caliber with a 2.100" long chamber so it was not mismarked after sleeving the chamber.

[Randy Bohannon]

Their are two 40 2.1’s one is a 40-50 Sharps Bottle Neck 40-50 SBN,the other is 40-50 Sharps Straight 40-50 SS. They only share the same bullet size, cases are made from different parent cases with different rim sizes.
The 40-50 SBN is made from 45-70 brass by running it through a sizing die and trimming to length. I am pretty sure 348 Winchester brass is used for the Straight but not positive.

[Nobade]

Use 405 winchester cases to make 40-70 straight. 45-70 to make 40-50 SBN. But the 40-50 SBN is 1.708" and the 40-70 straight is 2.5 inches. 40-50 straight is 1.880". 40-65 Winchester is the only thing commonly available that is 2.1" long. I'd do a chamber cast to make sure what you have. Or even ask Shiloh.

[beltfed]

I believe the 40-50 straight can be made from 303Brit or 30-40K brass or, I suppose 405W brass if you can find it
beltfed/arnie

[kootne]

Deadeye Bly nailed it. There are 2, the short neck one with the shoulder in the same place as a 40/70BN 2-1/4" and the long neck one has the same neck length as the 40/70BN 2-1/4 (shoulder pushed back about .150"). They were wildcats made for a very few years in the mid 80's by Shiloh to provide a 40 caliber BN based on inexpensive 45/70 brass. At that time longer brass was more expensive than it is now and very scarce. My hat is off to Starline and others who make the oddball brass they do. Makes life much easier. 40/70 2-1/4 BN dies will work fine for the short neck version, though not inexpensive. 40/50BN dies could most likely be used in a pinch for the long neck version but they ain't cheap either.
I used to load 40/65 cases formed from 45/70 with a 280 grain lead bullet and Unique powder (I don't remember the weight, it was over 30 years ago) and fire form them in my Shiloh. It was a short neck version, don't know if this will work with the long necked one. I just neck sized them subsequently and they lasted forever.

[Deadeye Bly]

Thanks for confirming that Kootne. I generally keep my yap shut unless I'm sure of which I speak. Unfortunately not everyone is that way.

[Nobade]

I believe the 40-50 straight can be made from 303Brit or 30-40K brass or, I suppose 405W brass if you can find it
beltfed/arnie

Quite true.
Didn't know about the Shiloh wildcats. Ya learn something around here every day!

[1Hawkeye]

Thanks for all the information guys. I was hoping it was just an old school marking for a .40-65 WCF.