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Thread: .40/65 brass

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Jul 2014
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    .40/65 brass

    I have been shooting .40/65 Starline brass in my Browning 1885 .40/65 Rifle. A knowledgeable friend told me that that was the wrong thing to do, that I should be shooting Starline .45/70 necked down to .40/65 then trimmed. He said I was probably building up a Carbon ring in the front of my chamber. Lo and behold he was right and I did have a substantial Carbon ring. What is the sites "brains" opinion on how to get or make the best brass for my Browning .40/65

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


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    I used Rem .45-70 brass for My original 1885. It seems the softest of anything I tried. Imperial Sizing Wax worked well, a gentle hand on the press handle usually prevented creases in the brass. But that was 25yrs ago. Brass may have changes, starline may not be hard as tool steel anymore.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Master Lead pot's Avatar
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    I have shot my Browning .40-65 since the late 90's and I have never seen a carbon ring shooting black powder checking the bore foe lead deposits using my Hawkeye bore scope. Maybe it's a smokeless thing I don't know. Some of my Starline cases are short but no signs of carbon in the throat or chamber wall ahead of the case mouth.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lead pot View Post
    I have shot my Browning .40-65 since the late 90's and I have never seen a carbon ring shooting black powder checking the bore foe lead deposits using my Hawkeye bore scope. Maybe it's a smokeless thing I don't know. Some of my Starline cases are short but no signs of carbon in the throat or chamber wall ahead of the case mouth.

    i have a 45/75 Uberti - when I made up my brass (from .348 winchester cases) I cut a bunch of them short so I could use the crimp groove on a LEE boolit with smokeless - yeah dumb idea and I have learnt a bit following along here since - anyways the smokeless idea never eventuated. I got good results with blackpowder - have had no sign of any kind of crud buildup in that rifle - those cases would be about 1/8" short.

  5. #5
    Boolit Bub
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    If you feel like the cases are to short you could get a case stretcher from BACO. They make one that goes into your sizer die and you just run the case up and down in the press a few times and it attaches the case.

    https://www.buffaloarms.com/40-calib...stre-cs40.html

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Starline brass needs to be annealed before resizing but it works fine otherwise.

  7. #7
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    I have no idea how the brass you select contributes to carbon build-up. I have fired many thousands of rounds with short brass & BP and never saw any carbon build-up. I shoot 40-50BN, 40-65 Win, 40-70SS, 40-82 Win, and 45-70.

    Maybe consider shooting BP.
    Keep on hav'n fun!
    MikeT

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    A Browning Mikoro .40/65 barrel is chambered .025 longer than standard .40/65's. A Starline .40/65 is 2.100 " and the chamber is 2.,125. Reforming.45/70 brass to .40/65 stretches the case by about .065" and it can be trimmed to 1.125.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Not sure about the carbon ring build up. But I have heard with bp loads and to short cases cusing lead rings and paper rings ( with PP bullets) the bullet expands into the open space then shears off.

    Jed if you decide to size down 45-70 be sure to switch arms every so often or youll end up "lopsided"

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    Have several hundred sized from 45-70 I shoot in my Browning BPCR and several High Walls in the same caliber, never had a problem.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    My right leg is 1/2" shorter than my right leg so I already tilt that way. I will make sure to use my left arm for balance.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

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    You have 2 right legs .............

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check