45/70 Special

[gunfan2]

Just wondering if anyone has had the same problems I have had with 45/70 brass. Mine after a half dozen loads seem to split right above the crimp line on the bottom of the bullet. What is the possibilities of trimming them back and making a 45/70 special sort of cases and using the Trail Boss 70% system for loading that round with a cast bullet. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Asking this on the basis of difficulty to get 45/70 brass. Thanks!

[tobywan45]

Following this

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[wmitty]

Wouldn’t the boolit be laying on the bottom of the chamber rather than resting in the throat upon firing? Seems like the accuracy would be “ negatively affected “ by this arrangement. Have you considered paper patching with your remaining brass? The boolits are patched to throat diameter and held in the case without crimping the brass. The boolit is supported by the powder column and held snugly by neck tension.

[Bazoo]

A lot depends on the loads you're using and the guns you're using them in. If you're loading for a Marlin 1895 or Winchester 1886, and you're loading trapdoor loads, you won't have any issues with a slight increase in pressure. If you're running max 1886 loads already... then you would need to back off your loads.

[Winger Ed.]

Do you anneal the cases? It might keep you from losing more to cracks so soon.

[THE_ANTIDOTE]

Cut em to leverevolution length, anneal...load.

[gunfan2]

A lot depends on the loads you're using and the guns you're using them in. If you're loading for a Marlin 1895 or Winchester 1886, and you're loading trapdoor loads, you won't have any issues with a slight increase in pressure. If you're running max 1886 loads already... then you would need to back off your loads.

I'm using them in a Henry. The load I was referring to was with Trail Boss powder. Where you mark your case with the depth of your seated bullet, fill the powder to that mark, then back off 30%. This of course is the way that Hodgdon's recommends. This would be a light load for sure.

[cwtebay]

I'm using them in a Henry. The load I was referring to was with Trail Boss powder. Where you mark your case with the depth of your seated bullet, fill the powder to that mark, then back off 30%. This of course is the way that Hodgdon's recommends. This would be a light load for sure.

I'm thinking that a bit of annealing would fix that issue. As far as your "special" loads go - I am unsure if they would cycle through your rifle, but pretty sure that if you aren't adopting a fresh reduced load for those short cases that your pressure will be more than a bit higher.

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[fixit]

In some of the states that have cartridge length rules, people would trim their 45-70 brass to the max length to get by the regulations. I've got 20 rounds of it that have been trimmed to slightly less than 1.800 before Indiana opened up the regulations to most high powered rounds.

[gwpercle]

Sounds like your brass is work hardening and becoming "brittle" then cracking .
Six loadings could be a lot if the loads are on the hot side ... but 6 to 12 reloads is what I generally expect with a rifle case .

Anneal the cases after the third or fourth firing ... you should be able to get a few more loadings .

Can you trim back the case to 45-70 Special length ... Sure Can !
You have two choices ...
1.) Seat the boolit to it's crimp groove in the shorter case , and have shorter OAL .

2.)Seat the boolit out longer in the shorter case ... keeping original OAL and lightly crimping on the boolit wherever the case mouth ends up being on the boolit you are using .

And I'm sure there are a few other good ways to skin this cat ...
Good Luck ,
Gary

[Harter66]

Annealing . You'd be amazed at how far you can stretch the case life .

I've 15+ on some PPU and haven't done anything to it save for short size and load .

If set back is the major concern and your only loading 1 bullet or weight I would look at a tool for a radial grooves ( I can't spell it and spell check is no help) then just groove the case like the old wadcutter brass. It's not a common practice but I can't see why it wouldn't work .

Back off the crimp you only need to keep the bullet from moving back not the Earth from moving .

[nanuk]

Annealing . You'd be amazed at how far you can stretch the case life .

I've 15+ on some PPU and haven't done anything to it save for short size and load .

If set back is the major concern and your only loading 1 bullet or weight I would look at a tool for a radial grooves ( I can't spell it and spell check is no help) then just groove the case like the old wadcutter brass. It's not a common practice but I can't see why it wouldn't work .

Back off the crimp you only need to keep the bullet from moving back not the Earth from moving .

a cannelure tool?