45-70 ammo

rany7 · 02-04-2010, 04:21 PM

i have a question about 45-70 ammo. is there a difference in the pistol and rifle ammo?

JohnnyT · 05-02-2010, 12:21 PM

No. The .45-70 Government was and is a rifle cartridge by design and intent. Some fool chamberin' a pistol for it doesn't change that. Elmer Keith had a custom single-action revolver built around the .45-70 cartridge...and even he stated that it was a mite bit too much. Comin' from Elmer...that says it all.

If you handload, you may want to use a faster burning powder for it in a pistol, along with a lighter bullet than the standard 405 grain pill. I use 2400 with a 405 grain cast, gas checked bullet and a cotton tuft over the charge to keep it against the primer. Accurate and not unpleasant to shoot through my Sharps cavalry carbine. Chronograph insists that it's breakin' 1300, which puts it on a par with the original black powder loading. In a Thompson Contender pistol, it may prove to be a little on the stiff side for most tastes.

JohnnyT · 05-02-2010, 12:27 PM

Here's the 1859 Pattern "McNelly" Sharps carbine, along with some ammunition. Think hard. You really wanna shoot these things in a pistol?

02-04-2010, 04:21 PM	#1
rany7 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: kentucky Posts: 1	45-70 ammo i have a question about 45-70 ammo. is there a difference in the pistol and rifle ammo?

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05-02-2010, 12:21 PM	#2
JohnnyT Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 185	No. The .45-70 Government was and is a rifle cartridge by design and intent. Some fool chamberin' a pistol for it doesn't change that. Elmer Keith had a custom single-action revolver built around the .45-70 cartridge...and even he stated that it was a mite bit too much. Comin' from Elmer...that says it all. If you handload, you may want to use a faster burning powder for it in a pistol, along with a lighter bullet than the standard 405 grain pill. I use 2400 with a 405 grain cast, gas checked bullet and a cotton tuft over the charge to keep it against the primer. Accurate and not unpleasant to shoot through my Sharps cavalry carbine. Chronograph insists that it's breakin' 1300, which puts it on a par with the original black powder loading. In a Thompson Contender pistol, it may prove to be a little on the stiff side for most tastes.

05-02-2010, 12:27 PM	#3
JohnnyT Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 185	Here's the 1859 Pattern "McNelly" Sharps carbine, along with some ammunition. Think hard. You really wanna shoot these things in a pistol?