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OAL Length


El Muerto Negro

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1.600 on the .45 Colt is actually on the absolute outer edge for reliable feeding in a toggle link gun. The mortise in the receiver is nominally 1.600 and the carrier a few thousands shorter. The max OAL for the .44-40 is 1.590. For reliability, your .45 Colt rounds should be no longer than 1.590 and the gun was designed for that round in the 73. Modern 66s and Henrys use the same dimensions as the 73. At 1.600 they frequently drag or won't feed depending on the tolerances in a particular gun.

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Guest diablo slim shootist

1.600 on the .45 Colt is actually on the absolute outer edge for reliable feeding in a toggle link gun. The mortise in the receiver is nominally 1.600 and the carrier a few thousands shorter. The max OAL for the .44-40 is 1.590. For reliability, your .45 Colt rounds should be no longer than 1.590 and the gun was designed for that round in the 73. Modern 66s and Henrys use the same dimensions as the 73. At 1.600 they frequently drag or won't feed depending on the tolerances in a particular gun.

+1 -_-

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I had issues once upon a time with rounds loaded long in .45. The first round often jammed and I had to push the lifter down with my finger, then stroke it back up. 9 rounds or less and it wouldn't happen. With 10 it happened more than 50% of the time. A cocked round is slightly over your length measured straight.

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It's been sometime since I loaded .45. I load to the tightest chamber in my pistols and it works just fine in a 92 I use to have. I do know it was less than the OAL in the loading books.

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The best Overall Length gage for a toggle link rifle is the Carrier Block. The loaded round needs to be a couple of thou shorter than the Carrier Block but can be even shorter for "gamer" bullets. So long as the cartridge return ramp is behind the case rim and returns the round to the magazine when cycling, the round isn't too short. I shoot 160Gr bullets and they are REAL short. No problem with feeding and returning to the magazine. The correct definition of "optimum" is whatever works smoothly in YOUR rifle.

 

Coffinmaker

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