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Re-sizing brass


Purple Sage Lady #43039

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Hello to the Wire,

 

I would like to re-size 45-70govt brass to 45-60. Other than cutting the case to proper length, is there anything else I need to do? I am reloading for a Chaparral 1876.

 

Thank you for your help,

 

Purple Sage

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Get out your reloading manual and check each case's measurements. I don't have mine handy (its out in my gun/reloading room), but if my memory is correct, I don't think that will work. Anyway the manual is the way to go for correct case sizes.

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PSL, i haven't done this in a long time but i think i just cut to length and chamfered the case mouth. also i think i remember cutting off a set of 45-70 dies by the appropriate amount and using them as the 45-60 were a lot higher in price. my old rifle was an original 76 and it ran without a hitch.......hope this helps and good shooting.................dusty boddems

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You might want to visit the 1876 Forum at CAS City. :)

 

My Uberti works fine with shortened 45-70 brass, but some find the rim to be too thick, depending on how the rifle has been set up. I would shorten one or two of the brand you plan to use and see if the bolt will close on it before you make a sack full! See this thread.

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You might want to visit the 1876 Forum at CAS City. :)

 

My Uberti works fine with shortened 45-70 brass, but some find the rim to be too thick, depending on how the rifle has been set up. I would shorten one or two of the brand you plan to use and see if the bolt will close on it before you make a sack full! See this thread.

 

I have the Chaparal 45-60 as well. The guy I bought it from showed me how to do the shortening thing and we also modified a set of 45-70 dies (lyman) to reload with. My gun ran fine with shortened winchesters but would occasionally not close smoothly with remingtons. Maybe the rims were to thick.

My solution was to stick with winchesters.

For smokeless loads I have been using one similar to the low end trap door loads in the lyman manual with relatively light bullets.

 

Regards

 

:FlagAm:

 

Gateway Kid

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If memory serves a .45-70 has bass of 2.10" while a .45-60 is 1.89"

Yes you can use shortened .45-70 in a Uberti. However true .44-60 has a thinner rim

therefoer it may or may not work in a Chapparal depending on make of brass and tightness of your headspace.

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Howdy Purple Sage,

 

The headspace on my Chapparal 1876 was too tight for trimmed-to-length Starline 45-70 brass. I machined the bolt face to remove the difference in rim thickness between 45-70 and 45-60. It has been working perfectly with any 45-70 brass I've tried so far.

 

You can also shorten a 45-70 seating/crimping die to crimp the shorter 45-60. It will still work fine for the 45-70.

 

 

Regards,

Jackalope

 

Jedi Gunfighter Lucky #7

Champeen of the Hillbilly Nation 2010, 2011 and beyond...

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