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45 cowboy special in a rifle


LostVaquero

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Well now that I got some for the revolvers started to look around at if a rifle can handle or be modified.

 

I see the Smith Shop has a carrier for 66/73/Henry, guessing this is only for Uberti made rifles?

Anyone tried one?

 

Also I stumbled across a video where Widder modified a 1894 Marlin to handle the short rounds.  Could not find much more information on this or if this was a part that was available. 

 

I am presuming that either modification (the Marlin seemed to indicate so) that one could interchange 45 Colt and 45 Cowboy Special.

 

Thank you all.

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1 hour ago, LostVaquero said:

 

I am presuming that either modification (the Marlin seemed to indicate so) that one could interchange 45 Colt and 45 Cowboy Special.

 

Thank you all.

 

Widder's Marlin mods - yes.

 

'73 has modified carrier & pretty sure you would have to change carriers to use both. That is : one carrier for & C45S & different carrier for .45 Colt.

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Usta B Be correct.  A "Widdermatic" Marlin will run 45 Colt and Cowboy 45 Special interchangeably.  A Uberti Toggle Link Rifle (Henry, 1866 & 1873) require a modified Carrier Block (Smith Shop).  To switch from C45S to 45 Colt requires changing out the carrier block.

 

I have shot Uberti '73s, 1866s and Henrys with the C45S since the inception of the cartridge.  They run just fine.  There is the usual 45 Blow By.

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Howdy Lost Vaq.

 

Because I'm not actively working on Marlins,  my opinion is that your best bet would be

to get the 73 set up.

 

I'm really not aware of anyone else who ever set up the versatile 'Widdermajik'  to run both the

C45S and 45 Colt interchangably.

 

Hope this helps.

 

I thought I would attach a video for you to see how one would run.   

Check out the various ammo standing on the table that I put in the Marlin.

 

 

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26 minutes ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Howdy Lost Vaq.

 

Because I'm not actively working on Marlins,  my opinion is that your best bet would be

to get the 73 set up.

 

I'm really not aware of anyone else who ever set up the versatile 'Widdermajik'  to run both the

C45S and 45 Colt interchangably.

 

Hope this helps.

 

I thought I would attach a video for you to see how one would run.   

Check out the various ammo standing on the table that I put in the Marlin.

 

 

Who is that youngster in the video?

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1 hour ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Howdy Lost Vaq.

 

Because I'm not actively working on Marlins,  my opinion is that your best bet would be

to get the 73 set up.

 

I'm really not aware of anyone else who ever set up the versatile 'Widdermajik'  to run both the

C45S and 45 Colt interchangably.

 

Hope this helps.

 

I thought I would attach a video for you to see how one would run.   

Check out the various ammo standing on the table that I put in the Marlin.

 

 

 

You were so fast on the .38 I didn't even see the rounds ejecting.  How old is the video?

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My guess is that i did that video about 8 years back.

I normally don't think about it until someone brings up the topic, like this thread.

 

I was happy the camera man picked up ALL the ammo on the table as I loaded it into the rifle.

It gives a good indication of its capabilities....... and my craziness for creating it..... :lol::lol:

 

..........Widder

 

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10 hours ago, LostVaquero said:

I see the Smith Shop has a carrier for 66/73/Henry, guessing this is only for Uberti made rifles?

Anyone tried one?

 

 

 

I have a Smith Shop block in a '73 and drilled then pegged a LWT block (easy DIY mod) for my Henry.   Both run C45S just fine with 165 gr bullets or better yet 200s.    My Henry is a carbine and I wanted a round closer to the original Henry 44 load for size and power...just 'cuz.  The '73 is a short mag tube gun that will hold 10 rounds of 165 gr ammo so I can shoot a half mag gun in matches.   Smith shop block works great and is easy to install.    Down side to the conversion?  Hope that you never have to shoot very far @ small targets with the C45S ammo.  It is a long free bore jump for C45s ammo in the chamber of a 45 Colt.   Accuracy will reflect that.    

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16 minutes ago, levi littleton said:

 

Hope that you never have to shoot very far @ small targets with the C45S ammo.  It is a long free bore jump for C45s ammo in the chamber of a 45 Colt.   Accuracy will reflect that.    

 

Glad you mentioned that.   The same is true with the Marlin 1894.

C45S ammo can suffer much with accuracy in the Marlin, regardless of bullet weights.

 

..........Widder

 

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It would be pretty easy to pull any 45 Colt rifle barrel, cut it back far enough, rethread to fit the receiver and C45S ammo.   I'd not worry about it much just make sure your rear sight would fit and chop what's required of the chamber off and rethread.   I'd use a 45 reamer, and cut it short,  instead of a 45 ACP reamer though.

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Warden,

if an 1894 is converted from .45 Colt to 45 ACP, it would be wise to use the .38 bolt and not the .45 Colt bolt.

 

If you go with the .45 Colt bolt, you gotta move both the Extractor and Ejector inward closer to the center

of the bolt face to function correctly.   And of course, there are other issues that can be encountered.

 

And of course, the timing will need to be 'faster' for shorter cartridges.

The success of the 'WIddermajik' is based on proper timing set up for BOTH cartridges by setting

up the carrier ramp with a 'Timing Curve'..... or dwell in the timing.

 

If the Marlin is set up just for the shorter cartridge, the Timing Curve is not needed..... BUT, the timing

does need to be faster, which is established by setting the timing ramp with a higher/steeper angle.

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Warden,

if an 1894 is converted from .45 Colt to 45 ACP,

 

No intention to convert to ACP.  Just make a chamber specific to the C45S.  

 

I've evolved out of shooting my Marlin 1894 Cowboy that I converted to run C45S (with a lot of your help) because of all the blow by from the huge chamber.  Shooting the 44WCF,  38WCF and 32WCF is much cleaner.  And those cartridges run well in the 1894. Who would have thought?  ;)

 

But if the C45S had a nice, tight chamber with no jump?   Maybe investigate the twist rate to better use the bullets from 160-200 grain?

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