.45-70 Revolver!!

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

I always wanted one of these.   And maybe even the one in .50-70.

Saw one for sale around the time I started CAS, and I didn't pick it up for some unknown reason.   Wish I had.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVnYNlEN_z0

[Kid Rich]

A couple of years ago (maybe 5) there were two of the Israeli 45-70 revolvers in the Cabellas Scarboro, ME store I drooled on them several times.

kR

[Dantankerous]

Magnum Research makes their BFR (Big Frame Revolver or Biggest Finest Revolver) in 45-70 as well as other calibers normally reserved for rifle in addition to some pretty exciting large pistol calibers. I've handled a BFR and the fit and finish is darn good. Heavy, but well balanced. Decently available too.

[Dirty Dog Doug]

the recoil lover in my club has one and S&w 500 

both are like catching a 100 MPH baseball bare handed 

in Black powder the 45-70 could be shot a few time  not sure about all 6 rounds 

this is being said by someone who shoot light load in my Model 29

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

43 minutes ago, Dantankerous said:

Magnum Research makes their BFR (Big Frame Revolver or Biggest Finest Revolver) in 45-70 as well as other calibers normally reserved for rifle in addition to some pretty exciting large pistol calibers. I've handled a BFR and the fit and finish is darn good. Heavy, but well balanced. Decently available too.

 

Ah, but there's the rub...

On the one hand, I am sure that the BFR's are really well made pistols.   I don't see how you could go wrong with them.   BUT, I live in Massachusetts, and the BFR pistols are not available for sale here.   The Century ones, on the other hand, as long as they were registered in the state prior to, (I think it's) 1998, I can buy one on the used market.  That and they are wicked cool looking.   

 

[Dantankerous]

2 hours ago, Dirty Dog Doug said:

the recoil lover in my club has one and S&w 500 

both are like catching a 100 MPH baseball bare handed 

in Black powder the 45-70 could be shot a few time  not sure about all 6 rounds 

this is being said by someone who shoot light load in my Model 29

 

Recoil lover. Love it!

 

Been slightly toying with getting this:

 

[Yul Lose]

My brother used to have the S&W in 500 S&W and a friend of his had the BFR in 45-70 and I found the BFR much more pleasant to fire than the 500. The one that I really want is in S&W 460.

[Old Man Graybeard]

A friend of mine has a BFR in 45/70. He says it is really a handful with Hornady Leverevolution. But no one has ever called him normal. He also has a Smith and Wesson performance center 460. About the only person I know that will rapid fire a cylinder of 460’s.  I have an Encore handgun with a 15 inch unposted barrel. It will let you know when you touch it off...

[Michigan Slim]

Shot a .460. Passed it back after one shot. Declined the 500. No thanks. Awful cool though.

[Willy B.SASS#26902]

A friend of mine has one of the old Century arms 45/70 revolvers, It had a fairly mild recoil but the  muzzle blast and noise was really bad, I fired all five rounds out of it but that was enough.

He also has a 475 Linebaugh that I only fired one round from and felt that it was enough for a lifetime.

I also fired a friends 45/410 derringer with 410 rounds  It really surprised me with how bad the recoil was.

[Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485]

I had a BFR some years back, more fun to watch others shoot it than to shoot it my self.

[Three Foot Johnson]

The BFR is relatively mild and very accurate with cast 405's and a good load of 2400.

 

I really don't enjoy the upper end loads in these things like I used to.  

 

 

[Canton Chris]

I have a Smith 460. After shooting a cylinder full, my Smith 44 Mag feels like a 38 Special right after!

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

I will say that if I can ever find one of those things, they will never get anything other than my "Trapdoor safe" loads with Trailboss.  Those have recoil similar to pistol cartridges in my 86 and Trapdoor carbine.   Granted, they are big heavy guns, but so is the revolver.  

Although I may be curious enough to attempt the revolver with black powder at least once...

[Desert Pete SASS #42168]

I have a 460.  A 240 grain bullet loaded to the max is quite manageable.  The muzzle blast is more intimidating than the recoil.  
 

Off of a rest, sub-two inch groups at 100 yards are pretty routine.  

[Boolit Boomer]

Never fired the 45-70 from a revolver, but it's quite manageable with BP loads in the Thompson Center contender in pistol form. The S&W 460 is also manageable in factory loads with the lighter bullets. The S&W 500 is not as manageable as the 460, but I'd still call it bearable. These Smiths benefit from the barrel being ported, but this does create quite the muzzle blast. After shooting my non ported BFR in 475 Linebaugh w/pachmayer grips for the first time, I invested in a pair of shooting gloves. Enough said. Thanks to CAS, I've  finally discovered how to enjoy the BFR. Using ruger 480 brass stuffed with ffg and covered with lead makes it a blast to shoot. 

[Frontier Lone Rider]

I was at the range one day to watch a pistol silhouette match.  They not only have to hit the steel target (ram, pig, etc.), but knock it over.  I saw several 45-70s, plus other exotic pistols.  It was more fun for me to watch than participate.

[Three Foot Johnson]

I have a .475 Linebaugh made by Ben Forkin Custom Classics on a Ruger Bisley frame, and it is one of the two most punishing revolvers I've ever owned. The other is a 4" S&W .500 X-frame with 700 grain cast bullets. 

 

Here's the 700 grainer between a .50 AE and a .44 mag.  

[Three Foot Johnson]

A few years ago out in my front yard with the 4" X-frame and 700 grain handloads. I was a kinda skeered to squeeze the trigger, so my shooting style leaves a bit to be desired.  

 

 

[Pat Riot]

I just underwent wrist surgery for severe carpal tunnel. Also I have severe wrist joint damage where the thumb meets the wrist. This  comes from shooting hot loads from handguns and in particular a very stupid stunt of shooting a  12 gauge pistol gripped shotgun one handed without having the gun lined up with my forearm. That and 2 football injuries have pretty much guaranteed that one day I  will have more surgery on my wrist.

 

I said all that to say "Be careful Gents". There is no such thing as wrist replacement surgery. At least not yet.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

16 hours ago, Willy B.SASS#26902 said:

A friend of mine has one of the old Century arms 45/70 revolvers, It had a fairly mild recoil but the  muzzle blast and noise was really bad, I fired all five rounds out of it but that was enough.

He also has a 475 Linebaugh that I only fired one round from and felt that it was enough for a lifetime.

I also fired a friends 45/410 derringer with 410 rounds  It really surprised me with how bad the recoil was.

I had a Bond Arms .45/410 Derringer. Like you said ...It is a handful with a 3" .410 shotgun round. 

[Muleshoe Bill SASS #67022]

I have a 45-70 barrel for my TC...usually 3 or 4 rounds is enough

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

22 hours ago, Dantankerous said:

 

Recoil lover. Love it!

 

Been slightly toying with getting this:

 

Feller used to come into the gun shop where I was working said the harder it kicked the better he liked it.  Got my hands on  .45-70 single shot derringer and loaded up a couple of max loads.

 

I loaned it to him to take to the range.

 

Next day he brought it in unfired and handed it back.  Said he was all set to shoot it, but "a strange sense of self-preservation struck me".

[Eyesa Horg]

1 hour ago, Three Foot Johnson said:

A few years ago out in my front yard with the 4" X-frame and 700 grain handloads. I was a kinda skeered to squeeze the trigger, so my shooting style leaves a bit to be desired.  

 

 

That was excellent 3'.   I tried one a couple years ago much to my embarrassment! Due to my shoulder I really have to rely on my left hand to support the weight of a pistol. The kid at the  firing line gave this old guy a look as it was. Now I used to have a .454 Casull so was somewhat expecting the recoil! Now I line up and pull the trigger. Ha. The recoil took the right hand immediately off the support hand which then kinda wiggled as it was falling. The second shot wasn't any better! Did I have a grin on my face-YES. Was it embarrassing--YES.

[Duffield, SASS #23454]

I had surgery on September 1st to remove three small bones from my right hand due to damage from hard recoiling pistols.  The doc says that the next operation will be to pin the wrist.  I second Pat's recommendation to be careful.

 

Duffield

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

Y’all got me remembering a fictional yarn by Skeeter Skelton, one of the greatest gun writers of all time. 
 

He had a repeating character named Jug Johnson who was always up to some crazy idea. One time he got the notion to neck down a 50BMG to .357 and build a pistol around it. 
 

My recollection will not do justice to Skeeter’s prose, but it was one of the funniest stories I ever heard. 

[Dantankerous]

48 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

Y’all got me remembering a fictional yarn by Skeeter Skelton, one of the greatest gun writers of all time. 
 

He had a repeating character named Jug Johnson who was always up to some crazy idea. One time he got the notion to neck down a 50BMG to .357 and build a pistol around it. 
 

My recollection will not do justice to Skeeter’s prose, but it was one of the funniest stories I ever heard. 

 

Jug Johnson was a fictional character?

 

Thank God.

 

I love me some good Skeeter yarns. Great story teller.

 

 

[Alpo]

The Jug Johnson Saga

The Beginning

On a fateful day in 1975, Skeeter’s response to this letter began the entangled web of correspondence with the annoying, irrepressible, and always entertaining Jug Johnson.

 

Their “friendship” went on for years.Here’s how it all started. –The editors

By Skeeter Skelton

General Delivery

Persimmon Gap, Tex.

Jan. 12, 1975

Mr. Skeeter Skelton

c/o Shooting Times News Plaza

Peoria, Ill.

Deer Skeeter:
They save old copies of Shootin’ Times for me down at the Ranch Barber Shop, and I been readin’ the stuff you write about sixshooters and about half of it makes sense. I don’t like the stories with a lot of numbers in them.

I was workin’ in the cinnabar mines over at Terlinguas, and my Uncle Rat Thomas died and left me his section of land with that old adobe house on it, so I quit my job and moved in. Uncle Rat, he thought a right smart of his sixshooters, and they are all mine now, I guess.

I got to make a livin’ and I’m goin’ to stock this place with heifers and sell the fat ones and keep some for mother cows. Rawjaw Wheeler, he’s a trucker, says he can get me a real good deal at the sale in Montgomery, Ala., so I mortgaged this place for the cash and told him to bring me a truck load. But that ain’t why I’m writin’ to you. It’s about these guns.

 

There must be 40 of them. While my heifers are out there just makin’ me money, I’m goin’ to have lots of time to shoot. I got Rat’s reloadin’ machine–it’s a Pacific or RCBS or C&H or Star or one of them.

I been readin’ pieces about loadin’ shells and I reckon I can do that. ButI want you to tell me what to put in the shells. I got bullet casters and it looks like everything else.

I don’t want to bother you too much, so let’s start with just a few, like the two kinds of .45, .44 Magna, .41 Magna, .357 Magna, .41 Long, .38 WCF (what does that mean?), .455, .38 S&W, .32 WCF (don’t know what that means, either), .38 Special, .38 Super, .380, .32 ACP (?), .22 Magna, and .22 Long Rifle. Can you use rifle shells in the .22 pistol?

They’s a whole bunch more guns here, but I’ll write about them later. Just tell me what to put in these.

 

Also I seen where you wrote a story on holsters, and I would like to buy holsters for these guns. I lost the story, so where did you get the holsters and how much did they cost? Also don’t like the handles on any of these guns and want new handles.Where can I get them?

I wanted to ask you about somethin’ else, but here comes Rawjaw’s truck and I better help him unload. Looks like I’m finely in the cow business.
Answer soon.
Yours truly,
Clyde Johnson(they call me Jug)

 

Peoria, Ill.

May 5, 1975
Mr. Clyde Johnson

General Delivery

Persimmon Gap, Tex.

Dear Mr. Johnson:
Many thanks for your interesting and detailed letter, and please forgive the long but unavoidable delay in my response to it. My writing activities leave only a small amount of time to handle correspondence, and I am hopelessly behind.

But let’s get to your inquiry about handloading. It would appear that your uncle’s handgun collection is quite extensive. Each of the calibers you mention does, of course, require a different powder charge and sometimes a different primer (Large Pistol or Small Pistol). Weights of powder charges will vary according to the type of powder used, the weight and diameter of the bullet to be loaded, the muzzle velocity desired, and the caliber being loaded.You will find it an invaluable aid to acquire one of the excellent loading manuals published by Speer Inc., Lyman Products, Sierra Bullets, Hornady Bullets, and others. Their addresses accompany their advertisements in Shooting Times. If, after having read a good reloading manual, you still have specific questions, I would like to refer you to my old friend, John Wootters. John is our handloading editor and a real expert. Just tell him that Skeeter sent you. I know how pleased he will be.

As for the holsters, you were not very specific as to which attracted your interest. There are any number of good holster makers, including Allen’s Saddlery, Silver City, N.M.; Bianchi, Temecula, Calif.; Don Hume Leather Goods, Miami, Okla.; George Lawrence Co., Portland, Ore.; Roy’s Custom Leather, Magnolia, Ark.; S.D. Myres, El Paso, Tex.; and Safariland, Monrovia, Calif. Write for their catalogs and prices.

 

You did not stipulate whether you wished to change the stocks on your handguns because you didn’t like their appearance or because they don’t fit your hand. For cosmetic changes, there are several firms that can supply replacement stocks of ivory, staghorn, and mother-of-pearl. For custom-fitted stocks, write to companies like Herrett’s Stocks, Twin Falls, Idaho; Mustang Grips, Temecula, Calif.; or Dave Wayland, Corte Madera, Calif.

My congratulations on your inheritance, and I hope you prosper in the ranching business.

Best wishes.
Skeeter Skelton

[Rye Miles #13621]

I shot a Thomson Center in .45-70 it wasn’t too awful actually kinda fun!

[Dantankerous]

Alpo,

 

Priceless!

 

[Alpo]

I wish I had the article about the 44/50 Jug, but that's the only Jug Johnson article I've been able to find.

[Boolit Boomer]

11 hours ago, Three Foot Johnson said:

I have a .475 Linebaugh made by Ben Forkin Custom Classics on a Ruger Bisley frame, and it is one of the two most punishing revolvers I've ever owned. The other is a 4" S&W .500 X-frame with 700 grain cast bullets. 

 

Here's the 700 grainer between a .50 AE and a .44 mag.  

Now that's a Boolit!!

[Dantankerous]

6 hours ago, Boolit Boomer said:

Now that's a Boolit!!

 

More of an airborn torpedo.

[Pat Riot]

19 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I shot a Thomson Center in .45-70 it wasn’t too awful actually kinda fun!

Part of my wrist problems stem from shooting 30-30 out of a Thompson. Around that same time, mid 90's, I saw a movie where the bad guy had a 45-70 Thompson Center pistol and wanted one in the worst way. I am so  glad  I  never got one.

 

The movie was Hard Target. The actor was Lance Hendrickson.

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Hard_Target