45/70 case prep

[carlsr]

Just finished cleaning up around 200 45/70 cases, some given to me and some I had won in an auction. I usually somewhat follow Pat Wolf's book when loading but was wondering about the need to enlarge the flash hole and also the need to use large rifle magnum primers?
Anyone here leave the flash hole as is and use standard primers? With the rising cost of magnum primers, when available I'd like to save some of what I have and use standard primers which I have many more of.

[Tom Trevor]

carlsr, I have found that it is not necessary to enlarge the flash hole unless you are really compacting a large charge of powder very tightly and using a firm crimp. Also I have been using large rifle primers for some time now and find they work fine. As a side note I do not know if you have noticed Winchester primers for standard had green compound internally and magnum primers for years had red compound. Now for a few years both are green compound.I now see no difference between then in accuracy of loads? Questions about this for some reason never get answered. The old days of ONLY using BR2 primers of lot number bx337332 are now history and we use what comes along. Hope this helps.

[carlsr]

carlsr, I have found that it is not necessary to enlarge the flash hole unless you are really compacting a large charge of powder very tightly and using a firm crimp. Also I have been using large rifle primers for some time now and find they work fine. As a side note I do not know if you have noticed Winchester primers for standard had green compound internally and magnum primers for years had red compound. Now for a few years both are green compound.I now see no difference between then in accuracy of loads? Questions about this for some reason never get answered. The old days of ONLY using BR2 primers of lot number bx337332 are now history and we use what comes along. Hope this helps.

Thank you Tom, your input is greatly appreciated.
I have noticed the colors on Winchester primers. I normally buy Winchester large rifle for standard or magnum loads but they seem to be no longer manufactured. I have only found standard loads and when magnum loads are found they are quite expensive.
I use light loads usually between 57 and 60 gr. Those 70 gr. loads are hard on the shoulder
Thanks again .

[Tony Beck]

I too use standard primers, in fact I still have 1000 or so Win standard/magnum primers left. The original 55 grain load with a couple card wads shoot great and is easy on the shoulder. 55 gr. of Swiss 1 1/2 F just about duplicates the original load.

Question for Tom. Do you have any information on that sharpshooter medal in your avatar? I bought its twin at and antique emporium several years ago.

[Tom Trevor]

Tony, That is the first sharpshooters cross it was introduced in 1884 and was to be worn at the throat of the uniform and then in 1885 replaced by the well known sterling silver sharpshooter bar with suspended cross. Total production was 1000 produced. Also there was a marksmans bar 2500 produced that was not well received as well some called it a door plate with scroll work on top and bottom. That also replaced with the sterling silver marksman bar. You were lucky to find one mine took some years to obtain.

[Dick Hosmer]

Tony, That is the first sharpshooters cross it was introduced in 1884 and was to be worn at the throat of the uniform and then in 1885 replaced by the well known sterling silver sharpshooter bar with suspended cross. Total production was 2500 pieces. Also there was a marksmans bar that was not well received as well some called it a door plate with scroll work on top and bottom. That also replaced with the sterling silver marksman bar. You were lucky to find one mine took some years to obtain.

Are the 1884 crosses silver? I think I have one somewhere too.

[Tom Trevor]

No Dick the 1884 sharpshooter cross and marksman bars were bronze with a cross pin back.

[Dick Hosmer]

No Dick the 1884 sharpshooter cross and marksman bars were bronze with a cross pin back.

Hmmm - the one I have (somewhere) is silver=colored. I am sure it has a cross-pin back, though. Maybe it is later, or even bogus. Medals have never been my strong point. I THINK it came from S&S, 40+ years ago . . .

[Tony Beck]

Just dug mine out and it looks like the later version with the bar. Not the "good one", but still happy to have found it.

[Tom Trevor]

Tony, That style is 1885 and later. If the soldier qualified as sharpshooter for three years not necessarily in a row they got a swallow tail bar that went between the top bar and cross I have one with bar dated 1922-23-24. I am not sure when they were discontinued.