Can 45/70 dies in a Lyman 310 hand loader reload 45/90 brass ?

likely -- but with manual of arms changes

Conch!

It's Saturday here so Lyman is closed. But tell what I'm a gonna do for ya. Monday I'll make some phone calls.

I'm a very old customer of Lyman and have dealt with them for decades. My first reloading stuff was from them and including the 310.

Sad to say their customer service is very basic. I phoned a week ago with technical questions and was not able to speak with the tech support expert. I left my contact info and he never got back to me.

They sluffed off a lot of their obsolete 310 to a Guy up in the Pacific Northwest. I spoke to him last week and it appears as though he is very advanced in age. I couldn't get any straight answers - God Bless his soul.

Lyman is showing both the 45-70 and 45-90 dies for the 310 as available.

The 45-70 case is 2.195" long while the 45-90 is 2.4050. There is too some tiny difference in the various places in case diameter as well as listed diameter of projectile almost insignificant i.e., 458 vs .457..

I can't give you a definitive answer today but it seems that if logic prevails and Lyman has dies for the 45-70 AND 45-90 that fit the 310 hand die you at least have some fighting chance of making it work.

As much as I respect Lyman as the pre-eminent top of the line oldest, most experienced and reliable, I'm truly not impressed. Note that customer service is primarily oriented to pushing produce. The techie(s) seem to be elsive.

Thanks for the reply's My thoughts are since the 45/90 is only .295 longer than the 45/70 could I just not set the dies in the handles/press ? to the bottom ? since they sell 45/90 dies that answered the question of the longer 45.90 brass fitting the handles on the 310 , so if I could use the 45/70 and be able to also load 45/90 with them ? why buy both ?
I have lyman ,RCBS, Dillon ,Presses , The 310 hand press large & small and several dies .
I have Remington Rolling Blocks 40/65,45/70,45/90,43,12.7X44, Rem Hepburn 50/70
Sharps 40/90 and more ! just thought it would be educational for the grandchildren to see the 310 load at the range like the old timers did on Buffalo hunts . Thanks for your help will be watching for the reply from lyman , I have also asked technical questions at Brownell's
always got good reply's until the last episode .
Answer was from a person who has a reading disability .

Lyman tech support did not return my phone calls.

I will bug them again tomorrow and pursue this to a satisfactory conclusion.,

I have had no answers from the contacts I tried either, only amateur answers about what the dies are made for so I will assume no one has tried to use 45/70 dies on 45/90 brass .Personally I believe they will work as long s the brass is not damaged at the button area and will fit the chamber .

Conch:

Just spoke to Lyman again:

Didn't get a definitive answer but they said there is nothing that says you can use the 45-70 dies for 49-90 but conversely there is NOTHING that says you can't.

We went over it as much as possible and I found that the 45-70 offered is a 3 die set. The 45-90 is also a 3 die set but they call it a "classic" die set. That means the old original dies way back when.

I'm looking at my 310 and die set for the 30-06. The de-capping, sizing and neck expander die for the 45-70 may be shorter than the 45-90 and maybe not ???

The primer seating die has to work.

The bullet seating die is also something of a question because of length differentials!!!

Last time I spoke to the old duffer up in the Pacific Northwest who handles the old, obsolete 310 stuff, he was not clear.

Lyman said give it a try and see if it works.

Worst case scenario you may end up OK or may have to buy "some" of the 45-90 dies.

Unfortunately Lyman customer support isn't technically proficient and their tecchie's are difficult to communicate with.

Maybe your best bet is to go onto the Lyman website and send an E-mail to them.

I'm a very old Lyman customer dating back decades. Top outfit. Established back in the 1870's so I cut them some slack and I am tolerant. They have endured where others failed. Normally I am satisfied with their service.

Hope this helps.

Let us know how you make out, please.

Conch:

Smoked it out some more. Finally made a breakthrough. The old duffer apparently sloughed off his involvement to Rick Morrell, Denton, Texas.

http://www.cnyauctions.com/the310shop.htm

I spoke to Rick today. Very informative.

Bottom line - YES -, the 45-70 will work the 45-90 OK but with conditions.

Bullet lengths are the criteria.

I gleaned lots of info on bullet numbers and loads of powder but I think it best if you phone Rick yourself and discuss. He is absolutely tops informative

THE 310 SHOP,COM phone - 940-271-1222

Wetibbe you are the man ! I am only loading Black powder for the Re/Rollers 1871 Husqvarna .
so there is no crimping needed for the loads .
Thank you for your great help . concho