All,

I'm toying with a 45-70 build and I want to load up some 500 grain loads for it.

I will be building on a heavy action that is capable of handling the higher chamber pressures, so no worries there.

I was going to buy a .45-70 barrel blank and ream it, but I found a possibly cost-effective alternative. What I have is a Winchester 1895 45-70 barrel.

Now, the Winchester action can't handle the higher pressure 45-70 loads. In fact most actions don't have the strength for them. As the reloading manuals describe it, these loads are only for the "heaviest actions" such as Ruger Mk.1 or converted Mausers.

The Hornady manual states the heaviest loads will go up to around 45,000 CUP. Lyman's numbers are a bit lower - Hornady seems to have hotter load recipes. The rounds specifically listed as OK for an 1895 action get up to around 35-39,000 CUP.



Here's my question - What I am not sure about, is whether the Winchester barrel itself would work in a heavy action that *IS* capable of handling the heavier rounds. The heavier rounds are longer as well, and I wonder if I need to get a throating reamer to open it up.


TIA,
- Jerry

First of all, the Winchester 1895 was never chambered in 45/70. If it is indeed a winchester barrel it would be from an 1886. Or could it possibly be a Marlin 1895 barrel?
Secondly, you need to find out if it is a 'modern' or blackpowder barrel. I would not want to try shooting jacked up 45/70 loads in a black powder barrel that was say 110 years old.

Sorry, I did mean to say a Marlin barrel. I just think "Winchester" when I think about those kinds of guns

This has nothing to do with a black powder barrel... it is for the Marlin model 1895. Here's the schematic of the rifle from Numrich:



I'm using THAT barrel on a heavy frame. The Marlin action is not heavy enough to handle the forces of the heavy 45-70 loads according to all the reloading manuals I have.

Sorry if I was too vague with that... I'm really just trying to find out if the Marlin barrels are capable of handling the load if I put it in a heavy action. I would be inclined to suspect it will handle it, presumably with the reamed throat.

A Marlin 1895 45-70 barrel can certainly handle 50,000 CUP 45-70 loads placed in the right receiver and with modification to the threads described by Mic McPherson.

http://www.levergun.com/Marlin/index.html

like the fish said. A modern Marlin barrel will work fine.

Great link - thanks! That article discusses some interesting conversions... I really like that .44 "M3".


I understand about those threads... he has an interesting solution (rethreading). What I plan to do is remove the threads completely and install a press-fit sleeve that will be significantly thicker - just under 1" total diameter - to share the load. That will make it around .4" on the sides if my math is accurate. That thick of a sleeve, installed into the heavy receiver, will let the sleeve and receiver "share" the chamber pressure to avoid the chamber swelling he mentions in that article.

Now, the author does say that it isn't an ideal design if the receiver "shares" the load in this fashion, but the sheer size of the threaded sleeve should eliminate any worries of bulging chambers. The sleeve will be of 4130 steel which has a fairly high tensile stregnth.

I purchased a 22" Ruger #1 45-70 barrel for a similar project. I haven't decided on the final caliber, with the 458x2", 450 Marlin or a 458 WM the current choices.