Is anyone able to tell me where to find information regarding chamber pressures the model '86 or '71 are able to handle?
Thanks in advance
Frank

Howdy Frank

Well this has been at the top all day and no one has answered. For one thing, there are probably better forums to ask the question but I imagine that mostly it has gone unanswered because you word the question as if you have some nefarious plan up your sleeve You are not going to quietly start another DG with a lever thing are you Frank?

I have both 86 (modern) and 71 (modern and original) as well as pressure barrels in both 45-70 and 348 and I leave the pressures at what has been proven over time to not hurt the guns. In the modern guns, I personally (not recommending here) would not have a problem in crowding 45KCUP with either. There are those that state that they will work at much higher pressures, even approaching bolt guns. I don't doubt that they can "take" another 10KCUP or so without flying apart. My problem is that my background is petro-chemical and all systems were always tested at 1.5 times their max operating pressures. I like that comfortable buffer zone. That is the same zone that a good bolt gun has; operate at ~60Ksi and withstand ~90KSI. Yes, the bolt may be locked due to case failure but about any good bolt gun will not cause injury to the shooter if pressures are kept under 90ksi. That fact alone has saved more than a few adventurous souls from going through life as a one eyed hair-lip.

If/when/ and until someone that professes that the 86/71 can take those same pressures, test fires the gun 1000 times with 1.5 times that pressure, with no measurable changes what so ever, I'm going to let their claims go in one ear and out the other.

Mike

Thanks for your reply Mike.
No I am not looking to start another monster on a Levergun. Last year I had a 71 converted to a 450 Alaskan. It has a Montana Rifleman 1/2 Octagon 1/2 round tube at 26 inches and handles very nicely. I am having feedgate work finalized so I can load with Northfork bullets. While my rifle was in the shop another fellow saw it liked the idea and started his own project- a 500 S&W on the '71. I had read somewhere that the '71 could only handle about 47K cup but found that the 500 runs closer to 60k psi. Not a good thing but I can't seem to find any info on the pressure levels capable of the '71 or new '86.

I am concerned about the blowup thing as well as you and thought this was the correct place to ask the questions.

Just so I don't lead anyone astray, I am working on a 510 Wells on a 1917 action. I met a guy who worked and learned from Fred Wells and have seen his work so will be moving forward on that shortly.

Thanks again for the reply.
Frank

Frank

You have a PM

Mike

They are the strongest of the traditional leverguns.
http://leverguns.sixgunner.com/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&T..._ID=2060&whichpage=1

Good luck....Jayco

Frank, the literature suggests the safe operating pressure of the modern Winchester 1886 in the 45-70 Gov't is 50,000 CUP. The Winchester M71 is essentially the same action as the 1886. However, any cartridge based on the 348 Winchester necessarily has a larger cross sectional area interfacing the bolt than the 45-70. Hence, the safe operating pressure of those cartridges in a Winchester 1886 or 71 would probably be around 45,000 CUP or around 50,000 PSI.

Thank you very much for the response. This all had to do with a fellow wanting to use his '71 as a platform for a 500 SW. I was worried it would never handle the 60K psi.
Thanks for the help.
Frank