45/70 Carbine load...

I use a similar load with the 395gr Lyman RN with 2 beeswax discs under the bullet. Excellent accuracy and no leading. Bullet is sized to .358 & lubed with 50/50 deer tallow/beeswax. 50/50 beeswax/lard also works well. The wax discs are brood core or sheets of hexagonal stamped B Wax to roll up into candles and sometimes come in colored sheets at craft stores but they are much cheaper from a beekeeper's supply as "medium brood core" @ about 1-2 bucks a sheet. I punch the wads out over the mouths of the charged brass.

When the Sringfield Armory first started loading the 45-55 Carbine cartridge, a cardboard tube was inserted in the brass to take up the room of 15 grains of powder. The second way the space was filled was to use wads, like you are doing. Both of these attempts required the brass be stamped with a "C" on the head for soldiers to understand they were getting the carbine round and to use them in carbine with the "C" marked sights. Finally, someone came up with the idea to merely shove the hollow based bullet down on the powder charge. No need to use wads or mark the case head. The shorter OAL designated it as the carbine load. You might give it a try.

There are several custom casters who would be happy to cast the HB version for you. If interested, let me know.

Carbine loads

The load that I have used successfully is a 405 grain FB bullet over 55 grains of FFg BP. I use a 0.030 Walters wad over the powder and then fill the balance to the mouth of the case with a substance called PuffLon. It compresses easily. No need for a Beeswax wad.
They shoot very nicely out to 100 yards, which is as far as I have shot them.
Pete

I bought a Harrington & Richardson Little Bighorn commemorative 1873 Springfield Carbine .45-70 in 1977.
Still looks nearly new. I've put about 300 rounds through it, many of them black powder.
When I first got it, I didn't know a thing about "Carbine" loads. I ordered a 500 gr. Lee bullet mould, scrounged some lead off the backstop at the local range, and set to casting.
Problem 1: The leade on this rifle is so short, it won't accommodate the 500 gr. bullet when seated in the crimping groove. I had to pull all 20 rounds, reduce the Goex FFFG charge a bit, and reseat the bullet deeper.
I probably had around 45 grs. of powder in each case.
The carbine weighs about 6-1/2 pounds and has a case-hardened steel buttplate.
Touched off the first 500 gr. load. I still wince at the thought.
Owowowowowowow ... only 19 more to go.
My buddy took one shot and left me to finish the remaining 18.
It went from being an 1873 Springfield Carbine to an 1873 Torture Device.
Recoil was horrific. My shoulder bore a blue and purple bruise for two weeks.
Later, I got a Lee 405 gr. mould, and loaded that bullet over 55 grs. powder. Still a kicker, but not nearly as bad.
I can't help but wonder at the cavalry troopers who carried these. Army regulations of the day limited a cavalry trooper's weight to about 140 pounds. He carried 60 pounds of supplies with him. It was figured that 200 pounds was about the limit for a cavalry horse.
So, I have to admire those relatively small troopers who fired these .45-70 Springfields. Tough ol' hombres.
Many people wonder why the Army didn't carry the faster-firing Winchester 1873. One word: range. I also have a Winchester 1873 in .44-40, and I live in the remote Utah desert where you can see for miles.
The Springfield carbine, in the hands of a good shot, will hit man-sized targets out to 800 yards. The Winchester's limit is about 200 yards, in good hands. The Springfield rifle will reach out accurately to 1,000 yards.
Until you've been in this remote desert country, you can't imagine how far you can see, and how deceiving distances are. I've pointed out mountains that visitors thought were 10 miles away. A map showed they were closer to 25 miles.
You can underestimate distances a longgggg way in this wide open country. Soldiers with Winchesters would have been wasting their ammo at 400 yards or so.
A soldier with a Springfield Carbine had a decent chance of hitting his adversary.
The 1873 Springfield was an accurate, powerful, long-range carbine or rifle in its day. It was also rugged and foolproof. It received an unjust reputation for failing to eject empty cases. The fault lay in the copper-cased cartridges used at the time. When the switch was made to brass cases, the problem stopped.
If I knew for certain that I'd face an enemy inside 200 yards, I'd go with the Winchester. But for longer range, the Springfield wins.

I'd carry a Trapdoor, and a good revolver....and plenty of ammo for both.

That's what I do.



or

Looks like a Mississippi rifle with a TD conversion to me.

kind of a Gemmer Trapdoor. I love it!

Shanghai McCoy said:

StrawHat,
That top rifle with all the brass looks great . I have never seen a trapdoor with brass before. Is there a story behind that..?

Click to expand...

You can read about it here.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=589227

In a nutshell, I found the barreled action (Model 1866, 50-70 cartridge) and merged it with a replica 1841 Mississippi. I like it and it gets used frequently.