Head Spacing Question, S&W 460 magnum rifle

[Zaydok Allen]

Hello friends and neighbors,

I mostly shoot handguns, and mainly revolvers. I really enjoy shooting S&W 460 magnum out of my X frame. Well, about two weeks ago I got really luck and found a rifle I've always wanted. I got a NIB Ruger No. 1 chambered for the same cartridge. It's a great companion rifle, and really nice looking.

Anyway, my question is if anyone knows if it is safe to fire 454 Casull and 45 Colt out of the gun, like you can with the 460 revolvers. My concern is head spacing. The 460 S&W mag is a rimmed, straight case. I assume that it uses the case mouth for head spacing like any straight walled rifle cartridge, and being a falling block design, the block holds it firmly in place. So being also straight walled and shooting bullets of the same diameter, the 454 and 45 colt cases shouldn't rupture and the bullets should travel down the tube with no problem. However, there would be a gap between where the bullet engages the riffling, and the lip in the chamber used to headspace a full length 460 cartridge. I'm not sure of the proper term for that lip.

So I think firing 454 Casull or 45 Colt would cause the bullet to hit the head spacing lip, and cause erosion, correct? I mean in a revolver there is the forcing cone that engages the bullet to the rifling, but this is more like trying to shoot 45 GAP, out of a 45ACP gun. With GAP being the shorter of the two.

I checked the manual and found no mention of it. I could email Ruger, and probably will, but I'm just curious what everyone thinks.

It logically seems like a bad idea as it will be asking a metal edge to take an impact that should not be doing anything but having expanding brass press up against it. Thoughts?

 

[rcmodel]

I assume that it uses the case mouth for head spacing like any straight walled rifle cartridge,

No.
All rimmed cartridges headspace off the rim.

The bullet jump is not a concern.
Neither is erosion with handgun caliber pressure levels.

The only concern is Make Sure you Thoroughly Clean the carbon rings out of the chambers before shooting higher pressure .460 again.

rc

 

[BCRider]

Only rimless cartridges use the mouth for head spacing. So you sort of got that one backwards.

It's also not limited to pure straight wall cartridges either. 9mm has a very slight taper yet it too headspaces off the casing mouth. And I'm pretty sure that there are other rimless cartridges that fit this slight taper category.

Concerning the Ruger I'd deeply envious. That would be a VERY nice setup. Much like a 45-70 Government on steroids.....

 

[R.W.Dale]

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The only concern is Make Sure you Thoroughly Clean the carbon rings rc

No that's a minor concern compared to not breaking your shoulder and keeping a scope from embedding in your cranium.

Till you shoot a 460 magnum long gun you cannot comprehend how much recoil a "handgun" round can generate.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

All rimmed cartridges headspace off the rim.

Only rimless cartridges use the mouth for head spacing. So you sort of got that one backwards.

Oh yeah. That makes sense. Whoops! Thanks for the correction you two.

The only concern is Make Sure you Thoroughly Clean the carbon rings out of the chambers before shooting higher pressure .460 again.

Right. And I'm used to doing that from shooting revolvers.

Concerning the Ruger I'd deeply envious. That would be a VERY nice setup. Much like a 45-70 Government on steroids.....

I never thought I'd find one. When I saw it I drooled and payed too much. But I really don't care. It's a good investment since they don't chamber it in this cartridge any more, and was my grail rifle. Always wanted one. Problem solved.

 

[BCRider]

I dunno.... I sort of like RW's reply on what is important...

Thanks muchly for the good chuckle RW....