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What straight wall cartridge?

nakneker

Gold $$ Contributor
I have bolt action rifles covered, I good array of levers too. I’m looking at trying some older historical cartridges just for fun, straight wall cartridges mainly. I have a couple 45-70 levers and #1 45-70, 30-30 levers and a #1, 35 rem lever and 444 lever. Just looking for something different, maybe a 38-55 or 405 win in a 1885. I’m not interested in anything bigger than a 45-70, that’s about my threshold for recoil. The little 44-40, 32-20 and 25-20s would be fun in a lever or a falling block. Not interested in black powder metallic cartridges.

Anyways, I figured some of you guys have been down this road and thought I’d ask.


What I’m missing or what’s your opinion for a fun to load and shoot platform that has some history behind it.
 
What about the new 3? Or 40 straight walls somebody makes? 30 Legend or 30 White tail or something like that?
I’ve been wishing for a 10mm lever gun. I’m getting 1300ish FPS out of my Glock, with a 180. Might go 1700 out of a rifle? Maybe 16 rounds in the tube of a little 18” carbine? That would be cool!
 
What about the new 3? Or 40 straight walls somebody makes? 30 Legend or 30 White tail or something like that?
I’ve been wishing for a 10mm lever gun. I’m getting 1300ish FPS out of my Glock, with a 180. Might go 1700 out of a rifle? Maybe 16 rounds in the tube of a little 18” carbine? That would be cool!
We think alike, I’ve have been having fun with the 357, 44 mag and 45 Colt levers. There was a beautiful 1885 with gorgeous wood in 45 Colt that I tried to pick up the other day but the other guy wanted it more than me. The 45 colt 1885s come up now and again, there’s also a 454 casull that would be fun, also a Browning 1885.

I haven’t seen any rifles/carbines in 10mm but I wish somebody would offer one. I enjoy that cartridge out of my Glock 40, you can load it for bear or you can load it soft. I carry it in a chest holster in the off season when hiking the back country. Most guys opt for the G20 but I don’t mind the extra weight and length of the G40.

Winchester built 200 1885s this year in 350 legend, some of them have some above average wood too, one of those would. I’ll end up with a couple different offerings, just something different which I enjoy.
 
I have bolt action rifles covered, I good array of levers too. I’m looking at trying some older historical cartridges just for fun, straight wall cartridges mainly. I have a couple 45-70 levers and #1 45-70, 30-30 levers and a #1, 35 rem lever and 444 lever. Just looking for something different, maybe a 38-55 or 405 win in a 1885. I’m not interested in anything bigger than a 45-70, that’s about my threshold for recoil. The little 44-40, 32-20 and 25-20s would be fun in a lever or a falling block. Not interested in black powder metallic cartridges.

Anyways, I figured some of you guys have been down this road and thought I’d ask.


What I’m missing or what’s your opinion for a fun to load and shoot platform that has some history behind it.
how about some of those Shiloh Sharps? they are listed in quite a few cartridges sounds like you would like. i think one of those would be very cool and probab the 1st gun id go for if i wanted to shoot an older replica. mabie i better look into them also. is ruger actually making any levers besides 30-30s and 45-70s?
 
I love my replica Winchester 1895 in .405 Winchester. It's the Teddy Roosevelt Edition model. I shot an old bison with it a couple years ago. I have some brass and dies, but haven't loaded for it simply because it's too nice of a rifle to use much. I like the history of the cartridge and the rifle.
 
how about some of those Shiloh Sharps? they are listed in quite a few cartridges sounds like you would like. i think one of those would be very cool and probab the 1st gun id go for if i wanted to shoot an older replica. mabie i better look into them also. is ruger actually making any levers besides 30-30s and 45-70s?
Ruger is, I have them in 44 mag and 357, my 45 Colt lever is a a Henry big boy.

I like those Shiloh Sharps too, lots of models and chamberings.
I love my replica Winchester 1895 in .405 Winchester. It's the Teddy Roosevelt Edition model. I shot an old bison with it a couple years ago. I have some brass and dies, but haven't loaded for it simply because it's too nice of a rifle to use much. I like the history of the cartridge and the rifle.
That’s where my heads at, something historical even if the rifle isn’t an original. These old cartridges never really did much for me other than the ones I mentioned but I would love to take a rifle like yours in 405 Win on a buffalo hunt, there’s something about that experience I think I’d really enjoy. I think I’m zeroing in on 38-55 1885.

Share a pic of that rifle if you feel inclined.
 
I have the 40, too. Just for giggles, I took some shots at a 100 yard target, last week. I used a rear bag as a rest. I think I will practice some more at 50 and 100 with the gun. ;) It would be nice to get proficient at distance! Try it. You’ll probably be good at it!
IMG_1428.jpeg
 
I have the 40, too. Just for giggles, I took some shots at a 100 yard target, last week. I used a rear bag as a rest. I think I will practice some more at 50 and 100 with the gun. ;) It would be nice to get proficient at distance! Try it. You’ll probably be good at it!
View attachment 1640261
Fun! We’ve played around at 50-70 yards but never at 100, I’ll try it, looks like fun!
 
First off, find a cartridge for which you can get brass and bullets, or form it with just a loading die set and fire forming and not an expensive case forming set. Then, don't forget to check if there is a straight wall cartridge length limit where you are hunting.
 
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My dad gave me his old 1886 Winchester, chambered in 40-82. It's a lot of fun to shoot. Factory brass is non-existent but you can form cases from 45-90 quite easily. The 1886 handles mild loads of smokeless powder no problem. Recoil is not as bad as a modern 45-70. I cast and size my own bullets for it since bore diameters back then varied by a couple of thousandths either way. Overall it's a fun experience to load and shoot this old rifle. Dad also had a Winchester Model 71 that my brother got. It's a 348 Winchester, which is not a straight wall but has pretty good ballistics as an elk or moose gun. Also a really fun rifle to shoot with recoil not exceeding the 45-70.
 

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My dad gave me his old 1886 Winchester, chambered in 40-82. It's a lot of fun to shoot. Factory brass is non-existent but you can form cases from 45-90 quite easily. The 1886 handles mild loads of smokeless powder no problem. Recoil is not as bad as a modern 45-70. I cast and size my own bullets for it since bore diameters back then varied by a couple of thousandths either way. Overall it's a fun experience to load and shoot this old rifle. Dad also had a Winchester Model 71 that my brother got. It's a 348 Winchester, which is not a straight wall but has pretty good ballistics as an elk or moose gun. Also a really fun rifle to shoot with recoil not exceeding the 45-70.
Neat rifle Matador, plus it’s a family hierloom. I did find a 38-55 1885, rifle, brass, bullets and dies are inbound.
I had a model 71 348 Winchester, sold it not long ago, kind of wish I didn’t. Mine was a Miruko Browning. That rifle was a lot of fun!
 
I have bolt action rifles covered, I good array of levers too. I’m looking at trying some older historical cartridges just for fun, straight wall cartridges mainly. I have a couple 45-70 levers and #1 45-70, 30-30 levers and a #1, 35 rem lever and 444 lever. Just looking for something different, maybe a 38-55 or 405 win in a 1885. I’m not interested in anything bigger than a 45-70, that’s about my threshold for recoil. The little 44-40, 32-20 and 25-20s would be fun in a lever or a falling block. Not interested in black powder metallic cartridges.

Anyways, I figured some of you guys have been down this road and thought I’d ask.


What I’m missing or what’s your opinion for a fun to load and shoot platform that has some history behind it.
Nakneker -

Howdy !

Thinking out loud…..

IF a Marlin M-336 had enough barrel materiel for it… perhaps it could be re-bored and rifled for .40” calibre ?

I mention this because….
IF you were to cut the shoulder and neck off a .35 Remington case ( example Remington brand ), the resulting “ wildcat “ straight-wall case would feature an ID of .40” from the new case mouth…. increasing to .401” ID about .100”above the inside web of the base. Wildcat’ case oal would be a nominal 1.539”…. .039” longer than the old .401 Winchester SL. The .40 cal wildcat would have just about the same case’ mouth OD as the .401SL, and rim diam of the .35Rem case is around only .003” larger in diameter than .401SL’ rim diameter.

I DK whether a stock M-336 barrel’s length ( .30” or .35” calibre ) would need to be shortened, to give the wildcat-chambered rifle a little more barrel OD @ the muzzle?

The notional rifle would use the same bolt / bolt face, extractor and ejector of the factory action. I don’t have my M-336XLR .35Remington here with me currently ( it is over with a friend ), and would need to check to see whether the M-336 .35 Remington cartridge
carrier would require any modification ( relieving ) to it’s “ horns “; to accept .40” diam
bulleted cartridges.

A .40” cal case you didn’t mention is the .38-40 Winchester. The wildcat would be .234” longer in case oal than the .38-40 case.

“ Rimless “ case / cartridge use in lever guns is something that has already been successfully demonstrated. The .35 Remington-based wildcat would have case wall thickness @ the case mouth that exceeds the amount used on the cases like the
.40 S&W and .45 ACP.

When loading / reload in the .40” cal wildcat, use of a “ taper crimp “ would make sense.


With regards,
357Mag
 
Or an 1895 (pre-Ruger) Marlin in 45-70. Or a BRC (Borchardt Rifle Company) in the caliber of your choice...

Check your PM's.

ISS
 
Nakneker -

Howdy !

Thinking out loud…..

IF a Marlin M-336 had enough barrel materiel for it… perhaps it could be re-bored and rifled for .40” calibre ?

I mention this because….
IF you were to cut the shoulder and neck off a .35 Remington case ( example Remington brand ), the resulting “ wildcat “ straight-wall case would feature an ID of .40” from the new case mouth…. increasing to .401” ID about .100”above the inside web of the base. Wildcat’ case oal would be a nominal 1.539”…. .039” longer than the old .401 Winchester SL. The .40 cal wildcat would have just about the same case’ mouth OD as the .401SL, and rim diam of the .35Rem case is around only .003” larger in diameter than .401SL’ rim diameter.

I DK whether a stock M-336 barrel’s length ( .30” or .35” calibre ) would need to be shortened, to give the wildcat-chambered rifle a little more barrel OD @ the muzzle?

The notional rifle would use the same bolt / bolt face, extractor and ejector of the factory action. I don’t have my M-336XLR .35Remington here with me currently ( it is over with a friend ), and would need to check to see whether the M-336 .35 Remington cartridge
carrier would require any modification ( relieving ) to it’s “ horns “; to accept .40” diam
bulleted cartridges.

A .40” cal case you didn’t mention is the .38-40 Winchester. The wildcat would be .234” longer in case oal than the .38-40 case.

“ Rimless “ case / cartridge use in lever guns is something that has already been successfully demonstrated. The .35 Remington-based wildcat would have case wall thickness @ the case mouth that exceeds the amount used on the cases like the
.40 S&W and .45 ACP.

When loading / reload in the .40” cal wildcat, use of a “ taper crimp “ would make sense.


With regards,
357Mag
Sounds like a fun idea, a bit more involved than I’m looking for I’m afraid. I’m really just wanting to fun have with original cartridges and older style rifles. Thanks for the input though, much appreciated!
 
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Nakneker,

I found a Winchester 1886 (new one) that is going to Turnbull's to make into a 50-90 instead of that 71 I got from you. Want it back, just let me know.
 

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