45/90
would it be safe to shoot a 45/70 shell in a 45/90 chamber? the gun is a 1874 sharps. i dont intend to make a practice of it but the 45/70 will fit, and if you did it by mistake is my question. like a 38/357 interchange
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It is safe, in that it will not blow up the gun. Accuracy will likely suffer by the .3" of bullet jump through the longer chamber, and regular use would give trouble with fouling buildup, as can happen when shooting a lot of .38s in a .357.
It was commonly done in the years between the discontinuance of .45-90 ammunition and the current popularity of BPCR with about all old calibers available. I figure it probably shot well enough for woods hunting or just to say "I shot Grandpa's gun."
Is that Sharps an original or a repro?
Bear in mind that a .45x2.4" Sharps is not quite a .45-90 Winchester. The case is the same but the Sharps version was loaded with a heavy bullet for long range and big game, whereas the Winchester was loaded with a light (300 grain) bullet as an express round for high velocity by black powder standards.0 -
What about the rifling twist? Would, let's say, a 500 gr. bullet from a .45/70 cartridge stabalize in the .45/90 which, I assume, would have a slower twist for the lighter "express" bullet? 0 -
Probably not... in a Winchester.
But since this is a Sharps, it is most likely rifled for 420-550 grain bullets. To quote a usually reliable source (me) "a .45x2.4" Sharps is not quite a .45-90 Winchester."0
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