Yes, I am just not having any luck saying what's in my head in this thread. I had just been looking at the current production low wall in 22 Hornet, so that came off my fingers rather than the high wall. I should probably consider stopping posting in this thread.
OK. I got the book out. Here's what Venturino actually wrote:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by [sic}
"Originally the Sharps .45 caliber using a 2.4-inch cartridge case was developed solely for long range target shooting. This cartridge has come in modern times to be called the .45-90. However, in the 1870s this case was never factory loaded with less than 100 grains of black powder. Extra case capacity was proved by shallowly seating the 550-grain paper patched bullet. For today's shooters using modern brass with bullets seated normally, the .45-90 will seldom accommodate more than 80 grains of black powder...
"This single shot cartridge and loading should not be confused with the .45-90 Winchester. The latter was an express loading, and although the two cases were similar, Winchester barrels were cut with a slower rifling twist rate to better stabilize 300-grain bullets."
Mike Venturino, RIP
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So, the difference appears to be primarily in the Sharps or Winchester label being attached to the cartridge. Winchester would have been loading the latter, of course. The brass we get now as .45-90 is all .45-90 Winchester, AFAIK, and it appears that modern-made Sharps rifle designs in "45-90" are being chambered for .45-90 Winchester, as that's the brass that's available. What differences there may have been in the original Sharps 2.4" brass and the .45-90 Winchester brass, I don't know. We need a cartridge historian to sort it out.