Trying to fire form 40-60 into 45-60 for my trapdoor in 45-60wcf

smleno1mkIII · October 24, 2021, 07:30 PM

Tried 9.5 gr red dot 1/3 piece Tp Cow to top and 1/3 piece Tp on top,no dice. Tried 6 gr red dot and lee 230 gr Tl bullet still wouldn’t fully form?

ligonierbill · October 25, 2021, 12:36 PM

Don't fireform it, just run your cases through a 45-60 die. Lube the inside of the neck with mica.

HiBC · October 25, 2021, 02:52 PM

Both 40-60 WCF and 45-60 WCF are based on the 45-70 case.Length is shortened to 1.890.

40-60 Maynard is .303 Brit or 30-40 Krag blown out straight.

For me,the COW trick....with NO BULLET works fine but I use Bullseye.

I'd suggest virgin brass or annealed necks or they might split on you.

I'd think 40-60 WCF is hard to come by,and would have trade value.

45-70 is current production . I'd rather neck down than up.

FWIW, a while back I ordered 300 BLK from Starline. Web Page said "Out of stock/backorder" I backordered. It was delivered in 3 or 4 days.

105kw · October 25, 2021, 03:57 PM

Why don't you just cut down .45-70 to .45-60
45-70 brass is, at least until recently, common.

smleno1mkIII · October 25, 2021, 09:24 PM

40-60 was all I could get, 45-70 brass won’t work because the rim is to small for my trapdoors ejector to grab and also to thick for the action to close I can’t find actual 45-60 brass anywhere?!

105kw · October 25, 2021, 10:01 PM

Where did you get your brass? I'm a little confused, 40-60 and 45-60 are both based on 45-70.
If your gun was originally an 1870, in 50-70 Government. 50-70 rim is .005 thinner then 45-70
Base size for the 50-70 is .660, for the 45-70 is .608.

smleno1mkIII · October 25, 2021, 10:34 PM

It’s Jamison brass from grafs .629 diameter rim the 45-70 rim is also to thick that the trap door won’t close all the way my trapdoor I’ve figured out was actually originally a 1868 rifle made in 1870 has what looks to be an original 1876 Winchester butt plate the barrel is from an 1873 turned back and rechamberd and cut down to about 25 inches has a very early 1873 rear sight also all the screws look like they wer hammered out by a black smith.

105kw · October 25, 2021, 10:43 PM

Ok, that clears it up a bit. Could you get a 45-70 Ejector fit?

smleno1mkIII · October 25, 2021, 11:04 PM

Tried that didn’t work good suggestion though it had a broken ejector when I got it 45-70 brass worked then but had to dig it out with a modified paint can opener

October 24, 2021, 07:30 PM	#1
smleno1mkIII Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2009 Location: washington state Posts: 176	Trying to fire form 40-60 into 45-60 for my trapdoor in 45-60wcf Tried 9.5 gr red dot 1/3 piece Tp Cow to top and 1/3 piece Tp on top,no dice. Tried 6 gr red dot and lee 230 gr Tl bullet still wouldn’t fully form?

October 25, 2021, 12:36 PM	#2
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,456	Don't fireform it, just run your cases through a 45-60 die. Lube the inside of the neck with mica.

October 25, 2021, 02:52 PM	#3
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,286	Both 40-60 WCF and 45-60 WCF are based on the 45-70 case.Length is shortened to 1.890. 40-60 Maynard is .303 Brit or 30-40 Krag blown out straight. For me,the COW trick....with NO BULLET works fine but I use Bullseye. I'd suggest virgin brass or annealed necks or they might split on you. I'd think 40-60 WCF is hard to come by,and would have trade value. 45-70 is current production . I'd rather neck down than up. FWIW, a while back I ordered 300 BLK from Starline. Web Page said "Out of stock/backorder" I backordered. It was delivered in 3 or 4 days.

October 25, 2021, 03:57 PM	#4
105kw Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2017 Location: Columbia Basin Washington Posts: 414	Why don't you just cut down .45-70 to .45-60 45-70 brass is, at least until recently, common.

October 25, 2021, 09:24 PM	#5
smleno1mkIII Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2009 Location: washington state Posts: 176	40-60 was all I could get, 45-70 brass won’t work because the rim is to small for my trapdoors ejector to grab and also to thick for the action to close I can’t find actual 45-60 brass anywhere?!

October 25, 2021, 10:01 PM	#6
105kw Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2017 Location: Columbia Basin Washington Posts: 414	Where did you get your brass? I'm a little confused, 40-60 and 45-60 are both based on 45-70. If your gun was originally an 1870, in 50-70 Government. 50-70 rim is .005 thinner then 45-70 Base size for the 50-70 is .660, for the 45-70 is .608.

October 25, 2021, 10:34 PM	#7
smleno1mkIII Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2009 Location: washington state Posts: 176	It’s Jamison brass from grafs .629 diameter rim the 45-70 rim is also to thick that the trap door won’t close all the way my trapdoor I’ve figured out was actually originally a 1868 rifle made in 1870 has what looks to be an original 1876 Winchester butt plate the barrel is from an 1873 turned back and rechamberd and cut down to about 25 inches has a very early 1873 rear sight also all the screws look like they wer hammered out by a black smith.

October 25, 2021, 10:43 PM	#8
105kw Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2017 Location: Columbia Basin Washington Posts: 414	Ok, that clears it up a bit. Could you get a 45-70 Ejector fit?

October 25, 2021, 11:04 PM	#9
smleno1mkIII Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2009 Location: washington state Posts: 176	Tried that didn’t work good suggestion though it had a broken ejector when I got it 45-70 brass worked then but had to dig it out with a modified paint can opener