.45-70: Difference between revisions
| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
The .45 rifle was the principal arm of the US Army [[.30-40 Krag|until 1893]], long after European adoption of efficient [[repeating rifle|repeaters]] using [[smokeless powder]] ammunition had made the American weapon obsolete. It was last used in quantity during the [[Spanish-American War]], and was not completely purged from the inventory until well into the 20th century. The rifle itself underwent a number of modifications over the years, the principal one being a strengthened [[breech]] starting in 1884. A new, 500 grain (32 g) bullet was adopted in that year for use in the stronger arm. |
The .45 rifle was the principal arm of the US Army [[.30-40 Krag|until 1893]], long after European adoption of efficient [[repeating rifle|repeaters]] using [[smokeless powder]] ammunition had made the American weapon obsolete. It was last used in quantity during the [[Spanish-American War]], and was not completely purged from the inventory until well into the 20th century. The rifle itself underwent a number of modifications over the years, the principal one being a strengthened [[breech]] starting in 1884. A new, 500 grain (32 g) bullet was adopted in that year for use in the stronger arm. |
||
Today, the traditional 405 grain load is considered adequate for any North American big game within its range limitations, including the great bears, and it does not destroy edible meat on smaller animals such as deer due to the bullet's relatively low velocity. It is very good for big game hunting in brush or heavy timber. The main limitation is the generally low velocity of this cartridge, putting a practical limit on shots at game beyond 120 meters or so, despite its ability to kill at many times that distance. The trajectory of the bullets is very steep. This was not a problem in the Old West as most shooters were then keen judges of distance and trajectory. Most modern shooters are not so skilled. In the Old West, it was said that a man about 400m away, if he saw the puff of white smoke from the rifle, had time to get out of the way of the bullet--not out of the question, as its time of flight would be 1.1 seconds (405 grain bullet at 1500 feet per second, ballistic coefficient of .21). |
|||
For this reason the .45-70 retains some popularity among American hunters, and is still offered by several commercial ammunition manufacturers. Although loaded with modern smokeless powders, in most cases (but '''''not all:''''' read the box!), pressures are kept low for safety in antique rifles. A few modern sporting rifles are [[chamber (weaponry)|chambered]] for the .45-70, and some of these will benefit from judicious [[handloading]] of home-made ammunition with markedly higher pressure and [[ballistics|ballistic performance]]. In a rifle such as the [[Siamese]] [[Mauser]] or a [[Ruger]] single shot, it can be handloaded to deliver good performance even on big [[African]] game. Never shoot such loads in rifles, such as the original Springfields, that cannot stand such pressure, . |
|||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
Revision as of 00:54, 1 February 2006
The .45-70 rifle cartridge was developed at the US Army's Springfield Armory for use in the Model 1873 .45 caliber rifle, known to collectors (but never to the Army) as the "Trapdoor Springfield." The new cartridge was a replacement for the stop-gap .50-70 cartridge which had been adopted in 1866, one year after the end of the American Civil War.
Nomenclature
The new cartridge was completely identifed as the .45-70-405, but was also commonly called the ".45 government" cartridge in commercial catalogs. The nomenclature of the time was far more informative than is the modern custom of naming non-metric cartridges after the inventor, or his sponsor, or some other whimsy:
- .45 : nominal bullet diameter, in decimals of an inch i.e. 0.45 inches (11.4 mm)
- 70 : weight of propellant (black powder) charge, in grains i.e. 70 grains (4.5 g)
- 405 : weight of lead bullet, in grains i.e. 405 grains (26.2 g)
History
As is usual with military ammunitions, the .45-70 was an immediate hit among sportsmen as well. A slightly lesser-powered version was adopted for use in the "Trapdoor" carbine. This had a 55 grain (3.6 g) powder charge. The brass casings of both were of the center-fire design.
The .45 rifle was the principal arm of the US Army until 1893, long after European adoption of efficient repeaters using smokeless powder ammunition had made the American weapon obsolete. It was last used in quantity during the Spanish-American War, and was not completely purged from the inventory until well into the 20th century. The rifle itself underwent a number of modifications over the years, the principal one being a strengthened breech starting in 1884. A new, 500 grain (32 g) bullet was adopted in that year for use in the stronger arm.
Today, the traditional 405 grain load is considered adequate for any North American big game within its range limitations, including the great bears, and it does not destroy edible meat on smaller animals such as deer due to the bullet's relatively low velocity. It is very good for big game hunting in brush or heavy timber. The main limitation is the generally low velocity of this cartridge, putting a practical limit on shots at game beyond 120 meters or so, despite its ability to kill at many times that distance. The trajectory of the bullets is very steep. This was not a problem in the Old West as most shooters were then keen judges of distance and trajectory. Most modern shooters are not so skilled. In the Old West, it was said that a man about 400m away, if he saw the puff of white smoke from the rifle, had time to get out of the way of the bullet--not out of the question, as its time of flight would be 1.1 seconds (405 grain bullet at 1500 feet per second, ballistic coefficient of .21).
For this reason the .45-70 retains some popularity among American hunters, and is still offered by several commercial ammunition manufacturers. Although loaded with modern smokeless powders, in most cases (but not all: read the box!), pressures are kept low for safety in antique rifles. A few modern sporting rifles are chambered for the .45-70, and some of these will benefit from judicious handloading of home-made ammunition with markedly higher pressure and ballistic performance. In a rifle such as the Siamese Mauser or a Ruger single shot, it can be handloaded to deliver good performance even on big African game. Never shoot such loads in rifles, such as the original Springfields, that cannot stand such pressure, .