Author Topic: 45/70 barrel question  (Read 419 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline RonO777

  • Trade Count: (12)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 185
  • Gender: Male
    • Mr44Mag
45/70 barrel question
« on: December 25, 2008, 05:08:37 PM »
Ive got a 45/70 barrel that has been giving me fits. I think Ive figured out what the problem is. When a round is chambered the face of the bullet is below the face of the barrel. Not much. The rim on a 45/70 is cartridge is .07 in. On the barrel the rim area is .077in. Ive been having misfires and flyers. I checked my 308 and my 223 both set the bullet flush with the barrel. So Im thinking I could lightly file the barrel face till the cartridge sits flush then just refit the barrel. And before anyone says just send it back to the factory, its a used barrel. Can someone witha 45/70 measure the rimmed area on you barrel and let me know if Im on the right track?
Ron

Offline quickdtoo

  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (149)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 43304
  • Gender: Male
Re: 45/70 barrel question
« Reply #1 on: December 25, 2008, 05:17:20 PM »
My SS 45-70 Ultra Hunter is like that, I thinned the extractor post a little and added a shim on the front side of the post that makes the extractor post hold the rim against the breech face, works great! I would have sent it in for replacement, but after finding out it shoots so good, didn't want to!! ;D

Tim
"Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest" -  Mark Twain

Offline Ten Ring

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (18)
  • Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 297
  • Gender: Male
Re: 45/70 barrel question
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2008, 05:30:36 PM »
Tim when you get a chance could you post some pictures of this fix.
  Ten Ring
223,22-250,280,270,357m,2-35 whelen,2-444 marlin,3-45/70,45LC,45/70BC.,500SW,35rem,300aac,44mag

Offline quickdtoo

  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (149)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 43304
  • Gender: Male
Re: 45/70 barrel question
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2008, 09:16:56 AM »
There's not much of anything to take a pic of, it's just a matter of taking just enough metal off the surface of the extractor post that's against the breech face so it's thin enough to hold the case against the breech face, it will be too thick if you don't and the extractor can't hold the rim back far enough to eliminate the excess headspace, then add a shim on the front side of the post that keeps the extractor from going too far forward so it traps the case against the breech face.

For a temp shim to experiment with this idea, I used aluminum furnace tape, but bore cleaner or oil will remove the adhesive and the shim can fall out of place, but  a dab of cured epoxy on the front of the post, then filed just thin enough makes a permanent shim with no changes to the barrel. If you mess an extractor up, a new one can be bought from H&R, that's why I didn't put the epoxy in the extractor notch, although it could be removed with a file. I also wanted to see how well this new barrel shot, didn't want to return a good shooting barrel with the possibility of getting a replacement that didn't shoot as well, and I was right, it's a good shooter and I didn't have to ship it back to H&R. ;D

Bear in mind that rim thickness varies between brass some and adjusting the shim may be necessary for different brass.

Tim
"Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest" -  Mark Twain