LAX 45-70 rounds

[hatman]

Hello,
I have a Farmingdale carbine I picked up last year. It's a beauty to say the least.
Recently I purchased some 45-70 rounds from LAX Ammo.
They're smokeless and the LAX description is 300gr copper coated bullet at 1860 FPS.
Does anyone think these would be unwise to use in my carbine?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

[bobw]

They will be stout and maybe you won't like the recoil. A 400 gr lead bullet at 1300 fps with black powder behind it will prolly kick less. But a guy needs brass. So if it does kick hard just take someone else along you don't like too much to shoot your "new gun" .

[august west]

I think you'll be fine. This is consistent with standard modern factory ammunition from what I've seen. I had a Farmingdale 45-70 and shot a wide variety of factory and handloaded ammunition in it, including some pretty stout 500 grain bullet loads, all smokeless, with no issues whatsever. Original black powder velocities are in the 1200 fps range, basically, and "hot" loads generally start at 2000 fps and go up from there. These are very rough numbers.

If your rifle is in good shape with a healthy chamber and bore I wouldn't be afraid to shoot normal modern-velocity handloads in it, as well as factory ammo.

[George Babits]

If that is a Big Timber Shiloh it will have the small diameter firing pin which would probably be OK for those loads. You would have to really love having the carbine belt you a good one to shoot them though. But, if it is an early Farmingdale it may have the bigger firing pin of the originals. I would be hesitant to pop off hot loads with that big, original style, firing pin. Easy enough to check by pulling the block out. Also on a few of the early cartridge ones the blocks were milled a bit too thin and caved above the firing pin hole. I had one of those early on. Shiloh replaced the block under warranty. Wolf Droege told me in the mid-1980's that there had been about 300 rifles with that problem and that they had all been replaced by that time, Easy enough to check.

George

[hatman]

Thanks for the feedback fellas.
I found another Farmingdale carbine on gunbroker a while back with serial number 1099. The ad said it was made in 78 or 79. Mine is just one number off of that one so I'm assuming it will have the larger firing pin and thinner block (?)
I'll check it out, but in the meantime I'll just stick with mild loads and use the LAX stuff in my Browning 86 and Pedersoli rolling block.
And yeah, at a buck apiece it was just a way to add some more brass to my stockpile.
Again, thank you.

[august west]

I would bet that your Sharps is stronger than your rolling block. Your 1886, however, will eat that stuff for lunch - save it for the 86.

[George Babits]

Even if it does have the larger firing pin, if it was one of the ones with the thin block, I would almost bet that it was replaced years ago. I think the one I had I got in 1978 or 1979. I sent it back for replacement after only a few hundred rounds. I have a 50-70 Farmingdale infantry rifle. It had the bigger firing pin and I've not had any trouble with the block being thin. I got that second hand. And, as I said before, only 300 slipped out that way.

George