.45-caliber rifles' rates of twist changes over the years
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.45-caliber rifles' rates of twist changes over the years
I have been informed that Shiloh Sharps 1874 .45-caliber rifle barrels standard OEM rate of twist has changed over the years of production. If this is accurate, please identify the first rate of twist, and each change with its year of introduction.
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Re: .45-caliber rifles' rates of twist changes over the year
Naphtali,
I know my Farmingdale Business .45 has a 1/20 twist, not sure if it was the first twist rate or not, but probably was.
Dennis
I know my Farmingdale Business .45 has a 1/20 twist, not sure if it was the first twist rate or not, but probably was.
Dennis
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Re: .45-caliber rifles' rates of twist changes over the year
I would agree. The originals used a 1 on 20" ROT in the .45 cal. and later a I in 18" for some experimental target guns in the '78 Model.Chief Beck wrote:Naphtali,
I know my Farmingdale Business .45 has a 1/20 twist, not sure if it was the first twist rate or not, but probably was.
Dennis
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Re: .45-caliber rifles' rates of twist changes over the year
My first Shiloh was purchased back in 94 or 95 and was a 45-70 LRE with a 34" standard weight barrel.
It had a 1-20" twist and looked like a pencil but shot very good. I used it for a couple years at long range
matches but noticed a drop in performance between the 900 yard and 1000 yard line. At that time, 45-90 brass
was not easily available (only .45 basic or BA stretched) so I set up a roller 45-70 with a #4 barrel 1-18" ROT and .300 freebore.
Performance was much better at 1000 yards. FM
It had a 1-20" twist and looked like a pencil but shot very good. I used it for a couple years at long range
matches but noticed a drop in performance between the 900 yard and 1000 yard line. At that time, 45-90 brass
was not easily available (only .45 basic or BA stretched) so I set up a roller 45-70 with a #4 barrel 1-18" ROT and .300 freebore.
Performance was much better at 1000 yards. FM
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Re: .45-caliber rifles' rates of twist changes over the year
Boge hit it on the money. What most people shoot today in 500+ gr bullets were not used in the 1870's. The Gov't bullet didn't make an appearance until 1881 in a greaser. Sharps factory loads featured the 420 ppb and a 400 gr greaser. The 420 was loaded with 75 grs of Fg and is right snappy in my 1 in 18 twist loaded the same. What reputation the 45-70 has was developed with 420 gr ppb loads with the buffalo hunters and the 45-55-405 greasers which served Custer not so well. The Benet inside primed cases were more of a problem than the 405 greaser in them but none the less, the point is the 420 gr ppb made the 45-75 the shining star in it's beginning. These original Sharps had the 1 in 20 twist rate. Today std is 1 in 18 but if you order a rifle I do believe you can spec 1 in 16 for the long bullets in the530-560 gr range, the std twist 1 in 18 or a 1 in 20 twist. The 420 ppb loaded over a grease cookie and 75 grs of Fg is a damn easy load to shoot and easy on the shoulder to boot. I am in the process of adjusting my ppb mold to throw the same bullet at 500 grs even, already know it also shoots them at 550grs. bobw
bobw