Toggle-links BP Friendly?

[Silver Creek Slim]

I am considering purchasing a toggle-link rifle (Henry, 1866 Win, 1873 Win). Which one is the most BP friendly? I am currently shooting full-house BP .45 Colt PRS boolit loads. How much BP blowback do ya get with such loads? Should I go to .44-40 with Mav boolits instead of .45 Colt? I currently don't have any components for .44-40, so I would have to buy dies, brass, boolits or mold, etc. Any opinion and/or experience?

Slim

[Singing Bear]

My experience...the 73.  Side plates make it easy to get access for cleaning.  Stick with the 45's if that's what you already got.  Make sure to put a really good crimp to help minimize blowby.  You could also switch to 3f, which is just a bit hotter than 2f and will help to expand the brass a little more on firing to give an even better seal.

With any of those types of rifles, keep a small spritz bottle of somekind of moose milk handy.  There's always going to be some fouling of the lifter and a squirt of moose milk will loosen it  right up.  Some pards have gone a whole match without and some need to spritz after each stage.  You never know til you start shooting it. 

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

I shoot them all and they all shoot well, including the Henry. I agree that you have to put a good crimp on the cartrdge if you shoot a .45 caliber with black powder. Another good trick to reduce black powder blow by is to resize only the top half of the case. In other words don't resize the whole case. Use a grease biscuit and you will have minimal clean up.

OCB

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[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Silver Creek,
One more thing! There is nothing prettier then the 1860 Henry Rifle (not the henry big boy) belching out full loads of black powder. It is in my estimation the most pleasing to look at of all the early winchester firearms, the second is the winchester 1876.

OCB

[Cuts Crooked]

Slim, Listen to OC...he speaks the truth! A full house load, with a heavy slug, "neck sized", and crimped heavy, will alleviate most blow back when shooting the .45 Colt in any lever gun.

I would add to that...use Winchester brass if at all possible, because it's slightly thinner than most of the other brands and will obturate and seal the chamber quicker. But since yer already usin the PRS slug ya don' need the biscuts. (save the biscuts fer soakin up the gravy at supper time! )

[Tangle Eye]

All good advice.  I might add that if you are castin your own PRS bullets try 'em "as cast" or  sized to .454 instead of the standard .452.  That also will help reduce blowback.

As for which of the toggle bolts to use - any of 'em!!!  The '73 is probably the easiest to clean but the '66 ain't far behind.  It is a bit of a pain to get the side plates off the Henry but it sure is a cool rifle!!

[Tommy tornado]

If you buy the Henry or the "66 make sure you have a rubber mallet and a good wood driver to hammer off the side plates.  You can also try Swiss powder.  It is more expensive but hotter and (I believe) that it burns cleaner than GOEX, Elephant, KWIK, and Dragoon.

[Sergeant Smokepole]

Also, use FFFg instead of FFg. It produces a little more pressure and burns cleaner too....

[Willie Wheelgun]

I use a bore snake with my '66 after a couple stages.  I like the snake as it drags all the crud out the shootin end not down inta the works.  If you do push a rod through, be sure to invert your rifle so most of the crud drops out and not into the action.
JMHO
Willie

[Silver Creek Slim]

Thanks, pards for all the advise. I decided on a Henry .44-40 'cuz the local "toy" dealer has had it for awhile. He checked on prices for '66's and '73's. The '66's would be $25 less than that Henry. The '73's would be about $100 more than it. The euro is making these imports more expensive. And, besides the Henry gets more style points.  Thanks again.

Slim

PS. Now, ya pards can buy some of me guns so I can buy the Henry.
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