Question about brass for the 45-75

[CarverTripp]

Hello gents 
I've been using .348Win for brass for the 76'(Uberti) I own. The .348 expands upon firing to fit the chamber all except the head.
I've heard some say that the 50 Alaskan is also good, and maybe better, easier, to form than the .348Win. The drawing of the case, (1918) shows that the original head  dimension for the Win 45-75 is .562-.564. Since the parent case for the 50Alaskan and the .348 are esentially the same, am I correct to assume the head dimention for both is the same? If true the 50Alaskan head is not the correct size for the chamber.
Finally my question.... Is there a cartridge available for forming suitable 45-75 cases with a head dimension of .562-564?
I don't know about you'all but after firing, my .348 cases look pretty weird 
Thanks,
Carver

[Buck Stinson]

For the past 45 years, I've used .348 cases in all of my original 1876 Winchesters in .45-75 caliber.  I have never had a problem with ejecting the empty cases and they look fine when extracted from an original chamber.  Maybe the new repops have a chamber that is a little larger than the original.  I've never had any experience with the Chaparral or Uberti, so I don't know.  I also use .348 to make brass for my .50-95's and there is a slight bulge near the bottom of the case on this caliber.  However, the brass is as tough as it gets and I've never lost a single case, so the bulge doesn't make any difference to me.  If it were hard on the gun, then I would be concerned, but it has no effect, what so ever.

Adios,
Buck.

[john boy]

The .348 expands upon firing to fit the chamber all except the head.

Carver, if you mean the case web when you say head ... be patient.  The 348 brass have a thick wall and it takes several reloads to make the web pregnant.  Using black powder, I've got the web's to start getting 'pregnant' after 3 firings.  My cases with smokeless  ... they still haven't started to form yet using 23grs XMP 5744 

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[Grizzly Adams]

For the past 45 years, I've used .348 cases in all of my original 1876 Winchesters in .45-75 caliber.  I have never had a problem with ejecting the empty cases and they look fine when extracted from an original chamber.  Maybe the new repops have a chamber that is a little larger than the original.  I've never had any experience with the Chaparral or Uberti, so I don't know.  I also use .348 to make brass for my .50-95's and there is a slight bulge near the bottom of the case on this caliber.  However, the brass is as tough as it gets and I've never lost a single case, so the bulge doesn't make any difference to me.  If it were hard on the gun, then I would be concerned, but it has no effect, what so ever.

Adios,
Buck.

Buck, Amigo, you should thing about getting yourself one of these new fangled Uberti 1876s.  Purely in the interest of "research", of course!

Carver Tripp, the 348 brass is the ticket, and will eventually expand out fully and look a little less like a Coke bottle.   BP does the best job.  Don't worry about the strange shape, it does no harm!

[Hobie]

.50-90 Sharps brass (I tried Starline) will work but you need to turn down the rims.  While they work with the bolt and extractor, they won't fit up the tube. 

I have come to prefer the .50 Alaskan brass trimmed and reform to .45-75.  Why?  Because it is a simple matter to trim, form in one move (without multiple stages of case mouth expansion), anneal, final trim and load.  When you figure your time, the .50 Alaskan brass cost isn't that much different from the .348 Win brass.  .50-90 brass is more expensive yet but you must also reduce the rim diameter.  I suppose that it all comes down to personal priorities. 

[larryo_1]

I must enter my 2 bits worth here about this "brass" problem.  I have used Bertram and will not again.  Too spendy and not very good.  I use, however both .348 brass and 50-90 brass.  Both of which I really like.  I sure don't worry about that "coke bottle" shape either and after a couple of shots it disappears anyway.  The 50-90 brass is real easy to form into 45-75 brass but as hobie says, you need to do a little "fine tuning" on the rims.  So, for what it is worth, I have no problems with either and sure can't recommend that Bertram stuff after my problems with both the quality and the price.  I am waiting, however, for Starline to maybe come out, this spring, with some 45-75 brass of their own.

[Buck Stinson]

Grizzly,
You're right, I should try one of the Uberti '76's, but I'll probably wait to see if they offer a carbine.  I would buy either the .45-75 or the .50 Express.

Adios,
Buck

[CarverTripp]

Thanks for the advise folks, I've only fired my brass once around using BP and the new lyman 350 gn mold, so I'll be patient. I e-mailed Starline yesterday and asked them to concider 45-75. Maybe if enough folks buzz in they're ear they'll do up a batch!
Carver

[sass2924]

I emailed Starline also.  THe said the 45-75 is on "coming soon" list but gave no time.  Also said they would be working on 45-60, 40-60 and 50-95.

[Grizzly Adams]

I emailed Starline also.  THe said the 45-75 is on "coming soon" list but gave no time.  Also said they would be working on 45-60, 40-60 and 50-95.

Thanks for that info sass2924.  I think as many of us who can should call/e-mail them in regards to brass for this family of cartridges - kinds keep them "focused" on the project!

[Hobie]

I emailed Starline also.  THe said the 45-75 is on "coming soon" list but gave no time.  Also said they would be working on 45-60, 40-60 and 50-95.

I will order at least 250 cases when Starline brings them to market and save my .50 AK stash for another rifle... 

[john boy]

I'd love to have a hundred or so of the Starline 45-75's because they do a great job.  The problem would be ... I've got 400 cases from reformed 348's! and I'll never have that many cases reloaded.

[Grizzly Adams]

I'd love to have a hundred or so of the Starline 45-75's because they do a great job.  The problem would be ... I've got 400 cases from reformed 348's! and I'll never have that many cases reloaded.

Holy cow, John!  You trying to corner the market on 348 brass!

[Hobie]

Holy cow, John!  You trying to corner the market on 348 brass!

Don't laugh at John Boy!     I've got about 300-400 cases formed, too.  It is hard to keep count when they are in various stages of loading, with different primers, and some as the 100+ rounds loaded ammo I got from rjohns94.  I think it is necessary, especially with these odd ducks, to have lots of brass.  Learned my lesson in the early '70s with the .38-55 and I'm sure a .303 Savage shooter would agree.   

[Grizzly Adams]

Don't laugh at John Boy!     I've got about 300-400 cases formed, too.  It is hard to keep count when they are in various stages of loading, with different primers, and some as the 100+ rounds loaded ammo I got from rjohns94.  I think it is necessary, especially with these odd ducks, to have lots of brass.  Learned my lesson in the early '70s with the .38-55 and I'm sure a .303 Savage shooter would agree.   

Good point, and good advise.  I think I need to catch up a bit!

[Dirty Brass]

I'm not clear on the fireforming process for the 348 cases. I have trimmed the cases and run them through the 45/75 Lee die to form the case shape correctly, but I'm not clear on the neck forming. Do I need to expand the neck up to .458 before fire-forming, or will the neck open up when shooting? It seems this would be awful hard on the brass without expanding it first. I've never done this before, so it's a learning experience for me. I have some reworked 50 Alaskan cases on the way, but I have 200 348 cases that I want to reform too. Is there a neck expander that would work for this available?  Thanks in advance fella's!

[Hobie]

I'm not clear on the fireforming process for the 348 cases. I have trimmed the cases and run them through the 45/75 Lee die to form the case shape correctly, but I'm not clear on the neck forming. Do I need to expand the neck up to .458 before fire-forming, or will the neck open up when shooting? It seems this would be awful hard on the brass without expanding it first. I've never done this before, so it's a learning experience for me. I have some reworked 50 Alaskan cases on the way, but I have 200 348 cases that I want to reform too. Is there a neck expander that would work for this available?  Thanks in advance fella's!

I expand/bell the case neck just as I would for any case in which I'm going to seat a lead/cast bullet.  Some folks like the Lyman M die, others just use the standard die that comes in the set. 

[Buck Stinson]

I do mine in two stages.  First I insert a .40 caliber expansion plug in one of my .45-75 die sets and run all of the .348 brass through that die.  Then I run the brass through the same die with the .45 caliber expansion plug.  After full length resizing, the fire forming is easy and perfect everytime.  Over the years, I've reformed around 300 or so cases and they work great in all of my original .45-75's.

Adios,
Buck

[Dirty Brass]

Thanks fellas. Apparently my Lee dies don't have expansion plugs in the 45/75 set. Seems odd since my other rifle calibers do have the expander in the die. Guess I'll be ordering an expander die - or try making one......thanks. At least I know the proper procedure now.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

C-H sells long tapered expanders in sets.  I have three, from .30 up to .458.  They get used in an expander die body that I had for my .375 Nitro Express.  (a .30 Krag straightened out.)