1873 clarification

P

PhillipP

New member
I see alot of threads that say you should not shoot "hot loads" in a 1873 due to the toggle link. I have not yet seen what the defintion of what a hot load round is. Doing some research I have seen some 45lc cowboy action ammo that is 200 and 250 grains that travel 636 to 760 FPS. I also see some other 45 lc rounds that are rated at 850 to 920 FPS, are these too high? Should a repro 1873 stay in the 636 to 760 range or could you shoot 850 to 920 with confidence that it will not destroy the toggle link?

Phillip
 
Howdy

Velocity is not the governing factor. Pressure is the governing factor.

Unfortunately, ammo companies never put pressure data on their boxes.

If you are talking about an Italian reproduction Model 1873, they are proofed in Italy to European standards that are slightly higher than American standards. This means that any ammunition that meets the American Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) specs will be safe to shoot in an Italian Model 1873. Max SAAMI pressure for 45 Colt is 14,000 psi. There is no official SAAMI specification for Cowboy ammunition, but it is generally loaded to slightly lower pressure than standard ammunition.

Avoid anything that is labelled P+. Avoid high powered self defense loads. Be careful about Buffalo Bore ammunition, some of it is loaded to SAAMI Specs, some is not. Their website is very clear about which is which.

Generally speaking, most anything you find on the shelf, other than the high powered stuff, is fine to shoot in an Italian Model 1873.
 
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