45 Schofield rounds

[jsk53]

I am looking at getting a 1865 Spencer carbine for use in CW reenacting. One I have found is a 45 Schofield. I'm having trouble finding premade blank rounds in that caliber. I've heard that 45 Colt cartridges will work. I don't have case length data on either. Does anyone have some advice? I've seen 5 in 1 blanks at Dixie that say they are useable in 44, 44 mag, 45 Colt but the mfg can't tell me if they'll cycle in a 45 Schofield. Thoughts?

 

[noelf2]

45 Schofield

Case type Rimmed, straight
Bullet diameter .450 in (11.4 mm)
Neck diameter .477 in (12.1 mm)
Base diameter .477 in (12.1 mm)
Rim diameter .522 in (13.3 mm)
Rim thickness .060 in (1.5 mm)
Case length 1.100 in (27.9 mm)
Overall length 1.430 in (36.3 mm)

45 Colt

Case type Rimmed, straight
Bullet diameter .454 (lead), .451 (jacketed)
Neck diameter .480 in (12.2 mm)
Base diameter .480 in (12.2 mm)
Rim diameter .512 in (13.0 mm)
Rim thickness .060 in (1.5 mm)
Case length 1.285 in (32.6 mm)
Overall length 1.600 in (40.6 mm)

 

[Hafoc]

I sure wouldn't count on a five in one blank that would fit a .44 mag revolver functioning in a .45 Schofield lever action rifle. Feeding isn't much of a consideration in a revolver, since you put cartridges in the chamber manually. Likely you could single-feed these blanks into the rifle's chamber and get them to bang- but of course the extractor of a lever gun or a Schofield revolver works on the case rim, so a case rim that's out of spec for the gun is likely to cause the extractor to fail to function. The Colt type, where an ejector rod pushes the cartridge out from the front is immune to that problem.