Using 209 Primers in 45/70 Trapdoor

S

Sergeant

New member
Anyone modify brass shells to use 209 primers? I find 209 primers easy to purchase; and have a lot on hand. Was told that in cowboy action reloads, some ppl modify their brass. I have a 45/70 trapdoor and my large rifle primers on hand are getting low. I could make a 209 pocket in a 45/70 shell easily on my lathe. I do not shoot my trapdoor a lot. But prefer to reload because it is less expensive and I can trust my mild loads.
 
I bet the chamber of the 223 shell reduces the power. But if filled solid, with just the center drilled out, would be a lot more power.
 
Can do !!!

Anyone modify brass shells to use 209 primers?
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I personally have not but did see this exact modification and it works. The application is a bit strange to go into details but it can be done. !!!!

Be Safe !!!
 
I have a boatload of 209 shotgun primers. So going to cut a few shells in a lathe for those 209’s I have been using in my 50cal inline for years. I reload my 45-70 with Pyrodex P and a 24” drop tube. I know purest insist in FFG BP; but I find cleanup easier using Pyrodex. And have a lot of that on hand too; since switching to pellets on my muzzleloaders. Aside from my 45-70, I only use P for reloading 37mm bird banger rounds.
 
You could take a casting of a shotgun shell with some epoxy putty and get a reamer cut to match its profile. Drill out the primer pocket floor in one step, then run the reamer in as the second step to contour it. Trapdoor pressures, being lower than some inline muzzle loader pressures, I can't see why there'd be a problem with it. The only thing that comes to mind is that if you have cases (check Winchester, in particular, since they do this with other chamberings) have semi-balloon heads, widening the hole may leave you with pretty flimsy support for the sides of the primer.
 
You could take a casting of a shotgun shell with some epoxy putty and get a reamer cut to match its profile. Drill out the primer pocket floor in one step, then run the reamer in as the second step to contour it.
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One thing that might need to be considered is that European primers like Cheddite, RIO, etc are metric sized and typically a smidge larger than US primers, so making sure the pocket is exactly sized is necessary
 
if you have cases (check Winchester, in particular, since they do this with other chamberings) have semi-balloon heads....
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Have there been any such cases manufactured since the 1950s ?
 
Lots. Winchester revived the semi-balloon head when Mid Tompkins tapped them to come up with 308 Winchester cases for the 1992 Palma Matches that had more powder capacity than usual, and that head was part of the way they made that happen. I understand that brass only weighed about 150 grains. Bart B. may know for sure. Winchester must have liked the brass cost savings because the head subsequently appeared in their regular 308 Winchester cases after that, though the weight has crept up a bit over the years. They also migrated that design feature over to a number of other cases. I have them in 223 Rem and 30-06. I don't know how many others have it.
 
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