Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Safe shooting a 1873 ?

I hesitate to ask this, but does anyone shoot factory 38/40 ammo out of an original 1873 ? It has always been my understanding that such as 38/40, 44/40, and 45/70 was loaded way down because of old rifles and handguns. I've fired 3 or 4 boxes out of my 1890 mfg 73 over the years, have I just been lucky ? I don't want to use BP as its in great shape. Maybe I should look to reloads that the cowboy action shooters use ?
Any ideas out there ? Thanks

I was told any lead bullets are fine. Jacketed ones are not. Too high of pressures for the old steel. They were not heat treated. I talked to a younger guy who broke his grandfathers 1873 shooting jacketed bullets in it.

Gnoahh will be around to advise.

Lead only in pre nickel barrels

Yep, lead only. Not because of high pressures with jacketed bullets (?) but because of the soft steel barrels, like ctw pointed out.

Now, a guy (or factory) can load high and low pressure stuff with either cast lead or jacketed so I don't know how that idea of jacketed automatically equals high pressure got started.

Handload lead bullets to blackpowder pressure levels with smokeless, like the cowboy action guys do, or buy factory ammo (good luck there) that is rated for low pressure. (I've seen factory stuff in WCF calibers marked "high velocity" - there's your giveaway for high(er) pressure.

Personally I would have to load up a sack full of blackpowder loads to try it out. What, the cleanup is a chore? You're gonna clean it anyway after a day of shooting, right? No biggie. Won't effect the condition of the rifle at all, unless of course you let it set a while without cleaning it. The oldtimers managed it, so can we.

Addendum: While black powder residue is hygroscopic and as such draws moisture and promotes rust, the real culprit in the 1800's was the mercuric primers they used. Those things were pure evil for steel barrels (and brass cartridge cases) and it's a wonder any barrels survived from back then; it's a testament to the cleaning protocols of our forefathers that they did. Around the turn of the century mercuric primers went away to be replaced with chlorate primers which were still corrosive but not nearly as bad.

Thanks guys, I was thinking of the pressure, never thought of the barrel. I have the Lyman cast bullet handbook, and Black Powder manual so I'll look them up, then get to it, I have the dies & SH. I have some 3F, but Lyman lists a 171 gr cast with 6.8 unique, a powder I have, just need to find bullets or a mold. Found it in the 44th edition.
Thanks again

Masshunter, I have an original 1886 in 40/82, the folks at Buffalo Arms were most helpful in setting me up with cast bullets. BTW, I am only shooting BP in mine.

Thanks Razz, I Think my buddy in NH has a mold, he's gonna look after he digs a path to his shop. For the amount I'll shoot it buying them may be more better.

Just ordered a box of 38/40 bullets from Buffalo, and as a bonus found they had in stock jacked 200 gr .318 bullets for one of my drillings!

Just got in my Buffalo arms 38-40 cast bullets today, loaded 3 in once fired win brass, and 3 in new starline over 4.3 Unique. There doesn't seem to be a crimp groove, just a belt at the top. Has anyone loaded their bullets in 38-40? I hope to shoot them in the next day or so, but really think I need to crimp.

Google loads with RL7 or 4198 for low pressure case filling loads in .38-40 to use with lead bullets lacking a crimp groove.