Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers .45-70 vs .45 LC for full-time suppressed use

It never would have crossed my mind to try a .45 Colt in a .45-70 rifle chamber. Still wouldn't.

Sorry, I need to brush-up on my reading between the lines. ☹️ I thought that you had a 45-70 and were considering trying to use LC brass for your light-loads. memtb

Like a muffler on a car. What's hard to understand?

I’d love to use them if, they didn’t make the barrel incredibly long, requires permission from our government..…AND, it looks like a “car muffler” on the gun barrel! 😉 memtb

After using them for several years, I don't even want to use my non suppressed guns anymore. I've threaded everything except my nice walnut/blued steel rifles. Makes shooting so much nicer. Plus the neighbors don't complain when I shoot coyotes around the house.

Quote from Kodiakisland: Plus the neighbors don't complain when I shoot coyotes around the house.


Your neighbors are way too close! 😂

Back on topic though, I can’t even consider shortening the barrel on my hunt’n rifle as it’s not a dedicated brush/timber gun.

A suppresser would work nice on my Marlin GG…..but that would be absolute Blasphemy! 😉 memtb

Amen. I hate the look of rifles that wear them

A 16" barrel is plenty for a 45 Colt. You can add a suppressor without going beyond 24". I like the suppressor for quiet handling of vermin and deer around the house and for predator hunting at night.

The 300 grain Missouri truncated cone flatpoint Hitek bullet feeds well in the Henry lever. You can get 400 bullets for 65$. I haven't shot a deer yet with one but they do significant damage to a rabbit. They will penetrate 6 (one) gallon jugs of water and 2 pieces of plywood and keep right on trucking. Good powders are W231, AA#2 and Titegroup. These fast powders will burn up by end of barrel with subsonic loads and be very quiet. Just be aware when working with too light of loads of fast powder that you can stick a bullet in the bore. The Missouri bullets will easily push out with a cleaning rod. Keep your charges just under 1100 fps. I aim for 1050 to 1070. This will still be a potent load with a 300 grain bullet out to 100 yards. Remember that John Linebaugh shot a lot of big game with a 250 grain at 900 fps. A 300 grain at 1050 will hit with authority.

I don't like the looks of an AR either, but they sure do work.
What I find funny is everyone I've let shoot some of my suppressed rifles and pistols now owns suppressors. Maybe you don't see the need until you do.

I like hearing the crack of a rifle

I use Unique for my cast&coated subsonic.45-70 loads. Would like to try Trail Boss but it doesn’t seem available anymore.
As to the OPs question, if your can is only rated to .45 Colt then that’s what I’d get unless you want to buy another can. I love shooting subs in my Marlin 1895 Trapper but my can (Hybrid 46) is rated for high pressure rounds.

45-70 data:

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

45LC data (45LC Henry):

405g .458 lead hard cast, flat nose, powder coated, swaged to .452 with Lee swag:

OAL - 1.645"
9.6g BluDot
Std primer
3/4 crimp (LFC die)
~1010 fps

Usual precautions.

If your only use will be suppressed, go 45 colt. It's a more appropriate case size for suppressed, you can fit more rounds in the mag, and you can still increase the bullet weight in the 45 colt to try and make up for velocity. also, you will use less powder with the 45 colt.
Now, you could get a custom made 45-70 barrel with faster twist and try to run some 700gr bullets subsonic in it. The ultraheavy 45 cal bullets would help fill up the case for the lack of powder being used to bring it down to subsonic.

45LC would make a good option for subsonic loads, though it’s not hard to develop subsonic loads for a 45/70. The main advantage the 45/70 has is a wider range of bullet choices, eg like Hornady Sub-X bullets.

Most of the heavyweight 452 jacketed pills were probably designed for the 454 Casull and are unlikely to expand at subsonic velocity.

This is easy to address if you cast your own pills. A few suppliers make 452 moulds in 350gr+ weights with HP options. Just note the nose to crimp groove dimension as a number of 452 moulds are catering for revolver users who have long cylinders (eg Ruger). A 452 350gr WFN bullet with a HP, cast soft would make an awesome subsonic pill for a 45LC.

The Hornady SubX is available in .452 395gr pill.

Yes there is but that one looks to be designed for the 450 Bushmaster. The long pointy nose and overall length would likely be too long for the 45LC in a levergun.

45 Cowboy Special brass may not feed in some leverguns. It won't feed in my Henry X rifle.

I’m a big suppressor fan. Though I don’t use them with or on sub-sonic loads. The sherif in this county is a friend of mine, i understand the constant shooting at my place has been brought up in his presence. I think he’s happy that I’ve chosen to use suppressors a lot.
I have a couple 45-70 lever guns and a 45 Colt lever gun. I think either 45-70 or 45 Colt would work fine. Sub-sonic loads with either - would work well.

For your needs either sounds like it would work.

If I had to choose one over the other, my choice would be the 45-70 as my wants are different. The 45-70 is capable of plinking loads up to man-eating critter loads. Having written that, I’m too old, I’m too cheap, I’m too out of shape to go after man eaters.

You’ll likely be happy with either.