Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

[hogge]

Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

Can someone give me the Rifle or Carbine this went to? Cartridge is quite large. Circa date also. "R P 45-70 GOVT" is stamped on bottom rim. Thanks Hogge

 

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[coinhunter53]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

About 1870-1890. Very nice find. HH...Jesse.

 

[crazyjarhead]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

Nice 1800's cartridge.

 

[PBK]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

Link to info about the 45-70 Government cartridge for the Springfield Model 1873:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45-70

RP = Remington-Peters

 

[hogge]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

Thanks.......You guys are FAST!

 

[d2]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

The R-P stands for Remington Peters, the company that made the ammo. 45 is the caliber and the 70 is for the weight of grains of black powder in the case. Older ammo such as 45-70, 44-40, 38-40, 25-20 etc were designated that way so the owners would know what caliber the bullet was and how much black powder it would take to reload it...d2

 

[l.cutler]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

It is a Remington 45-70 alright but not necessarily that old. The Remington 45-70 shells sold today are marked R - P 45-70 GOVT. If it has a copper jacketed bullet, which it appears to have, it is of fairly recent manufacture. If solid lead, it is older. I have three 45-70 rifles that I shoot and reload for and use a lot of Remington brass.

 

[kenley]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

45-70-405 Gvt. .45cal, 70 grn black powder, 405 gr. lead bullett
Chambered for 1873 Springfield and Gatling guns

 

[Jon Phillips]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

Here is my 1873 Springfield....It's the one on the right. The gun was also used in the Spanish American war. (in the 1889 version), and was a well used cartridge from the plains indian wars through the turn of the century. It is seeing quite a resurgence lately, as many rifles, carbines, and even pistols are chambered for it.

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

commonly called "trapdoor" springfeild the model 1873 was the last of the standard issue blackpowder "single shot" army rifles ---they were single shot cartridge weapons --- and were the type carried by custers men at the little big horn battle --- many of the indains had the more modern repeater type rifles (which the military higher up refused to buy --saying the men would waste ammo by rapid firing and not aimimg "properly" plus the new repeaters were much more costly) --leaving the troopers both vastly out numbered and out gunned rate of fire wize . ---- when the inquest found out how "over matched" the troopers were gun wize. it was sweep under the rug.

in skilled hands they could do amazing long range work but their 405 grain bullet was very heavy and shooting long range was more like shooting artillery drop wize than a rifle .

 

[rjw4law]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

I found one of those years ago, now I know what I have.

 

[allen]

Re: Live Cartridge Found.... "R P 45-70 GOVT"

ive found several unfired shells,
but nothing that size !!