Forming 50-70 Govt Cases

After the Civil War, the US military standardized on the 50-70 Government cartridge. It only lasted roughly a decade before being replaced by the 45-70 cartridge in 1873. While the 45-70 remains popular even today, the 50-70 is largely forgotten. Despite it's short service life, there are a number of interesting rifles that fire it, namely early Allin conversion Trapdoor rifles and Remington Rolling Blocks. I have a NY State Militia Rolling Block that chambers the 50-70 Government cartridge. Dies and bullet molds exist for this caliber, however brass cases haven't been produced for years and what is available on the secondary market is very expensive, over $5 a piece. I found that 32ga brass shot shells are close dimensionally to 50-70, however they are let down by the thinner rim, which if not addressed can cause excess headspace. Can the rims be reformed?

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All subjects featured on this channel are shown for historical and informational purposes only. All gunsmithing work is intended to restore the item to it's original condition, never modifying to serve any other purpose. In no way, shape or form is anything featured on this channel ever intended to be sold at any time. Any messages regarding selling a firearm, ammunition or an accessory will be removed. Everything shown is legal where the creator is located, please check your local laws.

00:00 Intro
00:55 32ga shot shells
01:38 Case construction
02:35 Trimming
04:43 Annealing
05:22 Sizing
07:58 Thin rim
09:47 Peening rim
14:13 Alternative solution
15:00 Loading
16:08 Shooting
16:40 Conclusion