Anybody ever wildcat (neck down) a 45/70?

[Dan-o]

I'm no wildcatter - at all.
So, this may be the stupidest question of the year......

But Biggerhammers AR-10 just made me wonder.......   Anybody ever neck a 45/70 down to say 35ish caliber?

I wonder what the ballistics would look like.

[JimmyHoffa]

I think the .33 WCF was a necked tapered .45-70.  The ballistics are kind of meh.  The .50-110 was necked to .348 and wildcatters have opened to .35 and it is between the .358 Win and the .35 Whelen.

[Calvin Rayborn]

Just too much hassle to go through, I suppose. If you were P.O. Ackley back in the day, why would you bother with necking down an old-school, huge .45 cal rimmed cartridge (which would take multiple steps),  when there were so many better, higher case capacity, rimless cartridges available later on during the dawn of the wildcatting era (1950's-60's). Just a guess.

[yorketransport]

I've thought about trying it just for fun. You'd end up with something like the JDJ wildcats based off of the 444 Marlin case. I think a 45/70 necked down to 375 in a Marlin 1895 would be a pretty fun set up.

[Dan-o]

Thanks Yorke.   

I picked up a Marlin in 45/70 and that's what got me to wondering.   I bet a 375/70 would pack a pretty good punch, and with better trajectory than the 45/70.   

Might make it a legit medium range gun?

[coachcw]

Just run one of the lighter .45 bullets pretty much same difference 

[daddysprad]

I have a Marlin 1885 in 40-65.  All of the ammo I have shot out of it is 45-70 necked down.  I bought the reloads years ago because the original factory ammo is worth quite a bit..

[yorketransport]

I’d say you’d be good for 250 yards at least. It would probably duplicate the performance of the 358 And 356 Win, and that’s not a bad thing!

[smdave]

They call this the 35 Greevy Express

[Biggerhammer]

They call this the 35 Greevy Express

I like it!👍☝️

[Dan-o]

That is exactly what I was thinking of. 

I think that would be a blast and a good brush gun.   

[T-Bone]

Someone has already come up with the idea for AR fans:
https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/phoenix-weaponry-debuts-ar-based-45-70-auto-rifle/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=20171222_FridayDigest_153&utm_campaign=/blog/phoenix-weaponry-debuts-ar-based-45-70-auto-rifle/

[N7XW]

They call this the 35 Greevy Express

Kinda looks like a 30-30 on steroids.

[AWS]

I just read Watters article on the Greevey Express, the inventor built it on a rebarrelled Marlin 1895 and Watters did his on a Siamese Mauser(A Mauser designed for rimmed cartridges).