Need help with ammo ID.

Justsomedude

I had a guy bring me a sharps rifle that he wanted to know what it was chambered in. Not my forte so I did a chamber cast. 50-70 government. He picked up his rifle and left. Well he comes back today with a bottlenecked cartridge that was headstamped as 50-70 but it was a 45cal bullet. Im sure you gurus probably know what it was but I informed him that it wasn't what his rifle is chambered in. 

Justsomedude

Oh yeah, this was meant to be a question if anyone knows what cartridge a 50-70 necked down to a 45 caliber might be?

Jayhawker

I have a collection of Sharps cartridges at home...unfortunately, I'm on the road and won't be back til Saturday...
if your question isn't answered by then I'll try to help...

There were several bottle neck cartridges that Sharps were chambered for...

Is this an original or a reproduction?

Big Al1

There was a .45-75 Sharps that was a necked down .50-110. That one has me stumped!!

Justsomedude

The rifle is original and definitely chambered in 50-70. I just want to know what he brought in with him that was a necked down 50-70 with the 45 caliber bullet  

Jay

Since it was headstamped 50-70, my bet it was someone's version of a Sharps wildcat cartridge. 

Spk

Justsomedude said:

The rifle is original and definitely chambered in 50-70. I just want to know what he brought in with him that was a necked down 50-70 with the 45 caliber bullet  

My guess is he brought in a 45-75 Winchester cartridge made from 50-70 government brass. Since 50-70 is slightly oversized at the base, the cartridge he brought in was most likely meant for a reproduction 45-75 rifle and not an original. Although it is possible to make 45-75 Winchester reproduction brass for an original rifle by fire forming either 50-110 or 348 Winchester brass since those bases are very slightly undersized.

Anyway, that's my guess. It would help alot to actually see the cartridge. 

Gene L

I looked in my book of cartridge conversions; couldn't find a thing.

Justsomedude

Thanks everyone. I wish I had thought to snap a picture of it. It was definitely something I've never seen before.