Well, I'm confused again. Its OK, I can live with it. Back in 1990 I was milling around a gun show. I had just picked up a pretty nice Browning B78 in .45-70 (cheap, like me). So about 2 aisles over this guy had a pile of nasty old ammo. At least 10 years old and he was pretty much stuck with it. All kinds of old .45-70s, and he had been asking $5 a box for it. So I just pointed out it was way too rich for my blood, I'd like to buy some but surely not at those high prices. So he got real reasonable and said "how much you willing to buy at $4?" Well, I got reasonable and bought it all.
I mean, who in their right mind would want obsolete ammo?
So a few aisles over from that I was really loaded down, and so was my buddy. Of course it would be heresy to abandon the show early, so we pressed on. Soon we stumbled upon another guy with a ton of unsalable and obsolete .45-70s. He spotted our load and asked if we'd like more.
So pressing my honesty a little, I said I would but not at the high prices we'd just paid. He asked what that had been, and I told him $4 a box. So he suggested I could buy all of his for only $3 a box!
That was the day my buddy swore off going to gun shows with me. Its still filling .50 cal boxes, but someday maybe I'll shoot it.
Now I've got a problem. I include my Browning B78 and 1885s as lever guns. I also include my Browning 1886s as lever guns (they clearly are.) My logic: if a lever opens the action, its a lever gun.
But to continue the .45-70 love fest, we've also got a .45-70 Springfield, a Trapdoor. Its been in the family since 1904 or 1906, the date lost in time. It was bought from the government as surplus and used on the family farm. Also of interest was the fact that a full box of factory/government ammo exceeded the cost of the rifle. How times change. The primary ammo they used was .410 shotgun shells. They were cheaper and easier on the shoulder than 500 lead bullets.
Does anyone know if you can shoot 45 Colt ammo in the .45-70s? I mean Tauri uses them and .410s interchangeably. Maybe the family missed a good bet 100 years ago.
Drew, you still in this thread? Can you still get the BLR in .32-20?