45-90 what is it - a Sharps Straight 2.4 inch or WCF

[DCmauser]

I am new to GBO and reloading, and was wondiering just what is the 45-90 cartridge, without much luck on google searches.
Some websites say 45-90 Sharps Straight (S.S.) 2+4/10" cartridge was from 1877, perhaps with the Sharps Borchardt rifle;
Others note that 45-90 Winchester Center Fire (W.C.F.) was from 1886 same as Win. 1886 repeating  rifle.
It appears that both are based upon the 45-70 Government cartridge,... but are these the same cartridge?
Some websites sell 45-90 W.C.F. products and others 45-90 S.S. products; is this just a naming/sales preference?
I see some reloading dies available online that one may fit all 45-70, 45-90, 45-100, etc., which adds to my confusion.

[Fairshake]

DC, The 45-90 and the 45 2.4 are one and the same. If I remember correctly, Sharps had the rights to the Sharps 2.4 name so Winchester called theirs the 45-90 WCF All the cartridges in this family have the same dimensions every where except in length. So if your die is long enough you may load all the different lengths. From the 45-70 to the 45-120 The 45-65 also falls in here.

[NickSS]

As noted above the 45-90 WCF and 45-2.4" Sharps straight use the same case as does the Army 45-80 Sharpshooter Round.  It was the same case loaded with different bullets and the rifles (original ones) had different rifling twists. The 45-2.4 Sharps was meant for target shooting and they were loaded with 500 to 550 gr paper patched bullets and the cartridge case held around 100 gr of powder.  The Army 45-80 was also a target round loaded with the government 500 gr grease groove bullet and 80 gr of powder.  This load was used in specially sighted trapdoor rifles for army rifle competition out to 1000 yards.  The Winchester 45-90 WCF was a so called Express round.  It was loaded with a 300 gr grease groove bullelt and 90 gr of powder to achiever high velocity (for the day)  Their original rifles had a slow twist that would work with a 300 to 350 gr bullet but would not stabilize longer bullets of 500 to 550 gr.  This was basically a hunting round with a flatter trajectory for shooting deer and elk out to 200 yards or so.  I have shot an original Winchester 1886 in 45-90 and it was accurate enough of hunting out to 200 yards with 300 gr bullets but longer bullets would tumble after 25 yards or so.