Can I rechamber a H&R 45 LC to 460 S&W?

[briannmilewis]

I need an expert opinion.

Max Case Length - Colt 1.285, S&W 1.800 √

Rim Diameter - Colt .512, S&W .520 √

Rim Thickness - Colt .060, S&W .059 ?

Case Diameter - Colt .480, S&W .478 ?

Bullet - Colt .454, S&W .452 ?

Does the .002" difference mean much in this diameter case and bullet?

Any hands-on experience or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Keith L]

I would be  more concerned if the H&R could handle the pressure.

[quickdtoo]

I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I did mine myself and it works fine, I discussed it with site sponsor Wayne York who was gonna do it for me at the time, but after learning how easy it is to rechamber a straight walled round like the 357Mag to 357Max, I decided to do my own with a rented reamer, it took a little longer than the Max, but came out perfect, it shoots factory 200gr Hornady ammo at just under 2900fps.  The H&R Handi is factory chambered in 270 Win which has a SAAMI MAP of 65kpsi which is identical to the max pressure of the 460S&W, case head diameter is just .008" larger on the 460, a non-issue as far as Wayne was concerned. The H&R is also factory available in 500S&W which has a SAAMI MAP of 60kpsi and a .526" case head which is a LOT bigger.

Tim

[briannmilewis]

Tim, you may not call yourself an expert, but you have an "expert's" basket of knowledge and hands-on experience for our purposes.

Thanks for the great details and tech info about the DIY rechambering and cartridge pressure specs in comparison to other H&R chamberings. It seems like a very versatile cartridge.

[gunnut69]

Hy Guys... My question is Why? The 45 Colt can be loaded to do some amazing things and the money for such a conversion would buy a lot of somponents. Just handload for the big colt at a higher level... In any case good luck.

[briannmilewis]

Hy Guys... My question is Why? The 45 Colt can be loaded to do some amazing things and the money for such a conversion would buy a lot of somponents. Just handload for the big colt at a higher level... In any case good luck.

Can you say approx 40% more case capacity than 45LC boys and girls?

Put another way, 45LC is approx 58% and 460 S&W 81% of 45-70 case capacity!

I think the 460 S&W should provide a serious performance capability above the 45LC without having to go the shoulder pounding route of the 45-70, or worse still, a large caliber bottle neck cartridge.

[Swampman]

Why not just buy a .45-70 barrel?  Brass is cheaper and it's a lot better cartridge.

[royalranger]

If ther nef can handle the  psi  there should be no reason it can not be done. I am wanting ot rechamber a 8x57 mauser to 8mm06 just needing the cash for a reamer   so it should be fairly easy

[Kmrere42]

Hi,



Just throwing my 2 pennies onto the pile.


Steel crescent butt plates and heavy recoiling cartridges should not be mixed.  Mess up just once and the resulting pain will linger for a long while.




Hey Quickdtoo,  You sure on that 2900fps???   Isn't that 458 win-mag territory.



Paul

[Spanky]

I think the 460 S&W should provide a serious performance capability above the 45LC without having to go the shoulder pounding route of the 45-70, or worse still, a large caliber bottle neck cartridge.

Trapdoor loads in a 45-70 don't pound you at all... and it'll still kill anything.
I would think that a 460 would have the same or more recoil than a trapdoor load.



Spanky

[Spanky]

Hi,
Just throwing my 2 pennies onto the pile.
Steel crescent butt plates and heavy recoiling cartridges should not be mixed.  Mess up just once and the resulting pain will linger for a long while.
Hey Quickdtoo,  You sure on that 2900fps???   Isn't that 458 win-mag territory.
Paul

If Tim says 2900 it's 2900... you can believe what the man says.



Spanky

[quickdtoo]

Hi,
Just throwing my 2 pennies onto the pile.
Steel crescent butt plates and heavy recoiling cartridges should not be mixed.  Mess up just once and the resulting pain will linger for a long while.
Hey Quickdtoo,  You sure on that 2900fps???   Isn't that 458 win-mag territory.

Paul

Paul,

The factory load shoots a 200gr bullet, hardly comparable to anything used in a 458 Win, factory spec is 2200fps in a 8.375" barrel,  average velocity of 6 shots 15' from the muzzle was 2874fps in the 20" barrel.

And you're right about the steel butt, that's why I swapped the stock out for a laminated set. But even the steel butt can be dealt with using a nice leather slip on as I use on my 45-120 BC.

Tim


Thanks Spanky! 

[mannyrock]

  Well, for goodness sakes.  Why not just get a .45-70 and shoot the low powered Remington Greenbox 405 grain bullet rounds in them? 

  I have a feeling that if I bought every one of you Handi-Guys a brand new Mercedes convertible, the first thing you would all do would be to take theme apart and start drilling holes in various parts of them, to make them  "better."   :-)

Best,

Mannyrock

[Airsporter]

   I have a feeling that if I bought every one of you Handi-Guys a brand new Mercedes convertible, the first thing you would all do would be to take theme apart and start drilling holes in various parts of them, to make them  "better."   :-)

I promise not to drill any holes in mine. 

[crash87]

  Well, for goodness sakes.  Why not just get a .45-70 and shoot the low powered Remington Greenbox 405 grain bullet rounds in them? 

  I have a feeling that if I bought every one of you Handi-Guys a brand new Mercedes convertible, the first thing you would all do would be to take theme apart and start drilling holes in various parts of them, to make them  "better."   :-)

Best,

Mannyrock

Damn straight I would, Why NOT do it? It's not about common sense or not stepping outside the box, Are you kidding me? It's about doing things that YOU want to do, to hell with the rest. If it's feasable then LET"S GO. It will all be compiled on the learning curve and the experienced gained, good or bad, will be experienced gained and then brought forth as FACT not theory when someone asks the same questions later. 45/70? yea ho hum, O.K. 460 OH yea!!!!!
I wish I had some of those guns back that were turned into "something cooler", but I wouldnt have known if I didn't try, now would I/we? Crash87

[Confederate rifleman]

Its important to note that H&R/NEF Handi frames are not universal in their heat treatment.For instance , buy a .30-30 Handi and the factory wont put a 30-06 barrel on it.The .460 is an extermely high pressured round.For safety's sake I'd start with a high pressure frame and an add on barrel.

[quickdtoo]

Its important to note that H&R/NEF Handi frames are not universal in their heat treatment.For instance , buy a .30-30 Handi and the factory wont put a 30-06 barrel on it.The .460 is an extermely high pressured round.For safety's sake I'd start with a high pressure frame and an add on barrel.

There's more difference than just heat treatment between SB1 shotgun and SB2 rifle frames, SB1 are cast iron, SB2 are heat treated investment cast alloy steel. H&R will fit high pressure barrels to any SB2 frame made 2000 and later including those that originally came with 30-30 barrels, H&R1871 has never offered the 30-30 on an SB1 shotgun frame, and they won't fit any barrels to any frame made prior to 1987 by H&R Inc. They have only fitted the 45LC (BC Carbine barrel http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/buffalo.asp), the topic of this thread, to SB2 frames, the only centerfire rifle barrels they fit to SB1 shotgun frames are 357 and 44 mags. You'll find more info specific to H&R firearms in the H&R forum FAQs in the NEF/H&R Talk section of GBO forums. 

Tim

http://www.hr1871.com/Support/accessoryProgram.asp

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/board,126.0.html

[jcn59]

Tim,

Where does one get a really nice walnut stock set like yours?

[quickdtoo]

Luck of the draw on H&R BC stocks, most are fairly plain, but some are real nice, that BC stock is a replacement after Gardner chipped the original stock when fitting a barrel, my 45LC BC carbine stock is mediocre as is the original they chipped, but my 38-55 Target stock is another nice one. The Topper Deluxe Classic is another walnut stock, it's a pistol grip tho, both are available as accessories from H&R.

Tim

Here's a pic of a TDC stock on Swampman's 45-70 Handi.