Keeping Rounds Separate

[Huntermb]

So I bit the biscuit and have a late 70's Marlin 1895 in 45-70 winging my way. I plan on loading it up with some fairly hefty loads. I already load for 45-70 for my Sharps carbine and my original 1886 in 45-70. Now here is what I was wondering, what do you guys do to keep one of the heavy loads from ending up in the older rifles. Do you mark the cases or what? I just want to make sure this isn't going to happen.
Thanks for the help
~Brent

[J Miller]

Brent,

I have the same situation with my .45 Colt ammo.

What I've done is set up a color code that I mark on the primers with a permanent Sharpie marker.

Green = SAAMI spec, shoot in all smokeless guns
Blue = a bit above SAAMI, shoot in all smokeless guns
Red = Ruger, Winchester, Marlin ONLY. No Colt strength guns.
Black = Black powder

This is easily seen no matter what cases I'm using and works well.
I also mark the labels on the boxes.

Joe

[RIHMFIRE]

I used to mark the cases
and stored them in separate cartiridge box.....

[Noah Zark]

Green = SAAMI spec, shoot in all smokeless guns
Blue = a bit above SAAMI, shoot in all smokeless guns
Red = Ruger, Winchester, Marlin ONLY. No Colt strength guns.
Black = Black powder

An excellent code.

I don't have as many loads, so I use nickel-plated 45-70 cases for the light loads and brass for the standard loads. Nickel goes in anything, and brass never goes in the Trapdoors.

Noah

[adirondakjack]

I used to mark the cases
and stored them in separate cartiridge box.....

EGGSACKLY (this also helps when ya got two rifles with widely different chambers. Brass that's been fired in the "big" chamber and maybe not 100% full length resized don't end up trying to go into the tight chamber.....

Load em up, box em up, give the case heads a swipe with a big fat PERMANENT marker. Then use the same color marker to write on the outside of the box "1895 only" or whatever.

[Huntermb]

Brent,

I have the same situation with my .45 Colt ammo.

What I've done is set up a color code that I mark on the primers with a permanent Sharpie marker.

Green = SAAMI spec, shoot in all smokeless guns
Blue = a bit above SAAMI, shoot in all smokeless guns
Red = Ruger, Winchester, Marlin ONLY. No Colt strength guns.
Black = Black powder

This is easily seen no matter what cases I'm using and works well.
I also mark the labels on the boxes.

Joe

Hey Joe that is a great system and I think I'll borrow that one. This way even if the boxes get mixed up the primers will tell the tale. I just have to make sure that my son remembers to check now too. Thanks guys

[fordwannabe]

I can help you out even better Huntermb, just send me that old outdated 1886 and then you can just load one level of ammo and use it in a nice new gun instead of that old worn out thing. Hey I'm just trying to make your life simpler! Tom

[olyinaz]

What I've done is set up a color code that I mark on the primers with a permanent Sharpie marker.

Green = SAAMI spec, shoot in all smokeless guns
Blue = a bit above SAAMI, shoot in all smokeless guns
Red = Ruger, Winchester, Marlin ONLY. No Colt strength guns.
Black = Black powder

As we say in my biz, "Works good, lasts a long time."

Cheers,
Oly

[dkmlever]

fordwannabe: "I can help you out even better Huntermb, just send me that old outdated 1886 and then you can just load one level of ammo and use it in a nice new gun instead of that old worn out thing. Hey I'm just trying to make your life simpler! Tom"

Now that is a GOOD friend helping you out like that....

[El Chivo]

I like the nickel vs. brass suggestion best but I do it with bullet types. For example lead is the slow load and jacketed is the hot one.

I read that Marlin made the 450 Marlin just for this purpose, it has a belt so you can't put it in an old 45-70.

[Huntermb]

I can help you out even better Huntermb, just send me that old outdated 1886 and then you can just load one level of ammo and use it in a nice new gun instead of that old worn out thing. Hey I'm just trying to make your life simpler! Tom

Geez thanks, that is so generous of you I guess I shouldn't mention that I am only the third owner of that rifle. It was made in 1894 and I got it from an old fellow whose grandfather bought it new from a general store not far from where I am.


I had thought about doing it with case and jacketed bullets as well, but I can also see where if I hard cast and gas-check some bullets I might want to drive them past what the old girls will handle.

[Malamute]

I did similar to what Noah did, only in reverse. I load heavy bear loads in 45 Colt and 45-70 in nickle cases, that way I can tell at a glance what loads I have in the guns, and they are ones that get left in cartridge belts most often and longest. All my standard or medium level loads are in brass cases. I also use particular brands of cases for particular loads when I do anything different.

The color on the heads sounds like a good plan. I use black sharpie "X" on the head for Barnes 250 gr loads in the 348. I only have one brand and type brass for that gun. The marking rubs off when they are carried much tho. I keep remarking them.

[shooter]

I use the same system as Joe of marking the primers. Works very well for me. I know which is for hunting and which is for plinking. Since the cases aren't permanently marked, if I so choose I can load them as I see fit and don't have to keep them separate. Of course, I don't have any multiples of the same caliber except for .45 Colt, but they are both Rugers so I don't have to worry about the loads.

[Griff]

Similar to my solution for separating my smokeless and BP cartridges. I use different colored storage boxes. Red are always BP. Green are smokeless.

However, as an aside, I would advise caution in loading heavy for the Marlin 1895. I don't believe they are nearly strong enough for VERY stout loads. I don't believe they come close to the strength of the modern Winchester or Browning 1886s.

[mikld]

Although not as good as Mr. Miller's method, I have color coded plastic cartridge boxes. I have 5 .44 Magnum guns and I have "special" loads for two of them; light loads (.44 Special equivalent) for an old S&W 629, and .433" cast loads for my Puma. I also have a lable maker that I mark the boxes with, "629" or "Puma". So the blue boxes with "629", and red boxes marked "Puma" for my larger bullet loads and green for everything else.

[spaceman spiff]

+1 what Joe does....



spaceman

[Chuck 100 yd]

My first thought after reading the title to this post is....
I like to keep the bullets as close together as possible when I shoot.

Now that I see the reasoning behind it. I think Joe has a very good system.

[AJMD429]

However, as an aside, I would advise caution in loading heavy for the Marlin 1895. I don't believe they are nearly strong enough for VERY stout loads. I don't believe they come close to the strength of the modern Winchester or Browning 1886s.

Too bad the lawyers have mucked it all up; when you go buy ROPE, it has a fairly straightforward "working strength" rating, and a disclaimer about relying on it alone in dangerous situations.

Gun manufacturers should have a "working strength" rating that was clearly marked on their firearms, and it would help us realistically assess their strength when it comes to various ammunition loads.

Everyone 'knows' that the Rugers No.1's are stronger than the Mausers that are stronger than the Encores, stronger than the Winchester 92's stronger than the Marlins stronger than the old guns, etc... but I wonder what all that is based on other than armchair-theory and anecdotal cases. Sure, the 'general' rankings make sense, but it would be nice to have more solid/experimental data to go by.

[Chas.]

I use color coding also but I paint the nose of the bullet - fingernail polish and/or magic marker. I have no set scheme. I just label the outside of the box as to what the color means.

[Ysabel Kid]

Brent,

I have the same situation with my .45 Colt ammo.

What I've done is set up a color code that I mark on the primers with a permanent Sharpie marker.

Green = SAAMI spec, shoot in all smokeless guns
Blue = a bit above SAAMI, shoot in all smokeless guns
Red = Ruger, Winchester, Marlin ONLY. No Colt strength guns.
Black = Black powder

This is easily seen no matter what cases I'm using and works well.
I also mark the labels on the boxes.

Joe

Genius Joe - pure genius. I will start incorporating that system TOMORROW!