.45-70

.45-70 Government
From left, .30-06, .45-70, and .50-90 Sharps
Type	Rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1873–1892
Used by	United States
Wars	Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Moro Rebellion
Production history
Designer	United States Army
Designed	1872
Produced	1873–present
Variants	.45-70 +P
Specifications
Case type	Rimmed, straight[1]
Bullet diameter	.458 in (11.6 mm)
Neck diameter	.480 in (12.2 mm)
Base diameter	.505 in (12.8 mm)
Rim diameter	.608 in (15.4 mm)
Rim thickness	.070 in (1.8 mm)
Case length	2.105 in (53.5 mm)
Overall length	2.550 in (64.8 mm)
Primer type	Large rifle
Maximum pressure (CIP)	32,000 psi (220 MPa)
Maximum pressure (Original 45-70-405 loading [2])	19,000 psi (130 MPa)
Maximum pressure (Original 45-70-500 loading [3])	25,000 psi (170 MPa)
Maximum CUP	28,000 CUP
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 405 gr (Original Government 45-70-405 Rifle Load test data published in 1874) [4] lead RN 1,350 ft/s (410 m/s) 1,638 ft⋅lbf (2,221 J) 500 gr (Original Government 45-70-500 RIfle Load test data published in 1887) [3] lead RN 1,315.7 ft/s (401.0 m/s) 1,921 ft⋅lbf (2,605 J) 405 gr (Original Government 45-55-405 Carbine Load test data published in 1887) [5] lead RN 1,150 ft/s (350 m/s) 1,189 ft⋅lbf (1,612 J) 300 gr (Standard) JHP 2,069 ft/s (631 m/s) 2,852 ft⋅lbf (3,867 J) 300 gr (Strong) JHP 2,275 ft/s (693 m/s) 3,449 ft⋅lbf (4,676 J)
Test barrel length: 32.6"[3] Source(s): Springfield Armory (U.S.) (1874). Description and Rules for the Management of the Springfield Rifle, Carbine, and Army Revolvers, Caliber 45. U.S. Government Printing Office. Springfield Armory (U.S.) (1887). Description and Rules for the Management of the Springfield Rifle, Carbine, and Army Revolvers, Caliber 45. U.S. Government Printing Office. Accurate Powder[6][7][8]

The .45-70 (11.6x53mmR), also known as the .45-70 Government, .45-70 Springfield, and .45-21⁄10" Sharps, is a .45 caliber rifle cartridge originally holding 70 grains of black powder that was developed at the U.S. Army's Springfield Armory for use in the Springfield Model 1873. It was a replacement for the stop-gap .50-70 Government cartridge, which had been adopted in 1866, one year after the end of the American Civil War, and is known by collectors as the "Trapdoor Springfield".^{[citation needed][9]}