Starline 45-70 Cases

Guns chambered in .45-70 Government are popular in the UK, and with something of a shortage of factory ammo, most of us that shoot this calibre load our own. If new brass is what you need, then fortunately, there is a very high-quality brand readily available.

Starstruck

Starline have been manufacturing brass for over 40 years and the quality and consistency of their products is top notch. The 45-70 cases are heavy compared to other brands, meaning they contain more brass! At the case mouth, you can see how thick it is, and when you try to squash one it takes a lot of pressure to deform it. With the brass being that much thicker the internal space will be smaller when compared with some other brands, causing a slight increase in chamber pressure. This is not an issue unless you are running really hot loads. Starline test their cases to elevated pressures, equivalent to heavy hunting loads, but this doesn’t mean your gun can take excessive pressure.

Size and weight

A sample of the cases showed that they are very consistent, with an overall length averaging 53.25mm and weights all within less than 1% of each other. It is always best to trim your new brass to length, but with the Starline cases minimal brass came off any of the batch tested.

The primer pockets are tight and uniform and the headstamps are very crisp, all signs that they are manufactured to tight tolerances on quality machinery.

Reloading

It is always a good idea to size new brass, to ensure the necks are round and that they will chamber. The Starline cases were sized without any excessive effort being needed. Primers seated easily with consistent pressure and bullets seated smoothly, although you could really feel the case grip the bullet. With both lead and jacketed bullets, there was no need for additional crimp.

During use, the rounds chambered easily and the cases ejected smoothly, a sure sign that the brass adequately absorbs the chamber pressure and springs back to size. When the cases hit the ground they were strong enough not to deform on impact. After being reloaded five times the cases were still all in good condition with no cracks or failures, and they still gripped the bullet tightly.

Conclusion

Overall, a quality product, they are not cheap but you get what you pay for. The most important thing to consider when buying new cases is how many firings you are going to get out of each one. With the Starline brass, you are certainly going to get more reloads out of them than other brands, and for that reason, they do represent great value for money.