The 43s – Great Military Rifles to Shoot

The 43s

Here at Beaks & Brass we carry four different 43s and to say that they are not alike is not an understatement. Although they share characteristics common to cartridges of their era, it is quite clear that they are not inter-changeable. While Bertram cases are dimensioned so that they will work in rifles with a range of chambers dimensions each one of the 43s is unique, so the right case needs to be used.

Given the age of the rifles that they are chambered in, variations in dimensions are greater than we would see in more modern rifles. As a result, one should expect the cases fireform to the rifle that you are shooting. Ideally, the amount of re-sizing should be held to a minimum to prevent excessive working of the brass and to extend case life.

From left to right: 43 Mauser, 43 Spanish, 43 Beaumont and 43 Egyptian

To help clarify the differences between these four cases, the table below shows key dimensions (from Cartridges of the World) and the dimensions of actual Bertram brass. The measurements from the CIL ammunition shows that there are a range of values that for any of these older cases.

The other difference that sets the Mauser apart from the other three cartridges is its rim, which is usually referred to as being an “A” frame. Whereas the others have the conventional flat rim face that is used today.

Note how the 43 Mauser (far left) has a different rim profile.

These nominally 11mm cartridges are representative of military rounds from this era, just prior to the adoption of smokeless powder, with heavy bullets fired at modest velocities and powered by blackpowder.

43 Mauser / 11.15 x 60R

Also referred to at the 11mm Mauser this is likely the most widely distributed cartridge due to the vast numbers of M71 and M71/84 rifles in Canada. It is rare to find a M71/84 rifle whose bore is not in excellent condition, which makes this a great rifle to shoot. Also, the action is quite strong, so there is no concern over loading ammunition and in particular when new cases are used.

While various sources on the internet acknowledge that there is no parent case that is suitable to make this brass, they then proceed to spend a lot of time trying to “MacGyver” something that will work. With Bertram brass now readily available, all that has to be done is to get the dies and start shooting. In fact getting the components and tools needed to reload this cartridge is very easy, making it the best choice for getting into the obsolete rifle shooting game.

43 Spanish / 11.15 x 58R

Sometimes referred to a the 43 Remington, this round is found most frequently in Remington Rolling Blocks and this simple rifle design is both strong and easy to use. The bullet diameter is smaller at 0.439” than any of the other 43s and a specialized bullet mould is needed for it. In contrast to the 43 Mauser rifles, rolling blocks in the chambering are much less common in Canada.

43 Beaumont

This is a complicated case, since there are two very similar versions, where the main difference is bullet diameter. The original Beaumont cartridge (11.3 x 50R) was introduced in 1871. This was changed in 1878, with the major change being the bullet diameter. The table below lists information from COTW.

Due to the dimensions being so similar and the normal variations in chamber dimensions it is likely that one could interchange them. Since they are chambered in the bolt action Beaumont rifle and the M71/78 magazine rifle is the most common, it will be the 0.457” bullet that is most often needed. If you have one of the 0.464” barrels, it would be easy to paper patch a 0.45” bullet (like the one used for the 577/450 cartridge) to the correct diameter.

43 Egyptian

This is another round chambered in the Remington Rolling Block rifle and its performance is in the same general category as the other three. In most cases bullets cast for the 43 Mauser are sized to 0.447” and the as-cast diameter is around 0.448”. With blackpowder loads and soft bullets they will likely bump up to the bore diameter of this rifle. However, the other option is to either not size bullets for the 43 Mauser or get a H&I die that is set at 0.448 – 0.449”. Given the variations that can be seen in dimensions for these old rifles, it may even turn out that if you have under-sized barrel, that you would be able to use 43 Mauser bullets with no changes.

Sources

Aside from the sources listed here, Beaks & Brass can provide the brass (all 4 cartridges) and bullets for the 43 Mauser and 43 Spanish, for those who want to focus on shooting. Even in the case of the 43 Beaumont, a 577/450 bullet can be patched to the larger diameter (0.464”). In other words, all four cartridges can be loaded without much difficulty.

The prices above were current as of the end of 2023.Higginson Powders also provides a full range of powders.