Anybody loading 44-40, if so....

[Foto Joe]

The brown truck just dropped off my Uberti Schofield 44-40 (replacement for 44 Russian nightmare).

I've loaded up about 15 44-40 rounds to test fire when she arrived using .430 RNFP's which is what I load for my 44 Special loads.

The first thing that I noticed right off the bat is that 44-40 is going to be a little bit more tempermental than straight case cartridges. My test loads load into the chambers as they should with one slight exception. I probably got a little too over-zealous with the flare or the crimp, but not much. It appears that a few of them need just a little push to seat in the chamber. Once seated the cylinder rotates no problem.

My question is as follows: Those of you loading 44-40 are you typically loading .429's or smaller?? I haven't slugged the barrel but a caliper shows .430 grove to grove and the cylinder mouth is the same.

Also, out of curiousity: On my 45 Colt loads I DO NOT resize, ever. Do 44-40's have the same nasty habit of blow-back that 45 Colt's do??

 

[MMCSRET]

The original 44 W.C.F was a .427 bore, Lyman has a mold for that 200 gr. bullet. Some commercial casters also market .427 bullets. Before I did anything I would verify the dimensions.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I have an uberti Henry 1860 in 44/40. I use lasercast 200 grn bullets and they work great. I am using trailboss as my powder. 6.6 grns works great with 1.583. I am using an FCD die that really helps. CBC brass is a bit thin and I will go with Starline next time.

 

[Foto Joe]

I have an uberti Henry 1860 in 44/40.

Just out of curiousity, what bullet diameter are you using in the Uberti?

 

[Lloyd Smale]

my two 4440s had the same problem. What i did was grind the bottom of the sizing die a bit so it would push the shoulder back a tad more and it works fine now. I size to 430 but then I had both of my clyinders opened up to 430.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I am using RCBS standard (not cowboy) dies and it works fine. No problems.

http://www.laser-cast.com/44Cal.html

I am using the 44-40 cal 200 grn RNFP that mike a true .4275 although Oregon Trail says they should be .427.

 

[Foto Joe]

After talking to Dash Caliber where I have been getting my bullets, I've decided to just cut back to .429 diameter. The only reason I'm doing this is to make bullet seating easier without having to over-flare the case.

After a few hundred rounds and I get the hang of these 44-40's I'll probably go back to the .430's.