Savvy Jack
Member
First, stop wasting time with wads. Not always used with these caliber cartridges. The 44-40 even dropped the use of wads early on. If you want to know how it was done back in the day with the cartridge of your choice, best to purchase an original cartridge and dissect it to see what's in it.
Since black powder can vary in density from one batch to another, weight can also very from batch to batch. 40gr by weight my not equal 40gr by volume, leaving the shooter with either too much or too little powder to get the job done.
The loader will have to experiment with each batch of powder to see what can be done.
First and foremost, most if not all BP Subs should not be compressed. These powders are typically lighter than the real stuff...so they are measured by "volume" rather than weight.
Real black powder can still be loaded by volume to fit what you are loading. Then weigh it just to see what it is. SWISS more than none seems to be close to weight equals volume, i.e. 40gr by weight equals 40gr by volume while GOEX may be 38gr weight equals 40gr by volume.
The 44-40 was loaded with 40gr by weight and compressed between .17" and .21" pending the quality of the powder and design of the case (i.e. "semi-balloonhead" vs "solid head"). Performance and chamber pressures also varied between cases design etc. Early replicated loads produced 14,285 psi while the same load in later designed cases produced from 12,700psi, to 11,000psi down to 8,953psi in modern Star-Line cases. These changes in pressure parallel Winchester's 44-40 history time-line which can be seen here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L4CrfgL59_4nBSq-FzUgyMuCc_oylycZ/view?ths=true
Anyhow, when smokeless powder was introduced in the 44-40 in 1895, it (Dupont No. 2) was loaded the same as black powder, 40gr by Volume although that particular charge only weighed 17gr by weight.
Thus the confusion between black powder, early smokeless powder, modern black and sub powders.
https://sites.google.com/view/44winchester/powders/smokeless-powders-transition-years?authuser=0
Since black powder can vary in density from one batch to another, weight can also very from batch to batch. 40gr by weight my not equal 40gr by volume, leaving the shooter with either too much or too little powder to get the job done.
The loader will have to experiment with each batch of powder to see what can be done.
First and foremost, most if not all BP Subs should not be compressed. These powders are typically lighter than the real stuff...so they are measured by "volume" rather than weight.
Real black powder can still be loaded by volume to fit what you are loading. Then weigh it just to see what it is. SWISS more than none seems to be close to weight equals volume, i.e. 40gr by weight equals 40gr by volume while GOEX may be 38gr weight equals 40gr by volume.
The 44-40 was loaded with 40gr by weight and compressed between .17" and .21" pending the quality of the powder and design of the case (i.e. "semi-balloonhead" vs "solid head"). Performance and chamber pressures also varied between cases design etc. Early replicated loads produced 14,285 psi while the same load in later designed cases produced from 12,700psi, to 11,000psi down to 8,953psi in modern Star-Line cases. These changes in pressure parallel Winchester's 44-40 history time-line which can be seen here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L4CrfgL59_4nBSq-FzUgyMuCc_oylycZ/view?ths=true
Anyhow, when smokeless powder was introduced in the 44-40 in 1895, it (Dupont No. 2) was loaded the same as black powder, 40gr by Volume although that particular charge only weighed 17gr by weight.
Thus the confusion between black powder, early smokeless powder, modern black and sub powders.
https://sites.google.com/view/44winchester/powders/smokeless-powders-transition-years?authuser=0
