Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
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- Sixgun
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Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
The other day Ben Rumson had a post on smoothbore accuracy and I dug out an old 1894 Marlin smoothbore and after some thought I said to myself, "Why would I waste time shooting a bullet through a smoothbore when I know what's going to happen, so I'll go shoot what was supposed to be in it."
I dug through my bullet collection and found 2 original blackpowder 44-40 shot loads that were made for smoothbore leverguns and the Marbles Game Getter. These are rarer than hens teeth but what the heck, I wanted to shoot one so that's what I did. It was a dud so I took it apart and put in a new primer and loaded it up the same way and shot it. It cracked all the way around the circumference. I have Speer shot capsules and they work fine but they are iffy in feeding. Well, I went to work and this is what I did.
Knowing the 303 British round has about the same dimensions except for length, I cut one down to 1.6, stuck in 6 grains of Unique, a cardboard wad, 170 grains of #9 shot, another wad and crimped it with a makeshift tool that I made from an extra decapping stem holder. You can use your imagination.
These babies load in the magazine, feed, and shoot like the originals.....perfect. As an added bonus, they work in the 44 Magnum. They fit fine in a single action Ruger but I don't have a 44 mag levergun but I'm 99% sure they will work fine.
The added length of the brass is important as it takes the place of the bullet and the crimp is equally important because if you don't do it, the case will hang up on the end of the chamber.------6
I have 100 empty .303 British cases which I will sell for $15 for 25, postpaid. I needed a way to sell the brass so I came up with this idea.
Head stamps......left two are original blackpowder 44-40
Unaltered 303 British and cut down to 1.6
I use a regular wad cutter but if you don't have one just use a chamfering tool on a thick 44 magnum case and whack away!
Here's the decapping rod holder I altered. I made it by dishing it out with a countersink on the drill press. I believe the perfect tool would be to take a 308 or 30-06 full length sizer and cut off about 3/4" but I'm not one for destroying good tools.
Left to right. Original 44-40 shot load......finished shot load....and loaded 44-40 round
Left to right
Original 44-40 shot load.....fired original 44-40 shot load----notice crack......finished shot load......44-40 factory round.......22 shot load.
I dug through my bullet collection and found 2 original blackpowder 44-40 shot loads that were made for smoothbore leverguns and the Marbles Game Getter. These are rarer than hens teeth but what the heck, I wanted to shoot one so that's what I did. It was a dud so I took it apart and put in a new primer and loaded it up the same way and shot it. It cracked all the way around the circumference. I have Speer shot capsules and they work fine but they are iffy in feeding. Well, I went to work and this is what I did.
Knowing the 303 British round has about the same dimensions except for length, I cut one down to 1.6, stuck in 6 grains of Unique, a cardboard wad, 170 grains of #9 shot, another wad and crimped it with a makeshift tool that I made from an extra decapping stem holder. You can use your imagination.
These babies load in the magazine, feed, and shoot like the originals.....perfect. As an added bonus, they work in the 44 Magnum. They fit fine in a single action Ruger but I don't have a 44 mag levergun but I'm 99% sure they will work fine.
The added length of the brass is important as it takes the place of the bullet and the crimp is equally important because if you don't do it, the case will hang up on the end of the chamber.------6
I have 100 empty .303 British cases which I will sell for $15 for 25, postpaid. I needed a way to sell the brass so I came up with this idea.
Head stamps......left two are original blackpowder 44-40
Unaltered 303 British and cut down to 1.6
I use a regular wad cutter but if you don't have one just use a chamfering tool on a thick 44 magnum case and whack away!
Here's the decapping rod holder I altered. I made it by dishing it out with a countersink on the drill press. I believe the perfect tool would be to take a 308 or 30-06 full length sizer and cut off about 3/4" but I'm not one for destroying good tools.
Left to right. Original 44-40 shot load......finished shot load....and loaded 44-40 round
Left to right
Original 44-40 shot load.....fired original 44-40 shot load----notice crack......finished shot load......44-40 factory round.......22 shot load.
- Griff
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Nicely done, Sixgun!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
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GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
I might try that. Probably with ffg.
M. M. Wright, Sheriff, Green county Arkansas (1860)
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- Sixgun
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
M.M.,M. M. Wright wrote:I might try that. Probably with ffg.
The original round had 10 grains of very fine BP in it. About the same consistency of 4F. ----6
I forgot to add to run the cut down 303 case into a 44-40 FLS but I don't think it's necessary as I felt little to no resistance.
- ollogger
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
That's a great job ya did there Six
got any gophers ya can sneak up on & try it out?
Brad
got any gophers ya can sneak up on & try it out?
Brad
- Sixgun
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Brad,ollogger wrote:That's a great job ya did there Six
got any gophers ya can sneak up on & try it out?
Naaaaa...no gophers here in the east.....just coons and lots of 'em. You get lots of warning before they show up as you can smell 'em before they present themselves.
I just shot this out back at 17 yards. Man, was I surprised! I circled the holes with a Sharpie. This gun is an easy 20-25 yard gun for small game. I'm gonna try it out tomorrow with #11 shot. Disregard the big 1/4" holes. There's 8 on top and 8 about where the rifle is.
Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
I aplause you Six...well done.
I always wanted a 9410 and this aint helping! Lol.....
N.
I always wanted a 9410 and this aint helping! Lol.....
N.
Psalm ch8.
Because I wish I could!
Because I wish I could!
- earlmck
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Very very slick, Six. Great post. Thanks!
The greatest patriot...
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Excellent Six, several years ago We went to the Garst Museum in Greenville Ohio. they have a lot of space devoted to Annie Oakley as She grew up there. I'm pretty sure they have one of the Marlin's (smoothbore) the same as Yours that She used in the Wild West Shows. this would explain how they did all the trick shooting in/near the city's. Thanks.
Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
This is what's so fun about reloading! Be safe and let the imagination fly
Jogn
Jogn
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There just has to be dogs in heaven !
There just has to be dogs in heaven !
- Sixgun
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Bronco,Bronco wrote:This is what's so fun about reloading! Be safe and let the imagination fly
Jogn
Ain't that the truth! I started reloading when I was 18 and I'm 60 now. I have kept a reloading log since 1981 of every round I loaded. I have 60 sets of dies and a hundred moulds. The point here is that I stayed with reloading very heavy my entire life, rarely going more than a week without reloading something, and you know something???.............
I'm no where near bored yet. I feel like there's still so much to be learned.
Thanks guys!------6
I just loaded another round with 180 grains of #11 shot. Each of those pellets weigh (by average of 20)
.2 of a grain so that means there were about 900 pellets in the round. I fired it at a large target at 20 yards and nothing but a bumble bee would have made it through the 30 inch circle.
Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Six,
Nice job! Neat!
Now you need to make up some of these......
Just take out that lever thingy.......insert........replace..........KABOOM!
W30wcf
Nice job! Neat!
Now you need to make up some of these......
Just take out that lever thingy.......insert........replace..........KABOOM!
W30wcf
aka John Kort
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka w44wcf (black powder)
NRA Life member
.22 WCF, .30 WCF, .44 WCF Cartridge Historian
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka w44wcf (black powder)
NRA Life member
.22 WCF, .30 WCF, .44 WCF Cartridge Historian
- Steelbanger
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Hello Sixgun,
The most shocking discovery in your original post was the fact that you don't own a 44 mag. All those rifles and no 44? I'm not going to dig around to see how many I have but I do know it's more than one. You do have me on canons and mortars though.
Those shot loads are really neat! I like the way you solve problems, as when you adapted a bullet seater to crimping duty.
Best regards, Frank
The most shocking discovery in your original post was the fact that you don't own a 44 mag. All those rifles and no 44? I'm not going to dig around to see how many I have but I do know it's more than one. You do have me on canons and mortars though.
Those shot loads are really neat! I like the way you solve problems, as when you adapted a bullet seater to crimping duty.
Best regards, Frank
"He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present, than the living man."
Antoine de Saint-Expuéry
Steelbanger, N.R.A. Life
PRPA Member
Marlin - a hard habit to break.
Antoine de Saint-Expuéry
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PRPA Member
Marlin - a hard habit to break.
- Sixgun
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Jack,
Are they wood? I believe I do have a few of them but not in 44-40. Kind of makes you wonder how much those people worked for back in the day......carving out little things from wood, then painting them.
Frank & Jack-----see you guys soon at the State Champs? Not the one in mid August at McKean but the one on Labor Day ---6
Are they wood? I believe I do have a few of them but not in 44-40. Kind of makes you wonder how much those people worked for back in the day......carving out little things from wood, then painting them.
Frank & Jack-----see you guys soon at the State Champs? Not the one in mid August at McKean but the one on Labor Day ---6
Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Jack,
The shot capsule is made of some sort of waxed hard paper / cardboard. They were intended for the Marbles Game Getter Gun.
It used these 4 cartridges....one of them being recreated by you.
All used the standard .44-40 or .44-40 blank cartridge case.
More info....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Game_Getter
http://www.fourten.org.uk/mwpre410.html
w30wcf
The shot capsule is made of some sort of waxed hard paper / cardboard. They were intended for the Marbles Game Getter Gun.
It used these 4 cartridges....one of them being recreated by you.
All used the standard .44-40 or .44-40 blank cartridge case.
More info....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Game_Getter
http://www.fourten.org.uk/mwpre410.html
w30wcf
aka John Kort
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka w44wcf (black powder)
NRA Life member
.22 WCF, .30 WCF, .44 WCF Cartridge Historian
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka w44wcf (black powder)
NRA Life member
.22 WCF, .30 WCF, .44 WCF Cartridge Historian
- Sixgun
- Posting leader...
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- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:17 pm
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Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Jack,
Thanks for turning on the lightbulb! I have a full box of those Remington blanks. I'll blast em off and reload em.---6
Ridgway on Labor day?
Thanks for turning on the lightbulb! I have a full box of those Remington blanks. I'll blast em off and reload em.---6
Ridgway on Labor day?
Re: Making 44-40/44 Mag. Shot Loads........That Cycle
Jack,
You are most welcome. Don't you just love those "aha" moments....
The Remington blanks that I have shot in the past did not fully open the mouth so I found that the best recourse was to anneal the forward section of the case before expanding / resizing to keep the cases from splitting.
Have fun!
As of now I am planning on attending the Ridgway match on Aug 30 and possibly the 31. I won't be able to on Sep 1. Wether I make it at all will depend on how my wife is doing. She had a pretty extensive back surgery recently and is recovering very slowly.
Are you going to the States in Bradford in Aug?
Jack
You are most welcome. Don't you just love those "aha" moments....
The Remington blanks that I have shot in the past did not fully open the mouth so I found that the best recourse was to anneal the forward section of the case before expanding / resizing to keep the cases from splitting.
Have fun!
As of now I am planning on attending the Ridgway match on Aug 30 and possibly the 31. I won't be able to on Sep 1. Wether I make it at all will depend on how my wife is doing. She had a pretty extensive back surgery recently and is recovering very slowly.
Are you going to the States in Bradford in Aug?
Jack
aka John Kort
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka w44wcf (black powder)
NRA Life member
.22 WCF, .30 WCF, .44 WCF Cartridge Historian
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka w44wcf (black powder)
NRA Life member
.22 WCF, .30 WCF, .44 WCF Cartridge Historian