loading for a real 44/40.

[tj3006]

I just bought a winchester 1892SRC in 44/40.
It is vintage 1922. I want to develop a decent load for it with 200 grain bullets. I have starline brass and remington bullets on the way.
I want to start at somewhar around 1550 to 1600 FPS and work up to the old factory high vel load at 1800.
Any body have any advise ? Powder and such ?
...tj3006

[Comal Forge]

I had an original '92 that I shot with over 20 grs of 2400 (can't remember the exact load weight) and a 200 gr Remington JSP. They used to sell a .425 bullet which is usually right for older 44-40's. The trouble with the hot loads is that casings don't last but about 2-3 times so I backed off to a medium load of Blue Dot - around 15.0 gr - and it made for more comfortable shooting. Was hotter than factory but not so blistering as the other load.

[Old Time Hunter]

Just one question: Why do you want to load a nice "old" rifle so hot? My Great Grandfathers M92 .44-40 (he bought it brand new in '96, that's 1896) is hanging on the wall now because the reciever has a crack the locking lugs locate. I attribute the damage to loading a 200 grain LRNGC with a bit too much Win 231, pushed the bullet at over 1800 fps. Still have a '73 in .44-40, if I load smokless, it gets about 8 grains of Unique and still pushes it around 1150 fps.

[jdad]

15 grains of 2400

[jnyork]

I shoot silhouette with my 1873 Uberti replica, so I dont need any blistering loads, accuracy being much more important than velocity. I get about 1150FPS with Lasercast 180 grain bullets and 10 grains of Blue Dot. I have experimented at length with all sorts of powders, and the Blue Dot is simply the most accurate by far, not only in the 44-40 but in the .44 Mag as well.

[tj3006]

Old time hunter,
thanks for reminding me of what can happen should I not be prudent in my loading.
in the years betwwe 1896 and 1922 , the year mine was built there were a ton of advances made in heat treating and such. Just imajine how many changes were made to weapons during WWI.
Also if you are familiar with the story of the low numberd springfields and the solution to that problem a guy can imajine how much atention was paid to general (or is it colnel) Hatchers findings in the bord rooms at winchester and firearms makers world wide.
And please notice that my 1st post mentiond a load of 1550 to 1600 as a starting point and that would be my practice and general purpose load.
The faster load would be used should I ever take my old girl after game.
...tj3006

[w30wcf]

tj3006,
Historically speaking, way back when, the ballistics of the factory .44-40 200 gr. High Velocity loading was 1,580 f.p.s. The factory powder charge in the cartridges I dissected was 20 grs. of "Sharpshooter" which has long since been discontinued. 2400 is close to it in burning rate.

The only factory loaded .44-40 cartridges that approached 2,000 f.p.s. were loaded with lighter, 160 gr. hollow pointed bullets. If you try to load 200 gr. bullets at 1,800 f.p.s., you may exceed the safe operating pressures of your fine vintage '92 Winchester.

w30wcf

[tj3006]

30/WCF I will check my reserch again, i certainly don't want to exede safe preasure. The preasure level of the 25/20 is I believe 28000 cup, and that and the 218 bee were the only rounds desigend for the 92. I just picked up another book on the 92 and it bigger brother the 86. I will see what is said there...tj3006

[w30wcf]

tj3006,
The .44-40 HV cartridges were loaded to about 22,000 psi (according to ome old data I have) as compared to the standard .44-40 at about 14,000 psi. Winchester even headstamped their W.H.V. (Winchester High Velocity) cartridges with '92. Your rifle was made in the era of the W.H.V. and H.V. .44-40 loadings that were designed to operate at 22,000 p.s.i.

Not to say that your vintage '92 won't take 28,000 psi, but note that the .44 has a bigger case diameter as compared to the .25-20 and .218 which means more bolt thrust fom the larger case at the same psi.

w30wcf

[scr83jp]

Try this site http://www.gmdr.com/rcbs/rcbs.htm then at top click on Home Page & it will take you to a heading for Oregon Trail Cowboy Data & additional data for use of shotgun & pistol powders with lead bevel base bullets.