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.
