Loading 44 WCF for my Uberti Flat Top Target

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RoyceP

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I am told the barrel is actually the same one used for 44 Special revolvers so recommended bullet diameter is .429 - .430" for best accuracy.

I have new Winchester cases and new copper plated 200 grain bullets in .429".

I have the Lee dies for both .44 Special and .44 WCF including factory crimp dies in both calibers.

What combination of dies should I be using? I plan to use some Unique powder and Winchester primers.

Thanks in advance for any tips and tricks - almost forgot - case lube needed?
 
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If your dies have carbide sizing rings, lubrication is not required, though some like to use it anyway because of the greater ease with which it slips into the die.

Unless your chambers are unusually tight, you should find no issues with the 0.002" bigger bullet. The 44 WCF COL is about 0.020" shorter than the 44 Special, but the case is about 0.152" longer. So if you use bullets intended for the special, the crimp groove will cause the COL to be 0.172" over max. If your cylinder will tolerate that, no problem. But if it won't, you will probably want bullets whose crimp groove is intended for the 44 Magnum. They will still be long, but only by 0.042", which your cylinder is less likely to have a problem with. However, the greater seating depth will mean the actual powder space you have is less than in the 44 Special. The same applies to seating a bullet that has no crimp groove. If you seat it to WCF COL, you will have more brass gripping the bullet than you would in 44 Special, but will actually have about 5% less powder space.

Since the peak pressure rating of the WCF is only about 500 psi higher than the 44 Special, I would call that noise and just assume loads for the WCF at WCF COL will be about 2% lower than for the 44 Special with the same bullet. If your cylinder has the extra 0.172" so you can use 44 Special bullets at a COL of 1.762", then you will have more powder space and can increase the charge weight about 8% over 44 Special.

Yes, slugging the bore is a good idea. So is slugging your chamber throats. You pick revolver bullets to fit the chamber throats, and those throats need to be equal to or larger than your groove diameter; preferably a couple of thousandths larger, and reamers can be used to make them that way if they are not already.
 
Deferring to UncleNick in general for all things ;) :)
But added from my own 44-40 experience:

Use 0.430" if a loaded round will fit in cylinder.
(0.429" if not.)

Do not use the Lee FCD.
Use a standard roll crimp into crimp groove and/or plating
(not too much -- just enough to hold)

I shoot cast, so residual 50/50 bullet lube after firing suffices for sizing.
Failing that either Imperial wax or liquid/RCBS/LEE lube is suggested.
 
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The 200 grain / .429" plated bullets have no crimp groove. X-treme bullet Co.

I have packets of Lee Lube so I will use that per the directions.
 
Note in my post, the same applies to a non-crimp-groove bullet. If the COL is shorter than a 44 Special load with the same bullet, powder charge will be lower and vice versa.
 
Well it turns out the .429" bullets won't fit in the cylinder. The factory rounds were .427" JHP's and quite accurate so I ordered a bunch of 200 grain powder coated SWC's sized to .427" from Acme in Wisconsin.
 
That's unusual for chambers to be that snug. Have you slugged the bore and cylinder throats with a pure lead slug to learn their true diameters? In general, if you have throats no bigger than or smaller than the barrel grooves, accuracy will be compromised.

Your 0.429 bullets can be coated with case lube and run through a bullet sizing die. I don't know of anything problematic with doing that. Lee makes a loading press-mounted sizing die in 0.427 if you don't have a lubrisizer with one.
 
OP said:
...turns out the .429" bullets won't fit in the cylinder.
Click to expand...
UncleNick said:
That's unusual for chambers to be that snug.
Click to expand...
See_Link said:
I loaded six Starline brass with my .430" Matt's WC bullets....
Click to expand...
https://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/23588/uberti-flattop-44-40-arrived


Was the OP's finding from a loaded round w/ a 0.429" bullet ?
or just trying to push a bare 0.429" measured(?) bullet through the cylinder?

**FWIW: My Uberti SmokeWagon 44-40 cylinders pin-gauge out to 0.4295"
 
Strongly dependent on brass.
My Colt would not chamber ammo in RP brass at all. It was tight in my Redman '92.
Thin WW is ok with even .429" bullets.
Starline will chamber with .428" but that is not a common size in bulk bullets, so I just used .427". Fine accuracy from matching bullet and barrel is not required for CAS anyhow.
 
I have a Uberti 1866 rifle and several Uberti SAA’s in 44WCF. While the barrels may be .430, the chambers are cut to original dimensions, for a .427 - .428 bullet. None of my guns will chamber a round with a larger than .428 bullet, regardless of the brass brand. The rifle will chamber rounds that were seated and crimped with a standard RCBS 3 die set, but those come short of fully chambering in the revolvers. I have to remove the primer punch from the sizing die and run the mouth of the loaded round about 1/16 of an inch into the sizing die to make them drop into the revolver chambers.
 
I loaded a test round (no powder or primer) using a new Winchester case. The box of ammo I fired in the gun was from Remington, they were 1961 - 62 vintage 220 grain JSP's (sorry I said JHP earlier, they were not).

Uberti claims the barrel is the same one as their 44 Special revolvers on their website. In any case the chambers appear to be cut for regular 44 WCF dimensions so that's what I have to work with.
 
See:
1873-Smoke-Wagon-Saeco420-Unique.jpg


Same Load/Dimensions for SEACO #446 (FlatNose)/Starline Brass as well; save that one's sized 0.430"
Drops in
Drops out.
 
mehavey very helpful! I reduced the OAL to 1.585" and it now fits with the plated bullets. I used the Lee FCD and it is very satisfactory - see the image. Will be loading some using the data from Alliant powders website.
 

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postscript: The 1.590" OAL op cit is because I also shoot the same cartridge/loads in my Win`73.
(`Don't ever want to go even the slightest bit over 1.6" in a `73)
 
Yes it's under cowboy loads for whatever reason. I just signed up for the single action forum. Looks interesting thanks.
 
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