Reloading 44-40

M

MikeyM

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I just got my Uberti 1873 rifle & revolver in 44-40 (very nice by the way). Looking at load data they have two different charges for the rifle & revolver. Why would this be? The Rifle is a lighter charge. I thought the purpose of the same caliber was to use the same ammo. Can someone help me understand this? Thanks
 
No idea.

Exactly where are you looking for data?

I put the same amount of powder in 44-40 no matter what gun I am going to be shooting it from. A full case (around 35 grains) of FFg powder under a 200 grain Big Lube bullet.

On the rare occasion when I load 44-40 with Smokeless I put in 7.5 grains of Unique under a 200 grain bullet.
 
If you've never reloaded 44-40 before you're in for a learning experience. Do yourself a favor and get a set of RCBS cowboy dies. They will size your cases to .429 where standard dies will size to .427.
 
Yes Hawg is right!
I was fighting loading .44WCF with my Lee dies, they worked fine with .427 jacketed bullets. I needed to use .429 or .428 lead bullets, the cowboy dies are sized for these.
 
Be aware that some 44-40 revolvers (like my Cimarron Model P made by Uberti) have 0.429 barrels, but smaller cylinder throats. I load 0.427 Hunters' Supply after my 0.430 Meister loads would not chamber. Might have the cylinder honed some time, but the 427s seem to do OK.
 
I too found my Uberti revolvers to have tight chambers and had to push .429s to load. My other .44-40s were fine. I honed the chambers and now all are compatible.
 
I have a Ruger Vaquero .44-40 that has a .429 barrel and had .425 chamber throats. I talked to Ruger about it and they said to send it in. A few weeks later, I got the pistol back with the throats bored to .429 for no charge whatsoever.
 
"...load data they have..." Who's? Hodgdon's is the same. Cast bullets only for both too. Some jacketed data on Handloads.com
The .44-40 is supposed to be one of the cartridges that is a bit difficult to reload due to the thinness of the brass. And as mentioned, it uses a .427" jacketed bullet. .428" cast. Montana Bullets is your friend.
 
I've been shooting .429's through a lot of originals and clones for years, over a loads of either Unique or HP-38 with no problems.
 
If you have a choice between a 44-40 and a 44 special --take the 44spec .easier to load , longer case life !
 
I've been shooting .429's through a lot of originals and clones for years, over a loads of either Unique or HP-38 with no problems.
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I use home cast .430's with bp and W 231.
 
My Uberti 1866 will not take a bullet larger than .428. .429's jam in the throat. I use the same formula as Driftwood, as much 2 or 3F as she'll hold with a Big Lube 200 grain bullet sized to .428.
 
My Uberti 1866 will not take a bullet larger than .428. .429's jam in the throat. I use the same formula as Driftwood, as much 2 or 3F as she'll hold with a Big Lube 200 grain bullet sized to .428.
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Howdy Again

At last count I have five rifles chambered for 44-40 and two revolvers. I have slugged the bore on all the rifles, however I cannot get an accurate reading of the rifling groove diameter of the two revolvers, as they have an odd number of grooves.

Anyway:
Marlin Model 1894 from 1895 - .427
Winchester Model 1892 from 1897 - .427
Uberti 1873 from the 1980s - .427
Uberti 1860 Henry, from about 2008 - .429
Winchester Model 1892 from 1918 - .429

I have listed the rifles in the order I obtained them, not in the order they were made. As can be seen, the first three all had groove diameters of .427, including the fairly recent Uberti 1873. I could shoot .427 or .428 bullets in these rifles, however the Uberti 1873, which was my main match Cowboy rifle for some time, had a tight chamber, and if I used .429 bullets the case mouths would expand enough that the rounds would not chamber completely. So I was shooting .427 bullets exclusively.

When I purchased my Henry about ten years ago, I slugged the bore and it turned out that it had a .429 groove diameter, much like most of the modern Uberti 44-40 firearms. So at that point, I comprimised on .428 for the diameter of bullets for all my 44-40 rifles. .428 works fine in everything, and works fine in my 44-40 Merwin Hulbert and Colt New Service, which are the two revolvers I own that are chambered for 44-40.
 
I use .430's in a Uberti/Cimarron model P and an older Rossi 92. No chambering problems. I used them in a Uberti Cattleman but no longer have it.
 
i have several 44-40 rifles and use .429 200gr cast bullets, two have tight throats and i take the decapping stem from my size die and size the neck of the loaded rounds 3/8 ", that has taken care of the chambering problem and they shoot as good as unsized ones in my other rifles. eastbank.
 
i have several 44-40 rifles and use .429 200gr cast bullets, two have tight throats and i take the decapping stem from my size die and size the neck of the loaded rounds 3/8 ", that has taken care of the chambering problem and they shoot as good as unsized ones in my other rifles. eastbank.
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If you run your loaded ammo through the sizing die, you are sizing the bullets down inside the neck and they are no longer .429 in diameter.
 
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