Shooting Uberti's .44-40 1873 carbine with black powder

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duelist1954

New member
I recently wrote an article on the rifles used by the Texas Rangers for the summer issue of Guns of the Old West magazine. I hadn't shot my .44-40 1873 carbine much in the last few years because I've been shooting .45 Colt guns in CAS matches. But writing the article inspired me to get the .44-40 out for a range session.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHqmw7eSKRc
 
Thanks for the video Mike. I have an 1873 .44-40 rifle with a 30" barrel that I normally shoot with smokeless rounds. I'm going to shoot black powder cartridges with it soon.
 
Dog gonnit Mike...

You are forcing me to get started loading another caliber.

Anybody got any 44-40 brass?

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. . . ;o)
 
No brass, but loading dies

Doc,
I don't have any 44-40 brass anymore, but I do have some 44-40 loading dies. You might do my checkbook a huge favor and take the dies from me. I don't have a 44-40 gun anymore and was thinking just today about how it might be nice to find something in 44-40. I watched Mike's video on the 1873, and the Remington New Model Army.
Addiction is a terrible thing....

Mike, thanks for the video, and all the others,
Cheers,
Chowmi
 
That's what I've heard Hawg. I reload .45 Long Colt, .45 Schofield, .38 Special and .38 S&W, but haven't tried .44-40 yet, though I do have the brass.
 
If you use RCBS cowboy dies it's not so bad. Originally the 44-40 was sized to .427. Modern 44-40's are sized to 429. Most reloading dies still size to .427. Trying to shove a .430 bullet down a thin .427 case neck results in a crushed case. The cowboy dies size to .429. If you have dies from another maker you can use a .44 mag expander plug or what I do is use a wad punch to bell the case mouth a little more.
 
Yes. RCBS make standard 44-40 dies too, so you want to make sure you get cowboy dies unless you're reloading for a vintage gun or a Ruger.
 
Cowboy dies?, shouldn't the 44-40 be sized to the same dimensions?
When I first started reloading 44-40 was using .427 jacketed. now cast .429. My sizing die will not allow .431 to to be loaded. I suggest using a factory crimp die if loading for use in a rifle and not try to set the bullet and get a tight crimp with out squashing the brass.
 
Most modern guns have .429 bores making the .429 jacketed bullet or .430 cast bullet pretty much a necessity. One of my revolvers is a convertible, 44 special and 44-40 so you know it has the larger bore. I use home cast .430's but my dies won't expand the case enough. Cowboy dies will. I've used the same loads in two revolvers and a rifle. I have a FCD but I don't use it. I crushed a few cases early on before I found out about the size difference. I don't crush any now.
 
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