Anybody shoot Colt new Service in 44-40?

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11-23-2020, 10:41 AM
freakonaleash

Anybody shoot Colt new Service in 44-40?

I seem to have small cylinder mouths and large bores in both of mine. What is anybody loading for bullet diameter?
11-23-2020, 01:19 PM
Outpost75

I'm using Accurate 43-206H cast 1 to 30 tin-lead from Roto Metals, sized .430" with 6 grains of Bullseye. Full charge load. Do not exceed!

Attachment 271993 Attachment 271994 Attachment 271995
11-23-2020, 02:08 PM
freakonaleash

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outpost75

I'm using Accurate 43-206H cast 1 to 30 tin-lead from Roto Metals, sized .430" with 6 grains of Bullseye. Full charge load. Do not exceed!

Attachment 271993 Attachment 271994 Attachment 271995

What year is your revolver? The one I have been working with is very early...I think 1901? When I shoot anything larger than .427 (cylinder throat diameter) I get high pressure signs even with modest loads. Alos lots of leading as the undersized bullet skids down the barrel. My gunsmith suggests I ream the cylinder throats to bettter match bore size... but I figure there has to be something that Colt had in mind that works ....
11-23-2020, 03:04 PM
Outpost75

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakonaleash

What year is your revolver? The one I have been working with is very early...I think 1901? When I shoot anything larger than .427 (cylinder throat diameter) I get high pressure signs even with modest loads. Alos lots of leading as the undersized bullet skids down the barrel. My gunsmith suggests I ream the cylinder throats to bettter match bore size... but I figure there has to be something that Colt had in mind that works ....

My New Service is 1920, the single-action is 1905. Rather than reaming, suggest you send the cylinder to DougGuy for honing. The Sunnen hone produces a much better result with truly round throats of uniform size and with better surface finish than you would get with a chucking reamer. Very affordable and fast turnaround. He's done several for me and for many others here.
11-23-2020, 03:11 PM
Baltimoreed

Sorry but both of my dash caliber NS’s are .38 WCF. One’s from 1916 [4.5 in]and the other from 1928 [7.5 in]. Hope you figure out your old Colt.
11-26-2020, 06:21 PM
leadeye

I've got a New Service 44-40 from 1903, checked the cylinder mouths with pin gauges and get .428.
11-26-2020, 09:54 PM
Outpost75

Cylinder throats on both of my Colts are .429-.430ish. Barrel groove diameters are .425 in the 1905 SA and .427 for the 1920 New Service. I shoot .430 bullets in both. Same loads shoot well in my 1920s Spanish El Tigre with .425 groove, 1930s Winchester '92 which is .429 and 1993 Marlin 1894 which is .430, as well as in my old small frame H&R .44 Garden Gun for which John Taylor made a rifled .44-40 barrel for using a leftover Marlin Microgroove Numrich 1894S barrel from the 1993 production run.