44-40 hate !!!

[Walks]

Try slugging the bore. Size accordingly.
Check HODGDON or ALLIANT website or LYMAN Cast Bullet handbook # 4 for loads with currently available powders.

Where did that load of 24 grains of 4198 come from ?
I checked manuals back to 1951. that powder is way too slow burning.
That charge would blow any .44WCF APART.
4227 IS THE SLOWEST BURNING POWDER I can find listed anywhere.

Which 4198 ? HODGDON or IMR ?
IMR fills the case to the top ?

[Outpost75]

Try slugging the bore. Size accordingly.
Check HODGDON or ALLIANT website or LYMAN Cast Bullet handbook # 4 for loads with currently available powders.

Where did that load of 24 grains of 4198 come from ?
I checked manuals back to 1951. that powder is way too slow burning.
That charge would blow any .44WCF APART.
4227 IS THE SLOWEST BURNING POWDER I can find listed anywhere.

Which 4198 ? HODGDON or IMR ?
IMR fills the case to the top ?

Either Hodgdon or IMR, makes no difference. Yes, caseful, with 1/8" compression, exactly as if loading black powder.

Load does not exceed SAAMI pressure, is safe in original Winchester 1873s. RL7 can be loaded the same way.

[Texas by God]

Try loading for a Ruger Vaquero 44-40 with .427" cylinder throats and a .429" barrel. Holy hell. On the other hand i had a Rossi 92 copy 44-40 that was easy to load for. Like most have said be careful with the thin brass. I used a Rockchucker with Lee dies. Best,Thomas.

[Outpost75]

Try loading for a Ruger Vaquero 44-40 with .427" cylinder throats and a .429" barrel. Holy hell. On the other hand i had a Rossi 92 copy 44-40 that was easy to load for. Like most have said be careful with the thin brass. I used a Rockchucker with Lee dies. Best,Thomas.

I sent my Ruger .44-40 cylinder to John Taylor for rechambering, opening the chamber necks from .445 to .447 so that I could load .430" diameter bullets in Starline brass, and at the same time enlarging the cylinder throats to .4305" for proper fit of the .430 bullets I load to fit the Ruger's .429 barrel.

Money very well spent. I got the revolver "cheap" because it "didn't shoot" and now it does!

[Texas by God]

Outpost- I traded mine for a 12 ga A-5 and never looked back. Off topic but does John Taylor do .44 special conversions on OM Blackhawk .357s? Best, Thomas.

[Outpost75]

I'm sure he could. He made and fitted a .44-40 cylinder for my Ruger Super BH, and also rebarreled and recylindered a "sewer pipe" M1917 S&W for me to .45 Colt. I'm happy with the work.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

much of the 44-40 brass out there is thin very thin. a slight tilt to the side will misalign your necks.
I take every case and round the case mouth out with some needle nose pliars before I size them just to make sure I don't crunch one. I also seat in a 45 colt die then go back to the crimp die.

Well, like many have said, the R+P brass must have some thin necks.
The bulge would start with the expanding die, as I mentioned in the OP.
So I took some advice R5R gave me (or someone?) long ago for seating rifle boolits...just start to seat, then rotate the case, seat a bit farther, and rotate...ect...(doing this for expanding as well as seating)

So, still using the Lee classic turret (after I confirmed it is aligned):
The first station, I just start to expand with the Lee 44-40 PTED (without the Lee powder measure), rotate the case 180º, expand a bit more, Rotate, expand fully. That solved about 80% of the bulges and even those 20% that bulged, it was much much less than before.
The second station was the Lee universal Rifle charge die and the Pro-disk powder measure.
The Third station was a 44Mag seater, set to seat only. I also used the start to seat, rotate, seat a bit more, rotate, finish seating, technique (seated to crimp groove)
The last station was the Lee 44mag collet FCD (medium firm crimp).

Lee 429-200RF sized to .429 (SL68B lube)
8 gr of Unique, for about 1000fps and about 11K CUP

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.
Jon

[MT Chambers]

I expect .44 wcf barrels to be from .427 to .430 so I do suggest slugging the bl....like someone else mentioned I use a Co-ax press with Redding dies and have no bulges where there shouldn't be.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I expect .44 wcf barrels to be from .427 to .430 so I do suggest slugging the bl....like someone else mentioned I use a Co-ax press with Redding dies and have no bulges where there shouldn't be.

Slugging would be the way to go, if I had possession of the rifle...but I don't. I did get some help from some members here, when I asked what Marlin might have used in the early 1990s.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...0s)&highlight=
and of course, after I got this info, my next concern was will a .429 boolit loaded in that R+P brass chamber in that rifle...and I did that with the first batch of bulged ammo, see post 14.

[waksupi]

I got rid of my .44-40, because of the fragile brass. I'm a bit of a gorilla, and was crunching too many in the press.

[HABCAN]

Just FYI, guys. Our .44-40 Piettas are so finely dimensioned (compared to sloppy Colts I had) that it's a bit of a 'chore' (hehehe) getting reloads to chamber when sizing boolits for the throats. What I have found to give US a nice tight fit is: using the LEE C429-200-RF I size the castings .427, PC and size .429, then load into Starline nickle brass. YMMV.

[MnSpring]

... in the early 90's my buddy buys a 1894s limited ed in 44-40. ... one shell holder for 44-40, it's unknown mfgr, ... I was just gonna sell all the 44-40 stuff ...

Used to shoot LOT of .44-40's, out of two Colt S/A's, and a 'berty 76 clone. (CAS)
Sold them. Still do .38-40's. No Problem with either.

Dillon 550. (Shell-holder is the same for, .38-40/.44-40/.45C.)
Used RCBS Dies, and Starline cases.

The, 'old' .44-40, was a .427 bore, and thus, .427-428 bullets.
The, 'new', .44-40's, are .429, bore, and thus, .429-430 bullets

Just guessing your Marlin, is, .429 bore. Not .427.

I used .429 or .430, 1-20 lead bullets.

Because the 550, has 4 holes. I used a, 'Seater', (Set Out)
Than in the last station, did the, 'crimp' only.

Never had a problem.

DON't Sell the, .44-40 stuff. Sorry I did.
(And of course, NO ONE Else, is EVER, 'sorry', They sold something)

But the, .44-40 was the FIRST, (Dual, Rifle-Colt S/A handgun Combo)

Like the 38-40. But now, wish had them both.

[Frank V]

JonB Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble loading the .44-40. I've loaded hundreds of them without much trouble. I'm using the Redding T-7 press, RCBS dies & shell holder. I lube the cases & gently start them in the sizing die, then I slightly bell the case mouth. This is CRITICLE as the cases are thinner than a lot of handgun & almost all rifle cases. I size my bullets .428 & haven't had any trouble seating the bullets, I'm careful to align the bullet & guide it into the die while raising the ram. The crimp as has been said is critical if you crimp too heavily you will almost always buckle the case.
Let us know how it's coming along the .44-40 AKA .44WCF isn't really tricky to load but you do have to be careful & see that everything is lined up properly.
Good luck.