help with a 44/40

[smlekid]

HI all I have been playing around with a '94 Winchester in 44/40 I have a couple of moulds I've been trying A lee 429-200-RF and a NOE 429421 RG2 the lee mould is a little undersize so I'll have to lap it out a thou or 2 the 429421 mould works if I seat the bullet to crimp on the front of the driving band (seating to the crimp groove won't cycle misses by about 1/8") this limits my powder capacity and so far hasn't shot overly well
I plan to seat the boolit to the crimp groove and single load them to test for accuracy if this works out better would I be able to remove about 1/8" from the stopper on the lift ramp (I hope I have the parts named somewhere near right)? with out causing an issue? I also need to know where I might be able to find a couple of parts the rifle is a '76 build with a flat leaf type mainspring the rifle misfires badly usually needing 2 hits before it fires with what seems a very light primer strike I hope it is just a weak spring any ideas where to get hold of one (I'm in Australia but am thinking it will be easier to find these in the states)
also I would like to replace the sights at the moment the rifle when set at the highest setting is shooting 6" low at 50m regardless of what boolit I use
I want to use this rifle for goats and pigs in thick bush type country I was thinking a buckhorn type rear sight with a post and dot front?
anyone ever use Winchester 296 in there 44/40? Im loading a 228gr boolit (NOE) looking at getting around the 1400 to 1500fps mark from a 20" barrel

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I am on the other side of the Big Blue in Peru.
Rather than alter the rifle I would shorten some brass the needed length. Start with 3 or 5 and see how they function and fire. I have shortened brass in several calibers to keep a long boolit within the specs of the rifle.
When I bought my first 44-40 (model 92 made in 93) I discoved the throat was really a .432 so the standard 200 grain boolit mold I had was much to small at .429. So I tried squezing those boolits in a tube opened up to .433. Insert the boolit nose first, place tube with boolit on flat steel with nose up, insert flat punch and wack with a hammer. The noses ended up rather flat but they cycled OK and shot where the sights were pointed. Plus that flatnose really smacks soft skin targets hard. You can also squeeze boolits in a vise and then size them but this is a bit more labor intensive.
The better solution is a fat mold. I eventually lapped out that .429 to .433+ and bought a Saeco 443 that drops 30-1 at .432.
I use 8 grains Unique for plinking and 9 grains for popping things. 10 grains will really make the rifles hum. I have never needed more than that for what is huntable here.
Mike in Peru

[Trailblazer]

You should be able to cut the stop back on the carrier(lift ramp) by 1/8". I have a couple 94's that I can cycle 2.73" cartridges in. That is about .200" over standard. That said, there may be other things you need to do to make it work. I have never looked at a 94 chambered in one of the pistol cartridges so I don't know how they work.

I shot 256 grain bullets in my 1873 that I loaded long and single fed. They shot good. They came from a Saeco mold and look very much like the 429421 without the gas check.

[wrangler]

Mate, unless you know someone in a gunshop really well getting parts for Win. 94's in Australia is like looking for rocking dung.
A few places in the states have them BUT some won't send international orders. [Dont'ask how I know. If you canget some one over there to buy and send them to you good go for it .N ot easy to get payment to them though..Hannven't had one in 44/40 but have a Trail's end in .357 and it has caused me to learn more about that particular gun than I ever wanted to know.
Go buy a Rossi ,easier to get parts and a better made gun.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Mate, unless you know someone in a gunshop really well getting parts for Win. 94's in Australia is like looking for rocking dung.
A few places in the states have them BUT some won't send international orders. [Dont'ask how I know. If you canget some one over there to buy and send them to you good go for it .N ot easy to get payment to them though..Hannven't had one in 44/40 but have a Trail's end in .357 and it has caused me to learn more about that particular gun than I ever wanted to know.
Go buy a Rossi ,easier to get parts and a better made gun.

Try Western Firearms in Beverly Hills in Sydney. They have a website and you can contact them using email. They buy up a lot of spares. They would be able to put you right anyway. There is another gunsmith in Sydney, MArtin's Forearms, he might be able to help out, if you need it I will look up his number. Noosa Firearms might be a go as well and he sells Marble Sights for lever guns.

Do you have any contacts in the Northern Territory? These 94s in 44/40 were all special order jobs for the NT due to their weird gun laws in the past. Smiths up there should know their way around them.

The wrangler is right about the Rossi! Great gun, stop tryingto drive the 44/40 fast and get a 44mag. Talk about a trouble free rifle. I have one in 38/357 and a 44Mag (it don't particulary like 44Specials, no prob though!). Great rifles! The straight case of the 44Mag is a big improvement as well, tough as all get out. I have two 44mag rifles (a Marlin and a Rossi) and a swag of 44/40s, (cowboy guns and old guns). It is a frustrating business trying to drive the 44/40 fast, but no big deal in the 44Mag!

By the time you sold the Winny off your change over for a no nonsense Rossi shouldn't be too expensive

[MtGun44]

Everything I have read says that pushing the .44-40 will get you ruptured cases and
problems before you get anywhere near what the .44 mag will do in the same gun. Brass is
very thin and weak. Good luck, but it seems like many have tried to magnumize the
.44-40 will poor results.

Bill

[smlekid]

thanks for the replies I didn't think I was treading to hard on the 44/40 with the velocity I was aiming at one of our local reloading manuals has data that puts it at nearly 44mag speeds and I am several 100 fps under that
OK I'm trrying to push it a bit quick I will limit it to around 1200fps at the monet the biggest problem I have with it is the sights on the highest setting it shoots 6" low at 50m I have fitted some sights of another winchester rifle to see if it works any better
thanks for the ideas on parts in Australia

[cajun shooter]

Try finding you a Marble's tang sight for your rifle. If Brownel's here sells them but I don't know about the shipping. They have a new model that you can change out the center post for longer ranges. I have heard out to 600 yds is easy. I shoot 44-40 and the Starline cases are very strong if you can find some of those. I would not try to push the 44-40 to your outer speeds even though I know it has been done with the 92's in that caliber. I have a 73 and 92 in 44-40 and like them both. The 73 is my cowboy gun. You might also check out the web site of Buffalo Arms as they have just about anything including parts. I also have no idea about the shipping of that company. I hope you are able to find your parts. Take Care Mate.

[Four Fingers of Death]

David at Noosa Shooter's Supplies sells Marbles Sights. I bought a nice rear sight for my 44/40 Ubeauty 1873, very reasonably priced. I went for a flat topped blade rearsight as I was weaned on 303 SMLEs in the Cadets as a teenager. The flat top sight is better for fast acquisition. I can't really see where a buckhorn would be any good, but our allies in the States seem to think they are ok. I suppose if you zeroed the rifle to shoot to point of aim using the middle of the buckhorn it might work. David and Ida (her cowboy alias is Ida Claire! I don't know her real name) should be able to put you right. They are a long way away, but once you order by phone and they deliver by post, it doesn't make much difference.
07) 54477789 / www.noosashooters.com