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View Full Version : Anyone load for 44 Merwin-Hulbert?



mazo kid
01-08-2012, 12:45 AM
A friend and I have M-H revolvers in their proprietary 44 M-H cartridge. Seems there is a lot of leeway in dimensions. Some say it is a lengthened 44 S&W American, but numbers still do not match. So what are you using to form/load this elusive cartridge? TIA.

Grapeshot
01-10-2012, 12:13 PM
IIRC, I think I read in "US Cartridges and their Handguns", that the .44 MH is similar to the .44 Colt or .44 Remington. Not having any experience with the .44MH I can only tell you what I read about it.

If you can fit a .44 Special case into the chamber for more than half it's length you might be able to use the .44 Russian or the newer made .44 Colt cases in it.

bydand
01-12-2012, 05:22 PM
Depends on which vintage M&H you have. While they all will accept a 44-40 case, there is a difference in bullet diameters between 44 Winchester and 44-40.
I have a pair. One will accept 44-40 but the other earlier one (44 winchester) needs the bullets swaged down a few thousanths. bought a bullet swaging die from Lee
I assume you initialy tried a loaded round in the cylinder and found it would only go in half way.

mazo kid
01-14-2012, 03:15 PM
Depends on which vintage M&H you have. While they all will accept a 44-40 case, there is a difference in bullet diameters between 44 Winchester and 44-40.
I have a pair. One will accept 44-40 but the other earlier one (44 winchester) needs the bullets swaged down a few thousanths. bought a bullet swaging die from Lee
I assume you initialy tried a loaded round in the cylinder and found it would only go in half way.
I misspoke; mine IS a 44-40 caliber and chambers them just fine. My friend's is the proprietary 44 Merwin-Hulbert. Is this what you are referring to when you say 44 Winchester? He is going to make a chamber cast of the cylinder so we will have something positive to compare to. Unfortunately, he is 1200 miles away!

Grapeshot
01-16-2012, 08:45 AM
I misspoke; mine IS a 44-40 caliber and chambers them just fine. My friend's is the proprietary 44 Merwin-Hulbert. Is this what you are referring to when you say 44 Winchester? He is going to make a chamber cast of the cylinder so we will have something positive to compare to. Unfortunately, he is 1200 miles away!

Merwin-Hulbert would mark their revolvers that were chambered for the .44-40, a.k.a. .44 Winchester Central Fire (WCF) as .44 Winchester. Do not know why, never found out that bit of information, and the only reason I know this, is I read it in Mike Ventorino's book "Shooting Six Guns of the Old West". Enjoy your treasures.