Considering Henry .44 Big Boy....but want to use my same 250g Keith SWC

[10mmShooter]

Hello Everyone

I'm looking at picking up a Henry .44 Big Boy lever action, although I know they are not the "original" Henry rifles, I've always like the look and feel of the old lever guns and they are made in the US :) . But I really want to be able to use my pet Anaconda/629 load of 7 grains of Green Dot poaking along at 1000 fps.

But I use the RCBS 250g Keith type SWC, with the lite loading of 7grs of Green Dot I do seat them fairly deep for an overal length of 1.605 inches.(flush with top of the crimp groove)

I realize the lever guns are fussy about semi wadcutters and overall cartrige length.

What types of issues should I expect with feeding/cycle using my SWC loads in the Henry.

The center Nickel case are seated to 1.605 this is my favorite load for my revolvers.


63571

thanks

[10mmShooter]

anyone, anyone Bueller,

[Dorado]

Personally I'd stay away from Henrys I've seen to many of them jam and give fits. I'd go with a used Marlin or just about anything else first. Uberti makes a Yellow boy that's a great shooter. Many lever guns don't like the shoulder on the SWC it catches as it enters the chamber. Some rifles can have the chamber chamfered and alleviate the problem but it may not go away completely. As far as Boolits are concerned you might be better served with a RNFP or a truncated cone design. I have a Marlin 1894c in .357 Mag. I compete in CAS with it shooting 125gn rnfp, but I've developed a hunting load with 160gn RNFP that feeds the same as my lite loads. I've not had any trouble with it. I tried several SWC designs without any success. But I've heard that the bigger calibers have less of an issue with them.
I don't know if that helps at all. Just my 2 cents.

[larryp]

Don't know about the Henry but my Rossi feeds SWC's with no problems. If you really want the Henry go for it and try out your favorite load, it just might work. If not substitute a round nose flatpoint of equal weight.

[10mmShooter]

thanks guys, what other brands Rossi, Winchester, Marlin offer an octagonal barrel ??

[gundownunder]

Rossi still do an octagonal, Marlin did octagonal in both 20' and 24' if you can find them.
I have the 20" Marlin and it will happily feed SWC in both 38spl and 357 cases.
You won't know till you give it a go. You may find that your particular rifle will do it, or you may find it will only do it with 44spl brass.

[bigboredad]

My big boy .44 feeds the Lyman sac just fine and I also seat deep

[ridurall]

I picked up a Big Boy 44 Magnum about a year ago for my wife and it shoots my SWC lead loads just fine.

[BCRider]

The thing with the Keith bullet is that it's got a rather wide meplate on the nose. If you were to "shadow" a round nose over the shoulder and nose rims of the Keith I think you'll see that the edges of the Keith stick out past the outline of a regular round nose shape. The NORMAL SWC bullet matches the edges of the shoulder and nose with the profile of a regular round nose shape. And that's why it USUALLY works with loading from an angle in levers and semi auto actions.

Having said this I suspect that the Keith will work. It may not be a SMOOTH loading round but it'll likely work. Or at most you'd need to get a smith to slightly radius the lower chamber mouth out to give the nose the ability to hinge up into place without running out of room. Not enough to lose your support of the sidewalls but enough that it'll be the difference between ramming it home with the lever and a reasonably smooth cycle.

Since you're reloading your own rounds why not make up 4 or 5 dummy rounds and take them around when you go gun shopping. When you find a gun you like tell the counter guy you have some dummy rounds you'd like to see cycled through the action. If he's hesitant even after showing him that there's no primers and holes drilled in the side walls of the casings ask him to do the cycling.

Yes, I did type "holes in the sidewalls of the casings". I've made up a bunch of dummies of this sort in various calibers. To instantly be able to identify them I like to drill two full penetration holes at 90 degrees to generate 4 holes in the sidewalls. I use a 3/32 drill so the holes don't produce problems of their own. But it's enough to instantly recognize that they are dummies and hold no powder even if I don't tilt them to look at the empty primer hole.

EDIT- Looking at those middle cartridges again I strongly suspect that loaded deeply like you did that everything will be just hunky dory.

[sljacob]

I use a NOE 429421 swc in my henery .44 with good results.

[MT Chambers]

Henery, Henery....... Henery the eigth I am!!

[bigboredad]

The big boy is the smoothest lever action I've ever used the rcbs Keith style bullet I have runs great as long as oal does not exceed 1.6

[ironhead7544]

With a tube mag, it is best to seat to the crimp groove. The mag spring and recoil tend to push the bullet into the case. You may have to shorten the case a bit for the Keith nose. I had to cut my cases .005 to fit the Keith to my Marlin Cowboy in 44 Magnum.

[10mmShooter]

Thanks for the input guys, I've been price checking in the current environment I've found new in box Henry .44 for $725. Is this a reasonable price, I'm thinking in the current environment that price is high but acceptable. ?? thoughts or should I keep looking for a lower price.

[runfiverun]

doubt you'll find a lower price.
that isn't a gouging type price that's what they cost.

[Four Fingers of Death]

The thing with the Keith bullet is that it's got a rather wide meplate on the nose. If you were to "shadow" a round nose over the shoulder and nose rims of the Keith I think you'll see that the edges of the Keith stick out past the outline of a regular round nose shape. The NORMAL SWC bullet matches the edges of the shoulder and nose with the profile of a regular round nose shape. And that's why it USUALLY works with loading from an angle in levers and semi auto actions.

Having said this I suspect that the Keith will work. It may not be a SMOOTH loading round but it'll likely work. Or at most you'd need to get a smith to slightly radius the lower chamber mouth out to give the nose the ability to hinge up into place without running out of room. Not enough to lose your support of the sidewalls but enough that it'll be the difference between ramming it home with the lever and a reasonably smooth cycle.

Since you're reloading your own rounds why not make up 4 or 5 dummy rounds and take them around when you go gun shopping. When you find a gun you like tell the counter guy you have some dummy rounds you'd like to see cycled through the action. If he's hesitant even after showing him that there's no primers and holes drilled in the side walls of the casings ask him to do the cycling.

Yes, I did type "holes in the sidewalls of the casings". I've made up a bunch of dummies of this sort in various calibers. To instantly be able to identify them I like to drill two full penetration holes at 90 degrees to generate 4 holes in the sidewalls. I use a 3/32 drill so the holes don't produce problems of their own. But it's enough to instantly recognize that they are dummies and hold no powder even if I don't tilt them to look at the empty primer hole.

EDIT- Looking at those middle cartridges again I strongly suspect that loaded deeply like you did that everything will be just hunky dory.

I do this, but drill the primer pocket hole right through. The resulting hole is so big you can see inside the case, but it is still strong enough to handle being cycled in the rifle.

As your fav load is seated deep, I'd take three or four drill rounds seated like that and three or four seated normally to try.

[davegalesr]

I shoot Keith style SWC in my Big Boy and they cycle fine - don't need to force the lever. 725 is less than I paid for mine new - go for it.