Guidance Please Rossi 44-40

[sparky45]

Looking to get an additional Levergun in 44-40, I think. Any advise, opinions, ect are welcome. I don't know how available 44-40 brass is or how involved a monetary outlay would be in reloading for the gun, but I just want one. Help please.

[starmac]

I don't know anything about the 44/40 availability, but I started to oick up a few hundred rounds of brass at the gun show last week, just because it was cheap.

[smithywess]

sparky 45,

You'll enjoy it. New empty brass is available from Starline and I believe Remington. In a modern rifle like yours you'll have no difficulty getting a bullet to bore match ( with cast one to two thou. overbore). Get the R.C.B.S. cowboy action 3 die set. There is a combined neck expander and belling die. The brass necks are very thin so make sure you centre the brass accurately in the dies, and take your time. One touch with the edge of a die on the neck and it'll crumple beyond repair. R.C.B.S. makes a fine bullet mould, 44-200-CAS. Once you've paid for the dies,brass and bullet mould it's not expensive to load for.

[runfiverun]

it's available as new brass too.
the 44-40 uses thin brass that dent's easily. [I use a pair of needle nose pliers on the case mouths to round them out before re-sizing]
the rossi I have really like 430 diameter boolits of either 200 or 240 gr.
however my die set does not like 430 diameter boolits.
so I use a 45 colt die to seat the boolits then just bump the case mouth in the 44-40 die to give it a little crimp.
probably avoided with an rcbs cowboy die set.
anyway the rifle/brass will easily take some pretty stout loads, about 3/4's the 44 mag is where I generally run mine with 2400.
I use the same unique load in the 44-40,41 mag,45colt, and 44 mag. [makes life super easy on the dillons] I could use the same load in my 357 also but don't.
anyway treat it like a light 44 mag and you'll be fine.

[Dan Cash]

Any idea how much pressure you are generating with your 2400 load in the .45? I have been thinking about using 2400 in my 45 ammo for Colt, S&W and Schofield replica. At present I use 7.5 gr Unique.

[sparky45]

Hey thanks for all the comments. I've decided to get one that has a 24" Octagonal barrel. CDDN has them for $439.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Was that CNDD ? They run some great weekly speacials on close out items. Hard to beat their regular prices anywhere.
Nice thing with the new 44 WCF's is you are not faced with the "fat" throats the 100 year old Winchesters have. Have had 4 down here and only one (a rifle) had a .430+ throat. The other 3 were SR Carbines and all had .432+ throats. Not a big deal using 40-1 and 3F. But trying to get a smokeless load to shoot well was trying.
Mike in Peru

[sparky45]

It was CDNN and I got it on special. It's the 24" barrel (octagonal) in SS. Only $399.99, that's over $50 cheaper than I got my .357 just 7 months ago. It's like Christmas coming early.

[runfiverun]

Dan I use right about the same load of unique as you do in the low pressure type guns.
I know there are some loads for 2400 which make about 17-20 k and burn fairly clean.
about 15 grs in the 45 colt [I alway's seen some unburnt powder when I tried it]
I know that 7.5 grs of unique makes real sooty cases too, I went the other way with the powders burn rate to avoid that.
red-dot, titegroup, and clays work very well at the 14-k mark and can be brought up a bit.