Heavy Loads For The .44-40 M92' Winchester

[Savvy Jack]

Shooting Times, Feb 1973
by C. George Charles

269504
269505
269506
269507

For better photos https://sites.google.com/view/44winchester/handloading/heavy-loads-for-the-m92-winchester

[indian joe]

Shooting Times, Feb 1973
by C. George Charles

269504
269505
269506
269507

For better photos https://sites.google.com/view/44winchester/handloading/heavy-loads-for-the-m92-winchester

Interesting - their data shows 28% increase in case capacity for the 44/40 over the 44magnum . I knew there was a difference in favour of the 44/40 - didnt realise it was that much .
Thanks for posting.

[Outpost75]

Interesting - their data shows 28% increase in case capacity for the 44/40 over the 44magnum . I knew there was a difference in favour of the 44/40 - didnt realise it was that much .
Thanks for posting.

With older balloon-head .44-40 cases, yes. Not so comparing modern Starline in both calibers, about 5-6%

[Savvy Jack]

With older balloon-head .44-40 cases, yes. Not so comparing modern Starline in both calibers, about 5-6%

I don't think I want to try such loads with semi-balloonhead cases......I'll stick with Starline!!

Any idea what year the Semi-balloonheads were finally phased out?

[Outpost75]

I don't think I want to try such loads with semi-balloonhead cases......I'll stick with Starline!!

Any idea what year the Semi-balloonheads were finally phased out?

I have Rem-UMC semi-balloon-heads with softpoint bullets which I believe are early postwar, loaded with Sharpshooter powder.

269541

[Nueces]

Side note: C. George Charles was a writing alias used by George C. (Charles) Nonte

[Savvy Jack]

Outpost, I think the last one I have so far is 1950's with Sharpshooter. Certainly the WW cases in the article would be solids, with a slight "button" as photographed......but who knows. Seems like an awful lot of room to not be balloonheads.

[indian joe]

I don't think I want to try such loads with semi-balloonhead cases......I'll stick with Starline!!

Any idea what year the Semi-balloonheads were finally phased out?

Bryan
I got my first old 92 in 1963 - a well worn 32/20 - quickly found out that Dominion brass was far and away the most durable - it was jacketed SP - had a box of Peters lead heads, some winchester (it was noticeably thinner in the neck), and a few sako (they were shorter than the others) so went looking for Dominion from that point.

A mate and I had a dozen or so old 92's through our hands in the following few years - ended up me with a real nice 38/40 and him a 44/40 single shot - then I found some bits and built my first gun from parts, a 92 action in 44/40 with the remains of a special order 73 barrel (was a half octagon half round but a heavy barrel - not seen one like it since), set it back one thread, a bit of fiddling with the chamber, cut the round down to half the length of the octo, still got that one with a new barrel now. The old barrel was rough but oversize - knew then what I have figured out now it proly woulda shot.

So back to the brass - we scoured the countryside for ammo early days and most of what we found in the big calibres was Dominion (what you call semi balloon head) - it came in long slim packet of 20 printing was a dull finish Blue and Yellow - maybe can find one of those for a pic - so those would be mid to late 1950's I reckon - maybe early 1960's but when we bought them they were not new stock (dusty stuff from high on a shelf) price marked in pounds shilling and pence so on the shelf before start of 1966

later we got a couple boxes of CIL (Canadian Industries Limited) same brass different newer box (Was ICI company part of the mix here ???). I am thinking these were likely packed late 1960's. But it was Dominion headstamp brass in a CIL packet

I bought Kynoch 44/40 in yellow and red (2) boxes of 50 - this was small rifle prime double flash hole stuff -punched the anvil through with a sharp pin punch I made (so they were also a semi balloon head case) and reloaded those with normal small rifle primers - still have most of a box of those unfired - they were marked suitable for 1873 and colts revolver but definitely felt they had more punch than any of the other ammo we got at the time -- again price in old money so pre 1966 for sure

I parked the old guns in 1974 - bought a 22/250 - got plenty of shooting - it was a tool - pests and skin hunting for dollars - life and make a quid got in the way - didnt come back to the fun stuff till I bought a muzzleloader kit in 1989 - too many guns on the rack at my place now - gonna be a headache for my kin when I eventually croak .

[Savvy Jack]

Bryan
I got my first old 92 in 1963 - a well worn 32/20 - quickly found out that Dominion brass was far and away the most durable - it was jacketed SP - had a box of Peters lead heads, some winchester (it was noticeably thinner in the neck), and a few sako (they were shorter than the others) so went looking for Dominion from that point.

A mate and I had a dozen or so old 92's through our hands in the following few years - ended up me with a real nice 38/40 and him a 44/40 single shot - then I found some bits and built my first gun from parts, a 92 action in 44/40 with the remains of a special order 73 barrel (was a half octagon half round but a heavy barrel - not seen one like it since), set it back one thread, a bit of fiddling with the chamber, cut the round down to half the length of the octo, still got that one with a new barrel now. The old barrel was rough but oversize - knew then what I have figured out now it proly woulda shot.

So back to the brass - we scoured the countryside for ammo early days and most of what we found in the big calibres was Dominion (what you call semi balloon head) - it came in long slim packet of 20 printing was a dull finish Blue and Yellow - maybe can find one of those for a pic - so those would be mid to late 1950's I reckon - maybe early 1960's but when we bought them they were not new stock (dusty stuff from high on a shelf) price marked in pounds shilling and pence so on the shelf before start of 1966

later we got a couple boxes of CIL (Canadian Industries Limited) same brass different newer box (Was ICI company part of the mix here ???). I am thinking these were likely packed late 1960's. But it was Dominion headstamp brass in a CIL packet

I bought Kynoch 44/40 in yellow and red (2) boxes of 50 - this was small rifle prime double flash hole stuff -punched the anvil through with a sharp pin punch I made (so they were also a semi balloon head case) and reloaded those with normal small rifle primers - still have most of a box of those unfired - they were marked suitable for 1873 and colts revolver but definitely felt they had more punch than any of the other ammo we got at the time -- again price in old money so pre 1966 for sure

I parked the old guns in 1974 - bought a 22/250 - got plenty of shooting - it was a tool - pests and skin hunting for dollars - life and make a quid got in the way - didnt come back to the fun stuff till I bought a muzzleloader kit in 1989 - too many guns on the rack at my place now - gonna be a headache for my kin when I eventually croak .

Thanks for sharing the Canadian info! I certainly do see a lot of Dominion suff here and there and a few Kynoch. Nothing on hand to compare.

[Savvy Jack]

https://sites.google.com/view/44winc...y-at-200-yards

Did this 200 yard target this morning with normal Winchester 73' loads.

269578