Got me a 444!

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have been coming under an evil spell whilst visiting this site and have been adding lever guns to my collection. I have picked up a 444S which has seen a bit of use, but has obviously been well looked after.

I'm looking forward to getting this one going.

O tried to upload some photos, but it siad that they were too big?

[no34570]

I have been coming under an evil spell whilst visiting this site and have been adding lever guns to my collection. I have picked up a 444S which has seen a bit of use, but has obviously been well looked after.

I'm looking forward to getting this one going.

O tried to upload some photos, but it siad that they were too big?
Hi 4fingermick
I see you are from Australia too,so hello!
I'm getting together all the reloading gear like cases, projectiles,already got the reloading dies now all I have to do is buy the rifle.
I'm importing the Cases and projectile from the US,just sent all the relavent permits to the US last week,will take about 4 weeks to get the ok from the US State Dept,but it works out a bit cheaper getting the over in the US than here at home.
Even thinking of buying the rifle from the US,have to think about that one though.

What condition is the Marlin in?
Is it the Micro groove barrel?and will you be shooting cast in it?
I've got a mould ordered in the group buys,the 44 cal Ranch dog Buy,can't wait to see and try it out,of course when I get the gun:-D
Cheers to you mate
no34570.

[6pt-sika]

If ya wanna shoot jacketed in your 444 try Nosler's 250 grain Partition bullet . I have used then succesfully for deer in the 444 , 44 MAG and in a sabot in my ML .

If you wanna shoot cast consider Ranch Dogs mould for the 444 and Saeco makes a nice 265 grain GC mould .[smilie=1:

I've also had decent luck with Lyman #429244 (255 grain SWC GC).


:castmine:

[Four Fingers of Death]

Good luck with the Aussie Customs, No 345....

I'll have a look at the group buy, thanks. Mick.

[Ranch Dog]

Heck... I would send you a rifle and a mold if you could figure out how to get me a good Kelpie dog! Still missing my girl big time (pic left), she knew what a 444 was for!!!

[Newtire]

Good luck with the Aussie Customs, No 345....

I'll have a look at the group buy, thanks. Mick.
Have had real lots of fun and good luck with my .444. A bit overkill for things here in California. Heavy loads kill on both ends. Get a Packmayer De-celerator recoil pad. (the "nuclear" model).

[Four Fingers of Death]

I tried to post photos but didn't do any good. I am about to move house so I haven't got time to work on that at the moment, the wife is beating me about the head trying to get me off the puter as we speak (not really, but she is pleading occasionally).

The rifle is obviously an older one, the blueing is worn on the corners. The topstrap is completely plain apart from factory d&t holes. The wood is excellent, a real burl on the forend and nice straight grain on the butt. Compared to my 1895 it is glorious. The finish is good apart from scratching which does not go through to the wood. It has obviously been used a fair bit as the working parts have polished themselves where they contact in normal operation. The bore is excellent and is a strange looking (to me) micro groove! I haven't got the 45/70 here to comare it with, but it appears to have ten or twelve shallow flat lands and grooves (I had trouble concentrating as my wife followed me down to the garage where the rifle cabinet iand was talking about the move as I was checking it out. She's a good old girl and wasn't going crook, but was distracting me anyway. I suppose most wifes would be having a screaming fit if their husband was on the internet and checking guns out with so much on, gotta go better not stretch the friendship). Mick.

[Four Fingers of Death]

PS intend to shoot lead exclusively when I get it going. I will try it forst with some commercially cast 44Mag boolits for plinking while I get it organised, I don't expect any great results, but will probably try some jacketed while I get organised. Haven't got dies moulds or brass yet. Now I really gotta go! :-D. Mick.

[floodgate]

Mick:

Geez! And here I go bugging you about the Simplex tool and dies. Take her out to dinner and add it to my "account".

Doug

[grumpy one]

Heck... I would send you a rifle and a mold if you could figure out how to get me a good Kelpie dog! Still missing my girl big time (pic left), she knew what a 444 was for!!!

Beautiful dog, like all kelpies (in my opinion of course - hard to find an Australian who doesn't like kelpies I think) but in the picture she looks heavy-set, which is unusual. Was she elderly when the pic was taken? The male kelpie I had as a teenager still liked to run beside my motorcycle when he was 11 years old - he could still make a genuine 30 mph, and I wouldn't let him try for any more than that, or even hold that speed for more than a couple of seconds. He had the classic build for the breed: deep chest, fairly lean in front of the hind-quarters, not especially long legs. Boy that dog liked to kill chickens.

[Four Fingers of Death]

The kelpies are great dogs, we had a bitch on my uncle's farm and we were talking about moving the cattle out of the bottom paddock to another paddock so that we could plough it ready to sow wheat.

The bitch was sitting on the kitchen step, just on the other side of the fly screen door while we were talking about this over lunch. After lunch we rounded up the young kelpie (silly as a wheel, but came good a year or so later) and I couldn't find the bitch.

My uncle told me not to worry about it and we piled in the back of the ute (uncle and older cousin in the front as befits family pecking order) and drove the mile or so out to the padock. Half way there, we saw the bitch tearing up the road heading for the paddock. By the time we got the gate opened, she had the cattle mustered up and they went straight through the gate. I was amazed.

By the way, the 444S was made in 1977, according to the info on Ranch Dog's excellent site!

Thanks for reminding me about the press Floodgate, I'll get on the phone and chase up those parts.

Mick.