Safe load for 44-40 old rifle

G

greentown

New member
Rating - 100%
9   0   0
Hi, I just got a winchester 1892 in the 44-40 caliber. According to the serial number it was manufactured in 1892. So it has lived. I have not received it yet so I have not seen the condition of the cannon. But according to the words of the former owner the rifle still shoot correct. He himself fired a few times with Hornady cowboy action bullets in 205 gr. I bought it for have fun with it, So I want to have fun with it without the gun exploding in my face. I read a bit about American sites and most people without giving their recipe shot with load '' cowboy '' which according to them are safe loads.
Someone here is doing cowboy shooting action and reload these balls, who could give me a good recipe?
Can I take the tablet bullet without any problem while remaining in the cowboy category?

Do you know the saami pressure level not to exceed for a weapon of this time.
 
Here's one I own and a target with reloading info.
Please use this at your own discretion.
I don't wish to be held liable if this info is reproduced with your reloads.

7ZzrCHM.jpg
 
Im pretty sure any factory marked 44-40 ammo will be just fine. And for reloads stick to saami pressures and below i believe its 13,000psi.
Hodgdons lists 8000-12900psi loads
 
Last edited:
Vihtavuori tinstar powder is made for loads like this. I use 7.5 grains in my 44 40 with 200 grain bullets. The powder is bulky and metres good enough out of my RCBS powder measure. I get about 22 standard velocity out of this at a bit over 1000 FPS and my sight notch goes up once between 40 and 75 metres and again for 100. These are low pressure cowboy rounds
 
I think this is very hot over 44 magnum loads. The light loads are made to be safe with the 1873 for which the 44 40 was made. The 1892 is supposed to be much stronger.
kamlooky said:
Here's one I own and a target with reloading info.
Please use this at your own discretion.
I don't wish to be held liable if this info is reproduced with your reloads.

7ZzrCHM.jpg
Click to expand...
 
I think you'll be fine, unless there is a problem with the rifle with just about any reasonable 44-40 load.
The design of the rifle is such that it will handle loads nearing the 44 mag. Yours being of the vintage it is however, I'd stick with the loads listed for black powder era cartridges.
You should be able to approach 1200fps at around 13000psi.
At that level, you should IMO have a substantial safety margin, as it is considered by some sources the safe max in the 1873, a much weaker action.
My original 1892 is much newer, and has taken loads approaching the 44 mag in the past. I don't use those loads however, as the accuracy is shotgun like.
 
The dare was on.
I made a statement one day 'bout the 44-40 keeping up with the 44mag.
I was scolded.
Still remember when that was said by a gunsmith.
I suppose if one was comparing factory ammo but the challenge was on.
Mr. H chrony'd the two calibers one day when we were out shoot'in.
Some things in life I regret, but to not take a photo of his notes would fall heavily in that bracket.

There is quite a story behind my old '92.
It shall be one of my companions when I depart.

Anyone have a side screw?
 
There's been a few threads on the 44-40 and pressure recently at the castbulletassoc.org/forum/, with links to a curtisshawk website.
 
I load 24gr of RE#7 under a 220gr GC cast in my 1892 original.Fifty yards with irons is .680" 3 shot group.I use the same load with 200gr Gold Dots.Check what groove your rifle is as they vary. A 92 is a strong action.No issues taking the heads off grouse.castboolits.com is a good site .
 
Years ago I was loading 8.6 grains of unique behind a 200 grain cast bullet from a lee mold sized to .429" alox lubed. Velocity was about 1230 fps in my Winchester 1892. My Marlin 1888 with the same load was getting 1120 fps. I got this load from my old lyman manual. Remember to start low first and work up.
 
FYI, The SAAMI sets the safe chamber pressure limits for the oldest and weakest action the cartridge will be fired in.

Example below, the 30-06 was chambered in older weaker actions than the newer .270 Winchester. But if the 30-06 was chambered in a modern Remington 700 action there is no reason it can't be loaded to the same pressures as the .270.

There is a big difference between the .270 at 65,000 psi and the 44-40 at 13,000 psi and the thrust on the bolt face. Meaning if the primers are protruding from your fired 44-40 cases there is very little force being applied to the bolt face. This is because the chamber pressure is not great enough to make the brass case stretch to meet the bolt face and only the primer is forced to the rear.

EPcuYSG.jpg
 
Last edited:
greentown said:
Hi, I just got a winchester 1892 in the 44-40 caliber. According to the serial number it was manufactured in 1892. So it has lived. I have not received it yet so I have not seen the condition of the cannon. But according to the words of the former owner the rifle still shoot correct. He himself fired a few times with Hornady cowboy action bullets in 205 gr. I bought it for have fun with it, So I want to have fun with it without the gun exploding in my face. I read a bit about American sites and most people without giving their recipe shot with load '' cowboy '' which according to them are safe loads.
Someone here is doing cowboy shooting action and reload these balls, who could give me a good recipe?
Can I take the tablet bullet without any problem while remaining in the cowboy category?

Do you know the saami pressure level not to exceed for a weapon of this time.
Click to expand...

I started CAS ( Cowboy Action Shooting ) in 1985 . For the .44-40 , I have loaded a 200 gr. cast bullet from a Saeco # 420 mould with 7 ( seven) grains
of Unique Powder & a Federal # 150 primmer , ever since then . It shoots just over 1,000. f/sec. I nice light CAS round.
I shoot it in a 1892 Win. for CAS & also in a 1873 Win. just for fun . My '73 's are too good to put them into CAS .
 
Necro thread revival:

I having a h_ll of a time finding 44-40 loads to test fire a .44 Whitneville Armoury lever gun.
Hornady cowboy, item #9075. 205gr or similar.

I can't find any, anywhere. As of today 31 emails sent, all responded with "none in stock" and "won't order one box". Hornady won't ship one box to me directly.

Suggestions? Nobody I've found re-loads .44-40 either.
 
Dodosmike said:
Necro thread revival:

I having a h_ll of a time finding 44-40 loads to test fire a .44 Whitneville Armoury lever gun.
Hornady cowboy, item #9075. 205gr or similar.

I can't find any, anywhere. As of today 31 emails sent, all responded with "none in stock" and "won't order one box". Hornady won't ship one box to me directly.

Suggestions? Nobody I've found re-loads .44-40 either.
Click to expand...
Strongly suggest you start reloading for it. I have found 44-40 factory stuff, but it can be a bit of a hassle to find it on the shelf. You're probably going to have to do a bit of research on that rifle to find where in the power level it fits, or just stick to Black powder levels like the factory does.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
Strongly suggest you start reloading for it. I have found 44-40 factory stuff, but it can be a bit of a hassle to find it on the shelf. You're probably going to have to do a bit of research on that rifle to find where in the power level it fits, or just stick to Black powder levels like the factory does.
Click to expand...

Just wanting to test fire it. Not about to spend any dough on reload equipment. It's not my gun, belongs to my nephew, who's 7, lol. Was my father in laws gun and it was willed to his then youngest grandson. I'm just the caretaker/storage bin for it. It was inoperative, was jammed, taken apart and reassembled incorrectly 35 years ago. I took a stab at it, got it working and had it inspected. Passed with flying colours, "quite shootable" I was told. The gunsmith I had inspect it doesn't reload 44-40 unfortunately.
 
homestead is a good source, I've used them a few times.
Can you post a notice at your range? There has to be a 44-40 nut near North Bay.
I'm a good 6 hrs or more east of you (guessing) or you could just come here to try it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom