You can get 44 Russian dies from Lee. I've got them and they work just fine. I also use smokeless in my original 44 Russians. I have 2400 and 5744 loads. Regarding really knowing what you are doing, that is always a very good idea if you reload, regardless of whether you use BP in BP cartridges, smokeless in BP cartridges, or smokeless in smokeless cartridges. If you fill your 30-30 case with Titegroup, you will blow yourself to Kingdom Come, but that doesn't stop people from reloading their 30-30 cartridges with safe smokeless loads anymore than it should stop people from using safe smokeless loads in their BP pistols. I have used BP in one of my antique sixguns, but after completely dismantling it to clean it, I decided that it would always be smokeless hereafter, but that's just me. I still have to confess that I love the smoke, flame and boom of BP, I just do not like the clean up (although in a single shot, it's easy and even a BP Winchester is still not bad at all ...... it is just that I cannot get every last speck of fouling out of the tiny pits in the barrel of some of my old Winnies. So I've decided that I will only use BP in modern firearms, but smokeless in my antiques.
Cowboy Ammo?
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Ok, thanks for clearing that up... I thought that some of them had to go through the BP struggle, while others were only used with smokeless later on, right after they left the factory (according from what I've read on american forums).
Since the gun was used till around 1965, I wouldn't be surprised if mine has had an arsenal rebuild using smokeless-only (or new) parts later in its' lifetime. It's just too clean to be a BP firearm... although the barrel does have "1893" stamped on it, so go figure (maybe "new old stock" parts?).
Win 38-55: Thanks for pitching in and expressing yourself. You were actually one of the expert antique collectors I was referring to earlier in this thread. I think that your experience and knowledge is a highly valuable asset around these forums, no matters what the nay-sayers think.
As a general rule, antiques will just last longer if people use safe smokeless loads instead of BP, therefore they'll keep their value & more people will be able to enjoy them in the long run. A corroded (excessively pitted) firearm is simply scrap metal, at least to me. With your valuable input (and others like you), there's actually hope to preserve those treasures a little longer and still enjoy them when they go bang. Cheers!
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"...whereas the S&W is not going anywhere..." Don't count on antique handguns being exempt.
A 30 second net search turned up this.
http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt44russ.htm
More data here.
http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/.../StandardloadsHandgun/44 Russian Page 130.pdf
A 30 second net search turned up this.
http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt44russ.htm
More data here.
http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/.../StandardloadsHandgun/44 Russian Page 130.pdf
They're gonna have to find them first! After all, registration = confiscation.
What is it that our dear friend Heston used to say... ? "If you want my gun, you're gonna have to pry it off my cold dead fingers"? Sounds about right. And no further comment on that on my part... Thanks! I especially wanted to find out what the guys on CGN use for antique .44 special loads, but this is very interesting as well. And I know... Google's a friend!
