I just picked up an antique revolver in 44 american bulldog. I think these will fire 44 webley as well but correct me if I am wrong. I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some reloading information such as loads, proper bullets, and where to find bullets, brass, and dies. I suspect this will be challenging!
44 american bulldog
- Thread starter Jmack1980
- Start date
First off do you have a picture of it?
You say it is a 44 American Bulldog, is this on the top strap?
Have you slugged the gun?
What is the length of the cylinder and is there a step in the cylinder or is it smooth?
I have a 44 Webley, my understanding is that there never was a 44 Bulldog chambered pistol but 44 Bulldog was made as a short for a 44 Webley. There is also a 44 Webley with a .442 bullet (European) and a 44 Webley with an inside lubricated .429 bullet (American). Mine is an Iver Johnson, it has a .429 bore, .435 throat and it is stamped British Bulldog on the top strap.
You say it is a 44 American Bulldog, is this on the top strap?
Have you slugged the gun?
What is the length of the cylinder and is there a step in the cylinder or is it smooth?
I have a 44 Webley, my understanding is that there never was a 44 Bulldog chambered pistol but 44 Bulldog was made as a short for a 44 Webley. There is also a 44 Webley with a .442 bullet (European) and a 44 Webley with an inside lubricated .429 bullet (American). Mine is an Iver Johnson, it has a .429 bore, .435 throat and it is stamped British Bulldog on the top strap.
That would be news to me, it was my understanding that no pistol was ever actually chambered for the shorter round but the shorter round was made as a cheaper option.
It was a few years ago now and belonged to another person and we were trying to find ammo to fit it. I have fair few of unusual Belgian made guns, it probably was a one off from a small shop, who knows nowadays well over 120 years later.
I think you are right about none of the bigger handgun makers making .44 Bulldog chambered revolvers although.
Also if they wanted a cheaper ammo option I would have thought they would just go with a smaller calibre common ammo chambered revolver instead of buying a usually at the time more expensive .44 Webley or .442 chambered revolver.
Well how many thousands of gun makers were working back then? How many different 44s existed? I don't think it much matters what the gun is from that era you need to slug the bore and make a round that fits in the cylinder and then fill the case with BP and go from there.
I was reading about the bulldog, I guess the 44 Webley was the gun people would use for protection but with a 2in or less barrel it did not matter much if it were a short or a long, it was a belly gun. The 38 did not have the same impact, even with a slower velocity of the bulldog at the "across the poker table" distance.
The OP says this one says American Bulldog, I ask about the picture because I had to dig through a lot to prove what mine was and American Bulldog on the top strap sounds familiar.
You just hope you get lucky and you don't have to thin down rims or something like that.
Oh, soft lead bullets, used soft lead.
I still have not assembled a round for this, freaks me out a bit I guess but I have all the bits. This is the first gun that I am making the brass, bullets and reloading with FFFg, so a lot of new things.
I have what was sold to me as a Belgian made British bulldog, supposedly in .442. The back of the cylinder calibers approx .455 the front is .424 and the bore slugs at .415,,, a .44 Russian slides in some of the chambers but the rim is too wide for a couple,m they hang up on the center. I have checked the catridges of the world and it doesn't quite match up, I could be out a bit on the calliper measurements, has anyone got a .442 and if so, what would your measurements be?
Cheers Bob
Cheers Bob
All of these are all over the map, mine head spaces great with full thickness rim for a 44 special but the standard 44 webley and 44 bulldog I bought at a gun show have way too much headspace.
Your gun does not make sense to me for a 44 in any respect, the inside lubricated 44 is about .429 and the heeled 442 is .442. Your throat being larger than your muzzle is correct but a taper like that in the cylinder is weird for a 44.
Yea, I think I will get the .442 heeled bullets from Jethunter as I think the cylinder is built that way to start forcing the heeled part down before hitting the barrel, there is an integral bevel in the frame/ barrel which is basically the forcing cone(I think) and that is hopefully where the rest of the heeled bullet swages down to the barrel size. I will try a couple just tapping them through the cylinder and barrel first to make sure it will work.
Found this pic (located in post above )on the net explaining the Iver Johnson American and British bulldogs. Just simply a choice of name you wanted. Came in 44 Webley or 44 Bulldog Interesting! i have one of each.
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It is not just the name, the name and the year means something. Iver Johnson only stamped British Bulldog on the top strap of the First Model between 1878 and 1882, which helps to prove it as antique.
