44 caliber shotgun

gallen270

gallen270

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got a bit of an odd ball here, its a harrington richardson 44 caliber shotgun.

44caliber is stamped on the barrel, along with the serial number which corresponds to the frame.

frame markings has the makers name, and the patent dates "Feb 20&27 1900" and "May 14th 1901"

its a very small frame, and has a pin that can be removed to break it down into two peices for ease of transport. 28'' smoothbore barrel. Got it from a friend for a song, he was using it as a .410 to hunt partridge.

The only 44 caliber shotshell i found in my cartridge book is 44XL which is OAL 2 1/32 inch long. this gun easily chambers a 2 3/4'' 410.

can anyone tell me a bit about it?

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here you can see the take down pin well, flip out the ear, rotate, pull and the gun comes apart
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ive been thinking of fireforming some brass shells with .30/40 brass.
 
Other than the take down pin, it looks identical to a Steven 410 I have. I have been looking for another one just like fir the last 5 years and have found nothing EXCEPT a local gunsmith has in but it is stamped 44-SHOT Anyway, I think they fire both 44 and 410 safely, but don't quote me on that.
 
the guy i bought it from has been using 2 3/4 .410 in it since before i was even a sparkle in my fathers eye. so i cant see the fudds argueing its not safe.

its takes down really slick, im half tempted to take 10'' off the barrel and make a small back packer.
 
Here is some information on .44 shot cartridges, including the .44XL, which can be thought of as a sort of predecessor to the .410:

http://www.fourten.org.uk/mwpre410.html

I would strongly suggest that you have a gunsmith measure the chamber dimensions, as the 44XL OAL is shorter than a 2-1/2" .410. A shotgun chamber needs enough clearance to allow the crimp to open up. This is why it is unsafe to shoot a 3" shell in a 2-3/4" chamber, even if a loaded shell fits.
 
gallen270 said:
the guy i bought it from has been using 2 3/4 .410 in it since before i was even a sparkle in my fathers eye. so i cant see the fudds argueing its not safe.

its takes down really slick, im half tempted to take 10'' off the barrel and make a small back packer.
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I would buy a Cheapo 410 and cut it, that old girl might be worth holding on to or selling or trading for 2 cheaper 410s.

I have never actually seen a 2 3/4 410 shell actually, I have only seen 2 1/2 and 3" As far as the chamber being a bit sohert, I am sure it could be opened up but then again I shot 3" shells out of my 2 1/2" 410 for years before I realized there was a difference.
 
Sounds like you have a perfect candidate to try your hand at a chamber casting. I've done a few with hot wax to get basic dimensions.
I plugged the barrel with a wad of paper. I warmed the barrel and then poured in the wax. Push it out from the muzzle with a ramrod while everything is still warm.
Remember, a shotshell from 1900 probably didn't have a crimp to open up at all. It would be nice to fireform some brass that really fits it. I wouldn't cut it down... maybe.
 
good idea smoke pole, i might try, where do i get suitible wax? is there a specific kind, or just melt a candle in a pot? pour into the breech and tap out from the muzzle then measure.

im on the fence about chopping it for a camping shotgun, dont want to bubba something valuble, or collectable. condition is rough though, and harrington & richardson singke shot isnt exactly a british double.
 
I just used some scrap wax - that should be good to tell what chamber length is. You will get some shrinkage, but it shouldn't matter for that project. Be sure to tap it out while it is warm.
 
Would a release agent be a good idea? may a spray of pam or gun oil. I am thinking, because it is wax it may not make a difference and will just stick... Worst case scenario, some piping hot water will allow te wax to pop out.
 
Please don't cut that. Its too purdy for Bubba to get his hands on.

A camp 410 is about 200 bucks, this looks like a very interesting piece. Even if its not worth 500 bucks its stories could be worth way more.

that's just me thought... its your cash and your shotgun. Good luck with whatever you do.
 
i remember seeing one at the nfa booth years ago- jim hinter said it was his, but was a sxs and he made cartridges out of 44-40 with a card under and a drop of wax over the shot- had real long barrels on it too,bust have been 30 inches or more- a true "fowling piece"
 
Jason, "Cerrosafe" would be a better option, much more accurate for casting your chamber.

It's an alloy and you can buy half of a pound of it for about $25. The good part is you can use it over and over. It never wears out.
 
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Got one exactly like that! I used it to hunt grouse back when I was a kid in NW Ont. The gun is still there in 'the family safe.'

It's nice and light and fired off plenty of 410 shells with no issues.
 
any industrial applications? maybe i can find some locally then, our local shops arnt stocked with anything like that.

easy said:
Jason, "Cerrosafe" would be a better option, much more accurate for casting your chamber.

It's an alloy and you can buy half of a pound of it for about $25. The good part is you can use it over and over. It never wears out.
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I think your best bet would be Brownells for Cerrosafe.

Yes it is used for industrial applications, but I don't know who would carry such an animal up here. Woodsmetal is the only low point melting alloy I've heard of in this regard.

Woodsmetal is a fusible bismuth based alloy. 50% bismuth, 25% lead, 12.5% tin, and 12.5% cadmium. Good luck removing woodsmetal from a chamber though.

Cerrosafe is also a bismuth based alloy similar to Woodsmetal but doesn't swell during its cooling time.

Cerrosafe shrinks slightly while cooling within 30 minutes, that's why it's so easy to remove, then after about an hour it expands to the exact shape. It's amazing stuff and used by tool makers for various applications. I know it only as used for chamber sizing and sluging barrels. Just don't wait longer than an hour, because cerosafe keeps expanding at a rate of about .0020" per week. You'll have a very difficult time removing it if it swells too much.

Cerrosafe is made by Cerro Metal Products. Maybe look them up for availability up here.
 
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