44 Webley, anyone loading for it?

I know they called them belly guns, essentially because you shot the guy in the belly while you stood beside them. The fact that the pistol fits neatly in the palm of your hand has a lot more to with it than anything else. I had to get a bunch of documentation to prove the age, came across a number of articles talking about the real guns that won the west, essentially the bar keepers and card players used them.

The crazy part is that based on the numbers I can see the energy in that round is significantly more than the 32 ACP and just under the early 7.62x25 and 38 special, so not a nothing cartridge for a pocket gun that is for sure.

The key was making sure it was safe and not blowing my hand off.
 
Bringing this one back, I was able to load up some 44 Webley with 12gr of FFFg for fun, they go through an old cedar rail fence, ha ha, so a little more pop than the 10gr that I could watch fly.

I have not shot it over a Chronograph yet, still staying away from smokless in it.

The cylinder will take full length 44 Russian cases, I cut down a 44 Mag case to fit up to the Cylinder properly and measured it only to discover I just made a 44 Russian case. The COAL though of a 44 Russian would not fit this gun at all, so it is still a 44 Webley to me.

I was toying with the idea of a 15gr load but at this point I want to Chrony it and see what it looks like, no use blowing it up or my hand.

I would love to make a rat shot load for it, hence my other thread, but unless I load a 44 Russian length with a minimal shot load or cut down a shot capsule I do not see it happening. I was playing with a necked down case to fill out the cylinder but I am worried that this will raise the pressure too much and I will not really get too much compression on the black powder.
 
One of the threads over on the Cast Boolit site has a bunch of articles on making shot loads for pistols.

The pressures sound like they're much lower for shot loads than they are for solid projectile loads. The numbers I recall are something like 120 grains of number 9 or 12 shot versus a 200 grain boolit. The rifling can make a "donut" pattern, and it looks like most guys are running full length cases with an over and under shot card.

This is just some things I have been reading up on. I don't have a centerfire to try this out on, unless it is a 30-30...
 
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