Anyone load 44 SW American???

sportee

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I'm waiting for my Merwin hulbert to arrive and Ive discovered that a 44spl case wont chamber...It seems that the 44MH cartridge had a smaller case diameter...more like the 44American. Ive spoken to a few folks that have revolvers chambered in 44MH and they tell me that the 44Russ, spl and mag cases being .457dia are too large.

I have a few 41 mag cases and they chamber in a 440 revolver i have but a tad bit loose. They should actually chamber just fine intheMH but...what to load for slugs?? I would need a heeled slug or a 41spl slug with a hollow base.

Im thinking that a 44 american cartridge would be a better fit than a sloppy 41 mag case.

Anyone out there load for their 44 American?? How do you do it?
 
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Mike Venturino had a chapter on reloading for the 44 American in his book Shooting Six Guns of the Old West. I don't have the book handy right now, but I highly recommend it.
 
44 Amereican is the same Dia as 44 Russian it was just and outside lubed heeled bullet.
I could be wrong but i dont think so! I have read that several times.

Maby a 44 Colt case would work!
I think the 44 Colt is slightly smaller than the 44 Russian in case Dia.
Starline makes 44 Colt marked ammo.
This is guessing on my part tho.
Someone with cartridges of the world book could help you better.
 
Ive looked into the starline 44 colt cases and they say that they are basically a modified 44 spl case. Might be too large yet for the 44MH.

I did find a fellow in the US that uses shortened 41 Mag cases in his MH and says they work perfect. Only thing is finding a 41 cal/10mm hollow based soft lead bullet...they do need t bump up to about .423

I'll have to wait until the thing arrives and slug the bore.
 
Okay, I got the info published by Venturino. He used .41 Magnum cases shortened to .91 inches. For the bullet, he used RCBS .44 Amer./209 grains of 1/20 alloy dip-lubed in SPG lube. 21 grains of FFFg gave 760 fps plus or minus 57 fps. Pyrodex P, 16 grains, gave 811 fps.
 
Well that explains why CFC have left the 44 M&H caliber alone! its nothing like any of the other 44s
not like you could shoot a cartridge on the no list thru it like the 38 M&H that Shoots 38 S&W.

Not that i like there ideas on the 38 M&H being not antique anymore, but i cant see them going after a cartridge like the 44 M&H thats so diffrent to anything else out there.
 
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