Old Dominion / CIL Blackpowder question

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Matt74

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Hi Guys,

I posted this a few days back in the ammo discussion section, but was not getting much by way of reply, thought maybe more people may see the post in this section. I recently picked up some old Dominion ammo for the collection at a gun show. All boxes are from the late 20s and early 30s. Got 2 boxes of regular 44-40 black powder, one 44-40 hollow point (kinda neat), and one box of what is labeled 44 I.X.L Shot. The first three are like new, with inspectors papers in the box, the box of Shot is still sealed. Can anyone tell me what I.X.L. means and what this ammo was for???? Never seen it before. Never seen hollow point 44-40 either.
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Thanks,
Matt
 
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I believe the .44 X.L. was the predecessors of and inspiration for the .410 shotgun shell i don't know what the I stands for but the X.L. is extra long.
Imperial?
 
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Wow the lead isn't all white oxide, good score. Now you have to buy a gun to shoot it if you don't have one already.
Off hand I would say IXL means: Incredibly Expensive Long.
Seriously though that is fine looking ammo for it's age,is the .22 black powder as well?
 
My first gun was a break action single shot marked 44-410. Dad had a smith ream it out to take the longer 410 shels for us. When he used it he fired 44 40 and the 44 shot shels from the little smooth bore.
Pete
 
Excellent collectors' ammunition. Not often that the boxes are that crisp and clean. Most would wrap the boxes to keep them from getting damaged, smudged or scuffed.
 
Thanks for that info. I had an inkling that the XL stood for extra long, but never thought the I could stand for Imperial, makes logical sense (though Incredibly Expensive may work as well!)
Yes, I was lucky to find these is such great condition, they are all like new. Glad I got to the fellow's table when I did. He had a real nice display of ammunition, I could have easily dropped more money, but had to be careful with the addiction.
Oh, when I said black powder, I was just referring to the 44-40.
I have one loaded cartridge of the IXL that the fellow had to go a long with the box. Be nice for display purposes, helps limit the temptation to open the darn box, which I have no plans on doing. Be great for my old 73 Winchester, but I have other ammo I can use to shoot. I will take a photo of the single cartridge tonight and post it. It is kinda neat.
Matt
 
Don't be shooting any of that ammunition, or opening any sealed boxes. You've got really nice specimens there.
 
check the EE under the antiques section, there is a H&A single shot shotgun
in there that takes that kind of 44-40 shot.

thats if you wanted to know what gun those rounds would be used with.
 
Thanks for all the info guys and the pic of the Gamegetter and the H&A Shotgun in the exchange, I did not see it listed before. I would pick one up if the box was already open and I thought it was something I might shoot, but there isn't a chance in hell I would ever open such a nice box.
I did some more searching myself, and see that several companies (i.e Harrington and Richardson, Hopkins and Allen, Iver Johnson, etc) made shotguns which took this cartridge. One of the websites had the following to say about the 44 XL in terms on the H&R he was selling:
"XL" was a trade name used by Hopkins & Allen on rifles, pistols and shotguns. (Pronounced as "Excel" as in "really good!") The cartridge it used is known as the .44XL shot cartridge. While it was similar to the .44-40 (and they may even fit into guns chambered for the other) they are not considered interchangeable, and would be unsafe to shoot in a gun not specifically chambered for the cartridge in question. Inexpensive shotguns were hand items, popular for shooting pests (rats and stuff, not the neighbors) in the mostly rural areas in the 1880-1910 period."

I like how he felt he needed to include the part about shooting rats rather than neighbors:)

There is some more interesting info on this page:

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

Here is a pic of the cartridge the fellow gave me with the box which he said is the same as those inside.

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According to my crude measuring tape, it measures roughly 1 and 3/4 " in overall length (looks like 1 13/16").

The fellow also had a box of opened Dominion 44 shot (not IXL) which I think he said may have been missing 1 (can't recall for sure, may have been full) but was opened. It was the same style red coloured box, but not 2 piece. He also had an unopened red box of 38-55 Dominion. I should have bought those as well, but I did not have a lot a cash on hand. Maybe I should give him a call and see if he still has them too.

Matt
 
i found out that i could load about 50 #4 shot in a speer shot cap witch should be good for squirrel and rabbit at about 20 yards

too bad i dont have the cash for the .44 shotgun in EE it would be a perfect little barn gun when loaded with #9 shot for them little sparrows and crows
 
IXL, pronounced "I excel" originally was the trade mark of George Wostenholm, an English cutler who made big, nasty knives for Jim Bowie.

Later, it was used more-or-less indiscriminately on cheaper shotguns and even, in North America (where British trade-mark legislation did not apply) on shotguns and some handguns.

How does the IXL ammo compare with standard .44-40 Shot? Longer at the neck? If so, likely to afford the larger shot charge some shell space and to get the shot charge up forward in the chamber so that it didn't have to jump the leade, deformng the pellets. A longer case would open directly into the bore.
.
 
I don't have any standard 44-40 shot, but if I recall from what I have seen before, this looks longer. I may be able to tell you soon, because I have another full box of shot coming. This next one is not two piece but is the same red and white colors and still the has the inspection papers in it as well. I don't think it is IXL. This is coming from the same fellow and I am also getting that sealed red and white box of 38-55, and another partial box of the hollow points, about 40 left in it. I will post pics when I get that other shot to compare.
On the Gamegetter again, he also has a full box of Winchester for the Gamegetter, but the top of the box is missing. Too bad, or I would have probably succumbed and picked that one up too.
Matt
 
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