Reloading: Antique Cartridge Data

OK, this is fantastic but before it gets into the hundreds of reply's can it be organized into caliber or something cause the search function doesn't always work well for me (I can't find info that I know is in there). I am new to antique handguns and I am hooked. I have some reloading gear and more on the way. So far I have 2 .44 russians ,a belgian.442, a belgian .450 , a webley .476 and a webley .380/200! I need info on loads/bullets/powder. Most of all info on where to get the brass and bullets. Maybe for balistics and load data in title we could keep it simple so the searh function won't go crazy, like: 44 russian, .476 webley. Again this is great for those of us starting out and much appreciated.
 
44 RUSSIAN
photo-14.jpg
 
8MM FRENCH REVOLVER
8×27mmR Regimetaire Mle 92
/8 mm French Ord/8mm
Lebel Revolver
bullet 8.204 (.323)
length 27.18 (1.07)
rim 10.16 (.400)
base (.384)
neck (.350)
OAL 36.58 (1.44)

reloading info. ( use at your own risk )so far i found
barrels:quoting here:
"It is said to push a lead bullet through the bore and measure it to know exact diameter as they may vary.
I recently acquired a beautiful Model 1892 French Ordnance revolver with a barrel date of 1922 [ S 1922 ]. The bore is bright and shiny with well defined lans and grooves. However, the barrel slugs at .312 - .319.
On my two, they both slugged .323 groove diameter, so I resized my .330 graf bullets using a lee sizer to .323, in fact my chamber mouths are only .324-.325 so I don't know how a .330 would get down there without undue pressure, my fiocci bullets mike around .320.
My understanding is that 8mm Lebel (revolver) should be .330.
My own ...bullet .330 came out at .326 so bit tight not as above post but still tighter than .330. Factory was .323

Please do not attempt using .32S&W long. It will fire but the case diameter is too small and will bulge. Not a safe thing to do.
Use oiginal brass or trimmed 32-20 with lead .330 bullet. die set can be found from mystic precision Hrn at $84 per set , also RCBS has the dies available special order as part number 56917

one source:Quoting
I used Starline 32-20 brass trimmed down to 28mm, a cut down lee .308 trim mandrel and a drill worked good. I then ran them over .323 ball and then over a .330 ball. After opening up the neck the brass measured exactly 27.5 Loaded a .330 diameter jacketed 100 grain bullet over 3.8 grains of unique, fired by a CCI sp primer. After the first firing the brass looked handsome and required just a little trimming to get it back to exactly 27.5mm. After 3 firings the case mouths are fine. I tried as much as 4.0 grains but that was a little more snappy then needed for plinking. 3 grains would not push the bullet out the barrel.

from another source:
115 grain bullet, 2.8 grains Bullseye, MV 700 fps, ME 126 foot pounds. They used the Lyman # 32359, which is the standard 32/20 115 RNF bullet.

here is CGN experience in loads:
2.8-3.3 unique... someone as much as 3.5, 3.8 and 4.2 (that's hot)
2.8 bullseye
11.0 FFF goex BP
2.8-3.2 win 231 would work... did someone try this?
2.4-2.9 trailboss

Tested trailboss myself... 2.5 gn is good start, anything less at 2.2gn and bullet sticks into 2x4 and you can pull it out by hand. Then increased the load to 2.8gn. Worked well but little hot and... at 2.5gn gun hits POA, with 2.8 its about 3" high and no reason to beat up on the gun.Trailboss fills the case nicely no chance for double charge.
These were .330s from EE. Good soft bullets, but chambers on my gun are tight and they don't fit so need to re-size them smaller and see..for now just sanded a bit till they chambers. Worked well and accurate as hell. Good buy. Other guys had better luck with them. Barrel was measured to .326 that's why is a bit tight.
 
I must be old fashioned. All I do is dump in enough BP so that when I seat the bullet with a cardboard wad under it the powder is slightly compressed.Of course a good black powder lube to keep the fouling soft is important too.Your shooting in most cases a antique that was made to shoot Black in the first place.Hell I sometimes load my Lee Enfields with black just to get the Lee Metford feel of things.After your done pour a pot of boiling water down the thing ,scrub for a few minutes,oil and put it away until the next time.
 
Ya I hear ya loud and clear Mr. Moose I love loading BP cartridges as well. There is no substitute for the smoke & flash (and smell); and the nostalgia that goes with all that.

Just many times I find I have a surplus of hard cast/smokeless lubed bullets and no BP suitable lead and NO time to do anything about it (but want to make my '86 and others roar) so...having good and safe alternatives has its place (for me anyway).
 
OK, this is fantastic but before it gets into the hundreds of reply's can it be organized into caliber or something cause the search function doesn't always work well for me (I can't find info that I know is in there). I am new to antique handguns and I am hooked. I have some reloading gear and more on the way. So far I have 2 .44 russians ,a belgian.442, a belgian .450 , a webley .476 and a webley .380/200! I need info on loads/bullets/powder. Most of all info on where to get the brass and bullets. Maybe for balistics and load data in title we could keep it simple so the searh function won't go crazy, like: 44 russian, .476 webley. Again this is great for those of us starting out and much appreciated.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Great idea if it can be put in some kind of order.
 
Reloading and Shooting the Husqvarna Nagent 7.5 Pistol

Here is a little up date on my reloads for the Husqvarna. I decided to use FFFG and full length 32-20 cases sized in the 30 carbine dies. The crimp die for 30 carbine then works perfect. The bullets are 32-20 sized to .309, After sizing they weighed avg. 110 grains. I loaded them inverted ahead of a weighed charge of 13.2 grains of FFFG, used CCI mag small pistol primers and crimped bullets in the bottom groove. This just gave me slight compression of the powder. and fit the cylinder perfectly. , cases ejected great, and no big amount of case blackening, nice fire forming. , also I was surprised there did not seem to be that much cylinder flash. It was pleasant to shoot, lots of smoke, a little kick, no leading on the 20 or so rounds I shot. Accuracy wasn't the best but that could be me. I don't care, it was just so much fun to shoot a old gun that probably has not been fired since 1897 or so. A burglersaurus would be safe if he dodged a little bit :eek: I will try some other loads in my trimmed cases but for now was great fun. Here are some pics. Thanks for reading my BS. Cheers John

Lubing my bullets- cutter is sized 8mm/06 cut off

403915273.jpg


Loaded ammo , sized bullet and cases after firing.

403915274.jpg



My cleaned gun after hot water and lots of Birchwood Casey, just love the way they come apart, gonna wear it out it's so easy and so much fun :)

403915278.jpg
 
Last edited:
7.5 Swiss Ordnance revolver

Starline 32-20 casings cut to 22.8mm
Magnum small pistol primer
H&N .314 plated bullet 100gr (expensive but well worth it)
0,6mm thick cardboard wad
11 gr of Swiss #1 black powder
Dip loaded ammo bullet down to 3mm on casing in a mix of beeswax and little olive oil. (just as the Swiss did on original ammo)

Use CH4D 7.5 swiss nagant or .30 carbine dies.

Very accurate and no leading.

When I have more time this winter I will make a post on 11mm French ordnance and 7.5mm Swiss ordnance reloading with my shooting results from this shooting season with pictures.
Kind of a long shot but do you know of any suppliers that still stock H&N .314 plated bullet 100gr ?
 
43 Egyptian using Bertram brass. 30 grains of 4198 and tissue paper for filler.
RCBS BULLET MOULD .44-370
Chrono at 1375fps out of a Remington #1 Rolling Block
 
32 rimfire chamber converted to 32 S&W Long in #4 rolling block
10 grains of fffg or 2 grains of trailboss with 90gr Lee .314 mold 950-1000fps
Very accurate with trailboss and can hit a 4” spinner at 50 yards easily.
 
25 Stevens converted to centerfire and size 22 hornet cases with 25Acp die until it stops then church up in lathe and cut the belt off. Trim case to 25 Stevens specs and cut rim thickness and diameter of head. This load is sometimes listed under 25-10 Halstead
I use a 52 grain airgun mold sized to .251 out of a Remington #4 rolling block.
1.8 grains of trailboss and also 1.5 grains of bullseye. Haven’t chronoed yet.
 
Contributing my Webley Data:

Cases: Starline 45 ACP
Bullet: 230 gr lead
OAL: 1.275"
Revolver: Shaved Webley

Unique:
4.6 gr - 473 fps (59 sd)
4.8 gr - 512 fps (38 sd)
5.0 gr - 562 fps (23 sd)
5.2 gr - 594 fps (12 sd)
5.4 gr - 617 fps (28 sd) - Midway loadmap says between 12,400 - 13,300 psi

Bullseye:
3.4 gr - 508 fps (31 sd)
3.6 gr - 550 fps (33 sd)
3.8 gr - 592 fps (14 sd)
4.0 gr - 618 fps (25 sd) - Midway loadmap says 12,600 PSI
 
And 8mm Lebel Revolver Data:

Cases: Fiocchi 8mm Lebel
Bullet: 105 gr cast lead sized to 0.329"
OAL: 1.380" (seated to 1.440" may work better for 115gr or 120 gr projectiles)

Unique (not recommended due to high SD and extreme spread)
3.8 gr - 763 fps (58 sd)
4.0 gr - 789 fps (89 sd)

Bullseye
2.6 gr - 672 fps (34 sd)
2.8 gr - 724 fps (13 sd) - Recommended load
3.0 gr - 754 fps (15 sd)
3.2 gr - 787 fps (8 sd) - A little hot would not run this regularly
 
32 rimfire chamber converted to 32 S&W Long in #4 rolling block
10 grains of fffg or 2 grains of trailboss with 90gr Lee .314 mold 950-1000fps
Very accurate with trailboss and can hit a 4” spinner at 50 yards easily.

This post has me intrigued, how did you covert a rimfire to centrefire? This could be very useful info for all the people with 32rf trying to find a easier way of sourcing reloadable cases
 
.577/450 Martini-Henry

Here... I'll start with something I've put together in a Ms Word table, based on an old article I've found online some time ago:

577-450LoadDataresized.jpg
Idk about that data I have it too stashed away but I think it be over pressure a tad.edit and anyone going to try smokeless in the .577-450 should use the nitro for black rule and not try it with magtech brass.
 
Last edited:
This post has me intrigued, how did you covert a rimfire to centrefire? This could be very useful info for all the people with 32rf trying to find a easier way of sourcing reloadable cases
It’s a bit of a process and need at least a drill press with cross slide vise and a lathe. I remove the original firing pin then tap the hole and plug. Then I drill a new hole center of the block and make a new firing pin. Then use a 32SAnd W reamer to rechamber the barrel. I do this with t handle tap holder by hand.
 
Back
Top Bottom