.44-40 Colt SAA 1.Gen.

[dante]

Hi,
I need a little help. Does anybody has any experience in reloading .44-40 cartrigdes for Colt SAA 1.gen. 43/4" barrel (build about 1920). I have some lead bullets 220gr. Titegroup powder on hand. Thanks for reading.

Greetings from the old world.

[Kid Sopris]

Yes I have a ton of experience. SCRAP the 220 grain. Most likely they are too large. Bullets for that vintage should be no larger than .427, unless of course you have a larger bore. Chances are the cylinder chambers are tighter, so you will want to use Winchester or Starline brass. Winchester Large Pistol Primer. Use 200 Gr. Lead Bullets. The Hodgdon Web Site will give you data:
http://www.hodgdon.com/.

Bullets can be obtained from Laser Cast/ Oregon Trail. They are hard cast bullets and will perform well. http://www.laser-cast.com/

Bottom right side: http://www.laser-cast.com/44Cal.html

[me22230]

During my competition yrs I loaded a ton of 44-40. Still have approx 400 rds.
I cast most of the bullets i used although I have on occasion used
Oregon Trail. They make an excellent product.
My pistols were original SAA with bore dia of .426 and leade .431
Favorite load was 6.0 gr of bullseye and WLP primer behind a 200 gr RNFP sized .428,
the crimp was mod roll. This load held 2-2.5" group @ 25 yds, off a bag rest.
Tried; 5744, nice group but to much unburned pwdr,
Unique, moderate group,
IMR4227 no group
Second best load was accomplished useing 6.3 gr PB all other components the same.
At one point I tried some Nat'l Hardcast bullets. Ok but still preferred my own.
Hope this helps. Shoot tight and be safe
Fred

[Frank V]

Hi,
I need a little help. Does anybody has any experience in reloading .44-40 cartrigdes for Colt SAA 1.gen. 43/4" barrel (build about 1920). I have some lead bullets 220gr. Titegroup powder on hand. Thanks for reading.

Greetings from the old world.

Titegroup is an excellent powder in the .44-40, I use it in both the .44-40 & .45 Colt to duplicate factory ballistics & really like it. It burns cleanly & doesn't leave cases sooty.
Don't try to load too hot in that nice old Colt. With Titegroup & a good 200gr bullet you can get 830fps without straining anything. I took a nice Badger with that load a year ago, it was a one shot stop.
Frank

[quiet-wyatt]

Have a question...

I reload straight-wall cases - .45 Colt, .38/.357... I was thinking of getting into 44-40 but I keep hearing of reloading problems from the tapered 44-40 case...

So - Are there extra steps to reloading 44-40 because of the tapered case? Are there precautions you take to prevent collapsed cases?

Also - I was thinking of using some Brinell #12 .429 bullets and sizing them to .427 or .428 - depending on what I find after slugging the barrel of my *future* 44-40 revolver... What you you all think?

Thanks in advance!

[flanman]

Quiet Wyatt
You might try sending a PM to Kid Sopris. He is our resident 44-40 expert but has been on a Forum vacation as of late. He has published articles on reloading this caliber and I am sure would be more than happy to share his vast wealth of knowledge and experience. flanman

[quiet-wyatt]

Quiet Wyatt
You might try sending a PM to Kid Sopris. He is our resident 44-40 expert but has been on a Forum vacation as of late. He has published articles on reloading this caliber and I am sure would be more than happy to share his vast wealth of knowledge and experience. flanman

Thanks flanman!

[Colt75]

I followed The Kid's advice the first time I loaded the .44/40 and eveything went great. The "problems" I had heard so much about never materialized. Ammo shoots great. The only thing I did different in I used a Lee Factory Crimp Die. Good luck.

[Frank V]

Another powder I like a lot in the .44-40 is Trailboss, it's a really fluffy powder & almost fills the case to the base of the bullet with recommended loads. I've tried double charging the case on purpose it overflowed. It burns cleanly, gives good accuracy, meters through a measure nicely, & gets midrange velocitys. It's a powder I like a lot.
Frank

[Ken S]

I shoot the 44 40 in Cowboy shoots, and use it in an original Bisley I had restored but with the original barrel and bore. I use this load in my '73 Cimmeron 'winchester' too, and both are very accurate.
5.5 Unique, tight crimp,(for the Winchester) lead RNFP .430. I buy them already sized and lubed and found they shoot much better than the .429 or .427's.
If you don't have any .430's. send me a personal message and I'll send you a few to try. The trick is to remove the cylinder, and find a bullet that will catch in the cylinder as you drop them. (just the bullet not the loaded round) Forget about the barrel, you want to get a tight fit in the cylinder for accuracy. Also, de-lead the barrel well. use bronze wool on a tight patch. This is available in any hardware store. Ken