2400 in 44-40

[TomP]

I have about 4 lbs of 2400 that I'd like to use reloading my 44-40 New Service revolver. Bullet is 200 gr cast. I haven't found 2400 listed online anywhere for the 44-40 in handguns. Can someone give me a good starting load? Thanks!

[RandyC]

I haven't used 2400 but on my chart it lists a starting load of 2400 at 13 grains to push a non-jacketed 200 gr. bullet 885 fps with 7,900 c.u.p..

Hope that helps.

[bmcgilvray]

I'd avoid using 2400 in any handload for a .44-40 New Service. One just can't gen up the pressures needed to efficiently burn 2400 in a low-pressure application. Sure it's possible to safely launch the bullet with a low-pressure 2400-fueled load but the results will be "yuck." Soot and little yellow-green crumblies of 2400 will abound as partially burned powder residues, getting into everything: inside the barrel and chambers, inside the frame window, beneath the extractor. It's a pretty filthy experience to fire very many such loads.

Any effort to get 2400 to clean up its act requires upping the powder charge which results in higher pressure. It would be too hard on an original New Service to subject it to loads that gave efficient burning characteristics with 2400 which is apparently designed to operate in a higher pressure range.

A peek in my Lyman 46th manual shows 2400 listed for the Lyman No. 42798 205 grain cast lead bullet with starting charge weight of 22 grains listed and maximum charge weight of 26.8 grains. It also says NOTE: These loads should not be used in handguns or in rifles which were designed for black powder.

Any attempt to fabricate a load using less than the Lyman minimum will likely end in disappointment. If the handloader uses a lot less then he'll end up with a smokey load with wildly inconsistent velocities and accuracy problems along with a sludged up revolver. If the handloader just uses a little less than the suggested starting load he'll be playing in the "unknown zone" with pressures and revolver strength.

I don't handload for .44-40 but do for some other cartridges with similar characteristics, the .38-40 and the .45 Colt. Both are used in older Colt revolvers, the .45 Colt in a New Service. Unique gives excellent satisfaction for me with the old large volume, low-pressure revolver cartridges.

I went down the road of experimenting with 2400 in the .38 Special. Anything less than maximum listed loads as found in older manuals gave dismal results and maximum loads still didn't burn all that clean, registered inconsistent velocities over the chronograph for me, and probably placed the revolvers under additional stress.

[broknaxl]

Most of the loads I found for 2400 were for the magnums. >44, .41,.357.

[haggis]

Unique and Universal are good medium speed powders that work pretty well in large black powder cases. I haven't tried it in the WCF cartridges yet, but Hodgdon TiteGroup was specifically designed for uniform ignition of small charges in big cases, and it works well in .45 Colt.

Buck

[TomP]

Thanks for all the replies.

Sounds like I should use my 2400 in my magnums and use Unique for the 44-40. I'll have to try Titegroup. Sounds like it would work well in my 45 Colt and 44-40.

[Trad Archer]

I've had good luck using HP-38.

[1873Bob]

I have had good results with 2400 in a 44-40 SAA. I sent a private enquiry to Alliant powders about 18 months ago, they suggested with a 200g cast RNFP between 12 and 15g max for an 1873 Uberti rifle, the rifle liked 13.5g alot, so tried it in the SAA and was accurate although some unburnt powder,though not excessive. Give it a try, I used Win Large pistol primers. Sometimes you just gotta try it.

As others have mentioned Unique is a great powder in this ctg also.

[TomP]

Thanks '73Bob. Well, since I do have about 4 pounds of the stuff, it was probably only a matter of time before I tried it out.

Any idea what velocities you were getting from your SAA with the 13.5 grs?

[1873Bob]

Gday TomP, no dont have a chrony, but would guess around 830/850 outta a 5-1/2
barrel.