Lynx Defense

Does anyone here shoot the .44-40 Winchester?

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  • rr2241tx

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    May 27, 2009
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    San Marcos
    44-40 has been a reloading proposition for years. It’s important to know the barrel groove diameter when ordering a bullet mold as some are .427 and others are .430. Mix and match doesn’t work well. RCBS Cowboy dies include expanders for both bores. Keith style semi-wad cutters of 200 or 240 gr perform much better than round nose bullets. If you’re using a progressive press, a bevel base bullet will avoid most case loss due to misalignment.
     

    Moonpie

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    Gunz are icky.
    I was offered a Italian 1873 Winchester at a reasonable price.
    Now I know why.
    Ammo is not to be found.
    I passed on it. I've never really been a fan of .44-40. Even back in the CAS days it was a pain than it was worth.

    Even making the brass is prohibitively expensive and time consuming.
     

    10-96inTexas

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    Feb 23, 2022
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    Cooterville
    My old Colt Frontier Six Shooter 44-40. It just sits in the safe begging to go out and shoot but I can't find ammo anywhere at a reasonable price so it just sits there. I do take it out every so often and admire the old thing.
     

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    motorcarman

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    Feb 13, 2015
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    Rural Wise County, TX.
    I have Winchester '92 Sporting Rifles, Carbines and several Frontier Antique and modern Ruger Vaquero Revolvers chambered for that round and stocked up YEARS ago!!(duh)

    Thousands of rounds,cases,bullet moulds,sizers,cast bullets, dies,load data etc.etc.etc.(did you not think this day was coming?)
     

    Bryan Austin

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    Oct 15, 2021
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    Hickory, NC
    I don't even own a Glock, but I sure love reading about them...

    too bad you passed on it!

    Reloading the 44-40 is an absolute must. Over the past 20 years I have never seen any hunting loads in a store....and ten years ago I picked up a few cowboy loads but recently sold them to fund some new brass from Star Line. It took me 6 months from my last order.
    Just yesterday evening I was shooting, shooting at, beavers with my Marlin with an IR Rattler TS-19. Before it got late, I was walking the contours looking for coyote dens.

    I no longer use a progressive press to load my 44-40's. Since I no longer shoot them except for hunting, I just load 100 at a time on a single stage press. I use to visit the range a few times a month and shoot the 300 yard (I measured 265) target, but I have since re-zeroed for 100 yards and 50 yards - Winchester 73' scoped, and the Marlin for critters.

    Actually, I don't even look for hunting loads because they are too nuetered for my needs.

    I use my cast
    • .428" 43-214A lead bullets
    • Reloder 7 powder (rifles)
    • Unique powder (revolvers)
    • Star Line cases
    • prefer CCI 300 primers
    Dies - .428" Lead Bullets
    • RCBS "Cowboy" Resizing Die
    • Lyman 44 Mag "M" expander die
    • RCBS "Cowboy" seating die (no roll crimp)
    • Redding 44-40 Profile Crimp Die
    Dies - 4255" Winchester Jacketed Bullets
    • Lee Resizing Die
    • Lyman 44-40 "M" expander die
    • Lee Seating Die (no roll crimp)
    • Redding 44-40 Profile Crimp Die
    More information can be found here


    322996738_1104332153584675_6445825452621474446_n.jpg 336167774_1147507953314651_8313505441644042515_n.jpg 337430675_887972115590422_3272494036461265703_n.jpg


    Redding lead bullet crimp on left, Redding jacketed bullet crimp on right
    78926364_567099084077593_2180765710353956864_n.jpg
     

    ZX9RCAM

    Over the Rainbow bridge...
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    2   0   0
    May 14, 2008
    59,737
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    The Woodlands, Tx.
    I don't even own a Glock, but I sure love reading about them...

    too bad you passed on it!

    Reloading the 44-40 is an absolute must. Over the past 20 years I have never seen any hunting loads in a store....and ten years ago I picked up a few cowboy loads but recently sold them to fund some new brass from Star Line. It took me 6 months from my last order.
    Just yesterday evening I was shooting, shooting at, beavers with my Marlin with an IR Rattler TS-19. Before it got late, I was walking the contours looking for coyote dens.

    I no longer use a progressive press to load my 44-40's. Since I no longer shoot them except for hunting, I just load 100 at a time on a single stage press. I use to visit the range a few times a month and shoot the 300 yard (I measured 265) target, but I have since re-zeroed for 100 yards and 50 yards - Winchester 73' scoped, and the Marlin for critters.

    Actually, I don't even look for hunting loads because they are too nuetered for my needs.

    I use my cast
    • .428" 43-214A lead bullets
    • Reloder 7 powder (rifles)
    • Unique powder (revolvers)
    • Star Line cases
    • prefer CCI 300 primers
    Dies - .428" Lead Bullets
    • RCBS "Cowboy" Resizing Die
    • Lyman 44 Mag "M" expander die
    • RCBS "Cowboy" seating die (no roll crimp)
    • Redding 44-40 Profile Crimp Die
    Dies - 4255" Winchester Jacketed Bullets
    • Lee Resizing Die
    • Lyman 44-40 "M" expander die
    • Lee Seating Die (no roll crimp)
    • Redding 44-40 Profile Crimp Die
    More information can be found here


    View attachment 378870 View attachment 378871 View attachment 378872


    Redding lead bullet crimp on left, Redding jacketed bullet crimp on right
    View attachment 378873
    Welcome to the Forum!
     

    Eastexasrick

    Isn't it pretty to think so.
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    2   0   0
    Jul 2, 2022
    3,501
    96
    Naples TX.
    I was offered a Italian 1873 Winchester at a reasonable price.
    Now I know why.
    Ammo is not to be found.
    I passed on it. I've never really been a fan of .44-40. Even back in the CAS days it was a pain than it was worth.

    Even making the brass is prohibitively expensive and time consuming.
    My neighbor has a 44-40 Uberti Henry he has been trying to sell for two years, I made a “ I will take it but I don’t want it” offer. Pawn shop won’t touch it. It’s a crying shame.
     

    Moonpie

    Omnipotent Potentate for hire.
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    21   0   0
    Oct 4, 2013
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    Gunz are icky.
    My neighbor has a 44-40 Uberti Henry he has been trying to sell for two years, I made a “ I will take it but I don’t want it” offer. Pawn shop won’t touch it. It’s a crying shame.

    He must be asking a lot.

    I wonder how difficult a job it would be to convert one to .44Special or even .44Russian?
     

    Bryan Austin

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    Oct 15, 2021
    8
    11
    Hickory, NC
    He must be asking a lot.

    I wonder how difficult a job it would be to convert one to .44Special or even .44Russian?

    Not much but the neck will be oversized unless you use 44 Special or 44 Magnum diameter bullets and get dies large enough for such. In general, 44-40 dies are designed for .427" bullets...and that is where all the problems start.

    The RCBS 44-40 "Cowboy" dies are designed for .429" lead bullets. Neck dimensions, brass thickness and bullet diameters is what causes some oversized cases to not fit in tight 44-40 chambers...but should work well for such modifications.
     

    Moonpie

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    Oct 4, 2013
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    Gunz are icky.
    $1200 is waaaaayyyy too much. Your offer is about right.

    My thought on converting an Italian 1860 Henry are a bit different.
    I'd bet the Italian guns have a .428/.429 bore?
    1) the barrel would be required to be cut off on the breech end. Enough to reach up past the throat far enough to be able to re-ream a .44 Special chamber.
    I dunno? Maybe a chamber insert could be machined and fitted in like the Navy did years ago converting M1 Garands to .308.
    2)The extractor on the bolt would need tweeking to snap over the lesser diameter case rim.
    3.) The elevator would need to be internally spaced to work with the new cartridge. '
    None of these are voodoo to make work. Just $$$$$$
     
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