44-40 Lyman #427098

[Savvy Jack]

Does anyone out there make these for sale with BP lube and in dia 429?

[Gatofeo]

Contact Gad Custom Cartridge. See its website at:
http://gadcustomcartridges.com/#cast

They offer a wide variety of obsolete and specialized loaded ammo and cast bullets. They list a .429 bullet for the .44-40 but the lubricant in the photo appears to be the modern blue stuff. Perhaps they could make up a batch for you with black powder-friendly lubricant.

[longcaribiner]

The original 44-40 called for a 427 bullet.  Later some replica manufacturers found it easier to use barrels intended for 429 bullets.    That extra 2 thousandths doesn't sound like much, but 44-40 brass is rather thin at the case mouth and trying to load 429 bullets into standard neck expanded 44-40 brass can ruin alot of brass.  I have a 1892 Winchester clone made in the 1970's in 44-40 and If I can manage to load 429 bullets into winchester 44-40 brass, it either won't chamber or is very difficult to chamber.  If I use 427 bullets they chamber just fine.    I found that if I end up with any commercial made bullets, I always run them through a 427 sizer to eliminate any problems. 

In fact, I recently reloaded a couple hundred 44-40 cartridges using up some very slow burning rifle powder.  Very pleasant to shoot.  Almost no recoil.  (not that there is much anyway)   

[Savvy Jack]

Thanks Guys!!

I have an Uberti 1873 Winchester, two Uberti Cattleman 5.5 SAA's and a Marlin 1894CB all chambered in 44-40. All slug at 429. All shoot well with .429s but the cylinders in the revolvers can get tricky when loading cartridges previously shot in the Marlin. Slightly bigger chamber and the resize die doesn't fully resize the first time. I have to resize them twice in order for them to slide into the Uberti revolvers cylinders. Other than that, no problems at all with using .429 or even an occasional .430! I also load .429 Speer Gold Dot Hollow Points. If the projectiles don't seat straight, its a no go with anything over .427! One reason I like Black Powder is that the bullet seats on top of the BP and keeps it nice and straight! Sometimes I compress 38gr of BP then seat the bullet and it still seats nice and straight!

BP is like Jeeps, you either love it or hate it!  I love the load boom, the smell of the sulfer and the wrist breaking recoil!  Just like the guys that shot them back in the day....so to speak...lol!