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Breech loading was mentioned in another thread and it made me think that it might work in 44-40. It would be much easier on the brass. I have the Rossi 92 rifle and will be using the .429+ diameter bullets.
 
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It works. Really no reason not to work.

Thompson Contenders make a barrel for the 44-40 and there were a few single shot rifles manufactured back in the day.

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It works. Really no reason not to work.

Thompson Contenders make a barrel for the 44-40 and there were a few single shot rifles manufactured back in the day.

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This is my idea for trying to breech load the 44-40. Take a empty once fired case and fit the inside with a dowel rod that comes up to the point with black mark.

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Then Insert a bullet by hand into the case until it hits the dowel rod. Carefully load it into the rifle chamber and use the rifle's lever to seat the bullet into the lands a bit maybe 1/8th inch (far enough in to clear the mouth of the primed & loaded case). Open the lever to eject the case and stick in a primed and loaded case and fire. I would use a card over the charge to keep the powder from moving around in the case during the process of loading it in the rifle. I use a similar process for my 50 Beowulf muzzleloading project.

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I could load the 44-40 through the muzzle too but it might cause more wear and tear on the crown of the barrel. I wasn't worried about the wear and tear on the 50 Beowulf barrel as they are easily replaceable. On a lever action that would be a much more difficult and expensive process.

I am open to other easier ideas for breech loading the projectile.
 
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Are you trying these things because you can, or because it makes sense to you?
Because I can sounds like a good reason. Another reason might be that 44-40 brass is hard to come by and relatively fragile and difficult to load because of the thin necks. Breech loading has been around for a long time and I think the 44-40 chamber might work well with that style of loading.
 
Because I can sounds like a good reason. Another reason might be that 44-40 brass is hard to come by and relatively fragile and difficult to load because of the thin necks. Breech loading has been around for a long time and I think the 44-40 chamber might work well with that style of loading.
Yea, I go out of my way to load center fire cartridges other than designed too. Not.
 
I went to the range today and shot my 12rnds of 44-40. First time shooting the rifle since I bought it and it shot pretty well. I have 12 pieces of Hornady brass to work with. I intend to make these cases last for a while. If I can easily load them at the range that will be a bonus.
 
Your rifle, your choice. I've reached a point where I won't play with things of which there is short supply. So have a good time.
I was looking for a 44 mag rifle when I came across this one which I picked up for less than half of what the 44 mag rifles were going for. I may regreat not spending a few hundred more but maybe I will get lucky and find a deal on some cases one day. Meanwhile I will make the best with what I have.
 
Check out page 272 of Donnelly's "Handloaders Manual of Cartridges" (my copy) and it explains how to take .303 British (which I'll assume is thicker than factory 44-40) to Winchester 44-40.

Tell you what, if you don't have a friend with a lathe, I'll turn down a few hundred rims for you. You supply the cases. The rest of the tooling (trimming and inside neck reaming) is on you.
 
My advise is go to a few Cowboy action shoots and pickup some once fired brass. Or put a WTB add for 44 40 brass. If you want it to last awhile learn to anneal. These are nice to know things, but if you want to shoot your gun, buy brass. DR
 
I attempted to breech load one of the plated bullets I had but it would take a large amount of force get the bullet into the lands far enough to release itself from the case. That probably wouldn't be good for the lever mechanism so I didn't force the lever all the way closed.

The fired cases will chamber fine without resizing. The neck still has plenty of tension to hold on to a bullet for handloading them into chamber one at a time. My next attempt will be to load a fired unsized case with a primer, charge and bullet. I will fit the bullet by hand. Then take it to the range and try it out. I will handload it into the chamber like we did for each of the 12rnds we fired today. If it works I will attempt to reload it again at the range using Lee Loader tools to replace primer and a Lee scoop to measure charge. Then set the bullet by hand again.
 
Check out page 272 of Donnelly's "Handloaders Manual of Cartridges" (my copy) and it explains how to take .303 British (which I'll assume is thicker than factory 44-40) to Winchester 44-40.

Tell you what, if you don't have a friend with a lathe, I'll turn down a few hundred rims for you. You supply the cases. The rest of the tooling (trimming and inside neck reaming) is on you.
I appreciate that offer but I think I can make this work. If Starline ever gets caught up, maybe they will start making 44-40 brass again.
 
Speaking of hard to find brass, you should try .43 Spanish. I bought an old Remington Rolling Block. It started its life in South America in the 1870's, and shoots an obscure, hard to find round.

I'm too cheap to pay $4 each for empty brass, so I make my own. The dozen pieces in the photo are all that I have; I just load them over and over. It took me several hours to make a dozen pieces out of belted magnum brass. If I didn't enjoy tinkering, and if overtime was readily available at work, I'd have been far and away money ahead to just buy some brass.

The chamber is gouged/damaged. It shoots fine but firing leaves a funky bulge in the neck after firing. I anneal every loading to prolong brass life. With low pressure loads like this and annealing/loading carefully, brass will last a long time with conventional loads.

The tiny little round in the photo for comparison is a 5.56.

43 Spanish.jpg
 
You sometimes come up with thought provoking projects or ideas.

I had to read your initial information through several times to get a complete understanding of what you are talking about. I mistook your use of "breech loading" for the basic design concept. Until I figured out you meant, "breech reloading." Okay.

You mention using .429 bullets. I don't know your bore diameter, often .44-40 runs around .427 +/-, or it could be factory made as a .429. So I'd have some concern about a possibly oversized bullet, jammed into the lands = higher than usual pressure. But you've been to the range, fired 12 rounds, and didn't blow yourself or the rifle up, that's good news.

My two cents, spring for the .44-40 brass, it will eliminate the headache of breech reloading. And a die set, if you don't already have it, Lee makes a relatively inexpensive set. My opinion, I don't think your breech reloading concept is any easier on .44-40 brass than cartridges carefully hand loaded using a die set. The opposite might be more likely; breech reloading might put the brass at more risk, what with open mouthed cases being fed into the action.
 
Thanks for the link but it's out of stock. That seems to be a trend with 44-40 brass. Pat's reloading may have some Remington brand 44-40 in stock but I have not heard positive reviews of it. I will hold out for Starline to run another batch, one of these years.
 
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