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Old November 2, 2000, 08:46 AM   #12
DAW
Junior Member
 
Join Date: October 5, 2000
Posts: 11
Greetings. I load Black Powder frequently in my 44-40 guns. I use a Ruger Vaquero, two Uberti 1873 Cattlman (Peace Maker Clones) and a Uberti 1873 Sporting Rifle (1873 Winchester Clone). Now I am working up a load for 12 gauge shotgun. I highly recommend the Uberti clones. I use the Ruger for hunting (with flavorless powder) because of the firing pin safety style. Also popular guns for the task (CAS) are Cimarron, American Western Arms, Colt Model P, EMF Hartford. I do clean up well, but I don't break down the guns into pieces and boil them every time and my guns look good but not new. I break them down once or twice a year. Each time I shoot I clean with soapy dish detergent, spray on Remmington or KG-2 bore cleaner, then oil like all get-out! I also come back and clean the bore once each day every day for 3 days (it will be clean about the 4th time). Then I gun-grease the bore and put it away until my next outing. Every 30 days I check and reclean and grease the bore. If you shoot BP and let a gun stand idle, the bore will rust and pit very, very fast! The brass and the guns must be cleaned the same day as it was used, or it will rust all the pretty parts. Brass turns green over night.
The brass: I use Winchester or Remmington (and I hear Startline is great stuff)for 44-40. I load with 36 grains of FFFg with a Large Pistol Primer (CCI or Federal). I use a soft lead (20-1) bullet at 200 grains with lots of deep grease grooves filled with SPG Lube. I fully resize the shells, then expand the inside neck diameter of the case to bulet size minus .001, and factory roll crimp. In my Ruger a Truncated Cone works best, RNFP work better in my Uberti. If you go the route of 45LC check out SASS for load directions. Don't use grease cookies or wads in bottleneck shells(ok in straight wall like 45LC). Last things: slug the bore and note the groove diameter and cylinder diameters. On a well made wheelgun the barrel of a 44-40 with have a groove diameter of .427, and a cylinder mouth of .427 Plus (which is perfect IMHO), then use a bullet sized to .428 and test for accuracy. The BP designed bullet should be .001 larger than groove diameter. Sometimes a little more powder compressed will help, or a different bullet sytle. I don't generally compress BP because it can blow up in your face while compressing it. Don't do it unless you are sure you know what you are doing, and use only a powder compression die for the task. IF YOU COMPRESS BLACK POWDER MORE THAN 1/8th INCH YOU RISK DETONATION. Note that the crown and forcing cone must be in good shape for POA accuracy.
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