Case Setback with Tapered Cartridges

SIGSHR · November 23, 2011, 01:54 AM

Curious to know if any of the CAS shooters here have experienced case setback with tapered/bottle nosed cartridges-38-40, 44-40, etc.?

Hawg · November 23, 2011, 05:35 AM

Not with 44-40.

B.L.E. · November 23, 2011, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Not with 44-40.

Ditto. But then, it's just barely bottlenecked.

Magnum Wheel Man · November 23, 2011, 09:36 AM

not with 44-40 either...

but think one of the guys that shoots at the club I shoot at had some set back issues with 38-40 in a custom Ruger...

but I don't really know him well, so I'm not positive on the loads or other specifics

Shotgun693 · November 23, 2011, 12:59 PM

A bit of history:
When the .44-40 first came out it worked fine in Winchesters but would set back and lock up a Colt SAA. The Texas Rangers learned to hate the .44-40 in a handgun. They, to a man, went with the .45 Colt for their revolvers. They did continue use of the .44-40 in rifles.

B.L.E. · November 23, 2011, 06:36 PM

My Ruger Vaquero six shooter in .44-40 has never had problems with locking up from setback, but then again, I'm not one of those people who just has to turn a .44-40 into a .44 Magnum.

Hawg · November 23, 2011, 07:03 PM

Quote:

A bit of history:
When the .44-40 first came out it worked fine in Winchesters but would set back and lock up a Colt SAA. The Texas Rangers learned to hate the .44-40 in a handgun. They, to a man, went with the .45 Colt for their revolvers. They did continue use of the .44-40 in rifles.

I don't have a Colt but I have a Uberti SAA, never had a problem with a case full of bp or smokeless loads either one.

Model-P · November 23, 2011, 11:48 PM

I don't know what "case setback" is, but from the discussion I gather it is a tendency of a shouldered cartridge to fill the shoulder in the chamber upon firing and push the base back against the recoil shield? Please educate me.

If so, I wonder if this is why the old Colt SAA cylinders were notorious for having the shoulders cut so far forward that case life was short due to the subsequent amount of necessary case resizing. Perhaps having space ahead of the case shoulder prevents "case setback"?

B.L.E. · November 24, 2011, 12:05 AM

Quote:

I gather it is a tendency of a shouldered cartridge to fill the shoulder in the chamber upon firing and push the base back against the recoil shield? Please educate me.

That's exactly what case setback is. The .22 Remington Jet which was a tapered case that Smith & Wesson made a revolver for was notorious for having this problem. Making sure the cases had all the resizing lube cleaned off of them after reloading minimized the problem.

Shotgun693 · November 24, 2011, 12:42 AM

A 'Colt' guy told me that the original .44-40 ammo had to much shoulder. I only know that Texas Rangers nearly to a man avoided the .44-40 Colt.

Fingers McGee · November 24, 2011, 04:17 PM

Have not experienced case setback in my Uberti SAAs.

FM

November 23, 2011, 01:54 AM	#1
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,712	Case Setback with Tapered Cartridges Curious to know if any of the CAS shooters here have experienced case setback with tapered/bottle nosed cartridges-38-40, 44-40, etc.?

November 23, 2011, 05:35 AM	#2
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,380	Not with 44-40.

November 23, 2011, 09:36 AM	#4
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	not with 44-40 either... but think one of the guys that shoots at the club I shoot at had some set back issues with 38-40 in a custom Ruger... but I don't really know him well, so I'm not positive on the loads or other specifics

November 23, 2011, 12:59 PM	#5
Shotgun693 Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2011 Location: Poteet, Texas Posts: 959	A bit of history: When the .44-40 first came out it worked fine in Winchesters but would set back and lock up a Colt SAA. The Texas Rangers learned to hate the .44-40 in a handgun. They, to a man, went with the .45 Colt for their revolvers. They did continue use of the .44-40 in rifles.

November 23, 2011, 06:36 PM	#6
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	My Ruger Vaquero six shooter in .44-40 has never had problems with locking up from setback, but then again, I'm not one of those people who just has to turn a .44-40 into a .44 Magnum.

November 23, 2011, 11:48 PM	#8
Model-P Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2009 Posts: 727	I don't know what "case setback" is, but from the discussion I gather it is a tendency of a shouldered cartridge to fill the shoulder in the chamber upon firing and push the base back against the recoil shield? Please educate me. If so, I wonder if this is why the old Colt SAA cylinders were notorious for having the shoulders cut so far forward that case life was short due to the subsequent amount of necessary case resizing. Perhaps having space ahead of the case shoulder prevents "case setback"?

November 24, 2011, 12:42 AM	#10
Shotgun693 Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2011 Location: Poteet, Texas Posts: 959	A 'Colt' guy told me that the original .44-40 ammo had to much shoulder. I only know that Texas Rangers nearly to a man avoided the .44-40 Colt.

November 24, 2011, 04:17 PM	#11
Fingers McGee Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2008 Location: High & Dry in Missouri Ozarks Posts: 2,113	Have not experienced case setback in my Uberti SAAs. FM