Iron Pony Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Finished up loading all the bullets I had sized/lubed and learned you can run a 38-40 through a Square Deal. Now the 45LC that I get from time to time when folks hand me my brass after a stage are easy, they dont go into the sizing die. Set a case into position 1 and ran it up into the decap/sizing die, hmmm went in to easy so the natural assumption is its a split case. Took it out at position 2 and gave it a quick glance, no split. Hmmm? Charged it, seated the bullet and crimped it then looked at it closer to see if there was a small split in the case mouth of something else. Yep there it is right on the headstamp Starline 38-40 not 44-40. Cartridge looks fine, OAL is the same so I'll set it aside as a novelty to go along with the 44-40 I washed, dried, tumbled and found in the media seperator. Also found a 44-40 that someone had reloaded as a 45LC. Must have been a funny looking round too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diablo slim shootist Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Thats scary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Finished up loading all the bullets I had sized/lubed and learned you can run a 38-40 through a Square Deal. Now the 45LC that I get from time to time when folks hand me my brass after a stage are easy, they dont go into the sizing die. Set a case into position 1 and ran it up into the decap/sizing die, hmmm went in to easy so the natural assumption is its a split case. Took it out at position 2 and gave it a quick glance, no split. Hmmm? Charged it, seated the bullet and crimped it then looked at it closer to see if there was a small split in the case mouth of something else. Yep there it is right on the headstamp Starline 38-40 not 44-40. Cartridge looks fine, OAL is the same so I'll set it aside as a novelty to go along with the 44-40 I washed, dried, tumbled and found in the media seperator. Also found a 44-40 that someone had reloaded as a 45LC. Must have been a funny looking round too. Not that unusual. They are both from the same family of cartridges. It's not unuaual to neck one up or neck the other down to make the brass you need. Back before 38 WCF or even 44WCF brass was readily available I knew and read about several folks that did just that. A little harder but still do-able is 25WCF to 32 WCF. As for 44WCF blown out to 45lc there are folks still doing that to help combat the blow-by issues with the 45lc Rifles. The thinner 44wcf expands easier to seal the chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Hanger #3720LR Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Here's an article from 2005 on this subject. Adventures in Black Powder Reloading by Engineer BILL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Dastardly SASS #45219 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I've got a Colt 73 style pistol in 38-40 that I'm thinkn' of converting to 44-40. The dang barrel is so far out of spec that it wants .412" boolits. Wouldn't have to be opened up that much to become a 44-40, would it? It's a mystery pistol. Been polished up till there are no markings cept the serial number left to see anywhere. Then, it was heavily nickel plated. Paid a Hundred and Fifty Bux for it. I'd sure like to shoot it without having to make custom mold and dies for it. DD-DLoS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 ... Hmmm? Charged it, seated the bullet and crimped it ... Yep there it is right on the headstamp Starline 38-40 not 44-40. Cartridge looks fine, OAL is the same so I'll set it aside as a novelty to go along with the 44-40 I washed, dried, tumbled and found in the media seperator. Also found a 44-40 that someone had reloaded as a 45LC. Must have been a funny looking round too. I've got a few 44 Specials with a 45 caliber bullet in them if'n you want them for your collection... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 .44-40s go thru my Dillon 550B in .45Colt like corn thru a goose. Come out fine, Usually only find them as I put them away in my ammo boxes. I try to leave 'em for someone else at the range... but sometimes I find 'em as I clean and tumble... reminds me, I need to take that box to the range and offer to someone that'll appreciate 'em. Next match... never put off until tomorrow that which can be put off till the day-after-tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Pony Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Lets keep that info about using 44-40 to make BP rounds for the 45LC on the down low ok? I dont need any more competition on getting hold of brass when I need it. Does make sense though what with the thin walls of the 38/44 brass. Usually I catch the 38-40s when someone hands me brass at the range and I just toss them to Spainard or Capt Morgan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Howdy Again I dunno about this business about making 45s out of 44-40s. I know, I have been hearing that some guys do this to keep blowby down in a rifle. A couple of months ago, just for fun I opened up the mouth of a couple of 44-40 cases and shoved in a 45 PRS 250 grain bullet. They were mighty strange looking. Kid of a reverse bottleneck. The fat 45 bullets swelled up the necks, but they were still 44-40 down below. I don't own a 45 Colt rifle, I just wanted to see if it could be done. I'll hunt around my loading bench and see if I can find them. If I find them I'll take a photo and post it. Certainly not something I would pursue any further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Howdy Again I dunno about this business about making 45s out of 44-40s. I know, I have been hearing that some guys do this to keep blowby down in a rifle. A couple of months ago, just for fun I opened up the mouth of a couple of 44-40 cases and shoved in a 45 PRS 250 grain bullet. They were mighty strange looking. Kid of a reverse bottleneck. The fat 45 bullets swelled up the necks, but they were still 44-40 down below. I don't own a 45 Colt rifle, I just wanted to see if it could be done. I'll hunt around my loading bench and see if I can find them. If I find them I'll take a photo and post it. Certainly not something I would pursue any further. DJ, it will look funny until it's fireformed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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