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17 March 2012
17 March 2012
I recently bought a very tired-looking old Model 1873 Winchester .44-40 made in 1880. It had zero metal finish, very dry and cracking buttstock & forend, a wrong rear sight, and a broken front sight. The action was stiff and scratchy, the trigger pull a heavy six pounds, but the attraction to me was the 28" barrel's bore, which was certainly not perfect but showed very strong rifling for such an otherwise poor rifle. I felt I could get it shooting with a lot of elbow grease, which can be a pretty cheap commodity for a retired guy! Besides, it was only $600! Here is what I started with:
Upon tearing the rifle down to clean out all the age-old crud, I discovered possibly why the bore was still so good. At some long ago time someone had installed a bushing in the bolt face for the firing pin. They did a very good job with the machine work, but the bushing was too long, the hole too small, and it would not allow the firing pin to protrude through the bolt face. Since the rifle could no longer fire, I believe it was relegated to a barn or shed, where over many years the outside acquired its crusty appearance and the bore remained unused. I'm not sure why they didn't just re-do the repair properly, maybe it was getting too expensive to be worth it?
Thanks to the skills of my machinist brother, the bushing was re-drilled and shortened, and the firing pin once again could do its job. I temporarily reinstalled the bolt and firing pin to test a primed empty case, and I got a satisfying POP!
The extractor broke in two when I removed the bolt, so I bought a new USA-made reproduction extractor off Ebay. It needed a lot of fitting as it was oversize in just about every dimension, but I got it functioning with some dummy rounds. I also discovered that the magazine spring was too short and did not push the last two cartridges back far enough to load properly, so i ordered and installed a new one.
The buttstock & forend were treated to several applications of boiled linseed oil, which darkened them and softened the hard dry wood to what I felt was at least a useable state. I replaced the sights and added a modern Marble's tang sight too. Its shiny blueing looks out of place, but hey, this is going to be a shooter.
I glued a thin spring-steel shim into the full-cock notch on the hammer, loosened the mainspring tension, and thus reduced the trigger pull to a more manageable four pounds. Finally, the rifle was reassembled and once more shootable.
I've never had a .44-40 before, but planned on it when opportunity presented, so over the past few years I have gathered up a set of used dies and bought a couple boxes of W-W brass. I have an RCBS 44-200-CM bullet mould that didn't work out for my Marlin Cowboy .44 Magnum rifle, but the bullets it casts look perfect for the .44-40. I was a little disappointed when I slugged the bore on the Winchester and found it to be .431" as I expected closer to .429". The RCBS bullets drop from the mould at .429"-.430" so are a bit small, but it's all I have for now and I went with it. The past weeks of rainy, cold weather were happily spent getting the rifle and test loads of ammunition ready, and I was delighted to see a mostly clear, cool, and sunny day when I awoke this morning. Today is the day!
The local public shooting area is on Bureau of Land Management land, and was already crowded with shooters when I arrived at 9:00 A.M. Still, I was able to get a spot and set up my portable shooting bench and a 50 meter target board. Darn, I forgot my camera for the big event! Oh well...
Not fully trusting the old Winchester to be sound, I lashed it down to my bench and tied a string off to the trigger so I could remote-fire the first shot. After cautioning the shooters on either side of me to stand back, I loaded a round, stood well back, and yanked the string. THE RIFLE EXPLODED INTO A MILLION PIECES!!
Naw, I just said that to create a little excitement for you . The rifle did just what it is supposed to do, with no sign of problems at all. I was really excited to get on with shooting this old Winchester.
I had five different loads, straight out of my loading manuals and designed for the older weak-actioned rifles. All were loaded with Winchester Large Pistol primers and the RCBS 44-22-CM 200 grain bullet sized at .430". Worst of the lot was 5.5 grains of TiteGroup, which not only would not stay on my 8x11" target, it would not even stay on my 2'x4' cardboard backing! A charge of 25.0 grains Reloader 7 shot a 1 1/2" x 3" horizontally strung group, and 8.0 grains of SR 4756 shot the same size group but instead was vertically strung. Of course, I had to try some black powder too. Goex FFg at 35.0 grains shot a well-rounded 6" group, not very accurate but it sure was fun to shoot! The absolute best load was something of a surprise to me as I have never had especially good luck with Trail Boss powder. After firing five shots with 6.0 grains of Trail Boss, I looked through my spotting scope and was delighted to see two dead centers, two more just a half-inch out, and of course I had to throw one flyer an inch and a half out:
Not bad at all for a 132 year-old Winchester!
The only real problem I had was that my new extractor quit working early in the testing and I had to extract fired cartridges with a small screwdriver. In riding up over the cartridge rim like it's supposed to do, it seems the extractor has taken an upward bowed set, like maybe the metal is too soft. It won't snap down on the cartridge rim for extraction. I am going to try and straighten then harden it to give it some spring, and if that doesn't work I will find an original replacement extractor.
I'm looking forward to shooting this old rifle a lot more!!
According to my Saeco Lead Hardness Tester, the alloy I used for these bullets rate as "wheelweights", which is just slightly softer than 20:1. I do intend to try going softer still, but I can't get too carried away as the bullets are already a little small in diameter. I intentionally did not use my chronograph for these initial loads as I did not know what sort of accuracy to expect and did not want to chance a wild bullet wiping out the screens! The Trail Boss loads that shot so well are rated at just 800 FPS. As for gas checks, I want to stay away from them as they have gotten too expensive for a cheapskate like me.
I examined the crown with a 10X jewelers loupe and it does not have noticible cleaning rod wear, but does have rust pitting, which looks a lot worse under that loupe than it does with the naked eye.
The headspacing is very tight, in fact closing the lever with a round in the chamber requires noticibly more pressure on the lever to achieve complete closure.
For good silhouette shooting, you really need a light trigger, as you know. I shoot a Cimarron Uberti 1873 in .32-20, which I have the trigger down to two pounds. I gave it the same treatment as I did this old 44-40, namely glueing a thin shim into the full-cock notch on the hammer so that the hammer does not go as deeply into the notch. I use the steel from the card that my Lee Shaver globe sight inserts come on. Just a tiny piece an eighth of an inch tall and as wide as the hammer, glued in with JB Weld 5 minute epoxy. No harm to the hammer and that glued shim stays put. I had me a good shooting streak last fall and shot my way into Master class. I might be in over my head!
by w30wcf » Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:08 am
Shasta,
Nice work! Thank you for sharing. The RL7 load is probably running over 1,400 f.p.s. In my 24" barrel it pushes a 215 gr bullet to 1,386 f.p.s. with good accuracy.
What is the groove diameter? I may have the proper diameter bullet that would fit your barrel, and if so, I'll send you some.
w30wcf
aka John Kort
I took the old rifle out for another range session today. Still using the RCBS 44-200-CM bullet, I tried reducing the Trail Boss load to 5.5 gr. and it shot every bit as good as the 6.0 load pictured in the original post. Upping the Trail Boss to 6.5 gr. proved a disaster as bullets became widely scattered and only three of five even hit the target! I was amazed that just one grain of powder could make such a difference! SR 4756 powder is showing promise, but not like the Trail Boss. I also tried 8.0 gr. Unique, but it too apparently was too much as shots were so widely scattered I didn't even shoot a second target with it.
This particular bullet seems to work best at very slow velocities. I used my Pact chronograph today, but it has developed a glitch and will not give a readout. Guess I'll have to be brave and use my Ohler 35P to get some velocity readings. I just didn't want to chance damaging it with an uncertain rifle.
w30wcf- Thanks for your generous offer. When I get done wringing out this bullet, I have a Lyman to work with. What is the bullet you have in mind?
This old '73 continues to amaze me. I was testing loads again this morning, this time using my chronograph. It tends to scatter shots from loads over 1,100 FPS, but likes slow ones. Here is a five shot target fired at 50 meters. Load was a 199 grain RCBS 44-200-CM bullet, 7.5 grains SR 4756 powder, and a Winchester Large Pistol primer. Basically a one inch group at a paltry 817 FPS:
I did not consciously make an effort to position the powder [IMR4227, target NOT shown] to the rear of the case, but it is something I need to be more aware of, as it has helped accuracy in a couple of my other rifles.
I did try 17.0 grains of IMR 4227 with a Federal Large Pistol Magnum primer (from book Pet Loads). It gave 1,100 FPS but accuracy was very poor with one shot missing the target entirely.
It's good to know the rifle is capable of shooting tight groups, but I need to find some loads in the 1,300+ FPS range if I am to try a round of lever action silhouette shooting with this '73.
Shasta,
Sorry to hear that the 4227 load did not work well for you.
Have you had a chance to find out what your rifle's groove diameter is?
According to a conversation that I had some time ago with George Madis, who wrote the Winchester Book, groove diameters varied quite a bit up until the advent of smokeless powder and metal patched bullets. The original black powder / lead bulleted ammunition worked well in barrels of varying groove diameters due to the black powders ability to bump up the soft lead bullet to fit the barrel, whereas the smokeless powder / metal patched bullets did not.
Original '73's have reported as having groove diameters anywhere from .425" to .437". Mine runs .433" at the muzzle and .436" forward of the chamber. I have been using .435" diameter bullets with good results. The 17/H4227/155 Fed combined with the Magma 205 (.435") or some bumped up 427098's are some of the best shooting loads in that rifle. Thankfully, the chamber neck is large enough to accept a cartridge with a .435" diameter bullet.
In addition, .428" cast bullets and PSB (Poly Shot Buffer) over 4227 shoot very well, the PSB acting as a gas check of sorts allowing the bullet to center in an transverse the barrel undisturbed by powder gases.
Stepping back in time, I did try 40/Swiss FFG/CCI300 under a very undersized .427" diameter 50/1 lead/tin 427098 bullet and, yes, it shot pretty well (surprisingly), just like the original ammunition would have.
Regarding NRA Cowboy Silhouette Pistol Cartridge, your 4756 load would work just fine as long as the accuracy would be maintained at 100M and you have enough elevation in the sight.
Interestingly, the recent Arizona State NRA Cowboy Silhouette Championship Pistol Cartridge was won by a fellow shooting a 44-40 with black powder. And......he tied the current national record of 75x80 as well. Awesome!
w30wcf
w30wcf-
The bore on my rifle slugs at .431", and the RCBS bullet drops from the mould at .429", but despite the small bullet I have been having some success. I am considering using some lapping compound to open up this mould a little, or I might just custom order a .432"-.433" mould as I would like something with a smaller meplat than what this bullet has. I want to stay with a lighter bullet as the 1873's cartridge lifter requires a very short bullet nose to feed properly.
I really appreciate your knowledge and advice. The use of PSB over 4227 interests me a great deal. I also want to work more with Reloader 7 powder since I have several other rifles that use it.
All this experimentation may have to wait awhile as I will soon be having some surgery to repair arthritis problems in my hands. They're doing one hand at a time with a 10 week recovery period each time, so I'm hoping I can continue shooting, it just depends on how debilitating the procedure is.
SHASTA
Shasta,
Sorry to hear about the arthritis problem in your hands. Hope everything goes well and you heal quickly.
Ok, .431" Groove diameter. Thank you. That pretty much explains the lack of accuracy with loads over 1,000 f.p.s.
Do you have a way of measuring the inside diameter of a fired case neck to determine if a .432"-.433" diameter bullet will fit?
The bullets in my pic will all feed fine in my '73 since cartridge oal is less than 1.59".
I could send you some bullets to try if you PM me your address.
w30wcf
John- I decided the best way to really know what is needed is by making a Cerrosafe chamber casting. I had to cut the casting in two to get it out of the rifle, but the important front half measurements were:
Bore just in front of chamber = .432"
Diameter of chamber neck= .449"
I used a .45 caliber brass bore brush to clean the powder residue from the inside necks of several of the fired W-W cases, and the average inside measurement was .433". Case neck thickness is .007", so by my calculation a .432"-.433" bullet will fit perfectly.
I very much appreciate your generous offer of some test bullets, and would like to take you up on it. PM sent.
SHASTA
John came to the rescue by contacting Tom at Accurate Molds and arranging to have a 43-215C mold designed with a .040" shorter bullet nose. 43-205C is the designation for this new mold. As soon as the design was perfected, John notified me I could place the order, and within a couple weeks I had a beautiful new three-cavity aluminum mold. At just over $100 it was not cheap, and I normally don't care for aluminum molds, but this thing is a work of art! I immediately fit it with some RCBS handles and tried it out. Bullets fell freely from all three cavities, and each was exactly .433" diameter as specified with the order. Nominal weight with my alloy was 209 grains, and after lubing they weight 210 grains.
So how do they shoot? Initial testing is looking good! The loaded rounds cycled freely through my rifle. Perfect!
Keep in mind the loads I will mention were tested in my rifle only and may not be suitable or safe in any other.
Keep in mind the loads I will mention were tested in my rifle only and may not be suitable or safe in any other.
Here is a five shot 50 yard target using 35 grains Goex FFg black powder, a single card wad under the bullet, and my own homemade lube. Four shots into 1 3/4" and of course a fifth shot that blew out of the group. Velocity averaged 1,173 FPS. Barrel fouling was very heavy but remained soft, indicating adequate lube:
For smokeless loads w30wcf recommended trying 4227 or Reloder 7 powder. I was afraid there might be too much lube with smokeless, but using White Label's B.A.C. lube there was no indication of excessive lube either on the rifle muzzle or around the bullet holes. Using a charge of 18.0 grains IMR4227, velocity was 1,269 FPS, three shots into 1/2" a fourth into 1 1/4", and a fifth opened the group to an even 2":
I had been having some good luck with SR4756 and my old RCBS bullet, so I gave it a try with the Accurate 433205C. A charge of 9.5 grains gave 1,234 FPS and a nice little group of just over one inch:
I saved the best for last. I had a fresh new can of Reloader 7 powder, and with a charge of 25.0 grains the bullets went whizzing through the chronograph at 1,405 FPS, more than enough for the silhouette shooting I am planning. I got four shots into a single hole just under an inch, and again I blew one way out of the group that was obviously shooter error:
Mind you all this testing was done off a portable bench that offers support only under the rifle's forearm, with my shoulder being the only rear support. And with a cast on my right hand due to recent arthritis surgery too. Good thing I am left-handed!
Again I want to acknowledge w30wcf's great help getting my 132 year old Winchester to shoot well, and for pointing me to Accurate Molds. I have several rifles for which I have struggled to find a mold of proper diameter, and now I know where I can get them.
Shasta,
Thank you for the kind words. I am very happy to see that the new Accurate bullet has very good potential in your vintage Winchester.
Regarding Accurate Molds, I bought my first one about 2 years ago and was really impressed with it. Since then, I have added 4 more and the quality has been excellent on every one.
If you need a bullet to match a particular firearm (dimensions and profile) Tom offers outstanding products.
You can even design your own bullet at no extra charge!
w30wcf
Here's a pretty cool final update on my adventures with my old .44-40:
I took it along to a Cowboy Lever Action Rifle 200 meter silhouette match today with the intention of firing it after the match to test the extractor and maybe get some sight settings using the new Accurate 433205C bullet and Reloader 7 load already mentioned. While getting out my Model 94 .38-55 I intended to use in the match, I was disappointed to find that I had forgotten my little notebook with the correct sight settings. I have several different silhouette rifles, so I had no idea where to begin with my .38-55's settings. I had plenty of time to shoot before the match to get it figured out, but then I thought about the .44-40, and knowing its sight was already set for 50 meters since I had targeted it at that distance, I thought what the heck, that's a known starting point and it would be fun to try the old rifle in competition if the extractor works OK. I wasn't feeling very confident about my shooting anyway, what with my right hand in a cast and all.
With Dewight's help spotting, it didn't take long to get my sight settings for the 100 meter Pigs, the 150 meter Turkeys, and the 200 meter Rams. The extractor was working great! Our club's silhouette match is 40 rounds, ten shots at each of the four distances. I started on the 150 meter Turkeys, the hardest target, and got five. Moving over to the 200 meter Rams, I got six, then nine 50 meter Chickens and all ten of the 100 meter Pigs for a total score of 30 out of 40. I was pretty suprised as lately I have not been able to shoot my way out of the low twenties. I was even more suprised to find that my score was good enough to win the match! How about that? The old rifle's first match, and already a winner!
This just goes to show you how good the advice is that can be had right here on the Leverguns forum. Special thanks to those who have helped me so much.
Full Forum Report here: http://levergunscommunity.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40797&sid=13aa4f9f24ca54b1571bd5424020f42e
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