Thread: 44-40 PressuretraceII Results - Videos

In my continued effort to research vintage 44-40 ammunition ballistics, I have finished the replica and custom load pressure testing result videos using Winchester modern factory ammunition, Buffalo Bore factory ammunition, black powder loads, vintage and modern as well as Lyman’s 49th handloading manual loads and some custom loads.

It is in my opinion that the most well known cartridge is the most misunderstood.

Nothing is perfect but I learned a lot about many things. Ignore my very poor video making skills.

I have added eight youtube video links to the website:
Chasing the 44-40 - Pressure Trace Videos

Awesome work! On ya!!

The 44-40 Google Docs "Pressure" Page has been updated to reflect the 3 new tests 1A, 2A&2B (re-tests for "control"), and test 90. I also updated a few other items by including the 1917 WRA data and highlighting Lyman's max loads that were previously tested. I will update other items as well as dates etc. the week of the 20th.

44-40 Chamber Pressure Test Results Update

thanks Bryan

There is just too much information for me to repost it all here, especially since there is only a link for photographs.

For those that are somewhat following the progress, I have updated the Pressure Testing page of the 44-40 website with a large selection of test result charts to compare.

The test results prove that early smokeless powders used by Winchester produced less pressures than original black powder loads. They also prove that the 44-40 ballistics was greatly reduced by the 1970's.

Black powders of today create less pressure than those of the originals and sends the wrong message about pressure comparisons for modern smokeless loads.

I have created a 44-40 Pressure Time Line for those interested.

I have also updated the 44-40 google docs pages with the Recent Pressure Test Results, also for those interested in understanding the myths of this cartridge's performance of yesteryear vs today.

If you visit the google docs page, make sure you look at all of the data by select all of the tabs at the bottom of the chart window.

The bad news is that I was not precise with my aim while performing the tests. The good news is that, even so....look what we got with 100 year old powder, .4255" JSP bullets in a 20" barrel, .429" bore with a 1:20" twist @ 50 yards

3.4", 10 shot group

Thats very interesting. Winchesters catalogues were pretty accurate in their claims for velocity. Bryan the jacketed .425 bullets in a .429 bore rather than your aiming I am thinking. I used to shoot Kynoch factory .427 bullets in my .430 bore and got the same results at 50 yards. With .430 bullets they went all in one hole.
The velocities are the same as I am getting with 26 grains of H4198 and jacketed Hornady XTP's. The 240 grain Speer hit just over 1200 fps.

I am going to have to take my .44-40 carbine hunting again. I have somewhat cooled on open sights the last couple of years becauese now I am in my fifties the front sight is not a sharp as it used to be. A 24 inch barrel is okay, but a 20 inch carbine it depends sometimes yes, sometimes not so much....I have gone to a peep sight for the rear as standard now. (reluctantly - was a big fan of the wide open V express sight and a white front bead on my Winchesters) I am toying with the idea of a mini red dot sight mounted over the front part of the receiver.

having missed twice last week using big crude open sights,Im reluctantly admitting the same...will have to gerryrig up scope base to mount low fixed power onto for future efforts,the price of fuel means justifying a trip to hunting grounds and then missing is hard to do....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

having missed twice last week using big crude open sights,Im reluctantly admitting the same...will have to gerryrig up scope base to mount low fixed power onto for future efforts,the price of fuel means justifying a trip to hunting grounds and then missing is hard to do....

Greetings @Micky Duck,
You might want to look at one of the red dot sights. Way better than the irons and much less bulky than most scopes. The view does take a bit of getting used to.
Regards Grandpamac.

the price.........unless you go cheap chinese a red dot is getting up there in price and I already have a fixed power leupold here I can use...

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the price.........unless you go cheap chinese a red dot is getting up there in price and I already have a fixed power leupold here I can use...

I'm in pretty much the same position. I was given a No1 Lee Enfield recently and intend to mount my 40 plus year old Tasco 2.5 power on it. I just need to find a Parker Hale base like the one I gave away last year. I have rings and screws plus the rifle is drilled and tapped so just need the base. Still I do have several other rifles including another .303 so I shouldn't moan too much.
Regards Grandpamac.

OK...So the gunsmiths on here will possibly lynch me for saying this......if the top of action,and yes I realise it is a bridge mount with only both ends touching.... is level surely any half decent piccy rail can be mounted in place with a bit ground out of side for added ejection...and it there is slight height difference between front and rear,one side has a bit taken off bottom side,screw holes drilled in appropriate positions,araldite applied in goodly manner and screwed down into place.....
I cannot for the life of me see why mounts are action specific other than slight differences in the radius of curve or flat top on action...surely our spaceage expoxies will fill void nicely and screws add strength and hold everything firmly in place while it cures???
I do know the MS1 windscreen sealant has held my rearsight inplace no issues at all...amazing stuff that has a thousand and one uses.