Anybody make reloadable .46 rimfire cases? EDIT .44 rimfire

[DJ]

What are the heel and major diameters you're shooting for on your bullet?   

[ndnchf]

What are the heel and major diameters you're shooting for on your bullet?

The heel is made to fit the sized .44 magnum brass, at .425". But after it is fired, I don't expect to resize it much. So I'll adjust the heel size to fit the fired brass. Major diameter is a guess at the moment. The original cartidge's bullet is .454". My current home made bullet is .457". When the rifle arrives i'll slug the bore, then size the bullet accordingly.

[ndnchf]

A fellow shooter is sending me a Lee 456-220-1R mold and some bullets that I think will be a good choice. I want to keep loads light in this old boy. This 220gr bullet with a mild charge of BP or a sub should be just the ticket. All that is needed is to turn a heel on them.

[ndnchf]

When is a .46 long rimfire not a .46 long rimfire?  Today!

My Ball & Williams Ballard sporting rifle arrived today. I immediately slugged the bore. To my surprise it was not .46 cal as the seller thought (it has no caliber markings). It is .435" groove diameter - a .44!  No big deal, it doesn't matter to me. Chamber measurements are in my rough sketch. It dawned on me that my .44 S&W American heel bullets are perfect. They come from the mold at .435". I dropped a bullet into the chamber until it stopped on its own. Then measured back to the breach face - .940". The heel is .150 long. That gave a max case length of 1.090". Backing off .040" to allow for fouling, I came up with a case length of 1.050". As for a case, .44-40 is a better match than .44 mag. It is closer to the chamber base diameter. So I cut down a sized .44-40 case to 1.050", seated a .44S&WA bullet and it chambered perfectly.

It looks like I need to convert some cut down .44-40 brass to rimfire this week. :-)

[ndnchf]

I just went out a test fired one of my home made rimfire cases. It worked and went bang!

[ndnchf]

I took the .44 long rimfire Ballard rifle to the range this afternoon for the first time. I have to admit being just a little nervous shooting a 157 year old rifle for the first time!  I made a short video, check it out to see how it went :-)

[Major 2]

That is just SOOOOO Cool !
I love shooting the old classics

[Coffinmaker]

  PLUS ONE too Major 2!!  Well Done!!

Stay safe out there

[Galloway]

Great video and back story! Were 44 henry shells compatible with that rifle back in they day?

[ndnchf]

No, 44 Henry was different. It seems everyone made there own according to their whims. My .44 rimfire rolling block is similar, but different too.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello ndnchf,

I don't have dimensions for the 44 Long Ballard in rim-fire,
but I do have the 44 Long CF Ballard.

[ndnchf]

Hello ndnchf,

I don't have dimensions for the 44 Long Ballard in rim-fire,
but I do have the 44 Long CF Ballard.

Thanks, that's good info. I've found considerable variation from published dimensions. It seems each manufacturer made their chamber reamers as they saw fit. Mine is similar to what you posted, but not the same. My thought on these early rifles is to use published data as a starting point, but then messure the chamber, then make brass to fit.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

http://www.cartridge-corner.com/rimiden.htm

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Ballard sporting rifles armed the "Red Sash" home guard volunteers at the Fenian attempt to invade Canada at Eccles Hill, may 25, 1870. Likely the same .44 Ballard Long cartridge.

https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=57147.msg727356#msg727356

[Sgt. Quincannon]

I wonder if any of the Fenians carried Remington NMA conversion revolvers. These were altered from percussion to the same .46 rf cartridges in 1868/69.