Coverting .45LC to .44 Henry Flat, photos

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Don't print that when I'm drinking....iced tea up the nose HURTS!.

Why not? I'd like some of the 44 Russian printed with that too. I suppose once they get the head stamp, they could put it on anything. They have one for the Black hills ammo.

Is this getting out of hand?

Here are the dummy (except the last one)cartridges I have made up.



   Brass:           44 Russian/            44 Special/            44 Colt/                44 Rem/Colt C.F.
   Bullet:         44 Henry Flat         44 Henry Flat         44 Henry Flat      44 Rem before modifying the point

The first is the closest physically to the 44 Henry Flat C.F. but it holds the least powder. The 44 Colt brass will hold 28 Grn.s BP like
the 44 Rem/Colt C.F. The 44 Spcl a bit less.

Nice!!!!!
If you use a 44 cal. compression die you could get around 33-34 grains of BP in the case....make a nice hunting load.

Bill

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I loaded the two dummy Russian cases tonight. I put 25 Grns FFFG BP in the first to see what the compression was, and it compressed easily. In the Second I put 26 Grns and it compressed easily also. I'm a bit surprized that it would take that much powder. I'm impressed. I might be able to get 27 grns in the Russian case. 28 grns filled the case to the brim, so i don't think it'll compress enough to get the heeled bullet in the case without deformation. Interesting.

[Long Johns Wolf]

Halfway Creek Charlie: is the 2nd cartridge from the right really made from a starline .44 Colt case? Looks pretty long to me in comparison to the .44 Special and the .44 Rem./Colt C. F. at right.
Bootsie

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Looks like the two centre rounds are reversed.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Bootsie,
The second from the left is a 44 Colt Case with the modified 248 Grn bullet(like the one on the right end) I got them from Buffalo arms when I bought an 1871 Open top when they firast came out. I bought 2000 44 Colt brass then. plus I bought 2 cases of 44 Colt cartridges from Black Hills. Back when I had more money than sense. The Open top didn't work out but I kept the 44 Colt brass. Now I'm glad I did.

Thanks Guys I did have the center two switched...I modified the post to correct the error....Boy ya gots to be on yer toes.

[stepnmud]

"I drilled out the original .45 Colt chamber with a 31/64 drill and then finished it out with a half inch chucking reamer."

what method did you use for drilling out the original chamber? A hand held drill motor with the barrel in a bench vise on slow speed or hand turn the 31/64 bit?

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Stepnmud...

I used a 1/2 inch hammer drill with the hammer function turned off, on slow speed.

Any i/2 inch drill will work. I used a home made drill stop so not to go too deep into the bore.

The hammer drill has a handle attached to the drill chuck area and is easier to hold.

I chucked the barrel up in a vise between two pieces of 1/4 inch saddle leather.

Bill

[Fox Creek Kid]

Bil & Charlie, I always thought the original Henry rifle specs were a 0.420 bore with 0.010 grooves making it a true 0.440.  I've never slugged one however nor do I own an original. Anyone know for certain? 

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Bil & Charlie, I always thought the original Henry rifle specs were a 0.420 bore with 0.010 grooves making it a true 0.440.  I've never slugged one however nor do I own an original. Anyone know for certain? 

Brent,
You are correct...but nobody is making a .42 caliber Henry replica rifle...thats why I went with the .45. The .45 heeled bullets are plentiful and you can buy a bullet mould for that bullet

Bill.

[Fox Creek Kid]

I have two custom moulds by Old West moulds and Bernie does great machine work. However, do you think that those two little lube grooves will hold enough for sustained shooting, say a CAS match? Bernie made me a copy of the classic Lyman 427098 mould but used one large lube groove a la the "Big Lube" type bullets and it works great and weighs 205 gr. on the money.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I don't know about the original Bore of the Henry, but the original 44 Henry Flat shot a .446 Dia Bullet(drive bands). Kinda hard to imagine a .446 funneled into a .420 grooves, I believe that the land dimensions could have been .420 with bigger grooves. Other Henry people will have to chime in  cause I'm a newbie with the Henry and it's history......but not for long.

I've been using the 248 Grn heeled bullet from Bernie for well over a year and I have had no problems, and my guns don't slow down and they are relative easy to clean, but I use Olive oil and bore butter and lube the bullets at loading time and stick them in Cheyenne cartridge boxes, and they haven't lost the lube yet......I do add a dollop of Bore Butter to one chamber or two before I shoot. I make sure the innards are oiled up real well as well as the cylinder pins. or arbors.

[Fox Creek Kid]

...funneled into a .420 grooves

Charlie, re-read my post. I said 0.420 BORE. That's the top of the lands. Grooves were 0.010 deep. Double that and add 0.420 = 0.440. 

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

I have two custom moulds by Old West moulds and Bernie does great machine work. However, do you think that those two little lube grooves will hold enough for sustained shooting, say a CAS match? Bernie made me a copy of the classic Lyman 427098 mould but used one large lube groove a la the "Big Lube" type bullets and it works great and weighs 205 gr. on the money.

Brent...It's gonna be kinda hard to use a .427 mould in a .451 bore besides being very inaccurate. The round I am working on is a .451 heeled bullet that fits the .44 colt case and will be closer to the original Henry round then anything out there now. Plus, the Henry round had a grease cookie and the big lube type bullets don't resemble the original round in any way...and thats what I'm after.

Bill

[Fox Creek Kid]

Bill, I should have explained myself better. I meant a bullet of 0.451 cal. with a large groove.

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Brent....
appreciate the input....but the big lube bullets don't have the same look that the .248 grain bullets do...it's that overall look I am after. Plus, I use a grease cookie in all my black powder loads.

Bill

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I'm probably going to go one step further and use the 44 Russian brass in my rifle so the bullet will actually emulate the old 44 Henry Flat in most every way. Even if I cannot shoot the same cartridge in my Original Remy's. I have heard of several Pistols being converted to shoot the Cartridge (44 Henry Flat C.F. to name one(S & W even chambered pistols in that caliber)of the rifle carried, but not so much the rifle converted to the cartridge of the pistol.

I'm waitng on an order from Brownells so I can finish Tubac's Whitney Conversion and then start on my Henry.

I got the the antique Drillpress/Lathe working here at  home, I need to work on the base so I can easily drill and ream the Rifle bbls. This thing is mounted to the wall and has a huge(12 by 12 wooden beam as a drill table. I need to bore a hole lengthwise through this and add  Alignment screws. It is the neatest old Drillpress/lathe I have ever seen. It is multiple speed too. Turn one handle to drill and another on top to advance the drill thru the drilled object. Talk about old time tools!

[Tubac]

Charlie,
Where did you get the drill press/lathe?
Tubac

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

It was in the tool shed when the landlord bought the place and he'll have no place for it. I told him I'll make a place for it if I have to keep it under my bed. Unfortunately it is just the business end and The floating end/drill base is missing. But it is usable and I'll use it in the tool shed for awhile.

[sundance44`s]

Dang Bill you don`t mess around when ya gets to wanting something ...good looking job ..I need a neighbor with your know how ..Whats next ..like to see more .

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Sundance.....
It's a lot of fun.......

Bill