A crazy idea???

[Slowhand Bob]

Sometime back I came up with the idea of converting my Uberti USA Henry from 44-40 to 44 Russian.  Most of the necessities are already available what with the short case carriers now offered by a couple of sources.  Being as I know my limitations and gun surgery comes way beyond my realm of expertise I called the maker of the short carriers for a chat.  I was told that after reaming out the chamber and threading in a 44special chamber insert it would be pretty much normal from there and I could even switch back and forth between Russian and Special just by swapping the carriers.  This is the part that has plagued me, Instead of silver soldering the threaded 44Special insert in place, why couldnt it be locked in by a different, less permanent method?  Thus one could also have a second chamber insert made for the orriginal 44-40 and truly shoot all of the 44s in his Henry except for the magnum of course!

This was brought up on the WIRE sometime back and deemed by most as non workable but I just think it should be do-able with a bit of innovative thought.  I want to think of this somewhat along the lines of the chamber insert caliber converters that have been around for years.  Yes the inserts do need to be locked into place for this use and I see no reason threading would be a deal breaker.  For interchangeable threaded inserts to work you should just need an accurate and dependable index, some sort of insertion/removal tool and a method of locking the chambers in place.  The index would already be there in the form of the extractor cut.  Could offset cuts, such as a second extractor type cut offset by 180* serve for a shotgun choke style insertion/removal tool to work here?  All we are left with is an invisible method by which to lock the insert into place while shooting your match, etc.  It needs to be kept as an invisible mod to be match legal.  My thoughts have been towards either a set screw or some sort of friction locking method.  What say yee, pipe dreams or a practical way of having a 44 rifle that will handle all the cartridges that ones dual cylinder revolvers will handle?     

[Flint]

I don't know what thickness of metal will be left after removing the chamber, to thread and make an insert itself with a decent wall thickness for the new chamber.  Sounds like a pretty thin walled sandwich.  I have turned off threads and made a tubular threaded sleeve to rethread a revolver barrel, and perhaps the threaded portion of the Henry has a lot more meat on it than a revolver barrel, but I would have to study my rifle to judge that, and I'm not near my rifles this week.

If I rechambered my Henry for 44 Russian, I would be happy with that, I can shoot 44-40 in the 66 and 73.

[Dusty Morningwood]

I had Happy Trails reline the chamber of my .44-40 Henry to fire .44 Spl. to match my Oprn Tops.  Then I started shooting .44 Russian and had a pard on this very forum change the angle of the face of the carrier so it will feed .44 Russian, Colt and Spl. 
Here I am shooting 16 .44 Russians out of my Henry!

[Sean Thornton]

Does anybody sell the carrier that has been modified with the angle face modified to feed the .44 Russian?  If so what is the cost?
Thanks
Andy

I had Happy Trails reline the chamber of my .44-40 Henry to fire .44 Spl. to match my Oprn Tops.  Then I started shooting .44 Russian and had a pard on this very forum change the angle of the face of the carrier so it will feed .44 Russian, Colt and Spl. 
Here I am shooting 16 .44 Russians out of my Henry!

[Sean Thornton]

Thoses carriers look good but does anybody offer the carrier that has the angle changed to allow the shorter rounds to be used?
Dusty mentioned that his carrier is one that the angles was changed.  Thanks for any information.

Try contacting Happy Trails at The Smith Shop.  He sells this modified carrier for use in .44 or .45 cal guns.  It requires minor mods to the bolt.  There is a link to instructions on that page.

Talk to him about your idea for a removable chamber.  If it's "doable" he's the guy who could do it.

[Abilene]

Increasing the angle of the ramp on the front of the carrier should be undertaken only with caution.  If you remove too much brass, you cut through to the hollow tunnel in the bottom of the carrier in which the end of the lifter arm rides.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

+1 on being careful.  Better to do the set screw modification like Terry Schultz does for re-enacting blanks.  Terry, do you have the link?

[Slowhand Bob]

I would not be doing any work myself.  This is just something that has stuck in my craw and lacking a physical barrier, such as not enough metal to work with in the chamber area, I can not see a real idea killer.  Being an old codger I grew up with the great cover stories of this sort of projects in the old gun rags of the '60s, '70s and '80s.  Looking at the chamber, I have decided that I really am dumb about this sort of thing as it looks as if there would not even be enough room for threading a 44spec sleeve in but I was told that would be possible but I'll bet this is maxed out on room.  Is it also possible that the really thin inserts, as would be required here, actually need the to be soldered in for assurance of complete chamber support against pressure?


In the end I will probably do the Henry as a 44spec chamber insert with the short carrier for 44 Russian, as recommended.  I know this sounds overboard for a cowboy rifle but it is somewhat an attempt at recreating a convenient/modern version of the original 44 Henry round in a sixteen shooter.  This is, by the way, my oldest remaining SASS shooter and I am already kinda fond of it.  Nothing goes quite as well with a brace of '58 Remington cap and balls than does a Henry Rifle.  I do have a Cimmaron '66 model chambered in 44special already and this will hopefully  be converted to 44Russian in the very near future as I think this should be little more than a simple drop in carrier for my local gunsmith to do.

[major]

TL
The link to the artical for the carrier block modification is this: http://www.9thnycavalry.webeditor.com/henry_article.html

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Thanks Terry,

I maaay have had to sell the Henry in my late economic unpleasantness, BUT I still have the block for the blanks... I can always hope, though a SPencer is first on the list.  Until then, my Smith will have to do.  Have you had any nibbles on your original Spencer?

[major]

TL
I have had a few nibbles but I think all the money is going into modern guns.  When you get ready for a new Spencer I would suggest the one in 44-40.  This way you can use 410 hulls for blanks like I do.  The 5 in 1 brass is very expensive to use.  You are looking at .32 cents each for the empty brass and you can get 410 hulls for 10 cents or less each or free if you can go to your local skeet range and pick them up off the ground.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I know what you mean!  Even me, when I started getting back on my feet, I bought an evil black Saiga 7.62x39 first (BLASPHEMY) before I couldn't!  Of course it was only $350, which is way less than a Henry or Spencer!  It is njow my house and farm gun, that's why I can trade off the Underwood I managed to hang onto.

[Dusty Morningwood]

I do have a Cimmaron '66 model chambered in 44special already and this will hopefully  be converted to 44Russian in the very near future as I think this should be little more than a simple drop in carrier for my local gunsmith to do.

For my 66 in .44 Spl. I bought one of Adirondack Jack's new carriers to shoot .44 Russian.  Just a little hand file work on the side of the bolt is all I had to do.  Have to take care with OAL of cartridges, though.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

The coolest rifle I knew of was built by old Charley Gullet (remember him guys?).  About 13 years ago I got him an original 1866 receiver and rusted barrel and innards.  It was found under the foundation of a house down by Bodie, CA He used an acid solution to dissolve everything but the bronze.  He modified and used 1873 parts to build a centerfire 1866.  He used shortened 44 Specials and it had a .427 bore because it was an 1873 barrel rechambered. 

That was a cool gun!