.44/77 Fired at Last

[Don Kenna]

Thanks to all who replied.

I've already done a Cerrosafe chamber and bore cast, along with a lead slug, to provide to Steve Brooks to examine prior to his making the bullet mould. The chamber is a pretty standard (if such really exists) .44/77 chamber of 2-1/4-inch case length. The origin of the rifling, which is nicely beveled, is about 1/8-inch forward of the case mouth.

The "S.T." marking under the forend just stands for "set trigger," with which this rifle is equipped. Thanks to Marcot's book, I knew what that marking indicated, but I was gratified to see it there. A similarly configured (heavy 32-inch barreled) .50/70 rifle that I own is also equipped with a single-set trigger, but has no such marking under the forend. The latter rifle does, however, have a marking of "E.S.," meaning "extra sights," and it does carry a "combination" or "rough and ready" barrel sight. But more about that rifle some other time--

I obtained both Jamison/Captech and Rocky Mountain Cartridge Co. Brass for the .44/77 rifle. The RMC cases have a fairly sharp shoulder as compared to the Captech cases which come with a long, sloping shoulder. Both cases fit the chamber quite well. When fired, the Captech cases form a sharp shoulder about identical to that on the RMC cases.

I think it significant--and I am pleased--that the RCBS full-length sizing die sized the case body only slightly and doesn't move the fire-formed shoulder at all. As I expected, I could tell at a glance that the straight-sided RCBS factory single-diameter, undersized case neck expander was going to be worthless. I replaced it with a .447/.451-inch diameter expander plug from Buffalo Arms which works quite well.

Note that this .44/77 rifle was never intended to be any sort of target rifle, but purely a hunting rifle. As Marcot's book pretty well supports, this rifle was about as long and heavy as Remington #1 Sporting Rifles got, with very few exceptions. I, for one, am convinced that it was a commercial hide hunter's rifle. Now that I've gone through all the gyrations to make it shoot, I have no intention of actually hunting with it, or using it for anything but occasional informal fun shooting. It has earned an honored semi-retirement (like me?), and ought to be around long after me as an historical artifact.

Don