#73/ #92 Win/Miroku 44/40 specs ?

[J.B.]

Well its been a while since my Single/Action days and I miss my customised # B92 Browning...so I finally put a deposit on a 92 carbine in 44 WCF. I've had the 44 magnums before and loved them but wanted to run with a traditional for action cartridge and have had experience with the 44/40 in the past. It will be the 20" carbine ( not the short rifle ) and I believe is running 1/36" twist for the stubby 44 bullets. I 'imagine' the modern Miroku 44's, be they 73's or 92's are running .429 bores...but I'm not sure. Anyone here have any first hand experience ? Plenty of 'keyboard guestimates' to be found but as I'm looking to organise a mould from Accurate, I'd like to get it right. I see the lawyers / regulations got to the manufacturers..so I've a rebounding hammer and I gather numerous other changes to the firing pin/ safety mechanism..but they still look mighty tidy.
rgds.. J.B.

[Don McDowell]

In my winchester/miroku 73 44-40 I been running cast bullets at .430 and .429 jacketed
200-205 gr

[J.B.]

Thanks Don. Good to hear. I do have 44/40 ..ie. 427 moulds but more choice with the .429+ option. Chances are this will see some limited scrub work on feral pigs and goats so I was thinking some Hornady XTP's might be the go. This will
be using smokeless and looking for just tad more than the standard factory load in the field. Not trying to make it what it isnt but figure 220 grn at 1450 fps or so should be pretty comfortable although 200 will likely suffice. I've some Unique and two older tins of IMR4227...other than that I'm looking at ADI powders here...which are basically the stick powders available through Hodgdon. We did have Alliant available but it seems to have dried up for the moment.
.. I was pretty keen on the #73 myself and a couple are still available here..but the 92 took my eye this time around.
rgds.. J.B.

[Don McDowell]

JB if you can find them the Nosler 205 gr 44's shoot very well out of my rifle when backed by 13 grs of Bludot. 12.5 of the same powder with the bullets cast from #2 alloy from the Lyman 205 gr .430 mould. Either bullet shoots well enough that if you miss at 200, it's not the gun nor the loads problem. . Never have been a fan of the Hornady xtp's, even in the 44 magnum.
Not sure of the number of the Accurate mould, but the bullet that John Kort designed is a pretty good one. Dick Savage puts it to good use in his 44-40's.

[Randy Bohannon]

Accurate mould 43-215C in .430” is a very good bullet for the 44WCF it is the John Kort designed bullet. It’s very good with either black powder or smokeless. I just started with smokeless and 5.0 grs. Unique right out of the gate shoots very well with room to go faster. Both of my Win/ Miroku 44-40’s are picky about which bullet size and brass fits .429” RP brass .430” with WW brass. Accuracy has easily been obtained with about every powder suitable . My two 1873’s have become my favorite lever guns,really looking forward to more smokeless load development and see if I can match the B/P loads .

[Don McDowell]

Randy, that bludot load and my bp loads shoot to the same place.

[Randy Bohannon]

I have some Blue Dot will give it a try, Red Dot as well, Tite Group already loaded up. I bought a Henry BB Steel .41 Mag. and I hate it, it’s for sale,disappointing rifles.

[beltfed]

My Deer load for my Original Win M92 Rifle, first yr production/Lyman 1A tang sight
is:
22 gr IMR 4227 / Lyman 429434 FlatNose HP cast 206 grains from 9+1 WW/Lino, size thru 0.431 die/MTL lube, gas check.
Clocks around 1350fps. Pressure signs about like factory loads. "Cloverleafs" at 75 yards.
Killed my second last deer with this rifle and load. About 65 yards, One shot broadside thru Heart and out the other side
Deer went about 70yards and collapsed dead.
beltfed/arnie

[Don McDowell]

Randy I can’t warm up to those Henry’s do like the little 22 tho

[Kurt]

I like the 1860 Henry, but the others are too much like a Marlin.