My .44 Martin duplication load

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Adapted from my post in the Colt Open Top forum...  IIRC the Frankford Arsenal made .44 Martin cartridges for the Army that were interchangeable in either .44 Colt 1860 conversions or 1858 Conversions and 1875 early Models in .44 Remington.  I have two Colt Conversions in .45 Colt and one 1858 Uberti gated conversion, also in .45 Colt.

Original .44 Colt/Martin used a .450" to .451". diameter 205 to 225 grain heeled bullet to fit the .454" bore size of the 1860 and 1858 conversions.  Original rounds had about 25 to 29 grains of FFG powder.  The case diameter was approximately the same as the .44 Special/Russian cases.

I am duplicating it for my 1858 and 1860 Conversions in .45 Colt.  I use a 200 grain hollow base .45 ACP RN bullet in a .45 Schofield case.  With the .452" RN bullet it should very closely duplicate the .44 Martin.  I load 25-26 grains volume of 777, or 6.0 grains of Trail Boss.  Both give the 750-800 fps that the original .44 Colt gave.  It looks darn close, too.  I do not have any lever guns in .45 anymore, so the RN bullets are fine.  I feel they are closer to the original than a Black Hills .44 Colt, with its .429" bullet.

Outside cartridges are original .44 Colt/Martin cartridges.  The middle is one of my faux .44 Colt (Schofield) cartridges.

[hellgate]

Way to go! Man, what tiny little rims on those originals. Let us know if they are accurate enough for SASS.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I regularly hit the steel turkey at 25 yards from both my Remington and Colt cartridge conversions.  Dead nuts on.

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[Tuolumne Lawman]

US Cartridge Company produced a compromise load which used a blunter 235gr bullet - midway between the Colt's 210gr and the Remington's 248gr bullets. Commercial production of the .44 Colt ended in 1939.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Very cool, pard. I like your new cartridges.

[Galloway]

Great post! I doubt anyone in the west could have told the difference between 44 S&W, Colt, Rem, Martin, Henry, etc. To me Handling characteristics, manual of arms, and sight picture are more important than exact ballistics while enjoying the replicas anyway.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Great pictures and clearer information than I have seen in the past:  I got the pictures and info from R/Guns on Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/sfpd8/cartridge_of_the_moment_first_installment/

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Most of the cartridges before the .45 Colt had 25 to 30 grains of powder and bullets between 200 and 246 grains: 44 American, .44 Russian , 44 Henry flat, 44 Martin, and even the 45 Schofield.  In fact the 45 Schofield had a 230 grain .452 bullet over 29 grains of powder and the US Cartridge company 44 Colt/Remington had a 225 grain .451 bullet over 28 grains of powder.