Howdy all,
Here is my experience and found success. I did have to replace the broken extractor, and one of the toggles was cracked- got a replacement extractor and pair of links through Buckinghams parts for a reasonable cost. That source is getting pretty thin on parts though...
The bore is really decent, and all else is pretty good, shows plenty of wear I'd say from a saddle scabbard, looks to have carried a lot but not shot much, and well maintained.
Brass came from Buffalo Arms, it's Starline 44 Special brass that is cut down and properly sized. I have hundreds of 44 Special brass, but after struggling to get a handful just right I just ordered them from B.A.
Likewise, I ordered the CH-4D dies at the same time; I also ordered the proper mold and crimp die from Bernie Rowles Old West Bullet Molds. All arrived at about the same time- the brass mold from Bernie is spectacular, drops the proper .444 diameter heeled boolets at just shy of 210 grains from 40/1 alloy. I chamfered the necks a bit and belled them ever so slightly so the heel just starts snugly. Also I made a die to bump the rims just a bit as the 44 Special rims didn't headspace snug. (you can notice that in the pics.) I then had to open up the shell holder thickness to accommodate the thicker rims, but in the end it all works smoothly. Brass is primed with Federal Large Pistol Magnum primers ( because I have thousands of them, and they work). Charge is 24 grains of Olde Eynesford 2 f( again, because I have a lot of it, and it works well). Drop tubed and compressed so that the boolet base is on the powder as the heel step touches the case mouth.
I like the Old West modified Lee crimp die better than the CH4D one, gives a nice crimp. The boolet carries very little lube, I've had the best luck filling the modest lube grove with my homemade BPCR lube and then coating them with Lee liquid ALOX. get three to five shots in a nice tight group before the fouling starts to open the group size.
I shot them through my old "Chrony" chronograph and though it will give an "ERROR" about every other time( the screens are getting kind of tattered, and it must be 20 years old or more) out of six recorded velocities I got a low of 1093 and a high of 1107, which should be in the 1100 fps ballpark fore a 44 Henry CF.
The little carbine handles well and groups great at 50 yards , about 3 inches above the point of aim, and first time I shot it was just right of center. I drifted the rear sight ever so slightly to the left, and I was knocking over my 12"x16" 3/8"thick iron buffalos out to 100 yards ( though you need to hit 'em high in the hump at 100 yards to tip 'em over).
I really like this little carbine, swapped an 86 Winchester(33 WCF) and a Sharps carbine towards it and am not at all disappointed!
I suppose I ought to copy this post to the 1860 Henry topic as well...
Big Goose