wow! really nice. 357x44??? I'm not familiar with that cartridge, could you post some info about it?

 

357x44 Bain & Davis................

The round is simply a 44 Mag case necked down to 357 diameter. It was developed in the early 60's and revealed in one of the gun rags in 1964 I believe. It was designed to get high velocities out of a 357 bullet, primarily the 158 gr. I think. No forming dies are needed, just a standard 2 die set. It is suppossed to give like ballistics of the 35 Remington in the lever action. I hope it does, the 35 Rem is a grand old cartridge to imitate. The round is easy to shoot and easy to reload. Most reloading data goes from 110 gr. to 158 or 160 gr. bullets. My gun seems to like the 180 XTP HP the best. It is simply a 44 Mag. Marlin 1894S rebarreled by Brockman's Rifles in Gooding, Idaho with a new 357 barrel and rechambered to 357x44 B&D. No other adjustments needed.

Steve E.............

 

Just when I think I have my Marlinitis under control, you hit me with this.
Thanks SteveE. Could you post a picture of a loaded round of .357x44 compared to other rounds such as 30/30, 35 rem, 357, 44mag?
I burning up Google right now.

 

Thanks for the info Steve E. I've never heard of that round until now.

 

Have you tried Lil'Gun? Works very well in the .357 Maximum. I would think that those who would want to use the Max in the 1894 would be better served with the B&D round. The 180 gr. XTP has a great reputation in the Max and so should do well in the B&D. I'd like to hear more of the specifics. Maybe a full-length article with photos of the cartridge(s), rifle (with scope and tang sight), targets, etc.

 

The 357 B&D was developed to give 357 Magnum Revolver ballistics in the 1911. It took a good pistolsmith to get the feeding and timing et. set up in the 1911. Mike

 

357x44 Bain & Davis

Hobie
I have some Lil'Gun & 180 XTP's loaded up waiting for a trip to the range.

Randall1611
You are probably thinking about the 38/45 which is a 45 ACP necked down to 357 diameter for the 1911. I think it was developed by Bo Clerke but I'm not sure about that.

Let me see If I can get this right, from the left a 357 Sig, 357x44 Bain & Davis, 357 Maximum and a 257 Roberts Ack Improved

Steve E..........

 

Steve E
My manual is showing a velocity of around 2,000 fps. with the 357-44 Bain & Davis. with a 160 grain bullet.Have you done any testing to see what kind of bullet expansion you will get with the 180 XPT,s ?

 

Marlin 1894 357x44 Bain & Davis......................

DD444

As soon as I can get back to my regular range I'll do some Chrony work and test the 180 XTP's in some wet newspaper. I also have loaded some 180's up with Lil'Gun as Hobie suggested. I am going to try some 170 gr. Gold Dot Soft Point and see how they shoot, not sure how they will do with that wide flat nose but they look like they will hammer a deer. Hope they will. I found out at the range that where the bottom post in the scope tapers to the thin cross hair is dead on target with 158 gr. HP's at 330 yds. I didn't know that the little bullet would go that far. This thing is turning out to be a ball to shoot.

Steve E...........

 

Steve E
Let me know how your bullet test turn out.I would like to know more about the 357-44 bain & davis in the 1894..It seems if marlin won't give us more calibers to choose from.We will do it ourselves if we have to.I had a 30-30 in 336 rechambered to the 307 win. And I am very happy with it, and the 357-44 bain & davis is starting to sound good to me..

 

So I should be able to take an 1894CB in 44mag un screw the barrel get a 357 Cowboy barrel recut the chamber screw it back in and pretty much be ready to go ?

 

1894 357x44 B&D..................

DD444
It may be a week or 2 before I can get back to my usual range but I'll get there.

6PT
I guess you could use one of the Cowboy series, they seem to be the same internaly. I used a 44 Mag 1894S and a new "Model 1894 Carbine 357 Magnum" from Gun Parts Corp.
The only other thing than rechambering is to make sure the barrel is not bending the mag tube, which you should do on any lever rifle anyway. You might have to do some minor fitting to the forend wood. You may also have to move the forend cap retaining piece, the part the forend cap screw screws into, depending on your model. The new barrel had a small hood(?) that had to be turned off which was no problem.
I don't know if you would have to time the new barrel or if it would line up on your gun.

Steve E...........

 

If I were to do one of these it would have to be without barrel bands up at the muzzle or the forend ! Must have forend cap and dovetail hanger for the mag tube. I have never had good luck with barrel bands on these things :? :!:

 

If I were to do one of these it would have to be without barrel bands up at the muzzle or the forend ! Must have forend cap and dovetail hanger for the mag tube. I have never had good luck with barrel bands on these things :? :!:

 

357x44 Bain & Davis

Range Report posted in the 1894 section.

Hobie,
Lil Gun seemed to work great, pressure does seem to be less than 296. Might be able to squeeze a bit more speed out of it. No matter what powder I use it seems that the bullet to use is the 180 XTP HP. I have several 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch groups with it(50 yds with a 4x scope).
You think a WhiteTail will take notice of a 180 XTP HP running along about 1700 fps? If I hit him that is. Now I need to try Lil Gun in my 357 Maxi.


6pt.
I guess I got lucky or Brockmans did a good job of assembly as the barrel band and forend cap hasn't been a problem. After I got it back I had the idea that I should have had him also convert it to a half mag rifle. But it's nice as it is.

Steve E........

 

Steve , when you started working up loads, did you use 357 MAXIMUM load data ? Also have you tried any of Nosler's 180 Partition Gold's ?

 

357x44 Bain & Davis...............

6PT

No I didn't use Maxi data, I extrapolated(spelling?) the 180 gr. starting loads from existing B&D data and went from there. Haven't tried the Part Gold yet, a lot more expensive and the XTP hollow points shoot fantastic for me so far. Now if I can just find a deer back home that will walk up and stand still for me I can get some field experience with it.

Steve E...........

 

Steve is the recoil in this rifle less , equel or more then a 44mag ?

 

It is a lot less recoil than the 44 Mag. Even my 12 year old Girly Girl can shoot the B&D without no problems. I origanlly had it made for my 6 year old to use Deer hunting when he got older but he can shoot it now.

Steve E........

 

You say it was derived in the mid 60's. My first memory of it was in the late 70's when I read an article in G&A I believe and I think that was in a pistol :? Never even thought of it for a rifle , heck I hadn't even thought of it until you jogged my memory :!: Thanks all I need is something else to build a rifle for :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

6pt

According to everything I have read it came out in the early to mid 60's. I think most agree about 1964.

Steve E...........

 

I now have a Ruger 77/44 rechambered to 357x44 B&D. It joins my 94 Marlin, Tender barrel, Encore rifle barrel in the safe. This one really seems to like the 170 gr. Speer Gold Dot Soft Points but they discontinued them. Speer said they are bring them back but as the 170 gr Deep Curl Soft Point towards the end of August. I hope they shoot as good.

Steve E..........

 

Looks like a V for "victory" sign your rifle made for ya. I would think of doing that, but not sure if it gains any over the 357 Max in a single shot. The Max is easier to reload with the straight case and carbide dies. For a lever or bolt, the B&D looks like a winner. DP