410-44 cal. H&R

[mechanic]

I have an old H&R that was my grand father's, with a barrel marked 410-44 cal.  I was toying with the idea of restoring and shooting it.  Just checked it a bit, and found it's not a 410 as we know it, and a 44 mag. case rattles around in the chamber.  It will almost chamber a 45 long Colt, and will chamber a 45 ACP.   It also does not have a deep enough chamber for a 410 to open, which would possibly cause high pressure in a gun with questionable steel.
 
So....it's back to the wall hanging.
 
I'm thinking once this would have been a 44 cal., and metallic cased shot shells were made for it.  I took it from an uncle who was shooting 44 mags. in it, and that probably swelled the chamber somewhat.....
 
Ben

[quickdtoo]

Check these out Ben. 

Tim

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=72223

http://www.fourten.org.uk/mwpre410.html

[reliquary]

Check out this link?
 
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=472112

[mechanic]

Makes sense now.  I believe I could fire form some 44 mag cases to make loadable shells, but I also believe the small capacity would make it not worth the trouble.
 
I am still going to blue it with my "stump killer" vat, and put some new wood on it, just to make it look nice.
 
Then I think I will fill the chamber with putty so my grandkids won't try and shoot it. 
Ben

[reliquary]

I got some 2" all-brass .410 shotshells, maybe from Midway?...can't remember...to use in a project with a Judge.  They should work in your H&R.  But, if .44Mag has been fired in it, probably the best thing to do is to "souvenir-safe" it.

[Ranch13]

44-40 cases are the correct ones to use .