Ream a .444 Handi to 410 Shotgun?

[Goss]

Hi,

Do you think a .444 Handi Rifle could be reamed to a 410 Shotgun?
Could a gunsmith do this and then re-stamp the barrel to 410 shotgun?
Then using 410 full brass cases and shootong .429" bullets it would be a dandy "410 deer slug gun"

In Ohio we can use 410 slug guns for deer.

Thoughts?

-Tom

[PHATINJUN]

Boy I think I would spend 75-100$$$$ on a complete 410 gun and cut the choke off before I'd ruin a $100 + whatever it costs to rebore .444 centerfire bbl. or even find a used 410bbl 40-60$$$ and fit it to your frame. Kurt

Better yet send me your .444 bbl I'll send you a 410 bbl...you want a 22" nickle or a 26" blued? I'll even throw in 10 brass 410 cases...Why? Thats just the type of guy I am always lookin to help kurt

[billy_56081]

How about you get a 45colt/410 barrel, some brass 410 shells and fire .451 bullets out of it?

[Goss]

Kurt,

The idea here is to make a fully rifled, 410 slug gun, with sufficient action/barrel strength to get to 44mag velocities.
Also I love .430 diameter 240gr XTP bullets on deer.......

BR, Tom

[PHATINJUN]

I think you would need to get DNR letter of approval for what your looking at. I don't know your laws but I'm sure they are somewhat near mine except we can't use anything smaller than a 20ga in IL. I would imagine you would have to chamber for a forcing cone. I just think the DNR would be against it .Check with them to see if you can use a 45/410 not that that is what you want but what you are looking to do is very similar or would only be designated as a 44/410 which may slip in on the regs kind of like a old .44/410 might??? My thought is the way DNR's deal with issues like this is they say no just because they don't want to take the time to deal with it. Kurt

[embalmer883]

I like the idea. low recoiling fun gun. I do have a question. what type press do you use to load the brass 410 cases?

[PHATINJUN]

No press needed most of the time I have used a little arbor press even the drill press has seen use I don't crimp but use over shot cards or if using plastic hulls I roll crimp. Kurt

[maglvr44]

Hey, let's face facts here... Handi's are the bottom of the barrel as dollars go(not shooting wise) I just bought another mint synthetic 45-70, ejector for $135(the new record for the most I have ever paid for a handi, but it did come with 2.5 boxes of Buffalo Bore 405 gr.) that has seen 10 rounds fired, 410's can be had anytime for $40-$50 so why ruin a good 444 barrel when a whole .410 gun can be had for 1/2 a hundred or less?

[yooper77]

Hi,

Do you think a .444 Handi Rifle could be reamed to a 410 Shotgun?
Could a gunsmith do this and then re-stamp the barrel to 410 shotgun?
Then using 410 full brass cases and shootong .429" bullets it would be a dandy "410 deer slug gun"

In Ohio we can use 410 slug guns for deer.

Thoughts?

-Tom

Kurt,

The idea here is to make a fully rifled, 410 slug gun, with sufficient action/barrel strength to get to 44mag velocities.
Also I love .430 diameter 240gr XTP bullets on deer.......

BR, Tom

Don’t you already have a 429 caliber deer rifle barrel?  You should be able to try .429, .430 & .431 caliber bullets for your 444 Marlin barrel way beyond 44 Magnum velocities.

The better try would be to opening up the 9.3x74R brass for .452 caliber bullets in a 410/45 Colt barrel.  Read the link below he called it the 11.4 x 74R wildcat.

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php?topic=73740.0;wap2

yooper77

[PHATINJUN]

If Ohio does not have a rifle season about the only thing you may be able to do is take the 444 and have a custom chamber made so that it has a forcing cone which I think it will then be classified as a shotgun and you could make what ever custom brass you would need to then be able to use your .429 bullets. Kurt

[stimpylu32]

Ohio is about as anal as it gets when it comes to deer hunting , trust me -- I live here , they are very clear as to what you can and can not use , your better off to invest in a good ML and be done with it , the good old boys at the state level have no concept of what it takes to manage a deer herd and never will . 

stimpy

[yooper77]

Ok, I didn't know we were talking about a shotgun only deal.

Does NEF/H&R make rifled shotgun barrels?

Otherwise, I would use a muzzleloader as stimpylu32  stated.  Or move!

yooper77

[PHATINJUN]

Yes they make rifled shotgun bbl's very accurate ones at that. I used to shoot 44 bullets out of my encore ML don't remember what sabot I used though. Kurt

[2slow]

Not able to use metal cased shotgun shells in Ohio.  Below is part of 1501:31-15-11 Deer regulations.  Found at this link.  The below text is about two thirds of the way down the page.

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501%3A31-15

It shall be unlawful for any person hunting deer to use any shell casing which is necked down or made totally of metal for any of the shotguns listed

[45-70.gov]

Kurt,

The idea here is to make a fully rifled, 410 slug gun, with sufficient action/barrel strength to get to 44mag velocities.
Also I love .430 diameter 240gr XTP bullets on deer.......

BR, Tom

i  love  the .430  diameter  also
thats why  i have so many 44 mags  and  wanting  a .444 marlin

they are  good platforms to launch  them  from


i  i were to mess  up  a 444 barrel  to make it  a  410  shot gun

i  would  make  it  a  ''SUPPER FULL''  would be  interesring choke

all  though 4  round balls  @.433