There is an alternative- get a resizing tool, a .352 die and RN top punch and squeeze down some of the .358 lead I've got on hand 

Zebulon said
They are curious and unique. I intend to see if I can sight mine in, once I can get settled on a load. Graf has my money for whenever Quality Cartridge makes another run of brass. In the meanwhile, I'll use the once-fired stuff I've got. I want to find a bullet caster that sells a .352 RN 180 grain bullet. 
  

Too bad Lee doesn't seem to make a mould for this one, would probably cost less than a handful of commercial cast bullets. Someone we know would probably use any overruns we may have.

Mike

steve004 said

kevindpm61 said
That was a great read Steve. Hard to imagine an 11 year-old (or even a 20 something year-old) from today being out in the woods on his own like that.
  

It is hard to imagine, but it was a very different world 120 years ago.
  

On the same token, it was a simpler world, and less things to consume you're time. At 20 something years old you were a man with a lot under you're belt already. IMO! You weren't coddled and babied as a child either, but raised to respect things and elders and taught things in the wild and to defend yourself in most cases.

I guess I have an easier time understanding it than some.

Tony

kevindpm61 said
That was a great read Steve. Hard to imagine an 11 year-old (or even a 20 something year-old) from today being out in the woods on his own like that.
  

It is hard to imagine, but it was a very different world 120 years ago.

A great Story, and the link works fine.

Thanks for posting.

Tony

My 1910 .401 throws spent cases to 3 oclock and only about a foot away. 4227 is the best powder there as well. 2400 a distant second. I found some brass but make my own out of 7.62 x 39 brass. After the first firing they are almost identical in every aspect to actual .401 brass. I have to open up the AK brass with a tapered punch and fire form them. Id say the recoil on the .401 is about like a 12 guage. Mine came with an original peep sight on the tang but I removed it. Just use iron sights. 

They are fun guns to shoot. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. 

Does anyone else miss the old days?  I first read this story many years ago.  It might explain why I have more .38-40's than .44-40's.

I hope this link works:

https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/boy-spends-thanksgiving-woods/

I do have a concern about using rimless cases because there's no way to control headspace. The only thing holding the case head within reach of the 07 firing pin and keeping it from sliding down into the chamber leade,  is the grip of the extractor and, possibly, bullet contour. The chamber is cut without a bullet seat, so the cartridge has no way to headspace on the case mouth like the common autopistol rounds do. 

Using a small chop saw cut the 223 brass at the start or the bottle neck. 1.38 length, lube and run it thru the sizing die. It will not size all the way down but you can prime it, get powder in and get the bullet seated. Firing it will “fire form” the brass and be able to be reused. Ive reloaded some of these brass 7 plus times. I found new 223 brass works best. 

Powder I started using 4 powders. The best results came from IMR 4227 and 2400 a distant second. Unique and Reloader did not perform well enough to cycle the action. 

IMR 4227 19 grains 1848 fps. Excellent accuracy and feeding/ejecting. 1.90 overall lenght.

These are my worked up loads and should be laddered. I hope some of this you'll find helpful. 

I have 2 1907 .351 made in the early 50s and a 1910 first year made .401 that I found challenging to find brass as well but over came challenges and it shoots great. 

Bore Diameter (top of the lands): 0.422" to 0.4225" (nominal SAAMI spec is 0.422", with production targets typically at 0.4224"–0.4225")

Groove Diameter (bottom of the grooves): 0.4285" to 0.429" (SAAMI specification minimum is 0.4285", with a +0.002" tolerance window up to 0.4305")

Rifling Twist Rate: 1 in 36 inches (standard for modern .44-40 lever guns)

Handloading & Bullet Fit Implications

Standard .427" jacketed bullets: Traditional .44-40 factory jacketed bullets measuring .427" will shoot safely, but because the groove diameter sits around .4285"–.429", accuracy with undersized .427" hard-cast bullets often suffers due to gas blow-by and bore leading.

Lead / Cast bullets: Sizing cast bullets to .429" (or soft-cast/20:1 alloy up to .430") generally produces optimal accuracy and a proper gas seal.

Chamber neck clearance: Because the .44-40 case neck is thin (.007"–.008"), loading a .429" or .430" bullet into modern brass (such as Starline) typically yields an outside neck diameter well within the SAAMI maximum chamber neck limit of .443", allowing rounds to chamber smoothly without neck-turning.

MidwestCrisis said

TXGunNut said

Zebulon said
Like Johnson's Model 63, the 07 is interesting (to me) because it is beautifully made and because it is built to work and last. Some of Winchester's finest craftsmanship went into these self loaders. And a lot of creativity to snake around all the Browning patents. 
  

Actually it goes back to Johnson's 1903 which is the predecessor to your 07. The 1903 was a very simple design that evolved to the Model 63 about 30 years later to take advantage of the improvements to 22LR ammo. As a blowback design it has problems but was a very good design for its time, IMHO.
 
Mike
  

After working on mine , I noticed things about it that every modern semi auto has.  It seems to be the grandfather and the Johnson the great grandfather.  It’s likely under appreciated due to the chambering.  It is definitely one of my favorites so far.  Easy tie with the 92 in 25-20.  They are just fun to shoot.  Ammo is hard to come by.  But 1 full magazine, they make excellent “truck guns”.  
  

I very much enjoyed researching and writing "T. C. Johnson and the Model 1903 Winchester" for the Winter 2024 Collector. If you haven't read it I think you may enjoy doing so. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I recently finished a "prequel" for a future issue. 

Mike

TXGunNut said

Zebulon said
Like Johnson's Model 63, the 07 is interesting (to me) because it is beautifully made and because it is built to work and last. Some of Winchester's finest craftsmanship went into these self loaders. And a lot of creativity to snake around all the Browning patents. 
  

Actually it goes back to Johnson's 1903 which is the predecessor to your 07. The 1903 was a very simple design that evolved to the Model 63 about 30 years later to take advantage of the improvements to 22LR ammo. As a blowback design it has problems but was a very good design for its time, IMHO.
 
Mike
  

After working on mine , I noticed things about it that every modern semi auto has.  It seems to be the grandfather and the Johnson the great grandfather.  It’s likely under appreciated due to the chambering.  It is definitely one of my favorites so far.  Easy tie with the 92 in 25-20.  They are just fun to shoot.  Ammo is hard to come by.  But 1 full magazine, they make excellent “truck guns”.