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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire? (Read 1083 times)
rnnhntr
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Re: Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire?
Reply #15 - Oct 13th, 2024 at 11:56pm
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As luck would have it, I happened into a nice 44-1/2 in .32-20 at a very fair price saving me all of the work.
  
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John Taylor
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Re: Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire?
Reply #16 - Oct 14th, 2024 at 10:44am
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Several years back a customer sent me a 44 that was supposed to be a 25-20 but the brass was opened up and split. I did a chamber cast and found it had been re-chamber to 256 Win Mag. I told the customer that this was way to much pressure on the old gun and he ended up selling me the rifle rather than invest money in a repair. I checked what calibers the 44 was made in and found that the standard action could be had in 38-40 and some with the hammer block were made in 32-40 and 38-55. I made mine in 44-40 just because I had a barrel on hand. The 44-40 and 38-40 are loaded to the same pressure so as long as I don't try to hot rod it there should be no problem. The 44 was also made in the 28-30 Stevens but I could not find any pressure listing.
I have in my collection two breach block that have been broken. One was welded back together but I don't think it ever got used. This was caused by someone who re-chambered a 25-20 to 25-35.
  

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scharfe
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Re: Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire?
Reply #17 - Oct 14th, 2024 at 1:59pm
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You see alot of unsafely chambered rifles especially on Gun Broker. I usually send the seller a msg telling them they're IEDs. Sending those msgs is like Mrs. Hoffa leaving the Porch Light On for Jimmy.
  
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Re: Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire?
Reply #18 - Oct 14th, 2024 at 6:21pm
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I’d sure like a centerfire block for one of my 44’s.  It’s a .32 Rimfire Long.  I’d like to shoot it with my centerfire .32 Colt Long brass and not have to convert the brass to take rimfire acorn blanks.  I’ve got 10 pieces of converted reloadable rimfire brass, but range sessions aren’t real exciting 10 rounds at a time.
  
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Re: Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire?
Reply #19 - Oct 15th, 2024 at 2:08pm
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rnnhntr wrote on Oct 13th, 2024 at 11:56pm:
As luck would have it, I happened into a nice 44-1/2 in .32-20 at a very fair price saving me all of the work.

Good for you. If you want to go to  a  larger caliber say .38-55 or .32-40,there won't be any issues with having an extra barrel fitted to your 44 1/2.
  
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rnnhntr
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Re: Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire?
Reply #20 - Oct 19th, 2024 at 7:16pm
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I am considering making a second barrel in .38-55 and setting up a second extractor since I already shoot that caliber.
  
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jimmy
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Re: Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire?
Reply #21 - Oct 20th, 2024 at 3:12pm
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rnnhntr wrote on Oct 19th, 2024 at 7:16pm:
I am considering making a second barrel in .38-55 and setting up a second extractor since I already shoot that caliber.


Won't need a 2nd extractor. 32-40 and 38-55 use the same one.
  
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Re: Coverting a Stevens 44 Rimfire to Centerfire?
Reply #22 - Oct 20th, 2024 at 4:44pm
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.38-55 in an original Stevens 44 1/2 can be difficult to load a round into the chamber due to interference with the hammer. You may have to bring the hammer to full cock for the cartridge to clear it.
  
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