T he only gun I have that might be considered a black Powder gun is a Colt SAA 5.5" that is lettered to 1908. IIRC, colt started guaranteeing the SAA starting 19 1906. Nut sure why that date sticks in my mind but I did make up a few round for it using Unique.
Now that Colt revolver is I believe quite a bit stronger that that top break S&W so I'd be a bit skeptical about what I'd use to load for that gun. I may be known for using loads that are on the warm to very hot side but when it comes to those older guns that are tight in the middle of the transition from black powder to smokeless I admit to being an abject coward. Again I'll base thise on tha 1908 Colt. The gun is of course a first generation Colt. I don't have any second generation guns but do have a few third generation gun. (current manufacture)When comparing a first gen with a third gen cylinders, the walls of the later guns are noticeably thicker. Not by much but I do see a difference. While the first smokeless powder guns came out around 1906 it was a few years after that that Colt switched to using steel for the frame rather than the previously used iron frames.
It seems to me that there is an outfit making .44 Russian ammo for the cowboy matches and understand the the loads used for those shoots in .45 Colt are extremely light more because of lesser recoil then I think it would be safe to presume that cowboy loads for the .44 Russian would be equally light. I believe I would contact the maker of such ammo and ask to what pressure level they were using and then determine if that would work for you.
Paul B.
Now that Colt revolver is I believe quite a bit stronger that that top break S&W so I'd be a bit skeptical about what I'd use to load for that gun. I may be known for using loads that are on the warm to very hot side but when it comes to those older guns that are tight in the middle of the transition from black powder to smokeless I admit to being an abject coward. Again I'll base thise on tha 1908 Colt. The gun is of course a first generation Colt. I don't have any second generation guns but do have a few third generation gun. (current manufacture)When comparing a first gen with a third gen cylinders, the walls of the later guns are noticeably thicker. Not by much but I do see a difference. While the first smokeless powder guns came out around 1906 it was a few years after that that Colt switched to using steel for the frame rather than the previously used iron frames.
It seems to me that there is an outfit making .44 Russian ammo for the cowboy matches and understand the the loads used for those shoots in .45 Colt are extremely light more because of lesser recoil then I think it would be safe to presume that cowboy loads for the .44 Russian would be equally light. I believe I would contact the maker of such ammo and ask to what pressure level they were using and then determine if that would work for you.
Paul B.
