Loading the 12.7 x 44R Swedish/Danish Rolling Block

Remington brought out their rolling block rifle commercially in 1865 and by 1867 it was adopted by Sweden, Norway and Denmark in both rimfire and centrefire versions.  The model 1867 is fairly typical for this time period, with a barrel of 37 ³/₈ inches (»95 cm) and weighing 9 lb, 10 oz (4.8 kgs).  The rifle is long (just over 53”) even with the compact rolling block action and is not an ideal length for hunting.  However, the weight dampens any sense of recoil to a very mild level.

A good number of these rifles were imported into Canada around 2014 and they are fairly common, both in the original military configuration and sporterized versions.  The sporterized rifles are normally quite economically priced and are generally in good condition, as well as being easy to find.  Even with their reduced weight, recoil is mild, making them a fun gun to shoot.

While the original military rifle version was in rimfire, most that are for sale are the centrefire version of the cartridge.  The centrefire 12.7 x 44R round is comparable to the 577 Snider and 50-70, both of which were contemporary rounds.  It should be noted that the original load of 76 grs of blackpowder cannot be accommodated by modern brass, even with settling and compression.  The following information came from COTW.  It should be noted that later military bullets were 420 grs.

Literature references list the bullet diameter of between 0.497 – 0.502” however, the bore of my rifle measures 0.510″ and we load 0.512″ diameter bullets.  Another point of interest is that diagrams of the military bullet show a large hollow cavity in the base, which when combined with blackpowder would be sure to seal the bore.  With flat base bullets, going with a bullet that matches the groove diameter or slightly larger is the best approach to ensure that gases cannot by-pass the bullet. 

With smokeless powders like Trail Boss and Accurate 5744, that will not “bump up” bullets the way blackpowder will, it is even more important to use bullets that are slightly (0.001″) over groove diameter to prevent gas-cutting/leading. Those who cast their own bullets can readily produce 0.512″ bullets and for those who do not, Great Plains bullets from Hornady (Higginson Powders carry them) are the right diameter. The swaged, hollow base design of the Great Plains bullets when coupled with fairly soft lead, ensure that they will expand to seal oversize bores even at modest powder charges.

The bullet we carry is 0.512″ diameter, 425 gr, has a solid base with a rounded nose and a small meplat. Regardless of the bullet you use, the main point is that there are multiple sources that can be accessed to find one that works best in your rifle.

While the bullet situation is easy to resolve, brass is another matter. Although the 12.7 x 44R and 50-70 are similar, the rim of the 50-70 will not typically function in the Rolling Block and the base diameter is larger as well. Cases can be formed from 348 Win or the simpler option is to use fully formed Bertram brass.  It is worth noting that the rim for the 12.7 x 44R is not the flat rim that we normally see but is stepped like the 43 Mauser and the overall thickness is more than for most other cases.

If you do not have a dedicated set of dies for the 12.7 x 44R, 50-70 dies can be used to reload the cartridge.  They are not ideal but they will generally work and these are a fraction of the cost of custom dies.  

Given the low pressure that this cartridge operates at, the brass need only be sized enough to hold the bullet and chamber.  This avoids over-working the brass if the chamber is over-sized.   However, the shorter length of the 12.7 x 44R (1.72″) versus 1.75 – 1.77″ for the 50-70 means that you may not be able to crimp the bullet with the 50-70 dies. It will depend on the dies but, if this happens it is a simple matter to have a machine shop machine 3 to 5 thou (0.003 – 0.005″) off the bottom of the seating die to get a crimp.  In my case, the seating die firmly crimped the bullets with no alteration needed.

Given that the case is more heavily constructed that then originals, fitting the standard load of blackpowder into the case is neither feasible nor necessary.  Using Bertram cases, a settled, compressed load would be 52 gr (weighed), of Goex brand blackpowder, for the 425 RN FB bullet, which will be just a bit shy of 1200 fps.  If a higher velocity is desired, Triple 7 will easily do that, since on an equal weight basis it is more energetic. 

The next table shows some typical loads for this cartridge.  The loads below have slight compression and all used CCI 200 primers.  Trail Boss is not compressed but the bullet just comes to the top of the powder column.  With settling, the maximum amount of Trail Boss (avoiding any compression) is around 16.5 – 16.8 grs.

Triple 7 is well suited for this cartridge since it is able to match original factory velocities with the amount of powder the case can hold.  Unlike some single shot rifles, the Rolling Block can be easily cleaned from the chamber end, which makes cleaning much faster.

If you still have access to Trail Boss, it is a great choice since it fills the case, requires virtually no cleaning and is easy on the gun.

Accurate 5744 is another option for the heavier 425 gr bullet.  In order to get good combustion of the powder, the heavier bullet and a firm crimp was needed.  At 24 gr of 5744, the velocity was only 1100 fps but there was a lot of unburnt powder.  Also, it helps to use CCI 250 (magnum) primers to aid with ignition.  It might be possible to go above 27 gr but once we reached factory velocity, no further increase in the powder charge was done, although the cases did not appear to show any evidence of high pressure.

In terms of accuracy, Triple 7 and Trail Boss where the winners but this will vary by rifle.

The rolling black is not an inherently strong action and the power level of the original blackpowder loading should be respected for any handloads – certainly given the age of these rifles.  A 425 gr bullet at 1200 – 1300 fps is easy on the gun and the shoulder, while still packing a punch downrange.

As is the case for most of these vintage blackpowder arms, expect it to shoots high due to the very arched trajectory of the bullet and the way the sights are set up.  Using either of the bullet weights, our rifle shoots 8 – 10 inches above the point of aim at 50 yards.

Reloading Resources

Disclaimer

All loads mentioned in this article were safe in the author’s rifle.  However, since it is impossible to know the condition of other rifles and loading techniques, no warranty of suitability is implied or expressed and use of this data is solely at the risk of the user.