Henry Rifle Forums

While working on a speed loader tube for my .44 Mag BBS carbine I noticed the mag tube will now hold 8 .44 Mag rounds which are 1.600 in length.
Specs say 7 round capacity. Thought I had a senior moment and couldn't count to 7 but double checked!
Cycles fine so now with one in chamber it will be a 9 shooter???
Maybe this is normal.
Pictured is mag tube with round number 8 .

My 357 is the same way Forty will hold 8. Dont have a 44 mag but I assume there all the same way

Thanks Al ! Now on to making a speed tube for 8.

Yep, 8 rounds in a .357 carbine CCH.

The .41 carbine will also hold 8 in the mag, although #8 shows in the port quite a bit.

My 45LC holds 8+1 also.

Load 'em on Sunday, shoot'em into next week. Someone had to say it .

Question: Has anyone experienced any malfunctions by loading a full 8+1 in the BBSC (.357, .41mag, .45lc, or .44mag) ?

Yep I get 8 in my Henry 44 mag.

No malfunctions. Just keep on shooting and shooting and shooting and.......

I just picked up my new X Model .357 and......8 rounds in the mag tube plus one in the chamber for 9 total. Sweet.

Also 9 rounds of .38 Special Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P in the tube plus one in the chamber for a total of 10 rounds.

fortyshooter wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 23, 2020 10:15 am

While working on a speed loader tube for my .44 Mag BBS carbine I noticed the mag tube will now hold 8 .44 Mag rounds which are 1.600 in length.
Specs say 7 round capacity. Thought I had a senior moment and couldn't count to 7 but double checked!
Cycles fine so now with one in chamber it will be a 9 shooter???
Maybe this is normal.
Pictured is mag tube with round number 8 .

Nope, you did not have a senior moment. After reading your post, I just had to check my BB .44 mag carbine. I took all rounds out and then I put 8 rounds in the tube with one in the chamber. Definitely 8+1, and those rounds are Hornady LeverEvolution FTX.

GunnyGene wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:37 pm

Question: Has anyone experienced any malfunctions by loading a full 8+1 in the BBSC (.357, .41mag, .45lc, or .44mag) ?

I have had no malfunctions doing this.

My 45-70 X says 4 but 5 fit in the tube and 1 in the top for 5+1.

brettitt41 wrote: ↑

Sun May 17, 2020 8:27 pm

My 45-70 X says 4 but 5 fit in the tube and 1 in the top for 5+1.

Yeah, that took me a minute the first time I shot mine. I was just poppin them in the tube and then counting as I shot. I'd count 4, check for empty and see another one ready to chamber.

I tend to go with the recommended loadings from Henry. Remember those outer magazine tubes tearing at the lock pin notch?
When the larger caliber rifles recoil the loaded rounds are driven toward the muzzle by the rearward movement. The more rounds loaded, the greater the force toward the muzzle. When it's full, the magazine spring is also applying its maximum pressure on that same area.
Combine a full load with a compressed spring then fire a heavy round, it is a hammer blow to that metal notch and pin.
Anyway, I generally load 5 in my .44 BBS carbine because that's the number I shoot for a group anyway.
Why beat the gun for no reason?
If I wanted high capacity I would get an AR and a 30 round mag. Just sayin'.
Edit: it also occurred to me that Henry left that extra inch of capacity deliberately, to let the magazine spring soften the blow to the pin when that first round gets fired. By stuffing it plum full, you have taken up all the clearance.

Conax wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 13, 2020 2:17 pm

I tend to go with the recommended loadings from Henry. Remember those outer magazine tubes tearing at the lock pin notch?
When the larger caliber rifles recoil the loaded rounds are driven toward the muzzle by the rearward movement. The more rounds loaded, the greater the force toward the muzzle. When it's full, the magazine spring is also applying its maximum pressure on that same area.
Combine a full load with a compressed spring then fire a heavy round, it is a hammer blow to that metal notch and pin.
Anyway, I generally load 5 in my .44 BBS carbine because that's the number I shoot for a group anyway.
Why beat the gun for no reason?
If I wanted high capacity I would get an AR and a 30 round mag. Just sayin'.

Conan, that's what I do at the range also. 5 in the tube or sometimes one at a time. I don't hunt any longer, so, no need for a full tube. Like you mentioned; no reason to beat up the rifle. Good call.

Rifletom wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 13, 2020 4:40 pm

Conax wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 13, 2020 2:17 pm

I tend to go with the recommended loadings from Henry. Remember those outer magazine tubes tearing at the lock pin notch?
When the larger caliber rifles recoil the loaded rounds are driven toward the muzzle by the rearward movement. The more rounds loaded, the greater the force toward the muzzle. When it's full, the magazine spring is also applying its maximum pressure on that same area.
Combine a full load with a compressed spring then fire a heavy round, it is a hammer blow to that metal notch and pin.
Anyway, I generally load 5 in my .44 BBS carbine because that's the number I shoot for a group anyway.
Why beat the gun for no reason?
If I wanted high capacity I would get an AR and a 30 round mag. Just sayin'.

Conan, that's what I do at the range also. 5 in the tube or sometimes one at a time. I don't hunt any longer, so, no need for a full tube. Like you mentioned; no reason to beat up the rifle. Good call.

There's a vibe out there that it isn't about the individual rounds- it's about throwing as much lead as quickly as possible. If you watch most of those type of videos they are shooting at large plates only 20 yards away or even less. They should be shooting pistols from there.
Everyone wants to waste expensive ammo. I never understood it.
Maybe they are practicing for being over run by a herd of feral boars and fighting for their lives..

Cant speak to the 44 mag, but my new 357 mag will take 8+1.
The last round has to be loaded through the end of the tube, not the side slot.
This was with AE 158 grain soft nose rounds.

Also tried some 180 grain HSM "Bear" loads. Same results.

Both the 158s and the 180s cycled without problems with 8 in the tube.