well, I'm glad to learn I'm not the first person to close the 44 breech on their thumb
I found & ordered some .258 bullets that are said to be 20 to 1 alloy, which one reference says will run Brinell 10. We'll give them a whirl.
My 44 bumps the hammer to the "safe" position when opening & closing the action. It does seem a bit stiff at times. I'm guessing it was adjusted during the rifle's restoration. My feeling is it still needs some tuning, especially the extractor, but I have not owned a 44 previously. I can work with it in the meantime during load development. I have a week-old grand nephew, so perhaps both it and the 1915 Favorite will eventually be his.
