Alk8944
US Veteran
A couple of years ago, maybe more, I bought an Italian 10.4 mm Officers Revolver known as the Bodeo. I have been playing with it, making ammunition, modifying the front sight, etc. It shot about 18" high at 25 yards, needed to do something with the sight to make it reasonably shootable! 
For you who know something about these will notice some details. There is supposed to be a hammer block, it is missing and I haven't gotten around to making a replacement. The front sight has been raised about 1/8". And it is an Officers revolver as it has a trigger guard. The Enlisted, and NCO I believe, version had no trigger guard but had a folding trigger. If you have ever fired a Russian Nagant revolver you will understand how terrible the trigger in these is!
Many believe these were made in the 1930s by Bernardelli and others because of markings applied later. Many of these guns were modified in the 1930s by Bernardelli and others. This one is marked in front of the cylinder "Bernardelli modif. 1932".
Let's get on to loading for this fine weapon!
Most sources suggest using .45 Colt or .44-40 brass as a basis case. I have found a far better choice is to use .45 Auto Rim. The rim is thick as was the Italian cartridge so it headspaces correctly, and it is within a few thousandths of the same length and doesn't need any trimming making case forming an extremely simply process. The center photo shows a new .45 AR, case formed to 10.4mm Italian, the bullet used, and finally a loaded cartridge. Here is the procedure.
First the .45 AR case is full-length sized in a .44-40, .38-40, .30-40 Krag or .303 British sizing die. All will taper the case slightly to match the taper of the 10.4 Italian chamber. The mouth of the case is then sized about 3/16-1/4" deep. I use a Lee .41 Magnum Carbide Factory Crimp die. This sizes the case enough to hold the bullet. Expansion is with a Lee "Universal Expander" die. All that is needed is a slight bell to allow seating.
The original cartridge uses a 173 gr. RN bullet. Early ones were lead and later ones had a brass (Yes, Brass!) jacket. The closest bullet mould I have is the Lyman 429348 wad-cutter, which is the pictured bullet. This was sized in a Lee push-through sized which was originally .410 but was reamed and lapped to .423". Seating was in a .45 AR seater and crimping was bu using a .41 Magnum carbide sizer to slightly more than just bump the flair straight. A .40 S&W sizer can be used if a little more crimp is desired.
The two targets below were shot at 18 yards with ammunition loaded with both 20.5 gr FFFg, which is the original military load, and 4.2 gr. Bullseye, which gives close to the same velocity. The right (I hope) target was the BP load. POA was 6 o'clock on the right bullseye. Shoots a bit left. The left target was with Bullseye, just a bit of vertical stringing, but fairly well centered. These were shot from a rest! Aren't they beautiful groups!!!! At least the bullets stabilized and cut clean holes! The slight elongation is from the target being tilted a few degrees.
If you want to know more just ask and I will give you what I can.
For you who know something about these will notice some details. There is supposed to be a hammer block, it is missing and I haven't gotten around to making a replacement. The front sight has been raised about 1/8". And it is an Officers revolver as it has a trigger guard. The Enlisted, and NCO I believe, version had no trigger guard but had a folding trigger. If you have ever fired a Russian Nagant revolver you will understand how terrible the trigger in these is!
Many believe these were made in the 1930s by Bernardelli and others because of markings applied later. Many of these guns were modified in the 1930s by Bernardelli and others. This one is marked in front of the cylinder "Bernardelli modif. 1932".
Let's get on to loading for this fine weapon!
Most sources suggest using .45 Colt or .44-40 brass as a basis case. I have found a far better choice is to use .45 Auto Rim. The rim is thick as was the Italian cartridge so it headspaces correctly, and it is within a few thousandths of the same length and doesn't need any trimming making case forming an extremely simply process. The center photo shows a new .45 AR, case formed to 10.4mm Italian, the bullet used, and finally a loaded cartridge. Here is the procedure.
First the .45 AR case is full-length sized in a .44-40, .38-40, .30-40 Krag or .303 British sizing die. All will taper the case slightly to match the taper of the 10.4 Italian chamber. The mouth of the case is then sized about 3/16-1/4" deep. I use a Lee .41 Magnum Carbide Factory Crimp die. This sizes the case enough to hold the bullet. Expansion is with a Lee "Universal Expander" die. All that is needed is a slight bell to allow seating.
The original cartridge uses a 173 gr. RN bullet. Early ones were lead and later ones had a brass (Yes, Brass!) jacket. The closest bullet mould I have is the Lyman 429348 wad-cutter, which is the pictured bullet. This was sized in a Lee push-through sized which was originally .410 but was reamed and lapped to .423". Seating was in a .45 AR seater and crimping was bu using a .41 Magnum carbide sizer to slightly more than just bump the flair straight. A .40 S&W sizer can be used if a little more crimp is desired.
The two targets below were shot at 18 yards with ammunition loaded with both 20.5 gr FFFg, which is the original military load, and 4.2 gr. Bullseye, which gives close to the same velocity. The right (I hope) target was the BP load. POA was 6 o'clock on the right bullseye. Shoots a bit left. The left target was with Bullseye, just a bit of vertical stringing, but fairly well centered. These were shot from a rest! Aren't they beautiful groups!!!! At least the bullets stabilized and cut clean holes! The slight elongation is from the target being tilted a few degrees.
If you want to know more just ask and I will give you what I can.
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