.44-40 thru a .45 LC???

[Major Matt Lewis]

Question for those who know....

Can you successfully run .44-40 knecked cartidges thru a .45 LC? I am on the eventual journey to shoot Frontiersman. This year, I will shoot Duelist, maybe next year FDC, but I will eventually end up as Frontiersman. When I get there, I would like to use my Henry. My Henry is in .45 LC. I know that the knecked cartidges in .44-40 help with blow back and are generally a lot more efficient than the straight cartridges of .45 LC. So, can it be done?

[Ransom Gaer]

Major Matt Lewis,

It has happened where a .44-40 was fired through a .45lc gun.  But whenever I have heard of it, it has been by accident.  As a general practice I wouldn't recommend it.  Accuracy will be very poor.  A ..44-40 bullet measures .427 to .429 in. in diameter while a .45lc is going to measure .452 to .454 in. in diameter.
The necked case of the .44-40 will be of no advantage in a .45lc gun.  In fact I suspect blowback would be even worse.  If you have a gun chambered for .45lc or .45 Colt as I prefer to call it use .45lc ammunition in it or .45 Schofield.  Schofield will work in a .45lc gun.  Same principle as .44 Magnun and .44 Special.  Although with the Henry OAL of the round can be an issue.  See the thread on the Henry Transitional Rifle on the Henry forum.

I have an 1860 Henry in .45 Colt and was out with it a week or so ago sighting it in at the range.  I had 100 rounds ofr .45 Colt with a charge of 35 grains and a good solid crimp on them and found after shooting those 100 rounds through the rifle that there had been very little blowback.  Fouling in the barrel was less too.  My normal load is a little lighter and I have more blowback and fouling with that load.  For the moment I will stick with the heavier load.  Recoil is still very manageable with the heavier load.  The heavier charge helps expand the brass more when fired and helps reduce blowback.  The reason I was using a little lighter charge was that R&D limits the charges in their conversion cylinders for the '58 Remington revolvers to 34 grains of FFg powder.  I was using 32 grains of Goex Cowboy.  I am now phasing out the Remingtons in favor of two 1860 Armies for Frontiersman.  So I will start shooting a heavier .45 Colt load in the rifle.  E#ventually I want to shoot the .45 Schofield in my Henry, but that has its own problems that I don't have time to solve before Winter Range.  I can with the .45 Schofield develop a load that duplicates the .44 Henry round ballistically.

Good luck with your Henry and be safe.

Ransom Gaer