.44-40 Questions

[USBP1969]

Howdy Folks.

I have a question that's been on my mind for years and, a new guy on the block, I thought that this just might be the place to ask.

Questions: 

1) If someone has a new Colt or USFA chambered for .44-40, is it safe to shoot the factory rifle cartridge? (200 grain JSP)
2) If anyone has any ballistic info / experience about this cartridge fired from a handgun I'd certainly appreciate hearing about it.

Please note: This question is not "aimed" at using this factory loading for competition. 

Thanks in advance,
Kent

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Although the 44-40 was originally developed as a rifle cartridge for the Winchester Model 1873, it was soon chambered in the Colt Single Action Army too, about 1878 if I remember correctly. Of course those would have been black powder loads.

44-40 ammo manufactured today is not differentiated into 'rifle' or 'pistol' ammo. It is all pretty much the same as far as pressure goes. Any modern firearm in good condition, rifle or revolver, should be able to safely fire any factory loaded 44-40 ammo. It is all purposely kept to pretty low pressure since there are still a lot of old guns chambered for the cartridge out there.

[Trailrider]

Currently manufactured .44-40 (aka .44 WCF, aka .44 Winchester Center Fire) is safe to use in post-WWII Colt's Single Actions and in Uberti and other replicas, and Ruger Old Model Vaqueros (the earliest #55-XXXXX series had some problems with tight chambers, but the ammo is safe if it will chamber).

WARNING! NEVER use ammo marked ".44 Winchester Hi-Velcoty" in Colt's or clones.  Such ammo hasn't been made in awhile, but turns up every once in awhile.  Such ammo was made for the Winchester M1892.  It would be okay in original '92's BUT NEVER IN M1860 Henry REPLICAS, nor M1866 nor M1873 ORIGINALS OR REPLICAS.

According to "Duke" Venturino's tests, black powder .44-40 loading usually came close to or exceeded the SASS limit of 1000 ft/sec WITH BLACK POWDER and modern solid-head brass cases!  These would be safe in most pistols, due to the lower pressures of blackpowder, but it does go to show the .44-40 was/is NO SLOUCH.

[Driftwood Johnson]

WARNING! NEVER use ammo marked ".44 Winchester Hi-Velcoty" in Colt's or clones.  Such ammo hasn't been made in awhile, but turns up every once in awhile.  Such ammo was made for the Winchester M1892.  It would be okay in original '92's BUT NEVER IN M1860 Henry REPLICAS, nor M1866 nor M1873 ORIGINALS OR REPLICAS.

Hey Trailrider ol pard:

I bought this box of ammo back around 1975 when I bought my old Marlin Model 1894. The gun was made in 1895. Anyhoo, this was the only box of 44-40 they had in the store at the time. The two cartridges pictured are the only two left in the box now, I put the rest of them through the old Marlin a long time ago. I used to worry about putting these Hi Velocity rounds through the old girl, until I noticed the legend printed on the end of the box. According to that, these rounds were OK to shoot in any rifle or revolver chambered for 44-40 as long as it was in good shape.




Incidentally, I came across this box of 45 Colt Hi Velocity rounds at a gun show about a year ago. I bought it just to add to my cartridge collection, dunno if I will ever fire any of these rounds through my pistols. The box is almost full.

[Pettifogger]

That's not the "High Velocity" everyone talks about.  Remington put that label on virtually all their centerfire ammo for a while.  This is a brief description of the real "High Velocitiy" rounds.

"1903 - Introduction of the W.H.V. (Winchester High Velocity) cartridge

We first see these new improved performance cartridges in Winchester's Catalog #70 dated March, 1903. Cartridges were head stamped .44 W.C.F. W.H.V. 'M92. Velocity with a 200 gr. metal patched bullet was catalogued at 1,500 f.p.s. in a 24" barrel. Instructions in Winchester's catalogue and on the cartridge boxes indicated they were not for use in '73 Winchesters or handguns. Velocity was increased to 1,570 f.p.s. in 1910.

U.M.C. brought out their .44-40 high velocity cartridge shortly after Winchester did. Cartridges were head stamped U.M.C. .44-40 H.V. to distinguish them from the U.M.C. .44-40 head stamp used on the standard cartridge. Catalogued velocity from the start was 1,570 f.p.s. with a 200 gr. bullet. PETERS used the .44-40 H.P. designation."

These were discontinued in the early 1960's as they were to hot for the old guns.  After chronographs became more common, some of these rounds clocked more like 1800 fps out of a 24" 92.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Thanks for the information Pettifogger.

[USBP1969]

Sounds like the 200 grain JSP Factory loading would be OK in a modern handgun. 

I just wonder what the muzzle velocity would be?  That would be interesting indeed.

kent

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

In Ken Water's PET LOADS article dated september 1974, he clocked Winchester and Peters factory loads at 791 fps and 798 fps from a Colt New Service with a 7.1/2 inch barrel.  These were much lower than advertised. Some of Ken's handloads were in the 1100 fps range, but I'm not repeating the load.  You will have to go to a current powder company reloading site to get recently tested loads.

I do know I can get about 800 fps with a full, but not excessively compressed load of GOEX FFFg out of my 5.5in bbl Ruger Old Vaqueros.