GUN HELP!!

[Texlee]

Hello all,
My uncle brought an SAA clone up with him hunting this past weekend and I got to looking at it and the barrel was marked .44-40 while the cylinder was marked ".44 SPL". He picked the gun up at a gun show years ago an has never fired it before and never even noticed the different caliber markings on it. Now my questions for you gents is, are these cartridges interchangeable? Or is it more likely someone switched the cylinder out on it and sold it that way? I know some calibers are interchange but wasn't sure and didnt want to risk shooting it incase it damaged the gun or us.

-Tex

[MJN77]

No, they are not interchangeable. But they share the same bore diameter. Some revolvers were/are offered with two cylinders ,45 colt/acp, 44-40/44spl, 22 lr/mag. Not a problem, he just has a 44 spl revolver.

[Abilene]

Original 44-40 caliber had a nominal bore of .427, but modern 44-40's use .429 so as to standardize the barrel with .44 Russian, .44 Colt (the modern version), .44 Spcl, and .44 magnum.  Often folks will fit a 44 Spcl cylinder to a 44-40 SAA or vice-versa.  If your uncle's gun has a .44 Spcl cylinder he can shoot 44 Spcl, .44 Colt (the modern version), or 44 Russian in it.  You cannot fire 44-40 in it as the round will not fit in the cylinder.

[Texlee]

thanks a bunch both of you!

-Tex