.44-40 vs. .45LC

[FTrooper]

Greetings Gentlemen,

This is my first post and should be a rather easy question except for the fact that few people own several of the same rifle but in different calibers!

I am working at an historic site that used alot of Spencers and we are planning on obtaining a couple as am I for personal use.  We are trying to decide if we should buy them in .44-40 or .45LC as both are now available (.56-50 crossed our minds to be more "authentic" until we realized retail ammo is $2.25 a round and blanks are $1 or more).

Basically we are looking for functionality as an issue.  We are not concerned with competiton nor even accuracy since 99% of the rounds ever used will be blanks so I am not trying to compare the characteristsis of what are both very fine rounds.   we are wanting to know about feed and extraction.  I know in Henrys and Winchesters that.44-40 feeds and ejects easier because of the taper and was wondering if this would apply to the reproductions.  The only reason we are considering .45LC is that NO other arms at the site or program are in .44-40, all the pistols are .45LC and we hate to buy special rounds for only one gun.

SO, your opinions and experiences will be greatly appriciated.  What should we do?

Most Sincerely,
Chris Fischer

[Two Flints]

Hi,

You might want to try a search on this site (SSS).  Just type in Spencer 44-40 blanks and you will get several links to go to.

I'm sure members will chime in with more ideas for you.

Two Flints

[major]

Chris
You have asked a good question and luckily I have a good answer for you.  If you go to this web site you will find an article about using a Spencer for Reenacting.  In the article it explains how to make blanks from cut down 410 shotgun hulls that are economical to use.
http://www.9thnycavalry.webeditor.com/spencer_article.html
I am not sure if the 410 blanks will work in a .45LC Spencer.  I have sent some to a person I met on this board and they were suppose to try them but I have not heard back from him.  I don't know if he ever tried them.  I suspect that they will cycle fine in the .45 LC version but there might be some blow back in the .45 because of the larger chamber.  I don't get any blow back in my 44-40 Spencer.  You will not be able to make blanks from .45LC cases and have them cycle in the Spencer action because they will be too short.  The Spencer action is very sensitive to cartridge length.  The 5 in 1 may work for you, but I don't know how well they will cycle.
Good luck with you project and if you want more info both my e-mail and phone number are in the article.
Terry

[Two Flints]

 

This is the major with his Spencer firing those blanks!

[FTrooper]

Thanks for the help so far.  We are looking at both the 5 in 1 blanks as well as just commercial .45LC or .44-40 that are the lenght of the original live cartridge (our original plan was to see if other shorter .45 blanks would cycle in a .45 Schofield Spencer, but have since dropped that entire idea).  I have been told that the 5 in 1's shoyuld work fine in the .44-40 but no one has tried it in the .45LC yet.  I have to admit, the priority is for the site and if the 5 in 1's will work it would be great as we can cycle those through everything.  M1873's Richards conversion, schofields, etc.  I was told they would even feed, fire, and eject from a trapdoor springfield, but I do have a selfish motive in that all my PERSONAL handguns are .45 and I am really ahting the idea of having to buy a carbine in a different caliber, since I plan to buy no other .44-40's for myself at this time, but I will need it to feed blanks very well also.

Thanks for the input so far.
Chris Fischer

[major]

Chris
Glad we could be of some help. I hope the 5 in 1 will work for all your guns but just in case they don't you can always use the 410 shotgun hull method.  BTW when you get ready to buy the Spencers give me a shout maybe I could get you a deal on them.
Terry

[major]

Chris
I recently got a hold of several 5 in 1 empty brass shells.  I tried them in my 44-40 and could not get them to cycle.  I then put a star crimp on the end of two of them and they cycled fine.  My only fear is that they seamed very loose in the chamber and I suspect that they would produce a lot of blow back even in a 44-40.  I think the blow back in the .45LC version would be even worse. 
The guy that I sent the 410 blanks to contacted me.  He tried them in his .45LC and they would chamber but the bolt would not close fully.  So the results are that they will only work in a 44-40 Spencer and not one in .45LC.