.44-40 JSP Ammo In Handguns

[USBP1969]

Howdy Y'all.

Been wondering for long time if it as safe to shoot Winchester .44-40 Jacketed Soft Point ammunition in a modern 1873 style revolver?  It is shown in the rifle section of Winchester's web site, but not in the handgun section.  I kinda suspect that, after several years dealing directly with a big ammunition companies on large ammunition purchases, what their answer would be, so I thought I ask here to get the straight scoop.

If it is safe, does anyone have chronograph data on the muzzle velocities for the JSP round in a six gun?

Thanks,
-kent

[Pettifogger]

All current factory .44-40 ammunition is fine in your revolver.  Winchester use to make a hi-velocity .44-40 round but discontinued it in the 1960s to make sure no one fired it in old original Winchester 73 rifles or Colt revolvers.

[USBP1969]

Thanks amigo, that's encouraging.

-kent

[Trailrider]

If not sure what diameter bullets Winchester is currently using for their JSP ammo. At one time they were using .427", then later switched to .425". BUT, I haven't measured any current production. You need to measure the chamber throat diameters of your sixgun, and also the groove diameter of the barrel. Modern reproduction or Colt's production may be running larger...in the .429-.430" range, but I would NOT make the assumption. Presuming the bullets are no larger than these throat and barrel dimensions, you can probably shoot them without running up the pressures.

BTW: Ruger Old Vaqueros, in their early production runs had throats as small as .425" with the barrels in the .429" range. Later, they enlarged the chamber throats to .430", but even they don't know the serial number range where they switched.  I shoot HARD CAST bullets that are .430" dia. through the .425" throats with no problems, but if I wanted to shoot jacketed .430" bullets or even .427" JSP, I'd switch cylinders to the .44 Magnums.

[Pettifogger]

If not sure what diameter bullets Winchester is currently using for their JSP ammo. At one time they were using .427", then later switched to .425". BUT, I haven't measured any current production. You need to measure the chamber throat diameters of your sixgun, and also the groove diameter of the barrel. Modern reproduction or Colt's production may be running larger...in the .429-.430" range, but I would NOT make the assumption. Presuming the bullets are no larger than these throat and barrel dimensions, you can probably shoot them without running up the pressures.

BTW: Ruger Old Vaqueros, in their early production runs had throats as small as .425" with the barrels in the .429" range. Later, they enlarged the chamber throats to .430", but even they don't know the serial number range where they switched.  I shoot HARD CAST bullets that are .430" dia. through the .425" throats with no problems, but if I wanted to shoot jacketed .430" bullets or even .427" JSP, I'd switch cylinders to the .44 Magnums.

Remington also uses .425 bullets with their jacketed loads.  ANY SAAMI spec ammo is safe to shoot through a modern Colt clone revolver.

[USBP1969]

Thank you gentlemen.  Sounds promising.

Do other cartridges suffer from the disparity of camber throats / barrel groove diameters?

-kent

[Trailrider]

Thank you gentlemen.  Sounds promising.

Do other cartridges suffer from the disparity of camber throats / barrel groove diameters?

-kent

I would say the .38-40 (really a .40 caliber), and possibly the .32-20 and .25-20 would vary quite a bit. The .45 LC dimension generally go the other way, with throat dimensions often running pretty wide, sometimes as large as .459"  while the barrels were in the .452-.454" range, depending on the vintage of the gun.