.44-40 verses .44 special

[pakmc]

I used to think the .44-40 took a .427 bullet and the .44 special/.44 mag. took a .429 dia. bullet. I have two .44-40's one taylors schoefield in .44-40 and one smith model 544 in .44-40. I loaded some .44-40 cases with .429 bullets and they went into the revolvers cylinders jsut fine!so I could shoot .429 bullets with either gun! I've been resizing my bullets for these guns to .427. now it looks like I wan't have too. is something wrong with me and/or my gages??? or is this a deal like the long colt went from .454 dia to .452 like the .45 auto???(I was playing with motorcycles and Airplanes when this happened.

Now neither gun will take a .44 special case, I have to load .44-40 cases for these two guns.

any one?

[Beagle333]

I don't know when it changed, but the old ones did take .427 and the newer ones (Rugers and Ubertis, at least) now take .429 just like any other .44 gun.
And I say "newer", but it must have been sometime back before the 1970's. I guess considering when the .44-40 was created, that would be much "newer".
Any advice I have read on this says to slug the barrel on each individual gun, as there appears to be no definite date when each maker switched to using the .429 bore.

[Outpost75]

I shoot .430 bullets in my S&W 544, Rossi 1892 and Marlin 1894 all .44-40s and also use .430" bullets in my Ruger .44 Magnum and Marlin levergun of that caliber.

If you don't cast your own, the 215-grain FN bullets from Matt's shoot well and are reasonable:

http://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=275

221555

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I’ve encountered original Colts and Winchesters with large bores and throats even by today’s standards. In the 44-40 I load the biggest diameter that will smoothly chamber. For most guns that is about .430. When dealing with cast boolits even a fat boolit won’t raise the pressure above a safe level. You will have issues with bulged brass and chambering problems before you have any issues with load pressure.


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[Vagabond55]

In my Win 92 SRC (c.1915) i have shot both .427 and .429 with about the same accuracy. The only stipulation is for .429 dia. boolits, case selection is important, some brands feed some do not.

[CamoWhamo]

In my family we have 2 new Winchester 92's made by Miroku in Japan and both have .431 barrels.

I guess Winchester are saving costs by using the same barrels as they do for .44 Magnum which SAAMI specs at .431 in rifles.

[Dave T]

You all have to remember, for a number of years before the CAS thing got going the 44 WCF (44-40) was considered an obsolete cartridge. I believe for a while there the only "new" gun chambered for it was the Rossi copy of the 92 Winchester, aimed largely at a Central and South American market. Never owned one of those "vintage" Rossi's so I don't know what their groove diameter was. The original '73 I once owned shot .428" bullets quite well out to 200 yards.

When the Italians started making reproductions I believe they largely came with .429" barrels and that became the norm. CAS just reinforced that and it's probably now the standard groove diameter of the modern made 44 WCF firearms.

Dave

[pakmc]

I believe your right Dave!