I have both the 38wcf and 44wcf, in rifle and handgun, the 38 wcf is a bit softer in recoil than the 44 in the rifle. Neither is particularly difficult to reload for, both are accurate cartridges.
So it basically boils down to which one do you want the most?
Long range rules, the rest drool.
Or make it the world's first 480 Achilles rifle! The chamber is already correct, and you could have it rebored instead of relined.Originally Posted by jonp
Hands down ... 38 WCF!!! Easy on lead. Very easy recoil. 150's and 175's boolits. As Don mentioned ... easy to reload.
I also find the 38's to be a very handsome cartridge. My original '73' is so chambered, and I will say that recoil is like shooting a 22 mag.
Reline it to 38 WCF and never look back! .401 diameter is way easier then building the 44 WCF and trying to figure out .427, .428, or .430 ... then figuring out which die to get. 40 cal is 40 cal.
38 WCF all the way !!!
Thanks eveyone for your help.
The rifle is on the way to Mr. Taylor for a 44-40 conversion.
Steve in N CA
Last reline I did was to 44 Special?
Hold Still Varmint; while I plugs Yer!
I have both, and for range work I would go with the 38 40.
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Outpost75,
I was curious to try your design so ordered a mold, only i had Tom make it as a plain base.
They look good, dropped from the mold at 209gn (210gn with lube).
Cycle though my 1873 and 1892 just fine.
Thanks for posting the pic!Outpost75,
I was curious to try your design so ordered a mold, only i had Tom make it as a plain base.
They look good, dropped from the mold at 209gn (210gn with lube).
Cycle though my 1873 and 1892 just fine.
I'm sure Tom will sell a bunch of those molds because many traditional shooters don't like the bevel base.
Anxiously waiting for field reports from the Land of Oz.
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
why wouldn't anyone have suggested having both ( at least one of each ) 38-40 and 44-40 . Don't old BP cartridges have great caliber names, If someone asks "what caliber is that " they don't know what your talking about when you answer them.
hey, watch where ya point that thing!
Hyphenated Cartridges are cool. Of the two, I picked the .44-40 with no regrets.
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I wish you Luck, .44WCF is a favorite of mine.
And Suggest strongly that you start with a set of RCBS Cowboy dies.
I HATE auto-correct
Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.
My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.
SASS #375 Life
I've been with the 44-40 for 30+ years with the same Lyman die set, only ever had to get a .429 expander plug.
Because they are trying to get the puniest mouse fart load they can with smokeless powder while pretending to shoot real cowboy guns.
I have guns in both chamberings. As a practical matter, they are pretty much a wash. Reloading is not particularly onerous, but can be complicated by the changes in dimensions over the years. My originals in .44-40 pretty much want a .428 bullet. The Uberti and Rossi want a .430. One original Bisley .38-40 has a .406 bore, seeming to support the notion that Colt, at some point, may have used the same cutters to make .41 Colt barrels too. As you are having it done, you get the advantage of specifying what you want.
My sentimental favorite is .44-40.
my first Winchester was a 92 in .38-40. I shot that rifle a lot bought of virgin brass back then. still have that rifle and a lot of the brass just picked up a uberti pistol in .38-40. along the way I also got Winchesters in .44-40 and a Dakota pistol to match them.
right now today I would go with .44-40 just because the brass is easier to find.
44-40
Easier to reload for
But both are fine.
Another option, reline the 45 Colt chamber only and shoot the 452 bullet.
Mike
Last edited by skeettx; 10-25-2019 at 12:56 PM.
NRA Benefactor 2004USAF RET 1971-95
I have revolvers and levers in both calibers, but the 38-40 is my favorite. It's slightly easier to load in that the smaller bullet diameter in the 44-40 case centers into dies more easily. And like someone said, it uses less lead. Does everything else just like it should
35W
The biggest waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who doesn't care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his beliefs and illusions.
There are people who, for all the evidence presented to them, do not have the ability to understand.
NRA Life Member
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