Referring to the 44-40 here...
It is amazing how over time things change....by that I mean how things are viewed can change 180 degrees. Back during the advent of the Winchester 73'...as being considered a "rifle cartridge". This new rifle cartridge being made available in a revolver, both met with great performance because of the use of black powder. But when the transition from black powder to smokeless powder was under way, the rifle's "performance" excelled or remained the same (to make a long story short) while the revolver of this same caliber eventually began to suffer. When the transition to smokeless powder was complete, rifles still used rifle powder and the same caliber and maintained original black powder performance. The revolver suffered because of the sorter barrel and needed a faster burning powder. Thus "pistol powders" were needed in revolvers to maintain black powder revolver performance...referring to both velocity and pressures.
Interestingly enough I ran across the following information;
"The 44-40 is capable of excellent performance when loaded properly for handgun use. If, however, one endeavors to combine loading for both handgun and rifle in this caliber, he is destined to meet with only mediocre success. As in all other dual-purpose cartridges, the factory loads are only a compromise at best. Smokeless-powder loading for handguns requires a much more rapid-burning type than loading for rifle use, as the short barrel must burn all the powder if satisfactory results are to be achieved. In addition, rifle cartridges can be loaded to a pressure of about 30,000 pounds in this caliber, whereas the same load in a revolver would be more or less disastrous." Thus the reason for modern mediocre factory loads using pistol powders." ~Sharpe 1937
I got thinking about this and decided to re-write using a more modern outlook on performance and how people view or mis-understand this great cartridge;
Hypothetically...
"The 44-40 rifle is capable of excellent performance when loaded properly for rifle use. If, however, one endeavors to combine loading for both handgun and rifle in this caliber, he is destined to meet with only mediocre success. As in all other dual-purpose cartridges, the factory loads are only a compromise at best. Smokeless-powder loading for rifles requires a bit slower-burning type than faster-burning loading for revolver use, as the longer barrel allows more time for the slower burning rifle powders to burn enough powder if satisfactory lower chamber pressure results and original 1,300fps or greater velocities are to be achieved. In addition, revolver cartridges can be loaded to a pressure of only about 11,000 psi in this caliber, whereas the same load in a rifle can be more or less favorably closer to 18,000 psi for strong action rifles."
IMR-4227 is today, a mid-range rifle powder that has been around for many many years. Catered today to the small rifle calibers and is ironically IMR's "Magnum" powder. IMR-4227 directly replaced IMR's 1204, another small caliber rifle powder. IMR-4227 has a very similar burn rate to Dupont's No.2 powder that was used in the 44-40 at the turn of the century.
Another rifle powder that was used was Sharpshooter. This powder was a direct replacement to be used specifically in black powder rifles from the 22/15/16 Stevens to the .50/100 Win Regular. Interestingly again Sharpshooter has a burn rate closer to Hercules 2400 and still close to today's Alliant 2400. Yet another small caliber rifle powder catered to the "Magnum" world due to it's slower burn rate. I prefer this secondary to IMR-4227 because it can get erratic although I have not personally experienced any erratic performance yet.
These powders are a bit too slow for short barrels thus the need for faster burning powders in revolvers.
Both Bullseye and Unique are at least two of the first "pistol" powders used in the 44-40 revolvers. Bullseye from 1898 and Unique from 1900. It may have taken some time to transition this to revolver shooters and with what Sharp mentioned in his 1937 manual, it was still being said that in order to get better performance in revolvers, the handloader need to use pistol powders as I mentioned at the opening of this topic.
As time went on, this information was forgotten. With the misconception that the 44-40 is a "pistol" cartridge, rather than it's more accurate "Mid-Range Rifle" title, folks want to load rifles with pistol powders...then cry when the performance is only "mediocre" at best in order to keep pressures low!!!
Thus 2400 and IMR-4227 perform much better in the 44-40 rifles while Unique, Bullseye and a few others perform better in revolvers.
In order to achieve original "1,300fps" rifle loadings, one must use a mid-range rifle powder, Reloder 7...to maintain pressures lower than 12,000psi. However, like the article says, this load in a revolver produces less than "pistol powder" velocities. I use 25.8gr of Reloder 7 with a 220gr 43-214A/1,350fps @ 11,000psi. This load gives me 40 consecutive shots inside 4" at 100 yards.
In order to achieve original 900fps revolver velocities with black powder, one must use faster burning pistol powders like Unique and Bullseye but can get by with 4227 and 2400 by following Lyman's data.
NOT FOR REVOLVERS/Not for Weak Action Rifles (Winchester 73')
For low pressure High Velocity (1,500fps/14,000psi) rifle loads, IMR-4227 used with 200gr lead "Magma" bullets
For high pressure High Velocity (1,590fps/18,000psi)rifle loads, IMR-4227 used with a 200gr Winchester JSP or Speer JHP #4425
For more detailed information;
https://sites.google.com/view/44winchester/velocities
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Originally Posted by northmn
