https://sites.google.com/view/44winc...ansition-years
Quite a few years ago I started my adventure in the history of the 44-40. We all know it started life as the 44/100, the same name as the 44/100 Henry cartridge. This "44" did not designate the difference between a pistol caliber or a rifle caliber but the caliber of the projectile itself...forty four one hundredth of an inch. The cartridge was later re-designated 44 W.C.F. by Winchester and then eventually Marlin worked with Union Metallic Cartridge Company and came out with the 44-40 by 1894ish. Soon afterword, Winchester designated their firearms chambered in this caliber as the 44-40.
We all know that the 44-40 started life using black powder and was offered with BP until around WWII (trying to keep it simple). What most folks don't fully understand were the transitional issues using smokeless powders. For rifle use, the new smokeless powders operated just like black powder in loading and retained original velocities. The problems with smokeless powders where when used in revolvers. By 1903, rifles were using High Velocity loads while revolvers, especially Colt's, were still limited to black powder. Colt did not recommend using smokeless powders in their revolvers until 1909 but handloaders...well...
The 44-40 was loaded with what was called "Smokeless Rifle Powder #2" by Dupont. Cartridges like the 45-70 were loaded with what was called "Smokeless Rifle Powder #1". From here on out this will explain why the 44-40 is a rifle cartridge and not what Millennials call "Pistol Calibers".
What was confusing folks back then was the loss of performance when using the new smokeless rifle powders in revolvers. The powder burned too slow in order to achieve the previous desired performance with black powder. Unique and Bullseye were both available by 1900 but not necessarily used in pistols at the time. By 1909 Bullseye was being used in the 45 Colt pistols and well into the 1930's folks were being reminded that in order to achieve max performance with the 44-40 cartridge, the same load used for both rifle and revolver would suffer in one or the other firearms. Pistol powders burned too fast for rifles and created too much pressure to achieve desired velocities and rifle powders did not burn fast enough in revolvers and velocities plummeted. THUS one could not use the same loads in both rifle and revolvers and have such desired results. So the 44-40 is a rifle cartridge that can be loaded to work well in revolvers.
What most folks also fail to understand is that such desired velocities can still be achieved today when using mid-range rifle powders in rifles. The 44-40 is very capable of distances much further than 100 yards when loaded correctly for rifles. However, such loads are border-line for the strength of the Winchester 73'. 1,300-1,450fps can be achieved safe for the 73' replicas if the handloader does his homework. DO NOT LOAD FOR VELOCITIES WITH PISTOL POWDERS or you will break something before reaching original 44-40 ballistics. Far superior "High Velocity" loads can be achieved for the Winchester Model of 1892 and the Marlin variants when using Winchester's 1903 to 1945 H.V. ammunition. Such loads exceed SAAMI 11,000psi specs by nearly double and can destroy a Winchester 73' and revolvers..
Sharp once wrote in 1937;I certainly have no desire to attempt such loads myself but replicating Winchester's 20,000cup to 22,000cup H.V. loads are very rewarding In my Marlin 1894CB and is certainly no pistol load!!!" 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."
Western/Winchester, by 1946, offered it's last load using such "rifle" powders. I have three of Western's 44-40 K1372 offerings. They are the 1946 K1372T, 1948 K1372C and by 1952, the "4440" caliber code.
The 1946 box ammo is loaded with 16.5gr of Sharpshooter (available till 1946 or 48) while a 1949 cartridge had 15.3gr of a ball type powder. Winchester still used Sharpshooter, and a box I have maybe dated 1958 shows what looks like 14.7gr of a Sharpshooter granular powder.
Back to the Sharpshooter powder...
Introduced by Laflin & Rand in 1897, the 44-40 was not listed in the loading data. By 1903, Hercules was making Sharpshooter. Listed on the back of the can was the load data for the 44-40. It only showed one load...19gr for High Velocity loads.
Sharps 1937 manual lists the following data:
Revolver - 200gr Lead, 16.8gr, 905fps @ 15,000cup (note: SAAMI Max is 13,000cup/11,000psi)
Rifle - 200gr JSP, 14gr, 1,260fps
Rifle - 200gr JSP, 17.3gr, 1,505fps @ 14,000cup
Rifle - 200gr JSP, 19.6gr, 1,680fps @ 20,000cup
Thus 16.5gr found in the 1946 cartridges should perform as stated in advertisements...... 1,300+ fps.
By 1950, the 44-40 was advertised at 1,320fps, retaining it's original velocities using ball powders. By 1976, Winchester switched to a disc pistol powders and velocities along with accuracy plummeted to 1,190fps....which is what the 44 Henry velocities were.
So, for the Winchester Model of 1873', it was able to retain original ballistics using early smokeless powders but pistols lost performance. The H.V. loads used in the Winchester Model of 1892' and Marlin variants was far superior and such loads could not be used in revolvers or the 73'.
Now days, it is no wonder folks think the 44-40 is a weak "Pistol Caliber" because they completely fail to understand it's true historical performance.
Attachment 268276
The 44-40 is NOT a "pistol caliber"
On a side note, I get great pleasure shooting my Winchester 73' with a Malcolm scope or Marlin 1894CB at 100 to 300 yard distances with 1,350fps mid-range rifle loads and a 220gr lead bullet. I am very happy with 8" x 8" groups at 265 yards.
Attachment 268286
BTW, I am extremely fond of the 30-06, even a cave man can kill with a 30-06