38-40 ammo

[triggerhappy243]

i came across this box of factory 38-40 ammo. it came in a big buyout i did 3 years ago, and now just got to the bottom of the box and to my surprise.................. no use for it.

[Eddie Southgate]

I Killed a deer with one of those in my Winchester '92 early in the season. Not a lot of 38-40 around here but I found one box of the Western and a bag of some modern stuff. Good find.

[pworley1]

Somebody will be wanting those, or they could be a good excuse to get a 92 to shoot them.

[Savvy Jack]

If the box has a K code, then typically 1940's and loaded with about 16gr of Sharpshooter powder. If it's a 3840 code, then typically 1950's and loaded with about 15gr of ball powder.

[Battis]

A friend of mine inherited an original Winchester in 38-40. She doesn't shoot but I've been collecting components - brass, bullets - in case she wants to shoot the rifle. It's as nice an antique rifle as I've ever seen. I managed to get her to will it to me.
The rifle is marked 38WCF, but it's actually a 40 caliber round. For some reason, Winchester switched the numbers (should be 40-38).

[Savvy Jack]

A friend of mine inherited an original Winchester in 38-40. She doesn't shoot but I've been collecting components - brass, bullets - in case she wants to shoot the rifle. It's as nice an antique rifle as I've ever seen. I managed to get her to will it to me.
The rifle is marked 38WCF, but it's actually a 40 caliber round. For some reason, Winchester switched the numbers (should be 40-38).

Nope, was originally a 40 cal bullet with 40gr of back powder...should have been a 40-40

[Battis]

How was I wrong? I mentioned that it was marked 38WCF, but was actually a 40 caliber bullet. To be consistent with other caliber markings (45-70, 30-40, 50-70, etc) it should have been marked 40-38.

[Savvy Jack]

How was I wrong? I mentioned that it was marked 38WCF, but was actually a 40 caliber bullet. To be consistent with other caliber markings (45-70, 30-40, 50-70, etc) it should have been marked 40-38.

Because, for this explanation, the number after the dash was introduced by Union Metallic Cartridge Company, by 1894 for Marlin, for the amount of black powder used. Thus Marlin started using the 38-40/44-40 rather than using the "WCF" designation. Not necessarily the case for other dash cartridges.

38 WCF = Winchester Repeating Arms Company (Winchester Ammunition)
38-40 = Union Metallic Cartridge Company, for Marlin

45-70 = 70gr black powder
30-30 = 30gr smokeless powder
30-40 Krag= 40gr smokeless powder
50-70 = 70gr black powder

32-20 = 20gr black powder
32-40 = 40gr black powder
38-40 = 40gr black powder
44-40 = 40gr black powder

[Battis]

I was mainly referring to the caliber of the bullet, as pictured in the original post.
The rifle is marked 38WCF, so someone might assume that it's a 38 caliber bullet. It's not.
I posted,
The rifle is marked 38WCF, but it's actually a 40 caliber round.

Deep stuff...

[Savvy Jack]

I was mainly referring to the caliber of the bullet, as pictured in the original post.
The rifle is marked 38WCF, so someone might assume that it's a 38 caliber bullet. It's not.
I posted,
The rifle is marked 38WCF, but it's actually a 40 caliber round.

Deep stuff...

Ah, I think I understand now, "40-38" meaning a "40 cal but not 38 cal" rather than "40 cal" and "38gr" of black powder.

[Battis]

Something like that. The question is, why did they mark the rifle "38WCF"? Musta had a good reason...

[triggerhappy243]

firearms and ammo industry does weird things that make little to no sense. Like the 44 mag............... not 44 cal, but .429 cal. why was it not named the 42 or 43 mag?

[Chili]

firearms and ammo industry does weird things that make little to no sense. Like the 44 mag............... not 44 cal, but .429 cal. why was it not named the 42 or 43 mag?

That is because at the beginning of the cartridge era, they used heel type bullet (think of a 22LR round) that was actually 38 or 44 or 45 caliber. When they went to seating the bullet inside the case, the bullet diameter had to be reduced. The original cartridge name stayed the same.

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[Bad Ass Wallace]

One of my favourite rounds, even just for plinkin. This pair of rifles carry consecutive serial no's and were made in the first year of production 1892!

[218bee]

WOW that IS bad-ass
Nice to see pic, thanks

[wwmartin]

I started with a Ruger convertible in 10mm/38-40. I didn't like chasing brass in the Colt Delta. Then came a pair of Uberti Cattelman then a Marlin or 3. The Remington 14 1/2 pump was next also hardest to find and the last another Uberti 1885 low wall. I'm not sure but I think that's all of them. I still have all of them, someday I should look for a Winchester.

Bill

[Jungle Dave]

Dad had a Colt SAA in .38-40 when I was very young. Sold it or gave it away, can't remember, but back then everyone just thought of them as past their prime. Anyway, that box looks similar to the one I remember having the shells in it. The blue, red, and yellow.