.44-40???

C

CZ_

New member
Never heard much of this cartridge, and know nothing about its ballistics or uses. Recently though I spotted a Ruger Vaquero at a gunstore in .44-40 that came with an extra cylinder (chambered in 10mm).

I'd like a little background on the .44-40 cartridge. What is it used for, what are the ballistics, and do you recommend picking up a Vaquero in this chambering? Are .44-40 cartridges rare or expensive?
 
.44-40 with a 10mm cylinder?

Not likely, since 10mm = .40 cal.

Ruger has made some .38-40 x 10mm convertibles, also a batch of .38-40 x .40 S&W, I think; the .38 WCF (.38-40) being a true .40 caliber.

Any road, the .44-40 is a blackpowder round first offered in the 1873 Winchester, shortly followed by the Colt SAA and a number of others cashing in on the popularity of the first centerfire Winchester repeater and its ammo. Current ammo is loaded with smokeless to blackpowder ballistics of 200 grains at maybe 800 fps in revolver, 1300 fps in rifle. Even less in Cowboy ammo. The .38-40 is the same case necked down, firing a 180 grain bullet about the same velocity. There used to be some heavier factory loads but they have been dropped as not being very useful vs .30-30 etc and not safe in the oldest guns. Handloading can soup it up, but only a little, brass and chambers are thin. Of course a Ruger will stand a lot more souping up than a Colt, but for heavy loads you would be much better off with a .44 Magnum or .45 Colt.

There are a fair number of .44-40s (and some .38-40s) being shot in Cowboy Action Shooting; some because it is traditional and some because it is better suited to blackpowder loading. I use it myself, largely because I got a good deal on a '92 Winchester .44 and got matching sixguns. Cowboy is about the only practical use for it (them) these days. Ammo is neither cheap, plentiful, or powerful. The thin brass and bottleneck shape make it more trouble to handload than, say, a .45, too.
 
You're right, I must have had the first part wrong or it might have been mislabled. It was probably a .38-40 with a 10mm conversion. I am pretty sure that 10mm conversion part was right, since I specifically asked the salesman about that part.

Judging by the limited use of the .38-40 in the above post, I might just be better off with something in .357 magnum or .45 Colt. The main reason this particular pistol interested me though is because it was a convertible model, and according to the Ruger catalog there are no more convertible Vaqueros being offered. Current Ruger catalog only shows Blackhawk convertible models. :(
 
Well, if you ask me, the Blackhawk is more desirable for its adjustable sights. There are very few fixed sight single action revolvers that come from the factory in zero. Unless you get lucky or just like the idea of filing for elevation and tweaking for windage, adjustables are the way to go. Or unless you are a CAS competitor and just can't bear the thought of entering in Modern Category. And the .45LC/.45ACP is about the most versatile thing they make.

If you just must have a Vaquero Convertible, keep an eye on Davidsons' ads. If they are available, Davidsons will have them.
 
I dont mind tweaking the sights or sending it back to Ruger for them to adjust the windage by rotating the barrel. I just dont like the look of the Blackhawk sights--they don't look "Western" enough for my tastes. Call me old fashioned, but I feel a single action revolver should have FIXED sights. Your milage may vary, of course.

Could you please provide me the link to Davidson's site. I'm pretty sure that is the distributor that my local gun store uses.
 
Davidsons consumer info is at
http://www.galleryofguns.com/

I shoot CAS with Colt and Cimarron .44-40s. In Duelist (one-handed) Category, which requires fixed sights, so I know plenty enough about their care and feeding. So if you like the style and are willing to work with its limitations, be my guest.
 
I think the 10mm is one of the more desirable Ruger SA calibers.

Take a look at these threads:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118678

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=116316

The ultimate would be to get another cylinder in .40S&W. The neat thing about both the 10 and 40 is that you can get semi-auto mags that can be used as speedloaders :). The 10mm is slightly more potent than the .357, with some damned good rounds available.

.38-40 would make an OK "plinking load" but they're pricey I think?
 
If you can find a copy of Elmer Keith's, "Sixguns", it has a candid assessment of the .44/40. Briefly, Keith felt it was a dying horse... in 1955! He much preferred the .44 Special with handloads. His .44 Magnum concept came to fruition the next year, of course.

Mike Venturino at, "Shooting Times" knows more about the .44/40 than anyone I know. He mentions it extensively in his books on Old West guns, and shoots it by preference in many Cowboy matches. His books give plenty of good handloads, too.
Current factory loads are 'way too light for me to consider it for practical purposes. Back when it was still a viable defense load, it was a hotter proposition. I researched this for an article that I'm doing on guns that I would have taken on an expedition in 1920, and I'm satisfied that the S&W Military Model .44/40 that I'd have taken (partly to use the same ammo as in a Winchester M92 in Brazil, where that load was common) would have delivered an honest 900-925 FPS from its 6.5-inch barrel.

I know that Pat Garrett shot Billy the Kid with a .44/40. That gun is still in the hands of Garrett's family, and was shown in the El Paso Saddlery Co. catalog a few years ago. It was the second most popular caliber in the Colt SAA revolver. Lt. Col. Vincent Fosbery, V.C. felt it gave good stopping power, even against wild Indian and Afghan tribesmen, so it must have had something going for it!

Today, the sole reason to shoot a .44/40 is nostalgia and an appreciation of historical guns. But a good handload will make one work as well as ever!

Lone Star
 
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