Posted on 06/19/2004 2:14:44 PM PDT by 45Auto
Although the 1873 Winchester was made in several other calibers, the vast majority were produced in .44-40. But that doesn't fully account for the historical significance of the cartridge.
Two other Winchesters preceded the Model 1873: the Henry and the Model 1866. Each represented a technological advance, but the 1873 offered several major improvements over both. These improvements made the '73 Winchester the preeminent rifle of the frontier for nearly 20 years.
Arguably, the most important improvement incorporated into the Model 1873 was that a "central fire" cartridge replaced the earlier rimfire .44 used in the Henry and Model 1866. That new cartridge was the .44-40 Winchester.
Even more than the rifle in which it was introduced, the .44-40 was a hit on the American frontier. In 1878 Colt started offering the .44-40 as a chambering for its single-action revolvers. It was an inspired decision. The need to carry only a single kind of ammunition for both rifle and revolver appealed to settlers, prospectors, cowmen and anyone else who had to carry all their necessities in their saddlebags or on a pack horse.
Colt offered the .44-40 in a couple of rifles, including the pump-action 1885 Lightning. Remington used it, as did Marlin, and virtually every American single-shot rifle was chambered for it at one time or another. It remained on the American shooting scene in a variety of firearms well into the 20th century, but as World War II loomed, fewer and fewer arms-makers offered the .44-40. Then, in 1942 Colt–the last holdout–stopped chambering revolvers for it.
Now, with the growing popularity of Cowboy Action shooting, the .44-40 has enjoyed renewed interest. Although some competitors use vintage 19th century firearms, replicas are allowed under the rules, and several gunmakers have stepped up to meet the demand.
My test rifle was a Yellow Boy replica 1866 Winchester saddle carbine with a 19-inch barrel made by Uberti and imported by Navy Arms. This carbine has a polished-brass receiver, color case-hardened hammer and lever and richly toned walnut stock with a bit of figure in the wood.
The word "replica" is something of a misnomer here because Webster's tells us that a replica is "an exact copy in all respects." As noted earlier, the original 1866 Winchester was available only as a rimfire .44. I'm sure this glaring discrepancy would sorely vex a purist, and I have no doubt that this Uberti differs from the original in other, more subtle ways that I would see only if they were pointed out. Nevertheless, this is a handsome firearm that is very accurate, and that's what's important.
Handloaders take note: The case wall of the .44 Magnum ( left) is visibly thicker than that of the .44-40 (right). The accuracy issue bears a bit more discussion. Because a .44-40 is not a long-range cartridge by any stretch of the imagination, I fired the Uberti at 25 yards, using the iron sights provided. The slender, tapered post front sight and narrow notch rear caused a good bit of vertical dispersion owing to the difficulty in getting a clear sight picture. Rummaging in my range box, I pulled out a Merit adjustable-iris optical aid, which sharpened the sight picture and shrank the groups dramatically. After that, the best group obtained was a one-holer measuring 0.14 of an inch center to center--not bad for a .44-40 lever gun.
For the handloading, I glued a strain gauge to the barrel over the chamber area and wired it to an Oehler Model 43 Personal Ballistics Laboratory to obtain muzzle-velocity readings, peak pressure and other pressure-curve data along with standard-deviation figures. Although the Model 43 is capable of measuring exterior ballistic data as well, it would be of limited value for a short-range cartridge, so this was omitted during testing.
SAAMI specifications for the .44-40 call for a maximum chamber pressure of 13,000 psi, which is suitable for vintage firearms with uncertain metallurgy. Hornady factory Cowboy Action loads using 205-grain cast bullets were well within this limit and yielded an average muzzle velocity of 931 fps.
BULLET AVAILABILITY Barnes: 200-gr. XPB* Hornady: 180-gr. HP/XTP, 180-gr. Lead FP, 200-gr. HP/XTP*, 205-gr. lead FP* Nosler: 200-gr. JHP* Sierra: 180-gr. JHC*, 210-gr. JHC Speer: 200-gr. JHP *Used in this evaluation. Note: For optimum performance in the .44-40 Winchester, the author suggests using the lighter bullets
Although the .44-40's case dimensions are slightly greater than the .44 Remington Magnum, it's not wise to try to match magnum pressures and velocities. Wall thickness of the .44-40 case is visibly thinner than .44 Magnum cases (a 0.005- to 0.007-inch difference, according to my RCBS CaseMaster). Also, web (base) thickness is substantially less than the .44 Mag.
Some cartridge reference books claim you can push .44-40 velocities as high as 1,850 fps safely. But what's the point? Most .44-40 shooters use a Cowboy-style rifle equipped with rudimentary iron sights, which effectively rules out shooting at extended ranges where remaining velocity becomes an issue. At closer yardages, Cowboy loads are very accurate and will put a deer's lights out with ease.
I was able to obtain muzzle velocities in the 1,100- to 1,200-fps range with 180- to 205-grain bullets while keeping pressures below the SAAMI-ordained 13,000 psi. That's ballistically identical to a hot .44 Special from a 5.5-inch-barreled revolver and is sufficient to bring down a deer-size game animal with a well-placed shot at a suitably modest distance.
Although .429-inch bullets are available up to 300 grains, I limited reloading efforts to lighter projectiles, including Hornady's fine 205-grain cast bullets. The higher velocity obtainable with bullets from 180 to 205 grains produces more reliable expansion on game and a somewhat flatter trajectory.
SUITABLE POWDERS ATK: Unique*, 2400* Hodgdon: L'il Gun, H110, Titegroup* Ramshot: Enforcer* VihtaVuori: N 350* Winchester: W 231*; W 296 *Used in this evaluation
I hadn't anticipated how much fun I'd have shooting the .44-40 in the Navy Arms carbine. After plinking a few tin cans with it, I'm eager to try this rig on a running Arizona jackrabbit.
In my opinion, it is best to load the .44-40 as a low-energy Cowboy Action cartridge. If you're looking for magnum performance in a Cowboy-style lever action, try the .44 Magnum. Otherwise, give the .44-40 a try. You'll like it.
Used to deer hunt with a friends Mdl 1873, .44-40 in the '50s. Nice gun up to 75 yards.
Naive question from an amateur old-gun enthusiast:
Why do some models have octagon barrel and some have round barrels?
And thanks in advance for the tip on the armchairgunshow.com
I have always noticed that if I gave or sold someone a lever action rifle one of the first things they wanted to do was to get a Stetson.......after trying mine on for size. You'd be amazed at some of the grungy old headware I've given to city slickers who couldn't have been happier if I taken their unmarried daughter in exchange.
Personal preference. There were even some that were half octogon and half round...
Jimmy Stewart in one of the 10 best classic westerns of all time.
Actually, back when barrels were made by individual gunsmiths by hand (by wrapping a heated iron bar around a smaller cold round bar and hammering), it was easier to make an octagonal barrel than a round one. The outside of the barrel was filed by hand and getting one round enough so that there were no flaws showing was difficult. Straight cuts were easier (from various books on early gunsmithing). After metal lathes and mass production became common, round was easier and cheaper. However, the octagonal barrels were produced for many more years because that was what people were used to seeing. Actually, the round barrel 1873 was less expensive to buy back then than the octagonal barrel was. More octagonal barrels were sold though.
BTW, I have a 24" barrel version of the 44-40 Uberti-Winchester 1873. Other than the case, I would not recommend stiff loads because the knee-joint action is not very strong. Strong enough for black-powder or equal pressure loads, but not strong enough for heavier loads. Actually, I use Swiss BP myself. It is plenty strong enough for fun use.
The only problem I have with modern 44-40's is that they are all made with .44 Magnum barrels. That is too large. Some have chambers that are large enough for .44 Magnum bullet so that solves the problem. Unfortunately, others (such as the Ruger Vaquero, which I have two) have snug chambers and cannot use the larger bullets. Accuracy is poor.
Factory loaded .44-40 ammunition is expensive and not widely available. I would recommend .45 Colt caliber for Cowboy Action Shooting. It's a lot easier to reload.
It interesting to note the original frontier rifles were not chambered in .45 Colt as they are today. A lot of frontiersman chose a revolver chambered in .44-40 so that both their pistol and rifle would use the same ammo. The two calibers are NOT interchangeable and trying to use a .45 Colt cartridge in a .44-40 rifle usually resulted in jamming the action (not a good idea in a gunfight)
The octagon shape makes the barrel heavier. As most marksmen know, a heavy barrel can assist with accuracy. The choice of barrel design was a matter of taste by those on the frontier as it is today. Frontier weapons were often customized and very much a reflection of the owner's preference.
Thanks for the informative dissertation on round/octagonal barrels.
Used to deer hunt with one like that.
I wish I still had it.
It didn't just kill a deer; at less than a hundred yards, it knocked him flat!
LOL!! Life doesn't get any better than this, does it? (Unless you're actually at the range with a great antique firearm. I shot skeet last weekend with a 1912-vintage Remington model 10 that I bought over an internet auction for about $100...and I broke more birds than I ever had!!! Time to order a couple of cases of Winchester AAs!!)
the .410 shotgun round started out as a 44-40 shot cartridge. It evolved into a brass-cased, 2-inch shotshell, then a 2 1/2 inch paper shotshell, and finally ended up as the 3-inch plastic shotshell we have today. Most people don't know about this...your friend was pretty astute.
The lever action / handgun in the same caliber is a fun one. 44 Mag lever actions are available from all the major manufacturers including Winchester, Marlin, Henry and the Italian ones.
.44 Mag handguns are much more available than those in .44/40 and include not just single actions (Ruger Blackhawk, Vaquero, etc.) but also Smith & Wessons famous Model 29, the excellent Ruger Redhawk, the Colt Annaconda (once again in production) and others from Taurus and others.
.44 Mags shoot .44 specials in both revolvers and lever actions and from their power factors increase to big heavy 300 grain bullets at over 1200 fps. They are also available at every WalMart. The .45 Colt would be a runner up but is not quite as versitile, available or economical. You can buy some very hard hitting even bigger bore rounds for it.
My current choice for a practical pistol/carbine combo would probably be a 4" 629 Smith & Wesson coupled with a straight stocked Marlin lever action.
Marlin .44 Mag 
The first .44 Mag, the classic Smith six shooter in 4" form.
The Colt Anaconda, 6"
The Henry Big Boy
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