The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - .45 Colt vs .44-40 vs .357 Magnum

farscott · December 16, 2002, 05:08 PM

Hmm, an interesting set of cartridges, all of which I love. In standard factory loadings, the .357 Magnum is probably the most versatile (lots of bullet weights and choices, different velocity loads, and the ability to fire the .38 Special); however, the others really can shine when handloaded. The .45 Colt can be handloaded to .44 Special velocities or to surpass the .44 Magnum and was the basis for the .454 Casull. I think the .44-40 is probably the most neglected cartridge other than for cowboy-action shooting because later designs superseded its performance in friendlier packages.

The .44-40 Win (aka .44 WCF) is a slightly bottlenecked cartridge that uses very thin brass. I believe the round was developed for the Winchester 1873 and then found its way into handguns. Handloading is a bit difficult since carbide dies are not available and the thin neck can easily be crumpled, especially if one uses too much lubricant. In factory guise, I am only aware of 200 grain softpoints and flat lead points, and the factory ammo is on the expensive side. While the .44 Special and .44 Magnum use .429" bullets, the .44-40 Win uses .427". I have only one .44-40 Win, the S&W 544. With its 5" barrel, this is one fun N-frame. It can be loaded from .44 Russian velocities to near .44 Magnum velocities in a strong revolver and/or rifle; however, I choose to keep my loads on the .44 Special side (for me, between 750 fps and 950 fps) for fun and easy shooting. In my mind, the .44-40 Win does nothing the others do not do; it just is a historic round that happens to be a lot of fun. It is also the parent round for the .38-40 Win, the 10mm of the West.

December 16, 2002, 05:08 PM	#3
farscott Member Join Date: November 17, 2002 Location: Athens, AL, & Louisville, KY, USA Posts: 18	Hmm, an interesting set of cartridges, all of which I love. In standard factory loadings, the .357 Magnum is probably the most versatile (lots of bullet weights and choices, different velocity loads, and the ability to fire the .38 Special); however, the others really can shine when handloaded. The .45 Colt can be handloaded to .44 Special velocities or to surpass the .44 Magnum and was the basis for the .454 Casull. I think the .44-40 is probably the most neglected cartridge other than for cowboy-action shooting because later designs superseded its performance in friendlier packages. The .44-40 Win (aka .44 WCF) is a slightly bottlenecked cartridge that uses very thin brass. I believe the round was developed for the Winchester 1873 and then found its way into handguns. Handloading is a bit difficult since carbide dies are not available and the thin neck can easily be crumpled, especially if one uses too much lubricant. In factory guise, I am only aware of 200 grain softpoints and flat lead points, and the factory ammo is on the expensive side. While the .44 Special and .44 Magnum use .429" bullets, the .44-40 Win uses .427". I have only one .44-40 Win, the S&W 544. With its 5" barrel, this is one fun N-frame. It can be loaded from .44 Russian velocities to near .44 Magnum velocities in a strong revolver and/or rifle; however, I choose to keep my loads on the .44 Special side (for me, between 750 fps and 950 fps) for fun and easy shooting. In my mind, the .44-40 Win does nothing the others do not do; it just is a historic round that happens to be a lot of fun. It is also the parent round for the .38-40 Win, the 10mm of the West. __________________ Scott