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38/40-- 44/40 safety question


Mosey West

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Seeing as how a 38/40 is a necked down 44/40, would it be possible to accidently chamber the 38/40 in a 44/40 chamber and fire it? The base of the case would be the same and the brass

is listed the same length.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Mosey West

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Sure can happen. Fortunately, putting a .38 WCF in a .44 WCF gun is not a dangerous situation. The bullet can't seal the barrel, so a lot of powder gas just squirts right on by. With our quick powders that burn in the case, you might even get enough velocity to hit steel with the shot at 20 yards, after the bullet has bounced down the barrel. Forms the case out to be a .44-40.

 

Good luck, GJ

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Would not be accurate but no harm.

 

 

Joe, You were quicker than me.

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Howdy, Pards,

In the movies, blanks were used interchangeably in .38-40, .44-40 and .45 LC, plus two others I can't recall. These were/are called "5-in-1's". The main thing that matters in this instance is the diameter of the rim. When shooting 5-in-1's in a .45 LC, the base of the case will expand, but the pressures are low. If you use Winchester .38-40 ammo in a .44-40, you might split the mouth of the brass due to the thinness of Winchester brass. But it won't bother anything other than the ability to reuse the brass. And it might not split at all!

 

With smokeless powder loads you MIGHT want to be sure the bullet didn't lodge in the barrel of a rifle due to the powder not getting enough pressure to drive it out. I doubt there'd be a problem with a pistol. You should be able to see or hear an impact somewhere downrange.

 

Ride careful, Pards! Godspeed to those still in harm's way in the defense of Freedom everywhere! God Bless America! :FlagAm:

 

Your Pard,

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44-40 shoots from a 45 Colt gun also. That 's why my wife now has all 45 Colt guns. It really ruins the brass but doesn't hurt anything else, at least with BP.

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Seeing as how a 38/40 is a necked down 44/40, would it be possible to accidently chamber the 38/40 in a 44/40 chamber and fire it? The base of the case would be the same and the brass

is listed the same length.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Mosey West

Well you fellas sure must know what you're talking about.

Thanks for answering my curiosity.

 

Mosey West

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Howdy

 

I have fired 44-40s in my 45 Colt revolvers. Everybody who has never done it talks about how the bullet will rattle down the barrel and will not be accurate. But I was able to hit a CAS pistol target every time.

 

Somebody asked a similar question over on the Ruger forum a couple of years ago. Everybody there said it would be dangerous and did not recommend it. Some even cautioned the brass would split and the gun could blow up. When I mentioned I had done just such a thing I got told I had done a very dangerous thing. By people who had absolutely no experience with the cartridges mentioned.

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I have fired 44-40s in my 45 Colt revolvers. Everybody who has never done it talks about how the bullet will rattle down the barrel and will not be accurate. But I was able to hit a CAS pistol target every time.

 

Yep, when I've fired .44-40s in my .45, still get hits at pistol ranges. Haven't even known it until I've poked the brass out of the cylinder.

 

Of course, with .38 and .44 WCF, there's an extra 0.005" gap around the slug, compared with .44 in a .45.

 

Good luck, GJ

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Not to highjack the post: but I accidently loaded a .452 250gr BL bullet in a .44 Mag case (with BP) - can it be fired from my 'original model' Vaquero - it fits :mellow: ...or should I just invest in a bullet puller.

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Not to highjack the post: but I accidently loaded a .452 250gr BL bullet in a .44 Mag case (with BP) - can it be fired from my 'original model' Vaquero - it fits :mellow: ...or should I just invest in a bullet puller.

 

Well, you ain't a real reloader if you don't own a bullet puller. Unless you are perfect, which you have now disproved. :lol:

 

And, yeah, you could shoot a combination like what you made out of an old Vaquero . 45 Colt with no worries. Because it's BP pressures. The tighter fit of brass-to-slug in the neck is not going to raise pressures any appreciable amount.

 

Good luck, GJ

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Well, you ain't a real reloader if you don't own a bullet puller. Unless you are perfect, which you have now disproved. :lol:

 

And, yeah, you could shoot a combination like what you made out of an old Vaquero . 45 Colt with no worries. Because it's BP pressures. The tighter fit of brass-to-slug in the neck is not going to raise pressures any appreciable amount.

 

Good luck, GJ

 

Thanks - until last week I had a 1000's perfectly fine reload record for 15 years (only loading 45 Colt though :D ) - oh well......next thing you know I'll load a primer upside down :wacko:

 

:lol:

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Yep, when I've fired .44-40s in my .45, still get hits at pistol ranges. Haven't even known it until I've poked the brass out of the cylinder.

 

Of course, with .38 and .44 WCF, there's an extra 0.005" gap around the slug, compared with .44 in a .45.

 

Good luck, GJ

 

Actually you have a .428 +or- .001 going down a .451 +or- .001 barrel. Chances are it will rattle a bit. :)

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A 38-40 is a 40/40 (.401) diameter bullet and a 44/40 is a (.427) so there is not a lot of difference.

Winchester didn't want to confuse people, so they called the smaller one a .38 WCF or 38/40.

 

5 in 1 blanks are called that because they fit in 5 (really 3) different caliber guns. Colt SAA chambered in 38/40....44/40.....45 Colt and the 2 Winchester rifles...Model 1892 and model 1873...both chambered in 38/40 and 44/40. Hence 5 in 1 for the 3 pistols and 2 rifles chambered cartridges. Just Sayin'

 

Big Jake

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Not to highjack the post: but I accidently loaded a .452 250gr BL bullet in a .44 Mag case (with BP) - can it be fired from my 'original model' Vaquero - it fits :mellow: ...or should I just invest in a bullet puller.

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

 

I found out you can't stuff a 255 grain 45 bullet into a 44-40 case. Had one get mixed in with my brass once.

Shaves lead and smashes the case down like a little brass accordion. :lol:

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Not to highjack the post: but I accidently loaded a .452 250gr BL bullet in a .44 Mag case (with BP) - can it be fired from my 'original model' Vaquero - it fits :mellow: ...or should I just invest in a bullet puller.

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

Done it been there - could not figure out why the case looked so funny until I looked at the head stamp and found out it was a 44 Mag case. Pitched into the bushes because it looked so goofy.

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Not to highjack the post: but I accidently loaded a .452 250gr BL bullet in a .44 Mag case (with BP) - can it be fired from my 'original model' Vaquero - it fits :mellow: ...or should I just invest in a bullet puller.

 

Howdy

 

You should leave it as is and keep it on your reloading bench as a reminder.

 

By the way, here is a photo of a 44-40 case in the center that was fired out of one of my 45 Colt revolvers. It is flanked by an damagaged 45 Colt on the left and an undamaged 44-40 on the right. You can see how the case 'bellied out' at top where the brass is thinnest. I should post this over on the Ruger forum for the guys to see who told me the brass would split and the gun would blow up.

 

brass

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A 38-40 is a 40/40 (.401) diameter bullet and a 44/40 is a (.427) so there is not a lot of difference.

Winchester didn't want to confuse people, so they called the smaller one a .38 WCF or 38/40.

 

5 in 1 blanks are called that because they fit in 5 (really 3) different caliber guns. Colt SAA chambered in 38/40....44/40.....45 Colt and the 2 Winchester rifles...Model 1892 and model 1873...both chambered in 38/40 and 44/40. Hence 5 in 1 for the 3 pistols and 2 rifles chambered cartridges. Just Sayin'

 

Big Jake

 

Well, I almost had it right! With age, the mind is the secondthing to go! (Speaking of blanks!) :blush:

 

Seriously, Pards, if you ever have an occasion to utilize "blanks", at close range THEY CAN BE DANGEROUS...EVEN DEADLY! NEVER sweep anybody or yourself with a gun loaded with blanks! In the first place, the wad CAN KILL. And the gun might have gotten mis-loaded with LIVE ammo! It's happened! :o If you look real close at most of the movies, you'll generally see the guns aren't pointing directly at the other actor. Allegedly, the gun safety officers tell the actors to "aim off" a bit!

 

Ride careful, Pards! Godspeed to those still in harm's way in the defense of Freedom everywhere! God Bless America! :FlagAm:

 

Your Pard,

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At the range burning up "maybe" reloads I have fired many 44-40s from my .45 so I only have one gun to clean. Careful work will resize them to 440-40 again. Probably shortens the life of the case, but it makes decent practice ammo. Conversely, I have loaded .45LC in my 44-40 rifle and NEVER been able to chamber them. Go figure. :D

 

CR

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