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Which is a better cartridge .45LC or .44-40?


GUest

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I already know that 44/40 is more authentic..... But which is better in performance and reloading? I read somewhere that 44/40's are a pain to reload....

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Ginger no wait Maryann, .45 is more authentic in pistol 44/40 in rifle. Can't speak for 44/40 because I don't have one, .45 colt is my caliber both pistol and rifle and I shoot Black Powder, does take more cleaning because of the straight walls in the rifle than 44/40 bottle neck, however reloading is easier because of that same reason.

Rafe

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Chevy or Ford? 45 is straight walled, 44-40 is bottle neck. Bottle neck cartridges can be more finicky to reload because of the thinner neck. I would buy which ever one I got the better deal on. There are a lot more 45's out there than 44-40 and some early Rugers had problems with consistent sizing.

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Sort of like asking which is better, Kathryn Zeta Jones or Angelina JoLee. And no, I don't know how they actually spell their names. But as to cartridges, each was designed for a different purpose, and each has merits and flaws peculiar to itself. I personally have shot thousands of rounds of each, and I own and use guns currently in each. Along with another fifteen or so "cowboy" calibers. It sorta depends on what you want to do with the cartridge as to which one would be best.... Ducky

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Hands down 44-40 better cartridge all the way around.

 

KK

Gotta agree with KK here . While there is a learning curve to reloading the 44-40 it is the cleaner of the two in pistol or rifle .

 

If you shoot black powder or substitutes there is a huge difference in the rifle action staying clean and in service

 

Train Robber

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If you are ready for an informed opinion, you won't get it here; I don't own either! :)

 

My long term wish list includes a big bore rifle for Wild Bunch. Most of the "legal" rifles I see for sale are chambered in .45 Colt, but some shooters have problems with "blowby"-gas flowing around the case, into the action and sometimes into the shooter's face. Sometimes it can be eliminated or reduced by changing load data but this has caused me to lean towards the .44-40. If I ever wanted to shoot black powder the .44-40 would really shine.

 

I have a friend who shoots .45 Colt and he uses .45 Cowboy Special cases for his revolver loads. If you don't know that's a rimmed cartridge with the same case length as a .45 ACP. That might cause me to favor the .45 Colt in a revolver.

 

Thinking Classic Cowboy category, perhaps? Remember that you have to shoot with one hand there.

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I'll take the .44-40 anytime, especially for black powder. When Colt introduced the .44-40 in revolvers in approx.1878, it became very popular so they could use the same ammo for rifle and handgun.

 

Rye :)

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Does .45 Colt ammo have a significant cost advantage over .44-40?

 

Seems like the .44-40 brass is dear to the heart's of it's shooters.

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45 or 44-40 depends.

What do you have in hand? That would be the one to use.

Do you plan to shoot BP? 44-40 better with sealing blow by.

Cost difference is not much once you have your brass.

Primers = same

Powder charge = same or a little less if you want

Bullets = same

 

Yes, the 44-40 can be finicky to reload. But once you get your dies set they are no more an issue than 45.

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Howdy

 

I load and shoot both. Usually with Black Powder, sometimes with Smokeless. There is nothing more authentic about either.

 

44-40 was introduced in 1873 as the chambering for the WInchester Model 1873. 45 Colt was introduced in 1873 as the first chambering for the Colt Single Action Army. The only thing 'more authentic' about 44-40 is that rifles were never chambered for 45 Colt until very recently, 44-40 always had a larger diameter rim, because the extractor claw of a rifle needed more surface to get a purchase on. Early 45 Colt cartridges had tiny rims that an extractor claw would never get a hold on, the cartridge was designed to be poked out of the cylinder of a revolver from the inside by an ejector rod, so a large diameter rim was not needed. Modern 45 Colt cartridges have a larger diameter rim that a rifle can grab.

 

In the following photo, the cartridges are, left to right, an old 44-40, an old 45 Colt, and a modern 45 Colt. Compare the rim diameters of the old 44-40 and the old 45 Colt. You can see why a rifle extractor would not have been able to grab the old 45 Colt round.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Driftwood_Johnson/cartridges/444045colt45colt.jpg

 

 

Yes, 44-40 can be a bit fussier to reload, the brass is thinner at the neck and this makes it easier to damage the neck if one is rushing. It also can cause difficulty in forming a crimp. The thicker brass of the 45 Colt is more forgiving in both of these aspects. I always slow down when loading 44-40 on my progressive press, so as not to damage the necks. I load up 45 Colt at a slightly brisker pace.

 

Also, because of the tapered design, carbide dies are not available for 44-40, so cases usually need to be lubed when reloaded. Carbide dies are available for 45 Colt which simplify loading slightly by eliminating the need to lube the brass.

 

That same thin brass at the neck, usually around .007 vs about .012, makes the brass expand more easily at low pressures, so 44-40 usually seals the chamber better than 45 Colt. Yes, this makes it the darling of Black Powder shooters because it keeps all the fouling in the barrel of a rifle, rather than allowing some to blow by into the action. Not so much of an advantage with a revolver, fouling is going to blast out of the barrel/cylinder gap and get everyplace anyway.

 

Yes, 44-40 brass is slightly more expensive than 45 Colt. Current price at Starline is $110.50 for 500 44-40, $101.00 for 500 45 Colt.

 

There you have it, you pays your money you takes your choice.

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If you want to shoot big loads outside of SASS - like a 300 grain projectile at 1200 fps out of a revolver (that can handle that load) - the 44 WCF won't cut it - The 45 Colt is the better 'all-round' cartridge between the two.

 

G ( who shoots BP in 44 WCF in the rifle and 45 Colt in the pistol ) G ~ :FlagAm:

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What Driftwood said- both are authentic, both have there issues, .45 colt blow back in rifle, 44-40 a little harder to reload and empties seem to disappear. at shoots. I shoot black in .45 colt just because that's what I got, and I stay with it because that's what is easiest for me to load, don't have to get new dies, brass, etc.

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