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Why do I shoot the 38-40 ...CLEAN!


Rancho Roy

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Today I decided to take my 1866 Uberti apart and give it a cleaning for this weekends upcomming Tri-State at Harvard Sportsman's Club in Harvard, Massachusetts.


I like shooting guns, I like working on guns, I like fondling guns.....I'm not a big fan on cleaning guns.


I did the mathe. This 1866 in 38-40 (38WCF) has fired just a bit under 500 rounds since its last cleaning. I've run a brush and patch down the barrel after every 100 rounds or so, but I've not taken it apart, except to short stroke it, since I started shooting it in CAS last year.


I was simply amazed at how clean it was inside!


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Other than a bit of dirty oil there was zero powder residue. No thick crud what so ever! I could have simply put it back together and gone another 500 rounds!


I was shooting a few rifles in 45 long colt when I first started CAS. But the blowback from these extremely low pressure loadings we shoot left a terrible mess in the guns = more cleaning!


The 38-40 and its big sister the 44-40 use extremely thin brass in the neck and even at super low pressures they seal the chamber and I never have as much as a smudge on the cases after firing.


Best advise I could ever give someone starting out in this sport....44-40 or 38-40 in everything!


BTW, you can read about the "Short Stroking" on my web site... www.rvbprecision.com

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I just took my 73 in 44-40 and my 66 in 45 colt to the range and shot 100 rounds out of each. The 66 carrier was completely black by the time we got through. The 66 in fact only fired 90 rounds, as it jammed up and wouldn't cycle after that. The 73 on the other hand has still cycling smoothly and the carrier was mostly brass. And this was all with smokeless powder. I can't imagine what the 66 would look like with black powder. The 73 was also very easy to clean up afterward, while the 66 took a complete breakdown.

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+10000 on the bottle necks!

 

.44-40 works great fer me! :)

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I'm noting the same with my 32-20s and BP...

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I can't wait to start shooting the 44-40. I started having a few issues with my 45 Colt 1873 at the PA a State shoot. I could not believe how dirty it was after only a few hundred rounds of smokeless.

 

See you in Harvard.

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Four years ago I did a complete breakdown on my 73 carbine 44WCF. Last year I pulled the side plate off. Clean on the inside so I replaced the side plate. I shoot Smokeless & Black Subs. The black stays cleaner than the smokeless.

I may break it down this Summer for a clean and lube before the fall season starts.

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I shoot original Winnies in .32 and .38 WCF, later called .32-20 and .38-40 by other manufacturers.

Excellent rounds. They stay clean with BP, subs or even dirty smokeless powders.

They also ring of history when being loaded.

The .32WCF is one of the most versatile rounds ever. It can be loaded down to near zero-recoil 78 grain loads or upped to near .30 M-1 Carbine loads in a 1892 action.

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An even dozen .38-40's in my vault. :) I had some in my collection, but about 6 years ago, Sportsman's Warehouse discontinued and closed out their WW .38-40 brass, and I bought all the warehouse in SLC had left for $9.20/bag... I had to buy a few more after that. :P

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That's why I only shoot 38-40's for Frontier Cartridge - they keep the action/carrier clean.

Exactly why I shoot 38WCF (38-40) . CLEAN ! The 44-40, 38-40,32-20 were designed for black powder revolvers and rifles. Flame and Smoke all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I shot my 66 in FCD. all last year with-out doing any cleaning under the plate just cleaning the barrel,

bolt And block and spraying down the outside of the action with ballistol... It is chambered in .45 Colt, I shot Catus Flats (spring & fall two day shoots) Palmers Gulch (BC Championships),Porcupine Hills

Shadow Riders (Spring & fall two day shoots),SASS Canadian Nationals and other monthly shoots...

At the end of our shooting season I took it all apart and cleaned it up...

 

It worked just fine ...

I used full case loads drop-tubed into the cases and compressed 3/16 of an inch by the bullet of 3F Goex

with a 1-30 tin lead bullet weighing 270 grains (RNFP)lubed with SPG.

 

 

Jabez Cowboy

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