Army GI Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) Has anyone tried to chronograph the full powered Winchester 44-40 Super-X ammo from a handgun? I know the Winchester website states that rifle velocity is 1190fps (probably from a 24" test barrel). What about from a revolver? Anybody know? Does it compare with full house black powder loads from a handgun? I know originally, the 44WCF achieved just over 1300fps from a rifle. How fast would that shoot in a handgun? 1000? Anybody make anyour good defensive hollowpoints for it for reloading? Edited January 22, 2017 by Army GI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulp, SASS#28319 Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 I'm betting a full load of FFFg would beat the factory load. I know that with careful reloading one can stomp a mud hole in the factory load in a rifle. You could also blow up a revolver with those same loads. That's why the Winchester loads are what they are. They used to make two versions, an express load and a milder load for handguns. They were specifically labeled as such. But too many folks couldn't or wouldn't read the label, so they were dumbed down for the masses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Army GI Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) Wait, so a full bp load in 44-40 would blow up a single action?? So much for one cartridge for rifle and handgun.. Unless you're referring to the 44-40 HV (high velocity) smokeless powder load that pushed a 200gr bullet to 1600. I'm not interested in those lol. Edited January 22, 2017 by Army GI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 No, a full case of even FFFg black will NOT blow up a SAA. Will be well under the SAAMI pressure standards for .44 WCF cartridge, which are 13,000 Copper Units of Pressure (11,000 PSI). Original .44-40 loads by Winchester were loaded with 40 grains of FFg powder, according to rounds that have been broken down for inspection, and that amount of powder will not fit in modern cases. Good luck, GJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Per "Duke" Venturino, 35 gr. of FFFg (about all that would fit in modern brass produced 1,040 ft/sec from a 7-1/2" barrel Colt's single action. My smokeless loads that produce 1,200 ft/sec in a 24" barrel rifle produce 950 ft/sec from a 7-1/2" Old Model Vaquero. The only time Colt's SAA revolvers blew up with the 40 gr BP and a 250 gr bullet was in the original run of low-number pistols, which had cylinders made of low-quality steel. Colt's replaced them with better quality steel (probably NOT even the equal of modern alloys), and the Army subsequently changed their loadings to 30-35 gr. of BP with a 230 gr. bullet. These were loaded in internally-primed copper (guilding metal) soft cartridge cases, that didn't help with the strength problem. BTW, the original commercial BP loads went as "hot" as 40 gr BP and 255 gr. bullets and no problems that I could find with Colt's SAA's after the switch to better metal in the cylinders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Army GI Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Thanks, everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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