The original Winchester-Colt cartridge — the first designed to work in both a lever-action rifle and a revolver. The definitive frontier cartridge of the American West.
Type: Pistol
Introduced: 1873, United States
Parent case: None
Standardization: SAAMI
Bullet diameter: 0.427" (10.85 mm)
Case length: 1.305" (33.15 mm)
Overall length: 1.592" (40.44 mm)
Max pressure: 13,000 PSI
Rim type: Rimmed
Primer: Large Pistol
Typical twist rate: 1:36
Muzzle velocity: 1150–1400 fps
Muzzle energy: 585–945 ft-lbs
Effective range: 100 yd
Common bullet weights: 200, 217 gr
Primary use: Cowboy Action, Self-Defense
Production status: Active
Also known as: .44 WCF · .44-40 WCF · 44-40
History: Introduced with the Winchester Model 1873 — 'The Gun That Won the West.' Colt chambered the Single Action Army for it in 1878 at customer request, creating the first rifle-revolver pair sharing a cartridge. Became the most popular cartridge in the American West by the 1880s. Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and Buffalo Bill all used rifles chambered for it.
Notable firearms: Winchester Model 1873, Winchester Model 1892, Colt Single Action Army, Colt Lightning
Similar cartridges: .38-40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .44 Special