Pistol · SAAMI
.44-40 Winchester
The original Winchester-Colt cartridge — the first designed to work in both a lever-action rifle and a revolver.
- Caliber
- 0.4272″ · 10.85 mm
- Introduced
- 1873
- Case
- Rimmed
- Primary use
- Cowboy Action, Self-Defense
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1873
- Type
- Pistol
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Winchester
- Manufacturer
- Winchester Repeating Arms
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 40 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:36
- Primer
- Large Pistol
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 11,000 psi, SAAMI transducer
- Eff. range
- 100 yd
- Max range
- 2000 yd
- Recoil
- 2.5–5.2 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Introduced by Winchester Repeating Arms
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .44-40 Winchester.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 10.85 | 0.427 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 11.25 | 0.443 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 11.60 | 0.457 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 4° | — | ~ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.97 | 0.471 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 13.34 | 0.525 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.65 | 0.065 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 7.36 | 0.290 | ≈ |
| Case length | 33.15 | 1.305 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 40.44 | 1.592 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .44-40 Winchester is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Suitable powders
6 reloading powders listed for .44-40 Winchester, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .44-40 Winchester
Lineage
Connected reference
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.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .44-40 Winchester use?
- .44-40 Winchester typically uses a 1:36 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .44-40 Winchester?
- .44-40 Winchester uses a 0.4272″ (10.85 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .44-40 Winchester still in production?
- .44-40 Winchester is active; typical availability is common.
- What is .44-40 Winchester used for?
- .44-40 Winchester is primarily used for cowboy action, self-defense.
- What are the best powders for .44-40 Winchester?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .44-40 Winchester include No. 2, Universal, HP-38, Herco, among 6 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
- Standard C.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
- Standard SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute) — ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 – 2015 (Centerfire Rifle) — Velocity & Pressure / Cartridge & Chamber Drawings · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Standard SAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .44-40 Winchester archived
- Manufacturer Winchester Ammunition — Super-X Rifle — 44-40 Winchester 200 gr Power-Point (X4440) · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Manufacturer Magtech — 44-40 WIN 225GR LFN (4440B) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 36 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
