Lindcott Armory Revolver · Obsolete
.44 S&W American
The first large-bore cartridge from Smith & Wesson's top-break revolver era, adopted by the US Army in 1870.
- Caliber
- 0.434″ · 11.024 mm
- Introduced
- 1869
- Case
- Rimmed
- Primary use
- Military, Self Defense
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 1869
- Type
- Revolver
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Smith & Wesson
- Manufacturer
- Smith & Wesson
- Standard
- Obsolete
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Antique
- Case capacity
- 23.5 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:20
- Primer
- Large Pistol
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 18,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 50 yd
- Max range
- 100 yd
- Recoil
- 2.5–4 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open .44 S&W American ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · secondary source| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 11.02 | 0.434 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 11.13 | 0.438 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 11.18 | 0.440 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 12.85 | 0.506 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.27 | 0.050 | ~ |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 23.11 | 0.910 | · |
| Overall length | 36.58 | 1.440 | · |
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 S&W American is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 5 active loads across 4 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 19 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons | Lead RN | 218 | Lead RN | 650 | 204 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Lead RN Reproduction | 218 | Lead RN | 650 | 204 | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | Lead RN | 218 | Lead RN | 650 | 204 | — |
| Fiocchi | Lead RN | 218 | Lead RN | 650 | 204 | — |
| Fiocchi | Historical | 246 | LRN | 600 | 197 | — |
| Bertram | Bertram Reloads | 218 | Lead RN | 650 | 204 | — |
| HSM Ammunition | Cowboy | 218 | Lead Round Nose | 650 | 204 | — |
| Doubletap | Hardcast | 218 | Lead Round Nose | 650 | 204 | — |
| Graf | FMJ Standard | 218 | Lead Round Nose | 650 | 204 | — |
| Bertram | Custom | 218 | Lead Round Nose | 650 | 204 | — |
| Jamison | Custom | 218 | Lead Round Nose | 650 | 204 | — |
| Hirtenberger | Standard | 218 | Lead Round Nose | 650 | 204 | — |
| Old Western Scrounger | OWS Heritage | 218 | Lead RN | 650 | 204 | — |
| OWS | Standard | 218 | Lead Round Nose | 650 | 204 | — |
| Winchester | Lead RN | 218 | Lead RN | 650 | 204 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
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 S&W American
7 models in the database chamber .44 S&W American. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Introduced in 1869 for the S&W Model 3 top-break revolver. The US Army adopted it in 1870 — briefly replacing the cap-and-ball era. When Russia contracted for S&W revolvers, their ordnance officers specified improvements that produced the .44 Russian. The original .44 American was overshadowed by its successor almost immediately. Original revolvers are 19th-century antiques; ammunition must be custom-produced.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .44 S&W American use?
- .44 S&W American typically uses a 1:20 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .44 S&W American?
- .44 S&W American uses a 0.434″ (11.024 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .44 S&W American still in production?
- .44 S&W American is discontinued; typical availability is antique.
- What is .44 S&W American used for?
- .44 S&W American is primarily used for military, self defense.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 5 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →