.44-40 conversion to .44mag...
A friend of mine back in Denmark has run over a Winchester lever action of some sort - I don't know the exact model.
But he said it still had the original chambering - cal. .44-40.
I was wondering what the idea was originally - when people rebuilt the .44-40 to .44Mag.
I'm not too good at looking or judging loading data or energy-ratings.
But other than the .44Mag being more readily available than the .44-40 (at some time anyways, I know they began loading the .44-40 again) - what would be the overall reason for such a rebuild or re-chambering.?
Don't do anything that I've allready done - That'd be just plain STOOOOOOPID.
But he said it still had the original chambering - cal. .44-40.
I was wondering what the idea was originally - when people rebuilt the .44-40 to .44Mag.
I'm not too good at looking or judging loading data or energy-ratings.
But other than the .44Mag being more readily available than the .44-40 (at some time anyways, I know they began loading the .44-40 again) - what would be the overall reason for such a rebuild or re-chambering.?
Don't do anything that I've allready done - That'd be just plain STOOOOOOPID.
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Hello HappyNanoq...
Hmmm... you have me confused just a bit with what you are trying to ask[?]
Winchester has made several different lever action models that were chambered for the venerable 44-40 (44 W.C.F.), starting with the Model 1873, and continuing with the Models 1892/92 and 53. In more recent years, Winchester has manufactured the Model 94 in that cartridge chambering as well.
It is not really feasible or practical to convert a 44-40 to the .44 Rem Mag. The two cartridges are dimensionally different. Specifically, the 44-40 is a bit fatter and longer than the .44 Mag. To rechamber a gun from 44-40 to .44 Mag, it would require putting a liner in it, or setting the barrel back and recutting the chamber. In a modern Winchester Model 92 or the Model 94, there is no ballistic reason for making the change either, as the 44-40 can be safely loaded to identical ballistics to the .44 Mag.
Finally, I have no idea why someone would have made that conversion... it sure doesn't make a whole lot of sense from a practicality point of view.
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
Hello Bert H.
Well, to break down and put it on the line...
I was confused too - as I know the two cartridges are not all that similar, but from my scarce experience in looking at dimensions, energylevels, velocity and load-data in general.. I thought I'd ask you guys.
I was on the phone with a friend of mine, he was telling me something about a Winchester Lever-action in the cal.44-40.
And that the guns could be or had been rechambered to a .44Magnum for some reason.
The only reason (off-hand) that I could give him, was that at least in Europe - the .44-40 was not a caliber that was widely used or produced a decade or two ago.
Where as the .44Mag was more readily available.
But now that there's cowboy-loads and factory ammunition in .44-40, I wouldn't think twice about getting the rifle of my dreams either.
(If the rifle of my dreams was a winchester .44-40 hehe)
It might be expencive to shoot - but it would still be great to have eventhough.
[sidenote here....]
Sort of like with the Krag Jorgensen 8mm*58RD I inherited, a danish made model '89 from Copenhagen in 1911.
Eventhough it runs 2-3 US$ a shot in reloads and 3 US$ as new Norma ammunition - I won't ever rebarrel it to anything else.
Don't do anything that I've allready done - That'd be just plain STOOOOOOPID.0 -
Hmmm... I missed the part about the rifle being in Denmark. You probably hit the nail on the head so-to-speak concerning the availability of 44-40 ammo versus .44 Mag being the primary reason for conversion. Chances are very good that it is a Model 1892/92, as a Model 1873 can not be safely converted to .44 Mag.
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
The Model 92 has been converted to 44mag. It involves changing the barrel and altering the cartridge guides. New production 44Mag cartridge guides can probably be bought from Browning or Winchester. Barrels were and still may be available from Numrich Arms (GunParts inc).
Detailed instructions are given in the NRA Gunsmithing book.
As has been said the 44-40 can be handloaded to equivalent power levels and would save the conversion cost if the barrels are any good. The 38-40 which uses all the same parts as the 44-40 can also be converted to 44 Magnum. Until relatively recently, shot out '92s had no value. Today they all have collectors' value.
The big bore '92s gained new life since high speed loadings were long discontinued and these calibers were banned for taking deer in some states.
A point in support of the conversion is that the 44Mag brass is much sturdier and easier to load than either the 38-40 & 44-40 because carbide dies are available for the 44Mag and that the 38-40 & 44-40 want to buckle in the crimping operation.
Top handload for the 38-40 is a 180gr bullet @ 2200fps and a 200gr bullet @ 2100fps for the 44-40 in the model '92 only.
For a collectible gun the conversion is reversible.0 -
Just wanted to say thank you. =o)
I guess it was as I thought in the beginning, but had to be sure.
So thank you guyz - it was even more info than I could hope for. [:)]
Don't do anything that I've allready done - That'd be just plain STOOOOOOPID.0
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