can you tell?
- Thread starter david doyle
- Start date
Yes a 44 40 chamber is a two steped chamber with a slight tapered chamber .
A 44 Russian Chamber throat has a sharp edge to it as it starts and the chamber is shorter than a 44 40 and very strait.
I will take pics and post the two cylinders side by side so people dont make the mistake of buying a gun listed as a 44 Russian when in fact its a 44 40
The one gun you have to watch out for is the long cylinder S&W DAs Most are 44 40 very few are really 44 russian.
Yes thats right theres alot of S&W DAs sold as 44 Russian with long cylinders that are really 44 40
This below is what a 44 Russian chamber looks like strait and no taper some are longer chambers the ones set up to shoot 44 sp but theres no taper in the walls.
look how thick the chamber wall is at the outer edge of the cylinder lotsa meat there on a 44 russian cylinder. look below at the 44 40 infront of the 44 russian you can see the chamber wall thickness is thiner on the 44 40.
Now Below we have a 44 40 cylinder infront and a 44 russian cylinder in behind one with 44 russian once fired case and ones a 44 sp but there the exact same dia case.
A 44 russian and 44 special will be loose at the back end of a 44 40 chamber as can be seen in the pic below.
But in its proper 44 Russian chamber the fit is nice feels right no big wobble.
A good way to tell if a long cylinder S&W DA is a 44 Russian and not a 44 40 is by its ser # they only made a very few 44 S&W CTG guns with long cylinders most were marked for 44 S&W CTG on there barrels side and there Ser #s are high like in the 40,000s and up.
If its a lower ser#ed gun and has a long cylinder good chance its a 44 40.
44 40 can be reamed so a 44 Sp cartridge will chamber but it will have play around the base in front of the rim like in my picture below it will fire form but the cases can split its dangerous to do from what i have read.
Its easy to spot if you got one by the play at the ass end of the cartridge and of course it will still chamber a 44 40 perfect still so is no good as a perscribed antique.
Im only posting this info so guys buying antiques dont end up with a 44 40 restricted firearm when there paying for a perscribed antique.
This below is what a 44 Russian chamber looks like strait and no taper some are longer chambers the ones set up to shoot 44 sp but theres no taper in the walls.
look how thick the chamber wall is at the outer edge of the cylinder lotsa meat there on a 44 russian cylinder. look below at the 44 40 infront of the 44 russian you can see the chamber wall thickness is thiner on the 44 40.
Now Below we have a 44 40 cylinder infront and a 44 russian cylinder in behind one with 44 russian once fired case and ones a 44 sp but there the exact same dia case.
A 44 russian and 44 special will be loose at the back end of a 44 40 chamber as can be seen in the pic below.
But in its proper 44 Russian chamber the fit is nice feels right no big wobble.
A good way to tell if a long cylinder S&W DA is a 44 Russian and not a 44 40 is by its ser # they only made a very few 44 S&W CTG guns with long cylinders most were marked for 44 S&W CTG on there barrels side and there Ser #s are high like in the 40,000s and up.
If its a lower ser#ed gun and has a long cylinder good chance its a 44 40.
44 40 can be reamed so a 44 Sp cartridge will chamber but it will have play around the base in front of the rim like in my picture below it will fire form but the cases can split its dangerous to do from what i have read.
Its easy to spot if you got one by the play at the ass end of the cartridge and of course it will still chamber a 44 40 perfect still so is no good as a perscribed antique.
Im only posting this info so guys buying antiques dont end up with a 44 40 restricted firearm when there paying for a perscribed antique.
Last edited:
Thanks Dingus, crazy eh the importance that a few thou and a degree or two have in determining the class of a firearm. Stupid but that is the law.
So will a 44-40 fit in a long chambered 44 russian gun? Is that the acid test that the RCMP would use when they bring someone to court in a set of coveralls to face charges?
So will a 44-40 fit in a long chambered 44 russian gun? Is that the acid test that the RCMP would use when they bring someone to court in a set of coveralls to face charges?
No a 44 40 will not fit in a 44 Russian gun even if it is reamed to take 44 sp.
The 44 40 case is bigger in its ass end its also a tapered case.
It will go in part way then stick out a good 1/2 inch outa the back of the cylinder.
