38/44 S&W cartridge..
- Thread starter oldiron
- Start date
Willy Tincup
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Owen Sound
The 38-44 Smith and Wesson is an antique cartridge from the 1880's but there is also a modern high pressure 38-44 Special round so one must be careful to not confuse the 2 rounds. I have a book with some good info on the early round; uses a .355 to .360 bullet so I would think the common .357 bullets should work. The book talks about how the bullet is seated very deep in the case............PM me if you want more info from the book. If the gun is reasonably priced I'd say 'go for it'.
- Location
- Alberta, let freedom reign!
As said antique. I was looking at a nice revolver chambered in such but scarcity scared me away.
So a pre-98 gun in 38-44 should pass as antique, for import? Or does other .38 or .357 ammo fit? As I say, I don't know much about this round. Thanks..
- Location
- Not really sure.
I don't see this cartridge listed and If the gun came from the factory as a 38 44 then your good to go in my opinion, regardless if another shorter cartridge for example fits ect.
Willy Tincup
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Owen Sound
The 38-44 S&W was introduced as a target round in a 38 cal but on a 44 frame revolver and thus the name. They were made from 1887 until 1910 so one will have to be careful about the 1897 date for the antique frame. In looking at the case specs it looks like the .357 maximum case should be very close in size. The bullets were seated deep into the long case as an accuracy improvement technique and apparently was successful.........according to my info. Cheers!
Lee Enfield
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Alberta
All of the (SA & DA) large frame top break frames were (proveably according to Roy Jinks) manufactured before 1898, but the remainders were not sold and shipped until @1910.
Just like the Colt 1877 and 1878 revolvers.
Does anyone actually believe Colt manufactured 1877 frames after the debut of the New Pocket and New Police in '93 and '97 respectively; or 1878 frames after the debut of the New Service in '97??
But the RCMP (and BATF) tend to go by shipping date.
The law is reflective of the date it was manufactured, not the date it was shipped in both Canada and the US. If there is no manufacturing information on record the earliest confirmed date may end up being the shipping date.
So the RCMP have passed the 38/44 cal. as antique, but not the gun. It's a New Model S&W. According to the calculator, "it may have been sent out in 1900 or 1901". That's what they go by?? The fricken Calculator?? Maybe they should use a computer and a reference book.
Any good ideas as to what to try next? Thanks all.
Any good ideas as to what to try next? Thanks all.
- Location
- Georgetown Ontario
It's not that they approved the round as antique it's more like it's not on the list of no go calibers as far as I know but there are more knowledgable people than me here on the subject so don't take it as fact from me.
I'm waiting for some info fron the US, but I don't think it will help my case. They don't sem to go with the ' "All N.M. S&W #3 frames were built before '98" idea anymore. Still trying tho.
