WTH 44 mag or 44-40?

[The Blackhawk Kid]

I have a buddy that had a NM Vaquero chambered in 44-40. He had a devil of a time getting it to shoot to POI. He got frustrated when a cowboy shooter told him that Ruger uses 44 mag reamers. Cimmaron Arms uses 44/40 reamers. 44 mags are .429 & 44/40 is .426. My friend now owns two Cimmarons in 44/40, and life is back to normal. Anyone else have had this problem? Just wondered. BhK 8)

 

[gramps]

My Redhawk throats are .429, the SBH throats are .430.
gramps

 

[Jimbo357mag]

They used .429 throats and .429 barrels so you could shoot 44 caliber bullets. ...or maybe it was just convenient to use them for building 44-40 guns and 44mag / 44-40 convertibles. Same as with the 357mag / 9mm.

 

[Sacramento Johnson]

Yes, this is very well known; Ruger has always used .429 barrels for their 44-40s. They did under throat the cylinders on many of them (.425 or so), which necesitated a throat ream, to get them to shoot well (unless using very soft lead rounds such as with black powder). Uberti (who probably made the guns your friend bought from Cimmaron; Cimmaron is only a distributor, not a maker), has varied over the years, sometimes using .429 barrels, other times .427 or so, on their rifles, and I suspect their revolvers as well. (Can't speak for Pietta, another Italian maker of 44-40s.)
Actually, I prefer the .429 barrels; makes it easier finding components, as I can use stuff made for 44 mag and 44 special which are much more available than 44-40 stuff. I can also find and fit 44 mag cylinders to Ruger's 44-40s, giving me even more options for calibers to shoot.