.38-40 Winchester
| .38-40 Winchester | ||
|---|---|---|
 .40 S&W, .38-40 Winchester .44 S&W Spl, and .45 ACP cartridges. |
||
| Type | Pistol | |
| Place of origin | United States | |
| Production history | ||
| Designer | Winchester Repeating Arms Company | |
| Produced | 1874 to 1937, now in production again. | |
| Specifications | ||
| Parent case | .44-40 Winchester | |
| Case type | rimmed, bottlenecked | |
| Bullet diameter | .401 in (10.2 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | .416 in (10.6 mm) | |
| Shoulder diameter | .4543 in (11.54 mm) | |
| Base diameter | .465 in (11.8 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | .520 in (13.2 mm) | |
| Rim thickness | .058 in (1.5 mm) | |
| Case length | 1.30 in (33 mm) | |
| Overall length | 1.59 in (40 mm) | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 180 gr (12 g) SP | 1,160 ft/s (350 m/s) | 538 ft·lbf (729 J) |
| Source(s): Cartridges of the World, 11th ed | ||
The .38-40 Winchester is actually a .40 caliber cartridge shooting .401 caliber bullets. The cartridge that was introduced by Winchester in 1874 and is derived from their .44-40 Winchester. This cartridge was introduced for rifles, but in its reintroduction for Cowboy Action Shooting it has seen some popularity as a pistol cartridge. It is not particularly well suited to hunting larger game, but it was popular when it was introduced, along with the previous .44-40 Winchester, for deer hunting. It can be used successfully on smaller game animals, and for self defense. Current loadings are intended for revolvers.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Design and history
It is unclear why this cartridge was introduced as it is very similar to the .44-40 from which it was derived. It has approximately 110 ft·lbf (150 J) less muzzle energy, and has a muzzle velocity about 110 ft/s (34 m/s) less than the .44-40. The bullet differs by only .026 inches in bullet diameter and 20 grains (1.3 g) in standard bullet weight from the original .44-40. The goal may have been to reduce recoil while maintaining a similar bullet sectional density.[2] One unusual design element of this cartridge is that factory ammunition was loaded with a different case profile than the standard chamber for this cartridge, factory ammunition having a much longer neck than the standard chamber. Most reloading dies are designed to size fired brass to the chamber specification rather than that of the original factory ammunition case profile.[3]
The renewed interest in this caliber can be explained by the increasing popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting.[3] Several single-action revolvers have recently been chambered for this cartridge, including the Ruger Vaquero. Most modern reloading data for this cartridge is found in the handgun section of reloading manuals.
[edit] Performance
Though introduced as an "all-around" cartridge, traditional sources suggest the .38-40 performs inadequately on deer.[3] Ballistically, commercial 'cowboy' loads are similar to the much newer .40 S&W, sharing the same bullet diameter, bullet weight, and similar velocity.[4] A limited number of 'hunting' loads are available commercially, which produce about 25% more muzzle energy than the more common target ammunition.[5]
[edit] Synonyms
- .38-40
- .38-40 WCF
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: .38-40 Winchester |
- ^ a b Barnes, Frank C. (2006) [1965]. Skinner, Stan. ed. Cartridges of the World (11th Edition ed.). Iola, WI, USA: Gun Digest Books. p. 92. ISBN 0-89689-297-2.
- ^ Waters, Ken (1990) [1980]. Pet Loads, volume 2 (5th Edition ed.). Prescott, AZ, USA: Wolfe Publishing. pp. 443–447. ISBN 0-935632-33-6.
- ^ a b c Jones, Allan, ed. (1998). Speer Reloading Manual (13th Edition ed.). Lewiston, ID, USA: Blount, Inc.. pp. 394–400, 542–542.
- ^ [1], Midway 38-40 Ten-X.
- ^ [2], Midway 38-40 Winchester Super-X.
