Originally Posted by S&WIowegan

I own a 544 that is a shooter. This was a Texas commemerative and there are lots of them available. The ammo in stores is very mild for SASS cowboy shooting. I also have a Ruger Blackhawk .44-40/.44 Magnum convert.

There are several interesting facts about both these guns. First, the barrels are both sized for .44 SPL/Mag which is a .429" bore. The .44-40 is nominally a .427" bore so lead bullets with that diameter aren't very accurate in the two modern guns mentioned above. Second, chambers in the same two guns seem to vary a bit. Factory ammo fits OK but when you reload the brass you may discover the sizing die needs to be adjusted specifically to fit each gun.

I suggest the original .44-40 can be described as a bit hotter than a .44 Special. It is a fun cartridge.