I bought a new/with case Model 544 in 1987, S/N TWT2703, in 1987. I kept thinking about shooting it, bought a set of dies and a couple boxes of Winchester factory-fresh .44-40 fodder. Never did shoot it but sold it to a gentleman who bought a couple other of my guns during the post-nubial division of the goods/paying my lawyer.

I had encountered an as-new in box Colt New Frontier with a 4-3/4 inch barrel chambered in .44-40. I sent it back to Colt who added a cylinder cut for the .44 Special.

I had no chronograph but had timed both .44 Special loadings I wanted to compare to the .44-40 in the Colt. One was the Winchester 246 grain RNL Special that usually gave me about 700 fps. The second was the Skelton load, a cast 250 grain SWC over 7.5 grains Unique which usually got me 850-950 fps depending on which handgun.

I fired all 200 rounds that afternoon. The .44-40 felt like it was not any harder recoiling than the factory .44 Special. The Skelton Special kicked harder.

The 100 .44-40 cartridges all shot well with no kind of hang-ups.

The .44-40 seemed to me to be pretty anemic. I would want faster-moving bullets for duty, and I would want those bullets to be of more modern development.

I would find a .44 Magnum cylinder and have it fit to your gun. You would then have a much wider choice of factory loaded modern bullets in both heavier .44 Special and lighter .44 Magnum to choose from.