.44 S&W American

Revolver cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson .44 S&W American .44 S&W American with ruler, .45 ACP, and .44 Magnum.JPG 300px .44 S&W American (center) with .45 ACP (left) and .44 Magnum (Right) USA Revolver 1869–1940 Rimmed, straight .434 .438 .440 .506 0.91 1.44 1:20 Large pistol 8,000 205 (factory load) 682 212 218 (25 gr {} FFg) 660 196 200 (max) 810 296 205 (Lyman #429478) 800 291 Barnes & Amber 1972 The .44 S&W American / 11x23mmR (commonly called the .44 American) is an American rimmed centerfire revolver cartridge. Description Used in the Smith & Wesson Model 3, it was introduced around 1869.Barnes, p. 167, ".44 S&W American". Between 1871 and 1873, the .44 Model 3 was used as the standard United States Army sidearm. It was also offered in the Merwin Hulbert & Co. Army revolvers. The cartridge used an outside lubricated heeled bullet, either Boxer or Berdan priming, and both black and smokeless powder loadings. The heeled bullets make the cartridge incompatible with .44 Russian, .44 Special, and .44 Magnum, which was made larger in diameter and longer to cover the exposed part of the bullet. Its power resembles the .41 Long Colt, .32-20 Winchester,Barnes, ".32-20 Winchester", p. 46. or .44-40 Winchester,Barnes, ".44-40 Winchester", p. 61. and it could be used to hunt small game at short range. The .44 American ceased to be commercially available around 1940. It can be handloaded by shortening and reforming .41 Magnum cases. During the gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881, Wyatt Earp carried an 8-inch Model 3 in .44 American. Earp had received the weapon as a gift from Tombstone, Arizona, mayor and Tombstone Epitaph newspaper editor John Clum. Wyatt Earp and the Buntline Special Myth http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-historical-quarterly-wyatt-earp-and-the-buntline-special-myth/13255 William B. Shillingberg Summer 1976 42 2 113–154 Kansas Historical Quarterly See also List of rimmed cartridges List of cartridges by caliber Table of handgun and rifle cartridges 11mm caliber References 30em Sources Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".44 S&W American", in Cartridges of the World, pp. 167 & 177. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. 0-695-80326-3. Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".32-20 Winchester" in Cartridges of the World, p. 46. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. 0-695-80326-3. Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".44-40 Winchester" in Cartridges of the World, p. 61. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. 0-695-80326-3. Category:Products introduced in 1869 Category:Pistol and rifle cartridges Category:Rimmed cartridges Category:Smith & Wesson cartridges Category:Wyatt Earp