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.44 S&W American

Revolver cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson

Field	Value
name	.44 S&W American
image	.44 S&W American with ruler, .45 ACP, and .44 Magnum.JPG	image_size = 300px
caption	.44 S&W American (center) with [.45 ACP](45-acp) (left) and [.44 Magnum](44-magnum) (Right)
origin	USA
type	Revolver
production_date	1869–1940
case_type	Rimmed, straight
bullet	.434
neck	.438
base	.440
rim_dia	.506
case_length	0.91
length	1.44
rifling	1:20
primer	Large pistol
max_cup	8,000
bw1	205
btype1	(factory load)
vel1	682
en1	212
bw2	218
btype2	(25 gr {} FFg)
vel2	660
en2	196
bw3	200
btype3	(max)
vel3	810
en3	296
bw4	205
btype4	(Lyman #429478)
vel4	800
en4	291
balsrc	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. 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, or .44-40 Winchester, 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.

References

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. .
Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".32-20 Winchester" in Cartridges of the World, p. 46. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. .
Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".44-40 Winchester" in Cartridges of the World, p. 61. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. .

References

Barnes, p. 167, ".44 S&W American".
Barnes, ".32-20 Winchester", p. 46.
Barnes, ".44-40 Winchester", p. 61.
Shillingberg, William B.. (Summer 1976). "Wyatt Earp and the Buntline Special Myth". Kansas Historical Quarterly.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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products-introduced-in-1869 pistol-and-rifle-cartridges rimmed-cartridges smith-&-wesson-cartridges wyatt-earp

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