Why are there no 40 cal Revolvers?

[Bad Karma]

You might see if Bob Hoyt, who reams and then rifles barrels when they get roached from rust, might be able to do it for you.

LD

Bob can also rifle it with progressive twist. Maybe set it up with .398/.406bore and groove final twist 1:16 or so. Chambers cut to .408. You could shoot .410 and bullets intended for the modern .40’s.

 

[Terrier]

Bob can also rifle it with progressive twist. Maybe set it up with .398/.406bore and groove final twist 1:16 or so. Chambers cut to .408. You could shoot .410 and bullets intended for the modern .40’s.

That would more or less defeat the purpose of what I’m trying to achieve. I shoot a .390 round ball in my rifle, and I would like the pistol to shoot the same size ball. That would require a .380 bore or maybe a little less, but the roundballs I‘m molding tend to run a smidge bigger (.391 to 393 or so), so a .380 bore should work fine.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Bob can also rifle it with progressive twist. Maybe set it up with .398/.406bore and groove final twist 1:16 or so. Chambers cut to .408. You could shoot .410 and bullets intended for the modern .40’s.

BUT even if the OP has a slightly different objective, this is interesting too.

LD

 

[Bad Karma]

That would more or less defeat the purpose of what I’m trying to achieve. I shoot a .390 round ball in my rifle, and I would like the pistol to shoot the same size ball. That would require a .380 bore or maybe a little less, but the roundballs I‘m molding tend to run a smidge bigger (.391 to 393 or so), so a .380 bore should work fine.

And my .40 caliber rifles all shoot .401”+ bullets. I also have molds for .41” bullets… either way, it’s a very interesting idea.

 

[nkbj]

Previously had the conversation with Mister Hoyt about reboring a Colt type revolver barrel.
Going off of memory there was a problem with how to hold it during the rifling process.

 

[nkbj]

And my .40 caliber rifles all shoot .401”+ bullets. I also have molds for .41” bullets… either way, it’s a very interesting idea.

I'd love to have a rifle that shot round nose and semi-wadcutters bullets like they were maxiballs.
Have thought some about how to pull it off with .45 revolver / pistol molds like you'd use in .44 percussion revolvers.

 

[Bad Karma]

Previously had the conversation with Mister Hoyt about reboring a Colt type revolver barrel.
Going off of memory there was a problem with how to hold it during the rifling process.

Yeah, that was my thought too. It would require a purpose built fixt which would raise the price significantly I’m guessing… I don’t have time to move forward on a project like this but I think it would be the cats pajamas. A light English style rifle shooting 220 grain flat point bullets for deer and a 180 grain flat point bullet for smal and medium sized critters (the same bullet in an 1860 Colt…) what’s not to like?

 

[M. De Land]

Bob can also rifle it with progressive twist. Maybe set it up with .398/.406bore and groove final twist 1:16 or so. Chambers cut to .408. You could shoot .410 and bullets intended for the modern .40’s.

I have never really seen how gain twist would be of any benefit to long conical bullets with a forward driving band as the nose is aways trying to spin faster than the base as the pitch progresses. I know Pope, Billinghurst and a few others favored it but many of his contemporaries who often beat Pope guns in target shooting believed that even twist with choke was every bit as accurate and much easier to accomplish.
Gain twist was developed for round ball use originally from what I can learn and then adapted to conical use .
One of the oddities of gain twist rifling most folks are unaware of is that the widths of both groove and land changes slightly as the pitch progresses. Groove gets narrower and land wider as pitch increases.
This occurres because the cutter face angle is increased as the pitch progresses. More pitch, increased cutter face angle and less width of cutter face making a groove.
The down side of gain twist is that it cannot be lead slug lapped to blend both land and groove together. It can however be leather washer lapped on top the lands to smooth and level the bore from rifling burrs.

 

[GYJ]

Back when Cliff Labounty's shop was in business, reboring revolver barrels was a common practice.

 

[Bad Karma]

Back when Cliff Labounty's shop was in business, reboring revolver barrels was a common practice.

Hoyt does revolver barrels for Charlie Hahn.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I've always thought a .50 or .54 revolver would be fun. I'm not a revolver guy but wouldn't mind having something like that if it existed. .40 too.

 

[JRL1164]

I would guess it costs more than the gun did originally, if you want it done decently and in a reasonable amount of time.

Good machinists/gunsmiths are dying off, and the leftover good ones are charging some serious coin, IF you can even find one who isn't backed up over a year.

This /\. There is certainly no shortage of work, just the shortage of skilled labor.

 

[nkbj]

Just to double check mailed a letter off with a SASE (like people were always 'sposed to before the interseine) asking Mr. Hoyt about this and the answer came back that he can't do Colt barrels.
That's a little disappointing 'cause I'd 'ave liked to have another modified Colt.

 

[#blackpowderbill]

I think the civil war was the reason we jumped from the .36 cal ball in revolvers to the .44 cal as the main stay. The Army needed more power to break up cavalry charges (horse shooting not just man stopping) and .50cal was to large to get in a reasonable size six shot revolver.
The Walker had already proven the bore size against the Comanche and Apache and the Besimeyer steel process had made smaller size revolvers in.44 cal safe and practical . The Walker was made of iron not steel and so had to be huge to most of time contain the pressure of 44 cal heavy loads. It was not practical or very safe for the Army Cavalry and officer use. Many Walkers blew up cylinders from the heavy charges of black powder I have read.
I wonder if a .44 could be lined to .41 cal safely. It would certainly be a might thin barrel liner I'm thinking so probably not safe or practical.

The older /first series 44's were designed with longer cylinder. If I remember the new Army had stronger steel and a tad shorter cylinder to prevent the overcharging.