The Below Information Has Been Provided From Our Gun Caliber Dictionary And Is Meant For Informational Purposes Only. It Is Not Intended to Describe The Unique Specifications For This Ammunition.
The 38-40 Winchester (38-40 WCF) was introduced in 1874 in the Winchester Model 1873. It is based on the 44-40 necked down to a .401-inch diameter bullet, originally loaded with a 180-grain bullet in front of 40 grains blackpowder. Although never as popular as the 44-40, the 38-40 was chambered in a variety of lever-action and single-shot rifles. From 1878 the 38-40 was chambered by Colt in the Single Action Army and, later, Colt's Lightning slide action rifle and double-action revolvers. Current ballistics are about the same as the original blackpowder load, a 180-grain bullet at 1160 feet per second. Yielding just 538 foot-pounds, the 38-40 is extremely marginal for deer...but it was surely used by many settlers to fill the pot, as well as for personal defense. No new firearms have been chambered to 38-40 since 1937, but many rifles and revolvers so chambered are still in use. — Craig Boddington
