barrel bore and groove dia in 1860 uberti 44-40

billy270

i am want to know the diameter inside the barrel of a 1860 uberti in 44-40. because i know most of the barrel dia are .429 and some are .427. the reason i ask is because i don't want to put a .429 down a 427. i have a ruger vaquero in 44-40 and i want to shoot same ammo in each. the barrel on it is a .429 and i can chamber one in the 1860 and it fits. i just don't wan to shoot it yet.

Winston Bode

Take a lead bullet, bullet only, and push it through the barrel then measure it to see. Someone sells kits for this with soft lead slugs that will swage down and go through the bore easily.

Also, the difference between .429 and .427 is so insignificant as to not be noticeable. I have had a Uberti 44-40 and fired .427's and .429's interchangeably with no negative results.

Bode

Hawk Carse

Cimarron Arms says Uberti uses .429" groove diameter for .44-40.
But Winston is right, the diffence is not significant. If it chambered freely, as yours does, I'd prefer the larger diameter bullet either way.

v35

I'd only have a little concern in shooting copper jacketed .429 bullets
in a .427 bore and then only with max loads.

billy270

what about sjsp .429

v35

I wouldn't worry about anything I sent down a Ruger barrel because they're made of modern ordnance steel. Shoot what you shoot in that Uberti rifle repro.
For piece of mind,remove the cylinder and bang at a 45 cal round lead ball on the muzzle using a plastic or wooden mallet.When there's just a thin lead washer left outside the barrel, drive the plug through the barrel with a 3/8 wood dowel. Measure it and be happy unless you feel tight and loose spots in the barrel.

Wolf.

--
You really should not give this issue much thought related to concern over the exact bore dimensions, be it .427 or .429.

Hawke Carse did some checking for you and said, "Cimarron Arms says Uberti uses .429" groove diameter for .44-40. But Winston is right, the diffence is not significant.", so listen to them.

I have to differ with v35 regarding beating a .45 caliber lead slug into the barrel of your gun. But, only from the standpoint that you might get stuck somewhere in that process if you aren't very gun-savvy.

It's irrelevant from a safety perspective which size you fire in your revolver. The only time to even consider one size over the other in your Colt reproduction black powder percussion revolver is for issues such as the following:
--You may find one size easier to load into the chamber than the another.
--One size may be more accurate than the other from your revolver.
--You might get a better deal price-wise (probably not, though) on one size over the other.

v35

Depending on how the throating was cut in your rifle, you may or may not
have much choice in bullet styles. I believe the original style 200gr jsp is only available in .427. Some, if not all of the early rifles won't chamber a 44-40 with the case crimped behind a bore size band.
With smokeless loads it's desirable for accuracy. A good crimp behind the first band or in a deep crimping groove is necessary to keep bullets from being pushed into their cases in tubular magazines and pushed forward with heavy loads in revolvers because of thin brass.