Rifles

The self-contained centerfire cartridge coming into use in the mid-1870s was revolutionary, especially to those accustomed to working with single-shot firearms. Further, in 1875, Colt Firearms finally chambered the Single Action Army revolver in 44-40 (aka 44 WCF), thus allowing their handgun to use ammunition compatible with the famous 1873 Winchester rifle. But the 1873 Colt pistols still only carried five shots (usually, for safety’s sake), and they were slow to reload, even with cartridges. Effective range was also limited. A short-barreled rifle chambered in the same round fixed many of those shortcomings. Capacity was greater, plus the longer barrel and sight radius made them easier to shoot accurately. The carbine-length barrel also makes more efficient use of the powder in the pistol cartridge, pushing the bullets to higher velocities, which translated into more knockdown power and longer effective range.

The self-contained centerfire cartridge coming into use in the mid-1870s was revolutionary, especially to those accustomed to working with single-shot firearms. Further, in 1875, Colt Firearms finally chambered the Single Action Army revolver in 44-40 (aka 44 WCF), thus allowing their handgun to use ammunition compatible with the famous 1873 Winchester rifle. But the 1873 Colt pistols still only carried five shots (usually, for safety’s sake), and they were slow to reload, even with cartridges. Effective range was also limited. A short-barreled rifle chambered in the same round fixed many of those shortcomings. Capacity was greater, plus the longer barrel and sight radius made them easier to shoot accurately. The carbine-length barrel also makes more efficient use of the powder in the pistol cartridge, pushing the bullets to higher velocities, which translated into more knockdown power and longer effective range.