So, I've time to kill while Taylor's waits for their next shipment of '66 carbines...

I've requested a 45 Colt but see Uberti also makes them in 44 Special. Checking Hodgdon's data, both cartridges are well backed with reloading data. Checking with Missouri Bullet, both can get a wide variety of bullets, soft or hard, coated or lubed. Checking with SAAMI, I see the Colt has a comparatively loose chamber, suggesting shorter case life.

Any other considerations--beyond that Taylor's may not be able to acquire a 44?

I got one of the first 44 Spcls when Uberti started making them for Cimarron in 2000.  Actually, the first shipment was 4 rifles.  I got one from the next shipment.  I was already shooting a 44 spcl Colt so it was perfect.  I see Taylors carries the 20" 44 Spcl rifle and Cimarron carries the carbine and 20 and 24" rifles, but neither has any in stock right now.  I don't shoot mine much these days, I need to get it back out.  I stripped the Urethane and gave it an oil finish and let the frame patina with black powder.  Now, the real holy grail is the 44 Special Henry.  They made nine of them.  I think a few people have tried to special order one since but I don't believe they made any more.  I do know a few people who have shot 44 Russian in a 44-40 Henry.  Probably hard on the brass but they seem to work (needing a modified carrier for the short round).  Coffinmaker has a 44 spcl '66 as well, a trapper I think.  Here's mine.

  KWK 

Yepper!!  Abilene be correctamundo.  Well, sort of.  I built a really swell 1866 .44 Special Trapper.  Then I sold it (Sob, snivel).  End of the week it's coming back (Horray!!!).  I also built a second .44 Special, an 1873 Deluxe.  Also a "Trapper."  Both rifles have Sixteen and a Half inch barrels.  Very quick handling for CAS Play. .44 Special rifles are NOT real common.  Patience is required to score one.  I was once commissioned for an action job on an Iron Frame Uberti Henry.  At the initial discussion, I was unaware it was a .44 Special.  I tried my Damm'dest to separate him from that rifle.  Made some really ridiculous offers.  Wouldn't budge (Sigh).  Sadly, it walked out my shop and I never saw it nor heard from it again (whimpers sadly).

Now.  Some Tid bits.  Like 45 Colt, 44 Special cases won't expand to seal the chamber and Uberti chambers are generous.  Blow-By WILL occur.  It isn't that big a deal with most smokeless (yech) but can be a real problem with Black Powder and Subs.  With either 45 Colt or 44 Special, I do recommend annealing the cases to prevent Blow-By problems with BP and Subs.  My propellant of choice is APP.  Along with "that" recommendation, I DO NOT recommend annealing of cases to be used in handguns.  Handgun chambers are much snugger and annealed cases will tend to be hard to eject. 

I have 45 colt cases from Winchester and Remington that are 50 years old, that have been fired with black, smokeless and the smokeless stuff with fake smoke added ,in rifle and pistol.
 Have WRA head stamped 44 special cases although they haven't been fired in a rifle, only colt saa
 If it would seem in a 66 either the 38 or 44 wcf would be a better choice , and yes I have both in rifle and pistol

44-40 all day everyday.  44 spl and 45 colts are for handguns. The end, I win. 

  Ranch 

Well, Depends (no not the ones inna plastic package).  If one already possesses rifles and handguns chambered in 44 Special, it becomes an easy choice.  Especially if one were to consider today's cost of acquiring a "new" rifle or handgun in 44-40 to make a switch from 44Spl.  If one already possesses rifle or handgun in 44-40, the switch to 44Spl doesn't make lots of sense.  44Spl and 45 Colt can be made to run just as clean in rifles as 44-40 with some annealing.

  King

Thibbit thibbit thibbit thibbit    Mostly I agree but I shoot lots of rifles and handguns in .45 and .44   It's funzies don'tcha see.

Did I mention those50 year old 45 colt cases have never been annealed😜 even tho I long ago lost track of the number of times they've been reloaded😁
 Thing is buying more guns is always fun, maybe get the 66 in a wcf chamber and a hog keg to go with it for the volume discount😜

  Ranch

I don't anneal 44Spl and 45 Colt for case life.  I have cases I have run for 30+ years.  I only anneal the cases I'm going to run in toggle link rifles I play with for CAS.  Shooting Black Powder and APP thru Uberti rifles results in enough Blow-By to foul out the chamber in 6 - 8 rounds.  With annealing, there is no fouling at all.  Clean, Free Running and Sanitary you betcha.  Oh, most forgot, I are the Poster Child for APP.

I'd considered the 44-40. The reloading data is limited, but one could get close enough with the 44 Spl data. The 44-40 seems the best choice for BP, but I don't see myself running BP often. I want to keep my loads subsonic for noise reduction.

If Uberti chambers tend to be oversize, I'll stick with the 45. Thanks for the feedback, gents.

There's a plenty of 44-40 smokeless data out there. The thing a person runs into with current production 44-40 barrels is they use the same bore and groove diameter as the 44 special/magnum barrels, but that isn't a problem if you run the same .430 diameter bullets.

I run a 1866 in .44 Special with the Smith Shop Cowboy Special lifter that allows me to shoot .44 Russian in both the rifle and pistols.  The only "gotcha" is that you do have to use a short dowel to push the last round past the lifter stop when loading the rifle.

If one wants to duplicate the original .44 Henry cartridge in an Uberti 1866 rifle there are two ways to go:
Shoot .44 Russian in a .44 Special chamber, as outlined in the above post.
or
Shoot .45 Schofield in a .45 Colt chamber, as outlined below:

.45 Schofield cartridges are short enough that they mimick the .44 Henry in capacity (keep in mind the .44 Henry was a balloon-head, the .45 Schofield is solid-head), while there is no need to modify the cartridge lifter on a M1860 Henry, M1866 or M1873 Winchester replica.
There are dedicated dies for .45 Schofield, but one can easily convert .45 Colt dies to do the job:  For LEE powder-through-expanding-dies you'll need to drop a suitable steel-nut down between the aluminium funnel and the steel expanding collet, so the shorter Schofield case will get the required bell-mouth.  It can be beneficial to drill out the threads of the nut, so powder kernels do not get trapped in the threads and cause erratic charge weights.
Note that the .45 Schofield takes LEE shell holder # 14, same as the .44-40.
The .45 Colt takes LEE # 11. 

  Well, Ah

My personal solution to the .44 Henry Flat is the Cowboy 45 Special case.  In an 1866 it does require the same same special carrier use for .44 Russian.  The C45S case does work a treat.  For a front loading Henry, one just adds a simple cartridge stop to the Carrier Block.

Like the good Coffinmaker, I too, have been shooting a toggle link since acquiring it in early 1987. It is a 45 Colt 1873 Sporting Rifle.  I have never annealed my brass, and not suffered from a stoppage due to a fouled chamber.  I have, however, clearanced the carrier mortise by removing material from the sides of the carrier to the tune of about 20 thousandths in total.  Prior to this the carrier would often get sticky after a stage or two, and after, I have often shot multi-day matches without cleaning or wiping.  I have done the same to a 2nd 1873 and an 1860 Henry. 

If I had a chance to get a 66', I'd like it chambered for the 44 Special

  Hy Ya Bryan

Just so happens with my penchant for Brass Frame Rifles, I have a Uberti 1866.  It just happens to be a "Trapper" but not an OEM Carbine.  I built mine from a 24" "Sporting Rifle" to get the longer fore stock and have an Octagonal barrel.  I have a thing for Octagonal barrels.

I run mine exclusively with APP and do Anneal my rifle brass to seal the chamber.  the Trapper runs squeaky clean with annealed cases.  You may be more comfortable with Black Powder, but I would still recommend annealing yer brass (not required for Hand guns).

It is really interesting to note, the 44 Henry Flat was not really behind the original BP loading for 44 Colt and 44 Special.  Not especially anemic either.  To really exceed the the Henry Flat performance requires Smokeless Powders, pushing pressure levels right up there.  The 44 Henry Flat also did not foul the chamber as it was a Copper case that expanded readily.  Some new stuff isn't necessarily "better" stuff. 

Quote from: King Medallion on March 09, 2025, 07:14:49 AM44-40 all day everyday.  44 spl and 45 colts are for handguns. The end, I win. 

Two thumbs up on that.

Quote from: Coffinmaker on July 19, 2025, 10:44:58 AM Hy Ya Bryan

Just so happens with my penchant for Brass Frame Rifles, I have a Uberti 1866.  It just happens to be a "Trapper" but not an OEM Carbine.  I built mine from a 24" "Sporting Rifle" to get the longer fore stock and have an Octagonal barrel.  I have a thing for Octagonal barrels.

I run mine exclusively with APP and do Anneal my rifle brass to seal the chamber.  the Trapper runs squeaky clean with annealed cases.  You may be more comfortable with Black Powder, but I would still recommend annealing yer brass (not required for Hand guns).

It is really interesting to note, the 44 Henry Flat was not really behind the original BP loading for 44 Colt and 44 Special.  Not especially anemic either.  To really exceed the the Henry Flat performance requires Smokeless Powders, pushing pressure levels right up there.  The 44 Henry Flat also did not foul the chamber as it was a Copper case that expanded readily.  Some new stuff isn't necessarily "better" stuff. 

yes SIr!!!

If I did manage to get a 60 or 66 with the 44 Special, I't be fur smokeless loads.....which is really kind'a why I don't have one.....but I still want one!

The reason I'd like to have one would be to enjoy 44 Henry BP performance of 1,125fps, but with loads.

  Thibbit Thibbit Thibbit Nanny Nanny Poo Poo 

Quote from: Coffinmaker on August 22, 2025, 08:15:42 AM Thibbit Thibbit Thibbit Nanny Nanny Poo Poo 

   I know I know...LOL