Just a thought guys...Someone once commented how lucky we were today to be able to form .40-70 straight brass using .30-40 Krag brass stretched. They thought it a lucky coincidence. I don't think luck had anything to do with it...when the US army wanted a new small bore military rifle in the 1890's, Frankford arsenal probably contacted Winchester & told them what they wanted..they had bean counters back then..and instead of re-inventing the wheel..they probably looked at the old (by then) .40-70 straight case, invisioned it shortened & bottlenecked..and viola..the .30-40 was born.
It's interesting about this .44 Colt case, S&W was producing their big .44 American top-break in the early 1870's..this was also a heeled bullet..none too accurate, from what I have read. When the Russian govt. approched them..they liked the big top-break revolver..but not the ctg. S&W developed the very accurate .44 Russian for the contract revolvers. Now the .44 Russian has the same case and bullet dia. of the later .44 special, and still later .44 Mag. Interestingly...The .44 Colt case does also..only S&W used an inside lubed bullet..Could it be that S&W copied a shortened version of Colts .44?