something i did

[Tom W.]

Some years back on a gun related forum I saw where a person took a .40 S&W case, filled it with molten w/w and loaded it into a .44 mag case. So I checked it out and tried it. I filledthe case, filed the mouth flat, weighed the resulting projectile andfound a mild load of Blue Dot that corresponded to the weight. I loaded it head down in the .44 case, seated it like a normal boolit and fired it into several milk jugs so I could recover it. It shot well and mushroomed really nice. I have a few pictures on my computer, but I'll have to re-learn how to post them. Has anyone else tried this, or remember seeing it?

[bedbugbilly]

Perhaps a solution for those who live in the Republik of Kalifornia where lead will be banned? Use zinc to fill the projectile casings instead of lead? Just a thought . . . . ;-)

[Mk42gunner]

I remember reading about people swaging bullets and using cartridge cases for the jackets. Seems doable, as long as you aren't using cases made of unobtanium for projectiles.

Robert

[FLHTC]

Yes I've done it many times. In spite of the smaller diameter of the 40 case, they shot surprisingly well.

[slim1836]

I do that also, make .45's bullets out of .40 casings using .308 and .243 dies using the method shown below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gSm--Oj4q0

Slim

[Forrest r]

The easiest way I know of to make these without trimming/annealing or other things that waste time is to:

Use a set of 38spl/357 dies and shell holder, a lee .429/.430 push thru sizer, 35cal bullets.

A 40s&w case will fit in a 38spl shell holder.
Put a cast 35cal bullet in the 40s&w case, I like to use 148gr/150gr cast bullets.
Put the expander die in the press and run the ram up with the 40s&w/148gr cast bullet in it.
Adjust the expander plug down until it smashes the bullet/expands the 40s&w brass to .430".
Make a pile of them.
Put them in a pan (cast iron) find a heat source and heat everytrhing until the cores melt.
Let cool and run the bullets thru a lee .429"/.430" push thru sizer.

When I use a 148gr bullet with the 40s&w cases I end up with a 220gr jacketed hbwc. A picture of a jacketed hbwc next to a cast 220gr hbwc from a mihec mold.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/allmeasure.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/allmeasure.jpg.html)

Some 38spl jacketed hbwc's (left) made from 9mm cases and 44cal hbwc's (right) made from 40s&w cases that were turned around to make huge hp's.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/9mm40swshot.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/9mm40swshot.jpg.html)

Anywat it doesn't get any simpler than that. Drop a bullet in the case run the ram up & swage the bullet, take the swaged bullet out of the shell holder and put it in a pan. Fill the pan and heat it, let them cool and size and load them.

[runfiverun]

I just run the 40 case up on the flair tool a touch and slip fit it in the 44 and 45 cal cases so it is a friction fit.
you can pour some lead in the case or not it will fly like a shuttlecock.

I can assure you trying one in the 450 mag [pre-runner to the 454 casull] case with 10grs of unique is not something you want to touch off in the basement. [twice]
8grs of unique will insure the neighbors horses will not come near your fence again at 50+ yards.

[Tom W.]

I wanted to try a .357 Sig case but couldn't find one.

[Hardcast416taylor]

A few years back I got some samples of case swaged bullets from a site bullet swager to test. They were .40 S&W with a lead core and swaged to .416" Using Barnes load data for their 350 gr. copper bullets I shot them into my peneration trough of wet magazines at 75 yds. I was stunned to find they actually got 20` penetration out of my .416 Taylor.Robert

[mdi]

It's been a while, but I read of making 44 bullets out of 40 cal brass. Perhaps it was in the swaging forum over at Grey Beard's forum. The people had the process down and had dies that would swage a point on the end...

I didn't watch the whole video, but here's some info on making 44 bullrts from 40 brass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC2Ad3k3kgg and https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=44+cal+bullets+from+40+cal+cases

[runfiverun]

you can just buy the dies right here from BT Sniper.
a 180gr 358 cal boolit for a core and an annealed 40 short and weak case and you get a 44 mag bullet.
flat point-hollow point [shrug] you can even notch the nose to look just like an XTP.
I shoot them in the model 94 trapper rather than muck about with another boolit diameter.

[Tom W.]

IRRC you can do the same with a .45 acp case in a .480 Ruger....

[frkelly74]

Just to chime in here, I have made 41 mag bullets out of 40 S&W with a 150 gr 38 boolit mashed into it for lead. I need to shoot them some time to see if they work. Sized in a 30 30 rifle die and driven back out . then put through a .410 push through sizer.

[runfiverun]

lots of cases make pretty good bullets for other calibers with some up/down manipulation.
380's are fairly close for 375 bullets, 5.7 brass can be made into 30-31 cal rifle bullets, the new 17 Winchester rim fire is almost spot on for 270/7mm bullets.
30 carbine-223 brass will make 358 bullets, turn the rims off 38 special-44 special/mag and they will work for other rifles too.
you can even draw down 9mm cases to make 30 cal rifle bullets from.
then there is the brass tubing that can be turned into different things.
I made a hybrid 31 cal mold that takes cut 5/16 tubing just shy of 1/2" long that I cast through to make a spire point buoolit that easily duplicates 30-30 speeds in the 7.65 argie and 7.7 jap rounds.