.44 Evans Long

[Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang]

Anyone form .44 Evans Long from 445 Super Mag brass? It looks like it would need to be shortened a little and FL sized, is that it? Turn the rim slightly too maybe or is it close enough?

[BP Dave]

I've done quite a few of them that way and they worked well--I did not need to alter the rim. However, the rim is a tad thin, so depending on your headspace, you can get a little bit of case head thrust against the face of the block unless you bump it a little to make it thicker. I deepened my primer pockets to take rifle primers, because pistol primers were a little soft.

[Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang]

Thanks Dave. I have a primer pocket reamer and will do the same. Looking forward to getting this shooting. Are you casting for it? What mold?

[BP Dave]

I use the Accurate Molds 44-250H and a similar mold that someone custom-modified for me out of an existing mold. The Accurate 44-275A and 44-230H look like they also might work, depending on whether you want internal or external lube. He may have others on his site that work, especially since you can specify dimensions for any of his molds. I ordered my Accurate mold to cast with a .419 heeled portion, and you'll probably want something close to that. I think Buffalo Arms might also have a .44 Evans design. I thought Old West Molds also had one, but didn't see it in a quick glance at their website. There may be others out there if you poke around, and a .44 American mold also might work.

You will also want a special crimping die for heeled bullets--it's possible to make one out of a Lee Factory Crimp die, but unless you have a lathe I would recommend getting a ready-made crimp die from Old West.

One thing odd about the Evans is the way cartridges must transition through the angle from the magazine tube into the chamber. The bullet needs a certain nose length and taper to "turn the corner." I tried a custom-cut mold with a shorter, rounded nose that I thought would feed well, but those cartridges jammed badly to the point where I had to take the two halves of the receiver apart to extract them.

Because I don't believe the receiver is very strong, I only use black powder, and I also use a grease cookie and a card wad for a .410 shotgun under the bullet to take up space and reduce the powder charge.

Regarding your primer pocket reamer, you would need one that will cut the bottom of the pocket, not just the sides, and before going there it might be worthwhile trying magnum pistol primers if they have a thicker cup. My Evans has a slight flaw at the firing pin hole, so I needed the stronger rifle primers.

Good luck (be careful--there are no spare Evans parts) and have fun.

[Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang]

Good information. I will try the 44-250H. I saw in the book Smith & Wesson Sixguns of the Old West plans for a scissor type crimp tool for 44 American. I think I will make that, adapted to 44 Evans.

[BP Dave]

One other practical suggestion based on the quirky helical magazine: To load the rifle you have to work the lever for each round loaded: you insert a round in the butt, work the lever, insert the next round, work the lever, repeat until full. It's easy (for me, at least) to lose count of how many rounds you've loaded. I made up a dummy round and colored it red with a Sharpie so it is easily identifiable. I load the dummy, work the lever twice, then load the rest of the rounds one at a time in the usual manner. When the dummy ejects out of the action and you close the lever, you will know that the chamber is empty (that's why you work the lever twice after inserting the dummy) and that the next time you work the lever it will load a live round.

[Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang]

Whelp, I've got my mold, dies and some 445 Super Mag brass. I just need to get casting, convert the brass and decide how I am going to crimp.

[skeettx]

Bullet already seated.
44 Mag seating die, seating stem out and die backed off and screwed down until you have what you want
Mike

[BP Dave]

You might be able to crimp enough with a .44 Mag (or Special, or Russian) seating die and should give it a try if you already have the die. But because of the heeled bullet, you may find that the crimping ring catches on the bullet before touching the case, which prevents crimping the brass and often pulls the bullet out of the case.

Earlier you mentioned making a scissors-type crimper, presumably out of a pair of pliers. That is one possibility, but requires some careful work to get it just right. If you go through a couple pairs of pliers without success and frustration sets in, I would recommend a crimper made from a Lee Factory Crimp die. If you're able to make a crimper out of pliers, you should be able to alter a .44-40 Lee crimper to work. Or Old West will do it for you. Either way, it makes crimping just one additional step in the process instead of a challenge.

As you're figuring it all out I also suggest you take off the barrel and use it as a plunk gauge. If a case gets stuck it's hard to access the Evans chamber when it's assembled. Make sure you label the screws when you open the clamshell receiver, as they are not all the same length, and I suggest you take photos of as you disassemble so you can get it all back together--it is a strange beast.

Good Luck!
--DJ