44 special can be loaded with 44 mag dies?

[sheepdog]

Correct?

[RobS]

You are correct..............same specs.

[Dale53]

Today, that is pretty much true. However, in the past, not always. The manufacturers apparently wanted to try to sell you two sets of dies. When their competitors spec'd dies to load both everyone had to fall in line.

I have seen .44 magnum dies that did not allow you to properly crimp .44 Specials. I had an early set of .44 Special dies that did not size the case enough to allow proper case neck tension and ball powders would "squib" (specifically H110 and Win 296). The full length die worked fine with standard velocity loads using Bullseye and Unique but would "squib" with the slower burning powders (squib, as in stuck a bullet in the barrel). Replacing the dies with a more modern set cured this completely.

FWIW
Dale53

[mike in co]

Today, that is pretty much true. However, in the past, not always. The manufacturers apparently wanted to try to sell you two sets of dies. When their competitors spec'd dies to load both everyone had to fall in line.

I have seen .44 magnum dies that did not allow you to properly crimp .44 Specials. I had an early set of .44 Special dies that did not size the case enough to allow proper case neck tension and ball powders would "squib" (specifically H110 and Win 296). The full length die worked fine with standard velocity loads using Bullseye and Unique but would "squib" with the slower burning powders (squib, as in stuck a bullet in the barrel). Replacing the dies with a more modern set cured this completely.

FWIW
Dale53

yep what dale said.....like a 357mag die, if not originally designed as 38/357 die probably will not allow crimping.
same in 44spcl/44mag
same for 45 scholfield/45 long colt, 45 long colt/454 casul
mike in co

[curiousgeorge]

You can almost always load the longer cases with the shorter die sets but used to be that you could not crimp the shorter cases with the longer dies. Also, some manufacturerers used to sell a non-adjustable belling die and some of those for the 44 magnum would go so far down in the 44 special case before it would bell that it would put a bulge in the case.

skt

[bbq223]

Needless to say same goes for 38 - 357

[TAWILDCATT]

so you take the older ones and cut them down. simple.

[Pepe Ray]

Simple for the crimp die or the fl sizer but NOT so simple for the combination decapper and neck expander/beller.
That trick required a genuine machinist w/lathe.
RCBS was the most common culprit.
Pepe Ray

[Gary51]

The 44 Mag is about 1/10" longer case if my old memory is correct. Bacl in the 70's when $ where scarce I had a set of RCBS 44 Mag dies and owned a 44 Special S&W model 24. The dies worked for the Special with the exception of the seat-crimp die which would not crimp the case. I worked for an aircraft manufacturer at the time and took the die to work and had a machinest buddy shorten the die by 1/10" and when he was done it looked like a factory finish die and workd great.

[Pepe Ray]

Hi Gary;
So what extra work did you need to do to seat your cast BOOLETS?
The flaring part of the expander would not reach the mouth of the 44Spl's.
Did you cut off the decapping pin holder or what?
Pepe Ray

[Echo]

I had my Dad make me a .110 spacer to lift my .38 Special dies just right so I could use them to load .357's - Still have, and use, that spacer, and also use it for .44Special/.44Mag loading.

[Gary51]

Pepe,
Did not shoot a lot cast back then, and if I recall added decap rod assy to sizer and did cut off decapper from expander-decap assy. This was a long time ago and cash was tight and a few parts from RCBS was a lot cheaper than buying a new set of dies.