Good afternoon gents. I have approximately 250 44 mag cases and going to try some experimentation regarding the use of the cases in a 44wcf. I have resized 6 44 mag cases in the 44 wcf sizing die and loaded them as dummy rounds with the Accurate 43-230EB bullet sized to .430". I tried the 6 dummy's in my '73 and '92. They chambered and extracted without any issues.
Has anyone had any experience in this regard? I would appreciate any information concerning this experiment.
Regrds
Bob.
I have never tried this trick, and I load both calibers. I also have Starline brass readily available in 44/40 WCF, which may not be the case in Oz.
The 44/40 WCF case at the base end has .009"-.010" more diametric clearance than does the 44 Magnum case. The question I see is "Am I comfortable fire-forming cases out .009" to .010" at the base end?"
I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.
A friend did that for a 92 Winchester back in the 70s when .44-40 cases were hard to find.
The extractor caught the rims all right and the brass was stout enough for standard .44-40 loads. There was some bulging ahead of the base, making the shells look odd, but they did feed and fire. Can’t remember at this late date whether he had to trim them or not.
Diligent scrounging over the next few gun shows got him some correct brass and the mutant shells were abandoned. I don’t know how many loadings they might have been good for. Whether this expedient would work in the feed mechanism of a 73 is something else I’m unsure of. But they did fireform in a usable manner.
When I was fighting an oversized neck in 38wcf, I tried using 45 long Colt. I think if I'd have ground the bottom of the Colt die a bit, it may have worked. I ended up using poly shot buffer instead in 38 cases and that was the ticket.
Good morning
Hunting / plinking with "wasp shaped" blown out brass is very do-able and affordable.
We have used 45-90 brass blown out to 50-100 for some time in our "Big 50 " single shot rifle. All the shooting is done with 2F so no dramatic pressures involved and the brass does just fine at 1/2 the price of the caliber 50 brass. Accuracy is just fine at 100 yards, 3.5 inches which is all I will need for river bottoms hunting.
Doing a similar routine in the 40-63 with the 9.3 brass. Those rims just barely catch on the old Ballard extractor but again at 2F pressures there is no sticking in the chamber. At over $2 a case for 40-63 brass the 9.3 brass is only 25%. 3 inches at 100 yards is just fine again for slinking about river bottoms. My thanks to Marlinman93 and Rev Al who steered me into this info.
Mike in Peru
"Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
Male Guanaco out in dry lakebed at 10,800 feet south of Arequipa.
The .44 Magnum brass is much thicker walled than .44-40. But if your dummy cartridges chamber and extract from the rifle without resistance, the cases should fire-form OK with normally mild .44-40 loads and good brass should not split as long as you only neck-size from then on and keep the loads reasonable. I would be concerned with .44-40 dies being tighter than needed and over-working the thicker .44 Mag. case necks, causing mouth splits.Originally Posted by BobInAus
I would say it is worth a try and all of us are anxious to know if you are successful!
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
You might put a thin (as in width) strip of scotch tape around the head of the case in front of the rim for the first fire form firing. That will help keep the case head centered in the chamber after fire forming. A strip .2" wide should do.
Larry Gibson
“Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
― Nikola Tesla
And I thought I was being daring by shooting .44Sp/mag CCI shot shells in my 44-40. Works; bulges the throw-away aluminum cases but so what?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
I think that the base diameter is closer to the 45 Colt
Winchester and Remington .45 Colt cases when FL resized to .44-40 in my RCBS dies will not enter any of my .44-40 rifles or revolvers because the diameter of the solid head above the rim is too big.
Maybe if he has a VERY sloppy chamber...
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
My Uberti '73 (1987) will not catch the rim to extract the cases. Tried .44 Spl too. The .45 colt case won't fit in any of My 4 .44WCF Rifles or one Revolver. Sized them in My old Lyman dies from the early 1960's. Rem cases sized in that old size die are the only thing that will fit in my old 1st Gen Colt SAA in .44WCF, Bullets sized .427 Dia. Loads assembled from any other dies( 1 Hornady & 2 RCBS sets) will fit my old Winchester '92 Carbine and my 2 Uberti '73's and 1 '92, Bullets all sized .428Dia. for the Long guns.
I HATE auto-correct
Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.
My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.
SASS #375 Life
44 mag brass can trimmed or not so to shoot 44 Special loadings. But if your fortunate to own a S&W model 3 Schofield maybe? Current 44 Mag brass maybe can be fabricated into 44 S&W cartridges.
A wrap of beagle tape will counter most of this. I've successfully used it on occasion to add diameter to the base when fireforming odd brass. I have not tried FL sizing same however.
Take a kid along
Bob
Gold Coast have got 44-40 Starline for $57 per 100, and Noosa have them for $60. If you've got no use for the 44 mag just sell them and use the right stuff. It would save you the hassle. Also, while the dummy rounds may chamber, how much clearance have you got for neck expansion to release the bullet. Remember, 44-40 brass is a lot thinner than 44 mag brass. Wouldn't want to see you having to pick bits of rifle out of your face after it all goes pear shaped.
Hard work made me what I am today,
Broken and broke
******************************
Bob
Gundownunder has the plan.
I also would think you would be way ahead to just trade or sell the .44 mag brass & buy the correct 44-40 Win. brass.
Maybe try one of the local Cowboy Action shooting clubs for source of sale, buy or trade.
Most of what he says above...... yeah your plan might work but why mess about with mongrel brass when the right stuff is available easy and cheap?
It’s been tested by a member he named savvy jack the next is to thick and will not chamber in some rifles and pistols with tight chambers
I don't load 44 or 44WCF but find this an interesting thread to read. Would love to see the OP post pictures of the results he has . . . . interesting stuff!
Posting Permissions
| BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
| BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
| HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
| LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
| GC | Gas Check |
Reply With Quote