Got some 44 magnums in a trade. What powder is this and what would you do with it all

[Stopsign32v]

Well I bought a Marlin 1894 44 Mag a while back, pre safety and not a lick of wear on it! Got it for $600 and to my surprise the guy also gave me some ammo for free. It looks like some are factory loads but some are reloads. :shock:

Firing someone else's reloaded 44 Mags seem like a great way to change the way to play Russian Roulette. So tonight I got around to breaking them down. Can you guys tell what type of powder he was using and opinions on his load? Brass looks to have never been fired so that is a plus.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51367025820_cc354f9592_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/CAyvWX)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51366015731_b0c1019081_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/4g3dAA)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51366753779_53de12cb36_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/c7FR02)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51366753934_e3aed01102_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/50Nx6L)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51366236778_78fea81264_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/9gpA40)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51367025635_f3cc71b2c9_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/vLU93e)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51366753409_1786a08b9f_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/1r773i)

[Stopsign32v]

Also would you guys feel safe shooting these? They seem to me to probably be factory 44 Magnum loads.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51366236838_eb76c14754_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/g23A2K)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51366236868_0828f04b41_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/113193676@N08/4z259D)

[Conditor22]

Pull the bullets, toss the powder in the yard and start over --- not worth the risk

[Dom]

Amen!! Dump that powder!!!

[Stopsign32v]

What about the soft points?

[earlmck]

Looks like H110, and if that's a 240 grain bullet that's a normal upper-end load of one of the most popular powders for 44 mag.

[Winger Ed.]

It may be normal for W-W, but I've never seen crescent shaped marks like that on a factory primer.

My first guess would be that it's a reload and someone used more force seating the primer than necessary and left that mark.

[ddixie884]

From the looks of that cannelured case I would say that is new WW factory .44 Magnum loads. Of course I've been known to be wrong.........

[Sasquatch-1]

Unless I know the person REAL well I will not shoot someone else's reloads. Also the case you show, and think is a factory load looks pretty beat up for a virgin case.

[BNE]

It looks like H110, but it also looks like several other powders….

I like my fingers. I would pull the bullets, dump the powder and start over. You can re-use the bullets.

BNE

[dale2242]

Any reloads of unknown origin get taken apart and the powder tossed.
I have seen reloads that look like factory loads.
If you are not 100% sure, pull the bullets, toss the powder and reuse the bullets and primers for plinking.

[Markopolo]

doesnt look like factory sir...pull and reuse cases and primers... makes good fertalizer

[Stopsign32v]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but if the soft points aren't factory how is the mid case length cannelure still crimped and not flat from being fired before?

[JimB..]

Compare the base just above the extractor groove on the WW brass to the starline brass. It appears to be ever so slightly swollen where the starline is not. Starline has not been fired, WW has IMO.

Pull them all, toss the powder.

Oh and just to say it, if you had 10lbs of unknown powder there are ways to figure out how to use it safely, but for this little handful it’s not worth the effort.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Those are reloads.
Powder looks like H110/W296
ANd if 23.8 is the charge for one case, that's surely in the ball park.

WHile I might shoot 'em (after some close inspection/research).

I surely would NOT recommend to shoot 'em, to someone on the internet

[JoeJames]

I'd dump the powder for sure. There are some reloaders I've known over the last 40 years who were Elmer Keith wannabes. And they are 44 Magnum reloads...

[shooter bob]

Were the Winchester shells in original box?

[Shuz]

Pull the bullets and dump the powder. The risk is not worth it!

[kerplode]

Oof...Pull that stuff down, dump the powder on your lawn, and re-assemble them with a known recipe.

Looks like this, tastes like that, probably 'aught to be, are not valid ways to know what's what. Dirty Elmers and Harry Keiths love to hot rod the 44 magnum...I would never shoot someone else's reloads anyway, but I would double never shoot someone else's 44 mag reloads.

I know ammo and components are hard to come by, but risking your eyes and fingers over <$50 of ammo is stupid.

[PhilC]

I never, ever, shoot someone else's reloads. With zero data provided, they simply aren't worth the risk. Pull bullets, save and use primed cases, but dump the powder.

A case cannelure will remain after firing AND reloading. I have several that have been reloaded multiple times.

[smithnframe]

Looks like H110!

[fredj338]

ITs really hard to tell a powder by looking at it unless it carries markers like BlueDot does. So as the others said, throw the powder away & reuse the primed cases. I have never been a fan of pulled bullets but you could try.

[imashooter2]

An associate at work once asked me to please clean out his late father's reloading gear. In it was a box of fifty .44 Mags with 45 live rounds, 5 classic head separations and a note that said HOT!

I won’t shoot unknown reloads.

[Sasquatch-1]

If you have kids, pull the bullets and save the powder. Wait till it gets dark. Take the kids and the powder outside. Set the powder out on a board or something similar and touch off the powder and listen to the kids go "OOOOHH, AAAHH".[smilie=1:

[ebb]

You contacted him to make the trade , do it again and get his load. Break down some more and see if the charge weights the same case to case. If you get good results and like what he says about reloading and think he know what he is taking about. Then it is still going to be your decision not anybody elses.

[farmbif]

great pictures. they look awful beat up for factory loaded ammo. tell tale sign on that crescent shape mark on primer would not be on any factory loads ive ever seen. you've already broken em down. just fertilize the tomato plants with the powder and put em back together.
pre safety marlin 1894 in great condition for $600, in today's market your already well ahead. put your own ammo together. might want to start low with those primed cases. there's no way to tell if they are magnum primers or standard. you will enjoy that marlin I'm betting. just be sure the screws are tight-i say this cuz just the other day I had to disassemble one of mine to release a jam because a screw was loose and caused the mag tube to move a tiny bit.

[Larry Gibson]

Like a couple others here i would probably shoot them in my Contender, Ruger BH or Colt Anaconda. I wouldn't in a M29. The powder does appear to be H110 or 296. Of course, I'm not recommending anything just saying what I would do. The crescent on the primer is common as it comes from a shaved piece of case/primer being between the primer and primer seating punch during priming. I've shot many, many over the years that looked just that way....it harms nothing.

[dverna]

At least with a rifle it is easy to tie it down to a tire, hook up a string, get behind a tree and pull the string.

I have shot reloads from others I know and trust. When someone wants to try out one of my guns, they can supply factory ammunition or shoot my reloads.

If you have any doubts, better to play it safe. If you have 100 rounds, it is less than 1/2 lb of powder...to me the risk is not worth the reward. But I am not suffering a powder shortage.

One option is to treat it as H110. pull the rounds, save the powder, and reload using the 23.0 gr starting load. H110 does not perform well at reduced charges so I would not go below the 23 gr.

[Larry-FL]

I just went through the agony of pulling 200 44 mag reloads that were given to me. Used my hammer type puller. Even with a glove i had a sore hand when finished. Net was 200 primed cases and 200 semi-wadcutters to reuse. Even though I was 99% sure the powder was Unique I pitched it.

Larry

[15meter]

I save the salvage powder until I have a plastic 1 lb. powder jug stuffed full. I drill a small hole in the top and put a piece of cannon fuse in,(doesn't everybody have cannon fuse?).

Wait until dusk/dark on the rifle range and have an awesome roman candle. It is a great demonstration of how slow and (relatively)harmless smokeless powder is. It takes a loooong time to take off, spits and sputters for a while then finally flares up and then is done in a couple of seconds without completely burning the plastic can. No massive explosion, no deafening roar, a big one shot roman candle is probably the best description.

Got a couple of pounds of pulled down unknown powder in the shed, about time for some politically incorrect disposal of old powder.:happy dance:

[mdi]

"When in doubt, toss it out" applies strongly to smokeless powder. Like most of the replies above suggest, pull bullets save bullets (soft points will be OK) and cases. The WW cartridges look factory, but without one in my hand I can't be sure. Besides, I lke reloading so I'd restuff the brass with a known powder and shoot 'em ( I don't use plated in my revolvers but if low on supplies, closely inspect the bullets and use in light loads)...

Go slow, double check everything, most imporant, have fun...

[JoeJames]

The commercial Winchester primers I use are brass colored like those; so it is very possible that whoever reloaded them just used Winchester primers, and those loads are reloads. The silver colored primers with the Starline cases are possibly CCI, and are most certainly reloads. Dump the powder; keep the brass, and primed cases.

[Hanzy4200]

Looks like W296 to me. I'd pull them and salvage the bullets and brass.

[725]

Pull the unknowns and put the powder in your garden.

[jsizemore]

You figure you could find another '94 marlin in 44 mag for that price? Willing to pay twice for one good gun? Maybe?

[Stopsign32v]

You figure you could find another '94 marlin in 44 mag for that price? Willing to pay twice for one good gun? Maybe?

Not sure but here's a picture of the '94 I got in this deal. I might be convinced to sell it actually.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50178160456_31cc99d3fa_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2js5bVw)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50177625573_0c561951cb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2js2rVp)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50177626448_bd9044569f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2js2sbu)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50177625813_af5382f894_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2js2rZx)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50178411452_7ef5ba0a2b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2js6tx3)

[lar45]

Great looking rifle!

[Three44s]

What are those occasional blue kernels of powder in the photos?

I have never worked with blue dot but I have not noticed any “blue” in H110 before and I have that powder.

Three44s

[rbuck351]

A half pound of powder isn't worth the effort to experiment to figure out what it is. If I had 10lbs of unknown powder, I would start with a 40gr boolit, 5grs of poiwder in a 22H and a crony and work my way up until I had a real good idea of what it is. That would include working up in case size as well. 1/2 lb of powder is NOT worth the effort and most of that would be gone by the time you figured out the approximate burn rate. Spilled powder and others reload powder goes into a can for later fun disposal.

[Taterhead]

I have only ever observed the headstamp, "WW-Super" to come from purchased brass available to reloaders. I've observed factory ammo to have "Winchester" or "Win". I could be wrong, however. The cannelure about the case signals virgin brass.

Secondly, as has been mentioned above, the crease in the primer has the hallmark of a hand priming tool that got a bit of an extra squeeze. Factory ammo primers look round and more uniform.

Pulling them down would be automatic for me. If there is ever any doubt, there is no doubt.