Well, those were warm....

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Loaded some .44 specials up today and was absent minded. Used 12 grains HS 6 under a 275 boolit. That is my normal .44 mag load. No extraction difficulties but the primers were flat. Shot in a 24-3 Smith N frame. They were plenty accurate too.

[Castaway]

Hard extraction isn’t necessarily an indicator of high pressure in a straight walled case

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Hard extraction isn’t necessarily an indicator of high pressure in a straight walled case

Won't be loading anymore like that regardless.

[rintinglen]

Hard extraction isn’t necessarily an indicator of high pressure in a straight walled case

No, but a 50% overload is a likely contributor. IIRC, 7.5 grains is the top end 44 Spl. load for a 255 Grain Boolit.

Fortunately, S&W 24-3's are dirt common and cheap to replace, so no harm done.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

No, but a 50% overload is a likely contributor. IIRC, 7.5 grains is the top end 44 Spl. load for a 255 Grain Boolit.

Fortunately, S&W 24-3's are dirt common and cheap to replace, so no harm done.

They are not so common in these parts and not inexpensive either. Certainly not a collector but nice none the less. Side plate did not sink and forcing cone looks o.k.

There are currently 3 for sale on Gunbroker; https://www.gunbroker.com/Revolvers/search?PageSize=96&Sort=4&View=1&Ch-manufacturerName=Smith%20%26%20Wesson&Ch-model=24-3&Condition=3

[whisler]

The purple color in the comment about rarity and price is the forum indicator for sarcasm.

[Mal Paso]

Loaded some .44 specials up today and was absent minded. Used 12 grains HS 6 under a 275 boolit. That is my normal .44 mag load. No extraction difficulties but the primers were flat. Shot in a 24-3 Smith N frame. They were plenty accurate too.

Elmer Keith started with warm 44 Special loads. :bigsmyl2:

[Cosmic_Charlie]

TY whisler. I shot 12 of them. Not as stout as full on .44 mag loads. The 24-3 is a strong revolver. Maybe I should get a hollow base mold for it and shoot Bullseye loads hence forth.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Just a couple observations; I think that HS-6 powder is fairly forgiving. These rounds were not roll crimped and none backed out. The barrel is clean as a whistle. Too bad I did not chrono them.

[rintinglen]

As best as I can calculate, those would have been just about 60% over proof for a 44 Special, somewhere near 30,000 psi. Probably 1,200 fps, give or take, from a 6 1/2 inch barrel. Pearce gave 10 grains as a top load for HS-6 in his category 2 loads, <22,000 psi. But that was with a 255 grain boolit.
All kidding aside, I'm glad you didn't bend your S&W 24-3. they only made 7,500, just over 2,500 4" and about 4,875 6 1/2. Curiously, the 3" "Special order" Lew Horton guns out number either of the factory offerings. S&W made at least 5,000 of them, possibly as many as 7,500.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

TY Rintin. They sure did not feel like nukes. Would not have shot 12 otherwise. But they were different enough for me to realize my mistake on the drive home.

[Scrounge]

TY Rintin. They sure did not feel like nukes. Would not have shot 12 otherwise. But they were different enough for me to realize my mistake on the drive home.

I had been considering getting something in .44 Special until I can find another .44 Mag. Now I'm not. and I'm going to have to be more careful about loading for .38 Special & .357 Mag, having guns in both calibers. Not sure my wife's alloy frame Pink Lady would survive something like that.

Bill

[fredj338]

Hard extraction isn’t necessarily an indicator of high pressure in a straight walled case

While hard extraction & flattened primers are not a 100% sign of high pressures, certainly a warning sign. Plus there are levels of both. If you are pounding them out, yeah pretty much a sign you are over pressure. If you cant see any gap between primer cup & pocket, yeah over pressure.

[GregLaROCHE]

There was once a crazy German guy who got to watch someone’s cabin over winter in the Alaskan Bush. He said he had bought a 44 Mag and asked if would pick up a box of rounds for him and I did. I visited him during winter and asked if he had shot his gun much. He said no, because stuff kept getting in his eyes when he did. The following summer I was talking to someone and they said, that crazy German had been shooting 44 mags in a 44 special. I never saw the gun, but I didn’t hear that it ever completely blew up. That would have been talked about, but that extra pressure had to be going somewhere. I realized that was probably why he was getting stuff in his eyes when shooting. He’s lucky he didn’t kill himself. That’s almost as dangerous as playing Russian Roulette.

[mehavey]

shooting 44 mags in a 44 special...How does one do that ?
RemMag is too long for S&WSpecial cylinder.

[Scrounge]

How does one do that ?
RemMag is too long for S&WSpecial cylinder.

Unless someone has had it bored out. Not saying it did happen, just that it could. I've seen some crazy stuff.

Bill