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.

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.

[Stopsign32v]

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

[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.