44 mag brass opinions

[stef76]

Hi Fellas, just wanted some advice on 44 mag brass. Getting into the calibre for a lever gun. I usually choose starline ( eg in 38sp, 357), cant remember why i started with it but I believe its a little bit thicker and lower capacity which works fine me. The issue is starline very hard to find, a lot of calling and scrounging to obtain more than a packet( I'm not in the US).

What we do have is remington, Hornady and winchester mostly left on the shelves.

Starline might be imported again, but with general shortages everywhere Id like to buy up on at least one brand of brass to reduce complication.

Anyone have opinions on these three versus starline in 44mag?

[stubshaft]

I've used Starline in a number of different calibers including the 44 mag, however the majority of my 44 mag brass has an RP headstamp and the have lasted me a looong time.

[winelover]

Remington or Winchester. Hornady, I always found to be a little short in length.

Winelover

[Sasquatch-1]

I have 5 or 6 head stamps for 44 that I use. I mainly use Fed, RP and WW in wheel guns. Some of the odder head stamps get loaded for my Desert Eagle, which when it jams tends to crush the case. When it comes to 44 brass I do not turn down any.

[243winxb]

Rem first, then Win. If possible, check to see if flash hole is centered, before buying.

[Jeff Michel]

Anything except G.F.L. head stamp, they like to split after the second load.

[wilecoyote]

...quite puzzled: I don't have a .44 mag.lever, but 99% of my .44mag. brass is GFL aka Giulio Fiocchi_- Lecco (IT.).
I don't have this kind of trouble in my revolvers, and GFL brass seems last forever...

[HWooldridge]

I've been shooting 44 Mag since the 1970's and never split a case - no idea how many times the brass has been reloaded. I tend to throw them away when the primer pockets get loose and the primers start backing out. Everything is either Federal, R-P or Winchester stamps, and I can't see any difference between them.

The only cases I've experiencing splitting with are 44-40 and 45 Colt. The former seem to split at the mouth and the latter split down the side; both defects can happen at sizing or when fired. Sometimes, I'll eject a case and it will have a smoky split down the side, and the chamber will be sooty - but never experienced any damage. I just toss the bad one and keep going.

[mdi]

44 Magnum was my most favorite caliber and I own 5. I have purchased once fired brass on several occasions and cannot tell much difference, and no consistently bad cases. Standouts; of course Starline and a bunch of Federal (I have 40 Fed nickel plated cases I have reserved for my T-Rex Killer loads, 265 gr RNFP over near max./max loads of WC820). Otherwise R-P, Winchester, Speer, and even PMC all work fine. I don't have a preferred case mfg. for my Puma handloads.When I do a load workup I sort brass and use one headstamp for consistency, but often loads of mixed headstamps work better, more consistent than I can tell...

[pworley1]

Of the brass you listed as available, I think all will work just fine.

[RKJ]

I like Remington and use it for most of my reloading.

[Jeff Michel]

...quite puzzled: I don't have a .44 mag.lever, but 99% of my .44mag. brass is GFL aka Giorgio Fiocchi_- Lecco (IT.).
I don't have this kind of trouble in my revolvers, and GFL brass seems last forever...

Your not the only one that's puzzled, it isn't only the 44 mag brass, .357 mag, same issue. These aren't hot loads either, rifle and revolver, in a dozen different ones. Doesn't seem to matter.

[Outpost75]

I've never had any problems with Fiocchi brass in any caliber.

I have had case mouth splits with S-B and PPU.

R-P and W-W both good. Hornady is OK but short.

Federal is soft and primer pockets sometimes loose.

[Walks]

I prefer Remington. Starline cases will develop mouth splits after 2-3 loadings.

[NyFirefighter357]

It's in stock at https://www.starlinebrass.com/44-special-brass

[square butte]

Not any more

[ddeck22]

It's in stock at https://www.starlinebrass.com/44-special-brass

I believe the OP was asking about 44 magnum brass and not 44 Special.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

yeah, it seems Hornady are a bit short.
of the other two, I prefer R+P, I haven't had one split.
I've had numerous "W-W super" cases split after many many reloading's.

[wilecoyote]

Your not the only one that's puzzled, it isn't only the 44 mag brass, .357 mag, same issue. These aren't hot loads either, rifle and revolver, in a dozen different ones. Doesn't seem to matter.

something is not right: I can always say that I am more than satisfied with the duration of the GFL in .357 as well, here.
however this is not the first time I have heard this complaint from Americans or Canadians.
I can only think that Fiocchi contracts to some external producer those that give you problems.

[oley55]

most of my 357/44 mag brass are 1980s vintage Federal brass (with some Remington mixed in). In the last couple years I have been salt bath annealing them with the hope of extending their life a few (or many) more years. I can't really say if it is making a difference or not in that regards since I seldom encounter split cases, but I can feel a difference in the seating pressure required. The brass seems to spring back better than the many times sized n fired brass.

In the pics I drilled n Dremeled a couple trashed out Lee molds to serve as heat sinks to prevent annealing too far down the case. Probably not really needed but it makes for a handy tool to hold the cases and it makes this old man feel more special...LOL

(note added: It took some hand fitting with a dowel rapped in sand paper to fine tune the grip on the cases. I wanted to make sure I had firm contact around the mouth of the mold cavity so that the heat would be captured there and not radiate to far up the case.)