Any need to keep both .44 Special and .44 Magnum brass

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I prefer to shoot .44spl through my Mod69. The extractor will fully extract a .44 case, allowing it to fall free of the cylinder. .44mags can hang in the cylinder and have to be manually pulled clear of the cylinder.
 
RealGun said:
But respectfully, you are not backing that up with any test data or report of actually doing it. It is way off the scale for 44 Magnum case volume and proven loads. What I would suggest is something closer to actual magnum loads. If that is too hot, then there is the question of having the wrong gun or needing to use 44 Special cases that align with proven loads.
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The ammo doesn't know if you are shooting a .44 Special or .44 Magnum so if the charge is in the middle of a published .44 Special load why would it be unsafe? I don't need test data to know that, sometimes experience and common sense tells you a lot.

You said it's way off the scale for a 44 Magnum and I will not argue that point because the OP asked about .44 Special loads, not magnum loads.

I have not done it with the 44 but I have done it many many times with 38/357 loads and the even larger cases of the 454 Casull and 45 Colt.
 
joed said:
I have 3 .44 magnums and 2 .44 Spls, all S&W N frames. The Spl is loaded just a little on the hot side but not very. Now to the magnums, I have never fired a magnum load in any of my N frames. My load is 15.0 gr of 2400 with a 250 gr Keith style LSWC. I see no reason to beat myself or the gun up.

I always get a kick out of going to the range. There will always be someone there shooting a box of .44 magnums. I watch them shoot about 20 rounds and put the gun away while I may fire 100 or more rounds in mine.
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The 2400 load is 2 grains heavier than 44 Special, so is arguably a "magnum" load. I read your post as not "full power". Most of my 44 Mag shooting is in light to moderate loadings, because I don't have especially heavy guns to shoot, e.g. a Super Redhawk. I am at 18.8 gr 2400 while using 9.5 Unique for 44 Mag Cowboy in my Sauer Montana Marshall and NMBH Anniversary Flat Top. All are with 240 gr lead bullets. My H110 load for the real deal uses jacketed soft points.
 
FWIW; about loading the .44 Magnum. The .44 Magnum is one of those very versatile rounds, like a .357 Magnum. Both can be reloaded from Hmm to WOW! I have loaded my .44s from 123 gr. balls for a gallery load to a 265 gr LFNRP loaded to near max. for T-Rex hunting. I could get by with only keeping Magnum brass on hand, but there's no reason to get rid on my 200-250 Special cases...
 
ArchAngelCD said:
The ammo doesn't know if you are shooting a .44 Special or .44 Magnum so if the charge is in the middle of a published .44 Special load why would it be unsafe? I don't need test data to know that, sometimes experience and common sense tells you a lot.
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The larger magnum case lowers the pressure, so it is not a 44 Special load.
You said it's way off the scale for a 44 Magnum and I will not argue that point because the OP asked about .44 Special loads, not magnum loads.
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The discussion lies in whether the load is ill advised for magnum cases.

I have not done it with the 44 but I have done it many many times with 38/357 loads and the even larger cases of the 454 Casull and 45 Colt.
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We use load manuals for a reason. I don't think we should endorse wandering too far from proven data. We might have things we risked trying but when we imply that others might try it, we need more than an insistence to have their faith.
 
I keep them separated. I've been shooting my S&W 629 for more than 3 decades. I feel different shoot 44 Special in their cases. I really reserve my 44 Mag brass for true 44 Mag loads. It is just a mental thing with me and also helps to differentiate my loads in the storage locker.
 
RealGun said:
The larger magnum case lowers the pressure, so it is not a 44 Special load.

The discussion lies in whether the load is ill advised for magnum cases.



We use load manuals for a reason. I don't think we should endorse wandering too far from proven data. We might have things we risked trying but when we imply that others might try it, we need more than an insistence to have their faith.
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I'm trying not to say something stupid here. Just because you seem to have an irrational fear of this doesn't mean it's wrong. Many have done it safely and we are using load manuals. If you disagree that's fine but don't pass on bad information because you don't agreem or accuse anyone of not using safe loading practices.

Yes, the .44 Magnum case is larger and will slightly lower the pressures but if you are using a middle load for the special in magnum brass it's still a special load only less than the middle now.

I'm done hear, there are none so blind than those who refuse to see.
 
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ArchAngelCD said:
RealGun, I'm trying not to say something stupid here but just because you seem to have an irrational fear of this doesn't mean it's,wr

I'm trying not to say something stupid here. Just because you seem to have an irrational fear of this doesn't mean it's wrong. Many have done it safely and we are using load manuals. If you disagree that's fine but don't pass on bad information because you don't agreem or accuse anyone of not using safe loading practices.

Yes, the .44 Magnum case is larger and will slightly lower the pressures but if you are using a middle load for the special in magnum brass it's still a special load only less than the middle now.

I'm done hear, there are none so blind than those who refuse to see.
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Yeah, that's how it often goes...end with ad hominem and refuse to discuss it further. Have to wonder what manual supports the load you mentioned.
 
I have been loading .44 Magnums for quite a while and I have, many, many times taken a load right out of my manuals' "44 Special" section and dropped it in a Magnum case. Of course the velocity will be lower than listed, because there is more room in the Magnum case, but it is still in the realm of .44 Special. There is nothing to argue about. I have very successfully and safely done this thousands of times. (I have gone the other way on occasion, Mag loads in Special brass, but we're not talking about that now).

I'm kinda with AACD, I feel no need to "discuss" this anymore...
 
Just be very careful with powders like H-110. You can get an over pressure detonation from under-loading that powder. I have been loading and shooting 44 magnums for 45 years and didn't get my first 44 Special until last year. I loaded "Hot" Specials and "Mild" Magnums 4 decades ago but all were shot in Magnum revolvers before. Now I'm loving shooting normal 44 Specials in my S&W Model 24-4!
 
mdi said:
I have been loading .44 Magnums for quite a while and I have, many, many times taken a load right out of my manuals' "44 Special" section and dropped it in a Magnum case. Of course the velocity will be lower than listed, because there is more room in the Magnum case, but it is still in the realm of .44 Special. There is nothing to argue about. I have very successfully and safely done this thousands of times. (I have gone the other way on occasion, Mag loads in Special brass, but we're not talking about that now).

I'm kinda with AACD, I feel no need to "discuss" this anymore...
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What resource gave you confidence to try it the first time?
 
Common sense tells us it is OK. The difference in case size is minimal. The powders commonly used in .44 Spl are perfectly safe for using in "below starting loads" for .44 Magnum. Not to mention gun writers posting their successes doing it over the decades.

Why would it scare you to try it?
 
I have a Ruger Super Redhawk with a 7 1/2" barrel and a slick little Rossi 5 shot .44 spl 3" barrel.
I load specific ammo for both but I am not opposed to using the specials in the Magnum.
The .44 spl brass has been a little problematic in finding it so you might want to hold on to it.
The Rossi is fun to shoot but the Magnum isn't always hand friendly to my old hands and wrist. So popping in some lighter .44 spl rounds helps to continue some fun plinking. Although a .44 mag isn't what I consider a "plinking" caliber.
Enjoy both and save that brass.
 
I've been able to get all the 44 special brass I need from Starline for years. I don't understand why it's hard to find. Unless you are looking for free range brass. Can't find any there either. I keep all mine.
 
cfullgraf said:
Generally, I shoot only magnum cases in magnum chambers and special cases in special chambers. I prefer to not have to clean out the carbon ring that develops in front of the special case when fired in a magnum chamber.
Besides, I save the 38 Special and 44 Special cases for my revolvers chambered for 38 Special and 44 Special.
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I am on the same page as Cfull.
 
Walkalong said:
Common sense tells us it is OK. The difference in case size is minimal. The powders commonly used in .44 Spl are perfectly safe for using in "below starting loads" for .44 Magnum. Not to mention gun writers posting their successes doing it over the decades.

Why would it scare you to try it?
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It is not in any manual, so the point is to recommend it by giving credible references.
 
RealGun said:
What resource gave you confidence to try it the first time?
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I started reloading pre-web. In '69, 38 Specials and in '75, 357 Magnum. I compared load data in a couple manuals (only could afford 2 at that time, along with Lee Loader data sheets) and looked at powder charges/pressures so I tried Special loads in Magnum brass successfully. In '86 I started loading .44 Magnums and eventually tried the same procedure of loading Magnum brass with Special data. Works quite well. H110/W296 is a powder I used for a very short time, less than 1 lb., and reading data and warnings (and seeing no Special data for these Magnum powders) I never tried them for "Special in Magnum" loading, full Magnum loads only.

My best reloading tool is that glob of grey stuff between my ears. I didn't have the web to tell me much about reloading and there were these funny paper things called "books" that gave me my information (and a thing called "horse sense" kept me out of trouble).
 
RealGun said:
It is not in any manual, so the point is to recommend it by giving credible references.
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Look them up yourself. Many "credible" gunwriters over the years have written about it. "Credible" people here have told you it is OK to do.

You are either being argumentative for the sake of it, or simply cannot fathom something not clearly outlined in a manual somewhere.

"Credible" people have been using .44 Spl loads in .44 Magnum brass for decades without issues. If that isn't good enough for you, don't do it. Besides, I could care less if you think it is a good idea, we are responding for the OPs sake, not yours.

If you think it is unsafe, tell the OP so and maybe even give a good reason or two why, then let them decide what advise they wish to take/not take in this thread, but arguing with other posters who disagree with you, who say it is OK, and demanding proof in a way satisfactory to you, is a waste of time.

Manuals show loads for the caliber, they don't go into downloading certain pistol calibers, so you are asking for the impossible, but you know that. Gunwriters and other experienced, safe, reloaders have been doing this since before I knew what reloading was. People here have shot thousands of .44 Spl loads in .44 Mag brass. And again, if you cannot see why it would be perfectly safe without a manual telling you so, it's a lost cause.
 
Walkalong said:
Look them up yourself. Many "credible" gunwriters over the years have written about it. "Credible" people here have told you it is OK to do.

You are either being argumentative for the sake of it, or simply cannot fathom something not clearly outlined in a manual somewhere.

"Credible" people have been using .44 Spl loads in .44 Magnum brass for decades without issues. If that isn't good enough for you, don't do it. Besides, I could care less if you think it is a good idea, we are responding for the OPs sake, not yours.

If you think it is unsafe, tell the OP so and maybe even give a good reason or two why, then let them decide what advise they wish to take/not take in this thread, but arguing with other posters who disagree with you, who say it is OK, and demanding proof in a way satisfactory to you, is a waste of time.

Manuals show loads for the caliber, they don't go into downloading certain pistol calibers, so you are asking for the impossible, but you know that. Gunwriters and other experienced, safe, reloaders have been doing this since before I knew what reloading was. People here have shot thousands of .44 Spl loads in .44 Mag brass. And again, if you cannot see why it would be perfectly safe without a manual telling you so, it's a lost cause.
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In another context we would condemn relying on "I read it on the internet", so it is not me who is argumentative. The problem comes in the hissy fit, when someone questions what we post, even with a preamble of "respectfully".
 
I don't own any .44s, but do have revolvers chambered in .357 magnum and .38 Special, so the principle is the same.

I do not download .357 brass. If I want light loads, I just shoot .38s in it. Heck, my .357 probably sees as many .38s as it does magnum loads on account of my daughter loves to shoot my Blackhawk.
If some ammo is laying around, I don't want to wonder what it is, so I load magnum brass to magnum levels and keep plenty of specials on hand for the lighter stuff.

There is certainly nothing wrong with loading light loads though, if that is the way you prefer.
None of this is really right or wrong, simply personal preference.
 
I download .357 brass all the time. I shoot far fewer full power .357 than light. A little light even for .38 Spl, being a 158 at around 750ish FPS. Lets me shoot .38 Spl power/recoil loads in .357 revolvers. No different than using .38 Spl brass.
 
I'm with Walkalong on this one. I've been shooting from medium special to full-house magnum loads in magnum brass in both .357 and .44 for quite a while. I do change powders accordingly. Trail Boss for very light loads, Unique in the mid-range, and 2400 for magnum loads. The powders work for both cartridges. I do not have a .38 special revolver, so I don't have any .38 special brass; but I shoot plenty of .38 special-power loads. I do have revolvers in both .44 special and .44 magnum, so I do have both .44 special and .44 magnum brass. I never shoot the .44 special brass in the magnum-chambered revolvers; but I shoot plenty of .44 special-power loads from the .44 magnums.
 
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