.41 Mag does not equal .44 Mag
- Thread starter Walkalong
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mstreddy
Member
In an earlier thread I referenced my story of a 9 in a 40, and a 9 in a 45 and 40 in 45.
The 9 in a 40 is really quite benign when it happens. As the above poster mentioned, it goes bang -- not terribly accurate but will not cycle the slide. My buddy grabbed the 9 ammo loaded it in my 40 and shot. We looked at what happened and said -- OK, that was strange. Realized the mix up and corrected -- no harm no foul -- but I do get to laugh at him from time to time. The 9 in the 45 was ME - ALL ME!!! I grab my Colt 1911 in 9 (or so I thought) it sits in the safe right next to the Kimber in 45 and 2 other 1911s. Get to the range with the mags for 9, ammo, etc... Load mag, shoot one round, notice the very weak report and basically a keyhole in the target, no slide cycle either. Wonder what gives, manually rack, but have to pry the case to eject to find the 2nd pictured case and sit there for a second wondering what the @#$# caused that. -- Then of course I read the side plate and in bold script is KIMBER! -- Did I mention it was a 45 Kimber, not a 9? And of course another buddy is watching me and once we figure out no harm no foul proceeds to laugh at me -- imagine that! Needless to say, I had no 45 mags, or ammo, so that ended that portion of the days festivities.
The 40 in a 45 was another buddy, grabbed a 40 that was somehow mixed in with his open box of loose packed 45 and it went into the gun, same story, weak report, no cycle and out comes item 3. Those all happened within the last 2 years, so it's not like I intentionally set out to create artfully decorated cases. But I do keep them to remind me of what inattention can cause.
But since Walk and others have done it and owned up to it, I feel much better now!
But maybe we have to reconsider having the same gun in multiple calibers? --- naw, what am I thinking?
The 9 in a 40 is really quite benign when it happens. As the above poster mentioned, it goes bang -- not terribly accurate but will not cycle the slide. My buddy grabbed the 9 ammo loaded it in my 40 and shot. We looked at what happened and said -- OK, that was strange. Realized the mix up and corrected -- no harm no foul -- but I do get to laugh at him from time to time. The 9 in the 45 was ME - ALL ME!!! I grab my Colt 1911 in 9 (or so I thought) it sits in the safe right next to the Kimber in 45 and 2 other 1911s. Get to the range with the mags for 9, ammo, etc... Load mag, shoot one round, notice the very weak report and basically a keyhole in the target, no slide cycle either. Wonder what gives, manually rack, but have to pry the case to eject to find the 2nd pictured case and sit there for a second wondering what the @#$# caused that. -- Then of course I read the side plate and in bold script is KIMBER! -- Did I mention it was a 45 Kimber, not a 9? And of course another buddy is watching me and once we figure out no harm no foul proceeds to laugh at me -- imagine that! Needless to say, I had no 45 mags, or ammo, so that ended that portion of the days festivities.
The 40 in a 45 was another buddy, grabbed a 40 that was somehow mixed in with his open box of loose packed 45 and it went into the gun, same story, weak report, no cycle and out comes item 3. Those all happened within the last 2 years, so it's not like I intentionally set out to create artfully decorated cases. But I do keep them to remind me of what inattention can cause.
But since Walk and others have done it and owned up to it, I feel much better now!
But maybe we have to reconsider having the same gun in multiple calibers? --- naw, what am I thinking?
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I keep my guns in distinct boxes for range trips with ammo boxes in caliber specific colors for the reasons listed in the OP although I don't have two of any kind of gun that can be mistaken for each other. I also won't let my .44 Mags come to the range with my .45 Colt for similar reasons.
gamestalker
member
I just remembered an event while shooting dove around a water hole. I was shoving shells into my 870 and dropped one. I bent down picked it up and continued loading the tube. Then as the birds flew in I shot and then shucked another round in, but nothing happened when I pulled the trigger. I thought, mis-fire, and when I tried to eject the suspect shell it didn't come out. After I manually got it out, I discovered it was a 16 ga. shell someone else had dropped where I had dropped my 12 ga. shell. The thing was, is it was exactly the same color and close enough in size I didn't notice. Thankfully it chambered too deep for the firing pin to touch it off.
I also remember a friend who managed to get his 30-06 mixed up with his .270 win. at the range. Nothing happened other than the necks splitting and accuracy was all over the place. He wasn't a reloader, so he couldn't put the pieces together as to why it even chambered. I was like, yes, 270 win. will chamber just fine in a 30-06.
GS
I also remember a friend who managed to get his 30-06 mixed up with his .270 win. at the range. Nothing happened other than the necks splitting and accuracy was all over the place. He wasn't a reloader, so he couldn't put the pieces together as to why it even chambered. I was like, yes, 270 win. will chamber just fine in a 30-06.
GS
buck460XVR
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....so much for the versatility of the .41 cartridge.
Lost Sheep
Member
I was loading a few hundred 45ACP last year when I noticed that one
cartridge required more force crimping (taper crimp, of course) the
bullet. So, I pulled the suspect cartridge and observed that it was a
460 Rowland case that somehow had fond its way into my 45 ACP brass.
(460 Rowland is to 45 ACP as 44 Magnum is to 44 Special - same dimensions
except for the length.) So, essentially, the case mouth is now swaged into the bullet's side.
The truly scary part is not that I had failed to detect the stray
earlier, but that now, with the crimp fully applied in a strong press,
the cartridge can chamber in a standard 45 ACP barrel. Since the case
mouth extends past the chamber shoulder and goes into the bullet sides it is a super-crimp (and unlikely to be able to release the bullet). This is a guarantee to destroy a pistol.
NEVER take ANYTHING for granted.
Lost Sheep
cartridge required more force crimping (taper crimp, of course) the
bullet. So, I pulled the suspect cartridge and observed that it was a
460 Rowland case that somehow had fond its way into my 45 ACP brass.
(460 Rowland is to 45 ACP as 44 Magnum is to 44 Special - same dimensions
except for the length.) So, essentially, the case mouth is now swaged into the bullet's side.
The truly scary part is not that I had failed to detect the stray
earlier, but that now, with the crimp fully applied in a strong press,
the cartridge can chamber in a standard 45 ACP barrel. Since the case
mouth extends past the chamber shoulder and goes into the bullet sides it is a super-crimp (and unlikely to be able to release the bullet). This is a guarantee to destroy a pistol.
NEVER take ANYTHING for granted.
Lost Sheep
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