gutterman
Member
I know this is probably a stupid question, but can you shoot 44 spl rounds in a 44 mag?
44 spl in 44 mag
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Carne Frio
Member
Yep, all day long.
gamestalker
member
Yes you can, but there are a couple of things you should be aware of.
I would avoid shooting non jacketed bullets because of the lead that can build up rather in the cylinder, just in front of the start of the bearing surface. This and gas cutting to the cylinder can permantly damage it. I occasionally shoot them through my 44 mags. and 38's through my .357 mag.. I can see the permanent line developing where the mouth of the shorter specials chamber, so I'm rather certain that a regular diet of specials will eventually cut into the cylinder wall. But a now and then box or two probably won't wear your cylinder out any time soon.
I would avoid shooting non jacketed bullets because of the lead that can build up rather in the cylinder, just in front of the start of the bearing surface. This and gas cutting to the cylinder can permantly damage it. I occasionally shoot them through my 44 mags. and 38's through my .357 mag.. I can see the permanent line developing where the mouth of the shorter specials chamber, so I'm rather certain that a regular diet of specials will eventually cut into the cylinder wall. But a now and then box or two probably won't wear your cylinder out any time soon.
loadedround
Member
+1 for the above replies. However if you reload, it might be cheaper and less hassle to load down 44 Mag cases to 44 Spl velocitiy than trying to locate 44 Spl cases or 44 Spl factory ammo. JMHO.
Jeff F
Member
You can shoot lead bullet .44 spl all you want in a .44 mag with out hurting the gun. I have put over 40,000 of them downrange out of a 629 S&W, my reloads 200gn FWC and 240gn SWC cast bullets. Just clean your cylinders good and clean them before shooting .44 magnum ammo. Never seen any flame cutting into a cylinder wall in 20 years of shooting em out of that gun.
Any time you shoot a shorter round like a .38spl in a .357 or a .44 spl in a .44 mag you will get a build up in front of the mouth of the case. If you don't clean the cylinders before shooting the longer magnum rounds they can stick in the cylinders and be very hard to extract.
Jeff, what's your preferred method of cleaning out the build up from the shorter cases - that stuff is wicked stubborn! And why do you need a good cleaning before shooting the mags? Does the mag case pressure effectively "pack" the crud ring down (making it impossible to remove)?... or is it the risk of not allowing a magnum crimp to properly expand/release a bullet - and a kaboom?
Lastly, since you reload, why wouldn't you just load lighter in mag cases to avoid the build up and required cleaning? Sounds like you're reloading special cases.
Sorry for all the questions, but that "special" crud ring is driving my crazy (see related thread)
.Jeff F
Member
Here ya go
Check out this thread and read post #19
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=603402
Jeff F
Member
The main reason I was loading .44 spl was because my buddy at RB Cast Bullets turned me on to 5000 brand new midway cases when I started shooting PPC matches in the bay area. He also set me up with a 200gn cast FWC that was one of the most accurate bullets I had ever shot. I saved my magnum cases for hunting loads with a hard cast GC bullet of the Keith design.
DC Plumber
Member
Yes, you can shoot 44 special in a 44 mag just like 38 specials in a 357 mag and 45 Colt in a 454 Casull gun.
I handload, so I if I want 44 special loads I down load 44 mag cases so I don't have to worry about cleaning that ring out of the cylinder.
This warning has been around for ever.
It has been said that excessive pressure can develop if you shoot a magnum round and the crud ring hasn't been removed. Apparently the crud ring puts extra tension on the case mouth and can create higher pressure at that point, and in some cases has apparently caused cylinder damage.
I've never had this happen to me, never seen it, or personally known anyone who has had it happen, but it's been discussed on many forums. Why mess around with 36000 psi?
But, it you only are going to shoot specials and never magnums, then don't loose sleep over it, you won't damage your gun. Shoot away.
I handload, so I if I want 44 special loads I down load 44 mag cases so I don't have to worry about cleaning that ring out of the cylinder.
This warning has been around for ever.
It has been said that excessive pressure can develop if you shoot a magnum round and the crud ring hasn't been removed. Apparently the crud ring puts extra tension on the case mouth and can create higher pressure at that point, and in some cases has apparently caused cylinder damage.
I've never had this happen to me, never seen it, or personally known anyone who has had it happen, but it's been discussed on many forums. Why mess around with 36000 psi?
But, it you only are going to shoot specials and never magnums, then don't loose sleep over it, you won't damage your gun. Shoot away.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
"Flame cutting" has nothing at all to do with what kind of cases you're using, or with the cylinder itself. That term refers to the line that develops in the underside of the frame's top strap above the cylinder/barrel gap.
Fortunately the line you see inside your chambers is not cut into them whatsoever, but rather, is simply deposits you haven't scrubbed off yet. If this DID happen, which it doesn't, the same problem would happen with magnums -- but more so as the higher pressure would erode the metal much faster. Fortunately, none of that is true.
I've shot probably 15,000 or so Specials through my 629. I use the shorter cases as this is a competition gun and they eject a WHOLE LOT more positively than the longer Magnum cases.
I agree with DCPlumber. I've never worried about it anymore than shooting 22 shorts in a LR gun, or 2 3/4" shotgun shells in a 3" shotgun. Pressures are not equal, I'd guess, but I seriously doubt you or your grandchildren will live long enough to wear it out. I shoot specials in my mags with plated and jacketed bullets, and, by the looks of component availability on the websites, I'd say a lot of people are doing the same. Most seem to have in stock only 100 packs, the bulk plated stuff in 44 and 38 in popular weights are not easy to come by, nor are 230 gr. plated 45's. FWIW
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Not so.
Gas cutting does not happen when shooting shorter cases in longer chambers.
If gas cutting a chamber were even possible, it would happen in front of the normal length case in the normal length chamber, right in the tapered part of the throat.
But it doesn't.
rc
Jeff F
Member
This I have heard of before but I have never seen it, and if memory serves me right it was a big issue with the .357 Maximum cartridge.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Folks sure get some weird ideas about cast bullets. Those that "know" just keeping pluggin' along, shooting cast bullets all willy-nilly and carefree.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
It crops up most often in high-pressure cartridges and softer frame materials, but many, if not most, revolvers will show it to some degree.
If you open the cylinder and look at the inside of the top strap just behind where the barrel stops. Scrub that area real clean with a bronze brush and some solvent. You'll probably find there's a small line inscribed there from the hot gasses and firing residue being blasted against it.
Generally, "flame cutting" seems to happen in the first few hundred or thousand rounds and then stops. You'll notice that you don't see many revolvers that were cut in half by this problem!
Some of the lighter alloy guns, and/or higher pressure guns, were fitted with a small steel blast shield that wrapped under the top strap and kept the wear off the frame.
Here's a pic of the usual "problem": http://pages.sbcglobal.net/eickpm/flame_cut1.jpg
From this thread over on TFL: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=269194
Jeff F
Member
I just cleaned the top strap real good on my GP and one of my S&W's and I can see a slight line. No where as bad as that picture. Wow, I see it now, guess its just the nature of the revolver. I checked out that link and see that is a picture of a .357 Max.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Yup, the real firecrackers have a bad rep for that. The higher the pressure and hotter the flame, the more erosion you might see.
Load big, heavy, and slower and you'll likely never see a problem.
The scandium frame guns often have a shield to protect them. Looks like this: http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQhqev8gzDY2SIEmXCKMYWCV0PX3ZDKS0cLhcXHjlkIegPKmlIs&t=1
Load big, heavy, and slower and you'll likely never see a problem.
The scandium frame guns often have a shield to protect them. Looks like this: http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQhqev8gzDY2SIEmXCKMYWCV0PX3ZDKS0cLhcXHjlkIegPKmlIs&t=1
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
The problem with the .357Maximum was handloaders trying to make a rifle out of them. Lightweight jacketed bullets at extreme velocity with spherical powders was the culprit. The Max was designed for silhouette use with heavy bullets at appropriate velocities.
MachIVshooter
Member
This.
.357 maximum was meant for 158 gr. and heavier, not 110's or 125's at wicked velocities.
That said, the flame cutting is a self-limiting problem, but people got scared and sales reflected that, so most manufacturers simply dropped it. DW was the last hold-out for a revolver, IIRC.
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