cimarron seems to be the only one offering the 44 special chambering... i should get everything in .44 special, open top and conversion in .44 colt or 44 russian, 44 russian seems like it would chamber in a 44 special firearm just fine...
so i could stock up only on 44 special cases, not needing anything else, then trim some of these down to 44 colt or russian and use these on the firearms that cant take much pressure such as the henrys and open tops, with the full length .44 specials on the rifles and handguns that can handle more..
thatll prevent me from accidently putting a hotter load into a weaker design because id be able to physically see the difference between the two, however still be able to stock up on a bunch of the same cases and use the same bullets making it incredibly cheap to manufacture both rounds
Yes, any revolver that is chambered for 44 Magnum or 44 Special will also accept 44 Russians, just like a 357 Magnum revolver will also accept 38 Special ammo.
However the same can not always be said about rifles. Even though the shorter 44 Russian round will fit in the chamber of a 44 Special rifle, the Over All Length of the round may present a problem with feeding. Depending on the design, a lever gun chambered for a specific cartridge may or may not be able to accept a shorter version of the same cartridge. The shorter cartridge may be too short and prevent the action from operating properly, jamming the gun. This gets to be pretty specific with different rifles and one only knows when one actually tries the shorter round.
As I said earlier, you do not have to cut down 44 Special cases to 44 Colt or 44 Russian length, both cases are available new from Starline.
Regarding the lighter loads often used in Cowboy Action Shooting, it has nothing to do with older guns. Very few shooters actually use antiques, most shoot Rugers or modern replicas. The reason the loads are often light is because CAS is a game of speed. Shooters who want to shoot a revolver very fast also want recoil low for repeat shots. So many shooters shoot light loads. Personally, I do not care for 45 Colt loads that have been loaded down to imitate a light 38 Special, but I don't set the rules and there you have it. I belong to the minority that shoots Black Power, and my loads duplicate the Black Powder loads of the late 1800s, stuffed to the gills with a charge of Black Powder and a heavy bullet. I am also among the minority that sometimes shoots original guns that are over 100 years old.
Although modern Smokeless powder can indeed outperform the old 19th Century Black Powder loads, a full charge of Black Powder is nothing to sneeze at. You have not lived until you have experienced the roar and recoil of a full charge of FFg and a 250 grain bullet in a Colt.
