Reduced length .44 Magnum cases?

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  • Last Post 29 July 2021
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hanover67 posted this 25 July 2021

I have some .44 Magnum cases, but I only reload a .44 Special. Has anyone cut down the magnum cases for use in a .44 special? Or, is this a waste of time?

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hanover67 posted this 29 July 2021

Thanks everybody. I've found some .44 Special cases and won't expend the effort on cutting down .44 mag cases. Now, I just need some cartridge boxes to put them in.

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Bud Hyett posted this 28 July 2021

The easiest way I have done is the Forster-Appelt trimmer set up with a 5/16 (?) nut on the shaft and a battery hand drill. Be very careful to just place the drill 0n the nut and not press the drill forward, you can disturb the setting and shorten the brass. 

Be sure to lubricate the shaft every ten rounds or so, this creates much more friction than hand-turning. I use any simple lubricant to use it up, I have several half-bottles of lubricant that did not work out for the initial purpose. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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dkmenefee posted this 27 July 2021

I cut down 44 Special cases to 44 Colt years ago when 44 Colt was hard to find.  

If you have gazillions of 44 Mag cases, I guess it may make sense to use what you have. 

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RicinYakima posted this 26 July 2021

Starline 44 Russian cases work perfectly in my original S&W. 

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Wheel Weights posted this 25 July 2021

Lotsa work when 44 Specai and Russian cases are available. I own all 3 and don't make cases.

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RicinYakima posted this 25 July 2021

Some brands of cases (starline) will require reaming also as the case walls are thick. But I only shoot 429421's so you may be OK with a shorter bullet. FWIW

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Little Debbie posted this 25 July 2021

I’ve done it in the past when .44 Special cases were hard to find and I’ve done it when 44 Magnum cases get mouth splits. You’d better have a powered trimmer or your hands are going to get tired. I use a Forster drill press fixture. With the way things are finding reloading components it sounds reasonable to convert these cases. For standard .44 Special loads I’ve never found the lesser case capacity of trimmed 44 Magnum cases an issue.

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