Okay, here's your complimentary case cutaway of the 45 vs 44 Mag cases. Don't make anything of the apparent flash hole diameters--I didn't section these perfectly and in both cases you're not seeing the full diameter, but something considerably less. My bad. Where comparative flash hole sizes are a matter of serious concern, please seek professional consultation. Otherwise, please accept my observation that flash hole diameters are indistinguishable to me, even using considerable magnification.
Both cases are Starline. The 44 Mag case has been fired at most 2 times and much more likely, once. The Win Mag case is unfired. The disturbance at the case mouth is due to my use of nerdle neez pliers to hold the case against the grinder. The 'disturbance' the 44 Mag case shows from 1/2 way up and above is most likely due to the beating it took from my rawhide mallet (notice the passive voice) in trying to straighten out the pliers mark, without my glasses.
Did I fail to mention how much I love the 45 Mag, even having never fired a single one? To quote a Chicago tune of a few years back...
Searchin' So Long...
"Now I know my life has meaning"
Finally, as a silly humorous take-off of the currently-running Flonase add and with no apology to the marketing goons at GlaxoSmithKline:
No caliber war, please--this is intended as
humor.