44. mag

[boggs,jeff]

How short can I trim my 44. Mag brass?

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Ummmm.... the shorter you trim it the less case capacity you have....which can lead to higher pressures than stated in load manuals.

But, I suppose you can trim it as short as you want. Load accordingly and at your own risk.

I have never trimmed pistol brass before.

Well...I take that back...there was that one time I trimmed 460 SW brass down to 454 Casull length to test some loads with large primer pockets...


Welcome to the Firing Line!

1.270-1.275" would be my guess.

[Wag]

You could trim it down to .44 special length and then load it as .44 special. You just shouldn't ever use it for .44 magnum loads ever again and the risk, of course, is in identifying the brass next time you load it up.

Knowing that, trim away if you like! Your choice of tools will determine how pleasant or unpleasant that experience will be!

--Wag--

[mehavey]

If you load at specified 44Mag OALs, it should little/no difference. \
(But where `ya gonna crimp then? 44Mags do need that crimp/crimping groove located at the case mouth.)

[FrankenMauser]

Ummmm.... the shorter you trim it the less case capacity you have....which can lead to higher pressures than stated in load manuals.

But, I suppose you can trim it as short as you want. Load accordingly and at your own risk.

Since most people load based on a recommended Overall Length, not seating depth; case length is a non-issue. It doesn't matter how long (or short) your cases are, so long as you're loading to the same OAL.

The only time a shorter case length creates pressure issues, is when people seat bullets to a crimp groove or cannelure, based on a load developed in longer cases (which were also seated to the same crimp groove or cannelure, thus shortening the OAL).

None of that should be an issue, though; if you start low, and work up.

I have a 50-piece lot of R-P .243 Win brass that is 0.080" under what most manuals list as "trim-to" length. I trimmed them that short, to get rid of some really nasty burrs left by the factory. I load those cases just as hot as any other R-P brass I have. Why? Because I seat everything to the same OAL. The reduced case length doesn't matter.

I also have some .44 Rem Mag brass (W-W, I think), that has about 15 pieces of "shorties" mixed in. They were cases that were starting to split, so I trimmed them back a bit. Having those random shorter cases mixed in doesn't matter, since I seat to the same OAL.

[Edward429451]

If your 44 Mag brass splits at the case mouth, trim it to 44 Special length (1.150) and use it as 44 Special brass. When it splits again at the mouth, trim it to 44 Russian length (0.970) and use it as 44 Russian with appropriately reduced loads. Talk about green brass.

[Mal H]

Jeff, to answer your specific question, the official trim-to length is 1.275". However, as several here have said or implied, you rarely if ever need to trim handgun brass.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Since most people load based on a recommended Overall Length, not seating depth; case length is a non-issue. It doesn't matter how long (or short) your cases are, so long as you're loading to the same OAL.

The only time case length creates pressure issues, is when people seat bullets to a crimp groove or cannelure, regardless of OAL.

None of that should be an issue, though; if you start low, and work up.

I have a 50-piece lot of R-P .243 Win brass that is 0.080" under what most manuals list as "trim-to" length. I trimmed them that short, to get rid of some really nasty burrs left by the factory. I load those cases just as hot as any other R-P brass I have. Why? Because I seat everything to the same OAL. The reduced case length doesn't matter.

I also have some .44 Rem Mag brass (W-W, I think), that has about 15 pieces of "shorties" mixed in. They were cases that were starting to split, so I trimmed them back a bit. Having those random shorter cases mixed in doesn't matter, since I seat to the same OAL.

Absolutely. I should have been more clear. I was assuming he was going to crimp in the cannelure, thus needing to shorten the COL. Should have been more clear. My fault.

[Mal H]

The only time case length creates pressure issues, is when people seat bullets to a crimp groove or cannelure, regardless of OAL.

I'm a little puzzled by that statement.

I would think the opposite might be true, but not often. When you crimp in a standard groove, the amount of the bullet inside the case will be a constant no matter how long the actual case is.

As cases are fired, they usually elongate. The don't "grow" shorter. So even if case length is a factor in determining pressure levels, the pressure will be lower for longer cases, not higher.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

If your cases are trimmed shorter and you still seat to the crimp groove, then your loads will be higher pressure than before you trimmed them (assuming you use the same powder charge).

Essentially you are making the entire completed round a little shorter, thus less case capacity.

BUT, if you trim the brass shorter, and keep the SAME COL as before trimming, the pressure should remain constant (BUT you wont be able to utilize the crimp groove on the bullet...depending on how short you trim them).

[Wag]

Very true, FrankenMauser.

--Wag--

[Mal H]

ICH - yes, the pressure will be higher when crimping in a groove, if, and only if, the case is trimmed too short. As I said, cases most always get longer, not shorter from firing. If someone trims a case too much, then it should be discarded or used for a shorter caliber if possible, e.g., .44 Spcl in the case of a too-short .44 Magnum.

I still maintain that the statement is confusing.

[FrankenMauser]

Thanks, ICH. That was exactly what I was getting at.

Mal, I revised the statement. Any better?

[Mal H]

Yes, indeed. Much better.

[edward5759]

Had a customer come to me several years ago and ask about cut down 44 mag brass so his 44 mag Browning lever rifle would hold more. I took off about 3/8 of an inch off the brass.
I have an H.S pressure gun so I worked up a load of a very mild load that would shoot 180 grain cast bullets at about 300-400 FPS. The rifle went form holding 10 rounds to holding 16 rounds. I was calling them my "44 short specials" I later found out they were for his son who had lost in hands in combat in 1972.
I did later weld a small plate to the lever in-order for him to grab it better and cycle it the action with fake hands. they were opening hooks he had.
his son used it to shoot Coyotes ETC.

Edward5759

[243winxb]

1.265" is the shortest listed by SAAMI http://www.saami.org/PubResources/CC...n%20Magnum.pdf

[dahermit]

If you only have .44 Magnum dies, and you trim too short, you will no longer be able to crimp your cases. If you trim to .44 Special length, you will need .44 Special hand loading dies to enable crimping your cases.

[boggs,jeff]

Thanks for all the help. You all give some great info. First time I have used the site, it won't be the last. thanks again.

[edward5759]

These loads the one I loaded were not crimp but they rested on the powder directly.
The reason SAMMI has a min length is to prevent the case being loaded into a non magnum gun not chambered for the higher pressure.
the 44 magnum is a completely different case than the special or the Russian. I have a 44 Russian that will accept the 44 mag! I don't dare shoot them in it.
Each 44 mag case had to be inside reamed in order for the case to even work in accepting the bullet.
i do not post loads on line very often but if I remember it was like 2.4 Grains of old style unique.
I may still have several rounds of it. It would be a great sub sonic round. The case went through several annealings in the process. Shooting the rifle wasn't the problem with the artificial hands, it was the loading.
plus most of had no way of accessing SAMMI or even knew what it was back in 1968. That's why we re chamber model 94 30-30s into 30-40 Krag. We would call them Fred Wade Lever Powers. that was even on the edge back then.

Eward5759
Edward5759

[1911Tuner]

If you only have .44 Magnum dies, and you trim too short, you will no longer be able to crimp your cases. If you trim to .44 Special length, you will need .44 Special hand loading dies to enable crimping your cases.

Most modern die sets have seat/crimp dies that allow for both Special and Magnum cases. It's a simple matter of adjustment. I have an RCBS .38/.357 set that I've been using for over 30 years that came with a spacer to allow the reloader to set the die for .38 Special, and then simply using the spacer when switching to .357 magnum. The spacer also works with the expander die. I don't use it, by the way. I prefer to leave the lock ring loose and adjust the die in the press for different calibers.

Cheers