Bulging cases

[Prof Young]

Loaders:
So, I'm sizing a batch of 44 mag cases, all my own brass, and I find some that are bulged out so much that I can hardly get them through the sizing die. The top two thirds of the case is visibly fatter than a norman case. I mean they are fat enough that I wonder how it is they came out of the chamber easily. Well,even though I can force them through the die, I am reluctant to reuse them. Tossed em out. So is this normal case weakening or did I accidentally make some loads that were just too hot and am lucky I didn't blow my gun up?
Live well, be Safe
Prof Young

[m&p45acp10+1]

They may have been fired in a Desert Eagle they can stretch, and bulge cases with the ejection cycle.

If it looks like the are a by the mouth is bulged try running it through the seating die first. The taper is better to smooth it out. Then run it into the sizing die.

[solocam72]

He said its his own brass, my first thought is a little to HOT. I have had slight bulges with upper H-110 loads, I backed off a little and had no more issues. I found a bunch of brass at gravel pit several years ago that SHOCKED me, every single case I picked up was bulged REALLY bad, lots of them had split necks, and the primers were barely in the cases, the ground was littered with them, they were .223 fired from some sort of semi? I've seen some fairly odd stuff with empty cases but that pile took the cake

[Lunicy]

I have a slightly intelligent question.

How would 44mag brass fire from a revolver, bulge at the mouth?
It could only bulge as big as the cylinder, correct?
And being the size of the cylinder, would still size ok.

Could the op be inadvertently firing them out of a .45LC revolver or Taurus judge (or similar gun)

Edit: I just realized you don't seem to be a newbie to reloading. Would still lie to know how brass in a revolver could expand beyond the size of a cylinder.

[PA-Joe]

I agree, what type of firearm are you using? It could have one bad chamber but that might also affect case removal. You should also give us you laod data so we can see if it is too hot.

[solocam72]

Possible? I seen a guy accidently shoot a 41 through a brand new smith 29 .44 magnum, it extracted but had quite a bulge

[chiefr]

Agree with poster #2. The brass can be saved.
I have witness first hand how Desert Eagles glock up the cases.

[buck460XVR]

If this is from a revolver and the cases ejected easily from the chambers, I wouldn't worry about it and would use them. If one or two cylinders consistently eject hard, I would be concerned about a bulged/over-sized chamber. If all the rounds ejected hard and other loads don't, I would back down my load till they eject easily. Handgun brass generally will split at the mouth before a failure. The exception would be a bulged/over-sized chamber that may exhibit split cases. Ruger revolvers have been know to have different chamber sizes and this will lead to some cases resizing harder or easier than others.

[243winxb]

The web area is what you worry about, not the case body. If the sized brass will chamber, it should be fine. After all, they did extract ok after firing. Maximum loads of W296 will expand the body, requiring extra pressure to size, when compared to 38 spec. Take measurements with a micrometer & compare to sammi http://www.saami.org/PubResources/CC...n%20Magnum.pdf

[Prof Young]

Loaders:

These cases that bulged were shot out of a 44 mag Taurus raging bull. I'm not sure the formulas that were in these particular cases. I never go over the max recommend by the charts, however I've been getting close to the max. I check the powder measure with a scale after every ten loads.

I suppose it's possible that a couple 44 somehow slipped in with my 45C but I can't imagine how it happened. I can think of only one trip to the range this last year that I even had the 44 and the 45 along on the same trip.

Anyway, if the case is not split, no head separation etc. then the bulge alone is not a reason to discard the brass?

Live well, be safe
Prof Young

[Prof Young]

Oh, and what is the "web area?"

Live well, be safe
Prof Young

[solocam72]

Just above the rim

[Brian Pfleuger]

We need to see some pictures of this brass. Your description doesn't make a lot of sense.

As noted above, brass that is fired in a revolver can not be physically bigger than the cylinder. Even if it's extreme over-pressure and near the point of rupturing the gun and had to be beaten out, it would only be .001 or 2 bigger than normal chamber dimensions.

[Hammerhead]

My first thought was that they were fired in a .45 Colt chamber, or a really sloppy lever action .44 chamber. I can't imagine they came out of a revolver.

[243winxb]

Web area. [IMG][/IMG] Click to make larger.

[Prof Young]

Loaders:
Yea a pic would be good. Let me just say that the bulge was slight enough that I didn't notice it until I had a hard time trying to size those cases. Close visual inspection and comparison with another case revealed the bulge. I may still be able to find one int he trash. I should see if it fits in the 44 mag chamber.

[Sport45]

If they will fit back into your .44mag chamber they are not excessively bulged.

Is this an old steel resizing die or carbide? If not the latter, try using case lube. Heck, try using some anyway.

[chiefr]

I have fired many & been around many 44 Magnum revolvers. Most I have dealt with have been SW, Ruger, & Colt. In all my years, I have never seen bulged cases with any of these revolvers.
Only exception is not a revolver, but the Desert Eagle.
IMHO with the high pressure and limited space in the cylinder of most 44 mags, I would seriously question the safety of this revolver or send it back.

Granted Rugers have heavy cylinders, I have never seen a Ruger bulge cases.

[Sport45]

What looks like a bulge to some may look like normally expanded brass to others.

The OP didn't mention any difficult extraction issues or anything else that would suggest there is a problem with his loads or his guns.

[m&p45acp10+1]

I mentioned the Desert Eagle effect. I picked up some brass that was fired through a Ruger semi auto carbine in .44 Mag. It looked a bit bulged, an the rims had slight bends from the extractor as well. The that shot it said he did not reload for it due to it mangling brass to much.