44 S&W American tips wanted

From my copy Cartridges of The World, 10th edition revised & expanded, on page315, "Reloadable cases can probably made by reforming 44 Magnum cases, and the dies to do this are available from RCBS".
Case/ctg. dimensions/specs on page 322 are;
44 S&W American
- Case type................................................................................. B
- Bullet Dia. .......................................................................... 0.434"
- Neck Dia. ........................................................................... 0.438"
- Base Dia. ........................................................................... 0.440"
- Rim Dia. ............................................................................. 0.506"
- Rim Thick. .......................................................................... 0.050"
- Case length ........................................................................ 0.910"
- Ctge. length ....................................................................... 1.440"
- Twist ..................................................................................... 20
- Primer .................................................................................... LP

Hope this is of help.
 
I think the American was heeled. The Russians placed their large order with S&W but requested a 44 caliber chambering with an internally lubed bullet, giving birth to the 44 Russian.
 
This is very interesting, as my revolver, a Webley RIC No.2 in 44 CF. Long which was identified by an expert that CFC dealt with as same as 44 S&W American, has a chamber diameter of that calibre, but the bore diameter of 442 or similar. That sounds like a gun designed for a hollow based heeled bullet with a clay plug. Guess I am not going to attempt to shoot her after all.
 
http://gunsandammomag.com/cs/Satellite/IMO_GA/Story_C/The+Forgotten+Forty-Fours
The period of the late 1860s and early 1870s saw energetic competition between a number of revolver makers, the most prominent of which were Smith & Wesson, Colt and Remington. Smith & Wesson was busy developing a large-frame break-top. The first of these Model 3s were chambered for the .44 S&W American. It was not a true .44-caliber, using a bullet of .434-inch diameter in a rimmed centerfire case about .91-inch in length. .44 American cartridges used bullets of the so-called "heeled" type, where the bullet shank was smaller than the rest of the slug and fit into a bullet diameter-sized case. It is an older system that persists in such cartridges as the .22 Long Rifle. Bullets loaded with this method are about the same size as the cartridge case. There's something of a mechanical advantage to such a system in that the chambers are a little smaller in diameter and the cylinder can therefore be made a bit smaller. When a modern handloader goes about loading for the .44 American, he forms his cases from .41 Magnum brass.
Click to expand...


emphasis in the above is mine
 
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