Reloading .44-40 cases appear to be wrong.

[sean69]

Hi ~ question ~

I bought 200 pcs of starline brass for .44-40, when they showed up they were fully 200 thou too short according to several sets of data and there is no shoulder to them either [which is shown in my data]

ummm any idea what is going on here? is there another case that close to .44-40WCF ?

 

[Raton57]

What does the case head say and when you size them do they then have a shoulder.

 

[skokie]

I know that .44-40, although technically a bottle - necked cartridge, doesn't exactly have a "shoulder" so much as a taper, at least the ones I've seen. My Lyman book lists the trim - to length as 1.295".

 

[Denisb]

I use Starline and have no problems. Lube and size them first and then check the overall length. they should grow on sizing. I find I need to be really gentle when expanding the mouth. Just ease up to it and don't put too much force on the ram - other wise the case will bulge.

 

[bat119]

The "bottle neck" is more noticeable after they have fired, OAL should be alright, I use Starline brass in my 1873 and 66 win. Crimping with The 1873 isn't as important as the 66 it requires a crimp to feed properly. I use .429 200 gr. bullets with a Lee crimp die the cartridges lever through the Uberti 66 action like poop through a goose.

 

[sean69]

it is starline & it does say 44-40... yes there is a slight neck there after sizing [I didn't initially try because the length was wrong]

however, the length is correct, stupid battery in my stupid digital caliper. length was fine when using a sliding caliper. [embarassing]

 

[fingers284]

The "bottle neck" is more noticeable after they have fired, OAL should be alright, I use Starline brass in my 1873 and 66 win. Crimping with The 1873 isn't as important as the 66 it requires a crimp to feed properly. I use .429 200 gr. bullets with a Lee crimp die the cartridges lever through the Uberti 66 action like poop through a goose.

Not really the case...crimp is just as important in a 73 as a 66 as it is in any tube mag lever gun. The crimp might facilitate feeding consistently but the first and most important reason for a crimp is to stop spring pressure or recoil from seating the bullets deeper. Ammo for all the toggle action leverguns must maintain a critical length...to short and they allow the next round into the carrier...to long and the round cant fully exit the mag.

 

[BCRider]

it is starline & it does say 44-40... yes there is a slight neck there after sizing [I didn't initially try because the length was wrong]

however, the length is correct, stupid battery in my stupid digital caliper. length was fine when using a sliding caliper. [embarassing]

I've been stung on that with the couple of cheap digitals I've got too. Which is why I bought and use dial calipers now pretty well exclusively. No battery? No problem. And best of all the dials never run out and go dead.

 

[sean69]

I've been stung on that with the couple of cheap digitals I've got too. Which is why I bought and use dial calipers now pretty well exclusively. No battery? No problem. And best of all the dials never run out and go dead.

yea it was really weird, measuring the case gave me 1.09xx if I closed the caliper .010 or .020 it would 'jump' back to 1.2xx - just like a weird dead spot.

that POS is in the garbage right now.

 

[bat119]

Not really the case...crimp is just as important in a 73 as a 66 as it is in any tube mag lever gun. The crimp might facilitate feeding consistently but the first and most important reason for a crimp is to stop spring pressure or recoil from seating the bullets deeper. Ammo for all the toggle action leverguns must maintain a critical length...to short and they allow the next round into the carrier...to long and the round cant fully exit the mag.

I meant my 1873 pistol sorry for the confusion. Crimping bullets with a standard RCBS 44-40 die set and .429 bullets was a problem for me the die would push the bullet into the case rather than roll crimp. I use a Lee factory crimp die and load with 30 grains of triple 7 the bullet can't be pushed back in the case because its full.

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