# 44 mag brass



## gambleone (Jan 28, 2014)

Hello all. I've been reloading for rifle for about 10 yrs & just about a year ago started with pistols.
I came across two 44 mag cases of once fired brass that were different. Upon sizing/decapping,
I noticed the press only went half way & stopped. I looked inside & saw that on the inside of the brass, 
the bottom of the case was half way up to the top. I know you can shoot the 44 spl in this revolver.
Is this a case specially for that? I have seen regular 44 spl cases, but not anything that looks like this.
I'm new to this site. This is my first post. This looks like a very well laid out web site.
Greg


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

That does sound kind of strange, and not like any .44 Special case I've ever seen. A few questions:

- What is the full text of the headstamp on the bottom of the case? Usually, it will include the manufacturer (or an abbreviation of the name, like "FC" or "Federal" for Federal Cartridge), and the caliber. Anything strange/out-of-the-ordinary in that text?

- Is the primer pocket sized or shaped differently from other normal .44 Mag cases? Wider, deeper, different sized flash hole?

- Are there any markings on the side of the case?

- Do you have the capability to photograph the case and post the photos here?


Without the above info, my only guess would be it's some type of theatrical blank, and if so, it's almost certainly unsafe to use this case for normal live-fire loading. If you don't have the means or equipment to photograph it, ask any of your friends or colleagues if they can help you do it. That whole "picture is worth 1000 words" thing is even more true than normal when it's something weird... :mrgreen:


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## gambleone (Jan 28, 2014)

I'll try & get a photo up.
Thanks, Greg


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## gambleone (Jan 28, 2014)

Can't figure out how to upload pics. No browse feature pops up.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

Open a free image hosting account at Imageshack or Photobucket, upload your photo(s) to the host, copy the internet address for the photo, then when you post a message here, use the little tree-in-the-picture-frame icon at the top of the message box to insert the address code for the image into your message.

When you click the tree icon, select the "From URL" tab, then type or paste the address onto the blank line, uncheck the "Retrieve remote file and reference locally" checkbox, then click OK. Wherever the cursor was stopped when you clicked the tree icon, the image will appear when the message is posted.


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## gambleone (Jan 28, 2014)

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t30/ggncg/Sissyshouseamp44magcases009_zps93c6e374.jpg
Here is a pic of the brass. These are 44 mag brass. The bottom of the case heads are about half way 
up from where the primer is.


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## Glock Doctor (Mar 14, 2011)

In addition to posting pictures I'd, also, like to know BOTH how the headstamps are marked, as well as what dies and press you are using? Another question: Is your decapping rod set at the correct height? 

By the way, it's always a good idea to be very careful with found brass (range pickups). It's not unknown for certain people to do some very odd things with discarded brass. 



NOTE: Just saw your picture; you must have put it up while I was typing. That's not normal brass. Looks like someone has filled in part of the case's lower interior; for whatever reason(s) I do not know.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

To me, it looks as if someone has inserted a 9mm case into the .44 case.
Either that, or it's an accident that happened because there were 9mm and .44 cases in the same area. One slid into the other.

Looking closely, you can see that there is a circumfrential dividing line in the case wall, at the case mouth.
That suggests that there is one empty case inside of the other.

Just as an experiment, you might insert a long sheet-metal screw into the inner flash-hole, screw it in tightly, and then use the protruding head of the screw as a purchase with which to pull the inner case out.

Let us know what happens.


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## gambleone (Jan 28, 2014)

It's not one case inside another, I can tell you that, but the one on the right
as you are looking at the pic is hollow to the bottom & has WW super on the headstamp. The one on the left is not hollow & has something inside it &
has R P headstamp that says 44 rem mag just as all the normal ones.
I'm not going to try & use this brass, I'm just curious as to wth this is???


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Well, there used to be a "4-in-1" blank that was loaded for movie-studio use, but in my long-ago experience it was not loaded into .44 Magnum brass.
That's in part because it had to fit .44 Special chambers...as well as .38-40, .44-40, and .45 "Long" Colt.

I hope someone can solve this mystery.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

I've not found anything in a few quick online searches, or a browse through my ammo books. 
I think more info might be needed.

gambleone, can you post a few more photos? Try to get one of the headstamps and primer pockets, another one that is a simple side view of both cases, and perhaps a third that shows the difference in the interior base height (maybe shoot them side-by-side, with a short chunk of wood or plastic of the same length stuck into the mouth of both cases, so we can easily see and visually compare the difference in depth from the mouth to the interior base).

This is mildly intriguing; I like weird/different stuff, it helps me to expand my experience base, too.


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## gambleone (Jan 28, 2014)

I'l get the pics up tomorrow. Thank you Mr. Moderator.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Does anyone else see the case walls as being too thick?

That's why I thought that it was two cases, one inside the other.


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## gambleone (Jan 28, 2014)

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t30/ggncg/44mag001_zpse0662c5c.jpghttp://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t30/ggncg/44mag004_zpsbe0980c3.jpg
The case to left with out q-tip is a normal 44 spl. Case in middle is a normal 44 rem mag case. Case on far right is one of the cases we are speaking of.
I measured the depth of both cases. One was 0.451 further up & the other was 0.484 further up from the inside bottom of a standard case.
In the other photo, you can see the headstamps. By looking at the outside, they appear to be standard 44 rem mag cases.
Don't know what to make of these.


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## Glock Doctor (Mar 14, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Well, there used to be a "4-in-1" blank that was loaded for movie-studio use, but in my long-ago experience it was not loaded into .44 Magnum brass. That's in part because it had to fit .44 Special chambers...as well as .38-40, .44-40, and .45 "Long" Colt.
> 
> I hope someone can solve this mystery.


That's my best guess, too. (I came up with it BEFORE reading your post.) If you look at the most recent picture, with the Q-Tips, there are differences in the color of the brass above the filled-in area around the case head. I'd say that case has been fired, probably with some sort of blank charge. Jason Scott Lee (The Crow) was shot-to-death by a (poorly maintained, and Hollywood setup) 44 Magnum revolver.

I'll say it again: You've got to be extra careful anytime you decide to keep, 'range pickup' brass. Yeah, I've done it, too; but, never without subjecting the thoroughly cleaned brass to careful examination; i.e.: scrape the inside with a small metal pick while you look for incipient case head separations, examine the overall case lengths in order to get some idea of how often the cases were fired, check the casemouths for splitting, and carefully check the primer pockets and gauge how tightly the primers press-fit into place (the tighter, the better).

As for the cases in question? They're curios; but, still, I'd throw them away in order to avoid any possible problem.



Steve M1911A1 said:


> Does anyone else see the case walls as being too thick? That's why I thought that it was two cases, one inside the other.


Yes, I do. This is pure speculation on my part; but, it might be possible that someone was trying to convert 44 Special/44 Magnum cartridges into, 'Super' calibers. (You know, like converting 45 ACP into 45 Super by reinforcing the area around the case head.) In any event, the cases in the first photo DO appear to be lined.


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## gambleone (Jan 28, 2014)

Steve is on target. It was a 40 cal jammed all the way down to the bottom with the case mouths being even.
I've seen many case stuck inside one another, but this one had me stumped. After reading your posts about wall
thickness, I checked & it was twice as thick. I got a magnifying glass & saw a fine crack at the case mouth. I put a screw 
inside the case & had to heat the outside case to get it out. They were so tight it looked like it was sleeved.
Thanks to all who replied. You have a very nice shooters web site here.
Greg


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## smithnframe (Feb 23, 2014)

Another reason not to use range brass!


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