44 special

[jake1945]

I have a couple dozen empty 44 special cases. I don't want to buy 44 special reloading dies just for that small amount. So, can they be successively loaded using 44 mag dies?
Thank you

 

[Green Frog]

A qualified yes… unless you have a very early RCBS set or another one that has one die that decaps and flares the case mouth with one tool. Others? If you can adjust them low enough you'll do fine with Special brass in Magnum dies.

Froggie

 

[TheTinMan]

Laughing at myself! I actually went to SAAMI and typed the following. Then I stopped and asked myself "Wait! You don't have dedicated 44 Special dies do you?" NO. Hornady and Lyman both sell same dies for both.

Looking at SAAMI drawings I was surprised to discover that both cases are very slightly tapered.
44 Magnum goes from .4569 to .4560 at case mouth.
44 Special goes from .4569 to .4565 at case mouth.

I am NOT an expert, but seems to me that with identical diameters at the case head and a whopping 1/2 thousandth at the case mouth you should be good to go.

 

[mtgianni]

In general special case dies can be used for magnums but not always is the opposite true. 32 Long dies will load, 32 H&R and 327 Federal, 38 special will load 357 and 357 Max, 44 special will load 44 mag. If you bought dies just for 44 Magnum they might not reach the crimp depth needed for 44 special. That is why factories generally label the boxes to do both 44 Special/44 Magnum.

 

[Raddoc]

I just loaded up around 500 .44 mag and specials this past week using my Lee dies. Lee specifically says .44 special (can load .44 mag) on its die package insert. Same thing with their .38 special dies regarding .357. Also .41 mag dies for .41 special.

Remember the OAL of the mag cases are 1.285 vs special OAL of 1.155(1.16). You will need to turn the dies out a few turns for loading mag cases, or in when switching from mag to special.

blessings,

Jack

 

[mikld]

Yep, just adjust bullet seating and crimp...

 

[lppd4]

I do it all the time

 

[pasound]

I have Lee and RCBS dies. They will load either, and I only load .44 Spl.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I the old days I made a spacer the thickness of the case length difference. Spacer was made like a tuning fork. Spacer for 44 mags. Regular dies for .44 spl. Used same spacer on 38/357. Now that I load on progressives I have dies heads set up for for both. 38/357 and 44m/44spl.

 

[DWalt]

I the old days I made a spacer the thickness of the case length difference. Spacer was made like a tuning fork. Spacer for 44 mags. Regular dies for .44 spl. Used same spacer on 38/357. Now that I load on progressives I have dies heads set up for for both. 38/357 and 44m/44spl.

Many two-length die sets will come with a thick washer that goes between the die nut and the press head so changing the die nuts is unnecessary - just set and lock the nuts adjusted for the shorter case.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Over the last 45 years I've acquired many 44 Mag and Special 7/8-14 die sets. Any set made past the mid 1950's will do both.

I do have the opposite problem, I have an old Lyman 310 die set marked 44 S&W. It was made for 44 Russian and can barely be adjusted long enough for 44 Special, and won't seat near long enough for Magnum!

Ivan

 

[__steve__]

I have two sets of 44 RCBS dies, they both state 44mag and spl.

I have a 500 S&W RCBS die set, it only states as 500 S&W SPL. Nowhere does it state that it can be used for the standard 500 magnum, but it can. I think the team in the label dept hadn't a clue

 

[rockquarry]

Many two-length die sets will come with a thick washer that goes between the die nut and the press head so changing the die nuts is unnecessary - just set and lock the nuts adjusted for the shorter case.

I have at least one or two RCBS die sets (old ones) that came with the spacer. Doesn't RCBS still do that?

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Many two-length die sets will come with a thick washer that goes between the die nut and the press head so changing the die nuts is unnecessary - just set and lock the nuts adjusted for the shorter case.

That's what I did. My "tuning fork" spacer went under the die lock ring......Took seconds to change out. This was 40 years ago.

 

[Chubbs103]

For years I carried around a set of RCBS .44 Mag dies I had inherited. It sat on my shelf unused because I had no use for it. Last year I got a hankering for a .44 Special SAA and assumed I was all set to reload.

Then I found out it the hard way the sizing die was steel instead of carbide. After lubing and sizing the cases, I found out the crimp die wouldn't work for Special length cases.

I bought a new RCBS set and all was well.