What 44 cal bullet is this?

[Ceapea]

Here are two pictures of the same bullet, just so you all get a decent look. I found a box and a half of these (in Hornady boxes, but not Hornady bullets according to Hornady) in my basement when I moved in 10 years ago...no I didn't find the gun too. I have now started reloading and wanted to get load data. Do I seat to the top of the gas check? Beyond that a bit? Is this considered a lead or semi-jacketed bullet for loading purposes? Anybody recognize this style? It is 240g. I will be loading this to a light 44 mag or a heavy 44 spl in a mag case.

Thanks

 

[DGNY]

44 Mystery Bullets

I am not able to answer your question directly... I believe Speer later created a bullet for reloaders that was similar at a glance, but different in detail.. Yours as pictured look much like some home-swaged bullets my uncle had dies for in the 60s.

Like the ones pictured [and unlike the Speers], there was no greater diameter of the cup than the lead. He experienced some leading when he used them.

I wish you luck in your pursuit. If you decide to use them, perhaps a roll in some Lee Liquid Alox would help.

Regards,

Dyson

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

They look like pictures I have of some Harvey jugular bullets that I have in one of my magazines.

One thing that is important- don't light load these bullets! The Speer half jacketed and any like them can leave the jacket behind in the bore causing an obstruction. Very, very bad situation, and could be fatal. Speer didn't recomment them being loaded much below full power for that reason. # 10 shows only about 1 grain difference between full ower and the lightest loads given.

 

[okie john]

One thing that is imortant- don't light load these bullets!

Agreed. Take them to a gun show and sell them to a collector.


Okie John

 

[NE450No2]

They look like the old Speer Half Jacketed bullets.

 

[n4zov]

Back in the early 60's I loaded and shot some Hornady half-jacket bullets that looked exactly those. The exposed lead was dead soft and they leaded like crazy in an early Ruger Blackhawk .44 and a M-29. They were an early attempt to provide handloaders with an expanding jacketed bullet and as far as I'm concerned they were a total failure. About the same time, some companies produced dies and presses that could be used to produce these types of bullets but they faded away as more (and better) commercial bullets became available.

 

[Dashriprock]

Definitely Ka-Boom Brand Half-Jackets! Save them as an artifact, and distribute to your reloading compadres. Neat find.

 

[Engineer1911]

Rusty memories

Hornaday (?) made a jacketed 240 gr swc 44 that had jacket only on the body of the bullet, the nose was pure lead. Speer or Sierra(?) made the bullet in the picture to be cheaper than the Hornaday, gave great expansion and were NOT supposed to lead the barrel.

I shot a box of your bullets through a Ruger Super Blackhawk without any leading. Don't remember the load from 1977 but it was brisk for the new owner of a .44 Magnum purchased at the height of the Dirty Harry frenzy. Think $850 cash for a M29 that carried a retail price of $325 (?).

 

[Alk8944]

Those are Hornady 1/2 Jacket swaged bullets in spite of the "kid" at Hornady. Those were made up until something like 1965 or so. Chances are good the person at HDY wasn't even born yet, easy to understand why he/she wouldn't recognize them. Probably doesn't know that Vernon Speer and Joyce Hornady were partners just after WWII either!

The similar Speer bullet had a longer jacket that covered the entire bearing surface and were crimped onto the core. Engineer 1911 has it backward.

Reloaders could make swaged 1/2 jacketed bullets virtually identical to the Hornady bullet, in several calibers, by using the C-H Bullet Swaging dies which are still available BTW.

 

[rascal123]

There are some of those speer 44 .cal half jacket for sale on e bay right now, glad I didnt bid on them ,thanks to you guys, rascal.