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.44 brass question

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AndyC View Drop Down
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    Posted: 24 Sep 2017 at 3:15pm
With brass becoming available for the .44 for what seems to be a decent price, I'm curious how many folks would still recommend - to an AMP newb - to get case-forming dies anyway. I'm an experienced reloader/bullet-caster, if that helps.
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BEEMER1 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote BEEMER1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2017 at 3:39pm
Forget the reforming stuff.

It is terribly time consuming and the end product, at least in my case, is inferior to what you can buy.

I have shot a lot of precision rifle and did all the neck turning and neck sizing and primer pocket uniforming and flash hole work and felt I had really put out a superior product.  With the AMP case forming, I could not.

I found the neck reaming particularly hard for me to enjoy.
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Dances with AutoMags View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Dances with AutoMags Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2017 at 4:44pm

"With brass becoming available for the .44 for what seems to be a decent price, I'm curious how many folks would still recommend - to an AMP newb - to get case-forming dies anyway. I'm an experienced reloader/bullet-caster, if that helps."

 

Great question AndyC.   Your question is whether to use new Starline Brass or to start the case forming process.

Price:  The donor brass you will use for the case forming process costs money too.  Check out the prices for once fired, boxer primed, 308, 30-06 or 243 brass.   Add the price for the 44AMP case form set from RCBS.  Your time and labor are worth something.  There are also extras like oil a hack saw and a tap handle.

Drawbacks:  The donor rifle brass is not straight walled.  This means that after you load a bullet into the case, a slight bulge is seen in the case.  This is because the case is tapering too much before the bullet location.  It looks bad.   This bulge is eliminated once the case is fire formed. Some people get real picky about the brass used for their case formed Auto Mag brass.  They will insist on using the same head-stamped brass with maybe the same date.   This is in the pursuit of consistency.

Performance:

  Barry Duckworth and I wrote an article, "In Search of 1250 feet per second".

  http://www.amtguns.net/articles/bruce-stark/in-search-of-1250-fps/

During the testing, Barry found great inconsistencies in FPS (feet per second) while using formed (created)  brass.  Barry found that after reloading the once fired, now fire formed brass, it performed quite well.  The brass had formed itself to Barry's chamber and the unsightly bulge was gone.

Star Line used to offer the 44AMP brass nickel plated.  I wouldn't use CDM or Norma brass as it is way too expensive and collectable to shoot unless you have allot of  it or can get it cheaply.    

Hope this helps.  There is a little to learn during the case-forming process, but not much.  The thrill wears off real quickly. 

Bruce Stark

Beemer is right !  Loved the Iraq pictures !

 

 

An armed society is a polite society.
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AndyC View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AndyC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2017 at 4:44pm
I've never converted rifle brass to .44 AMP myself so thank you both for sharing your experience; it sounds like simply buying virgin brass will be the way to go. Probably just as well - I reload in order to shoot more but it's not a hobby unto itself, for me Wink

Glad you enjoyed the pics, Bruce - I feel genuinely honored to have been there and play a part Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BEEMER1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2017 at 11:25pm
I thought I should add this.  I don't remember the date but I do remember when Starline announced that they were making a run of 44 AMP brass.

I placed my order and dug my El Monte out of the safe to shoot again after a couple of years gathering dust.

That was a good day!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jw4570 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Sep 2017 at 1:26am
I would skip the forming dies too.  If you really want a set of dies for the collection, I have an extra set of 44 AMP from 308 I'd sell for $110 shipped.  The reamer has never had the wax removed.  Original 1970's era set.  I also have some extra 1970's era RCBS loading (44 AMP) dies if you need a set, 3 sets from good to near new.  Shoot me an email at jw4570$verizon.net.  let me know your screen name here if you email me.

Either way, I'd buy 500-1000 pieces of starline, that should last you a while.  I'd load those.  

When I got mine, Starline was on backorder so  I used 20 pieces left over from a box of Cor-bon 44 AMP, and also some CDM and some I reamed by hand.  It was a pain to ream the brass.  Only resort to case forming when brass becomes unavailable.  I personally believe that's what held the price down on these pistols for many years.

JW.
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omie01 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote omie01 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Sep 2017 at 1:07pm
I too as a newbie ran out and got all the case forming tools, and found out real quick that I was not at all satisfied with the end result, it was really hard to get the reamer to ream evenly. I did as suggested and bought 1000 pcs of starline and have been using them ever since. The other issue I had was cutting the rifle brass down, couldn't find a tool to cut them well. Needless to say, I love the starline stuff!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jw4570 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2017 at 12:10am
If you ream brass, the key is to expand the cutoff brass larger than the die prior to reaming, and then forming it back down so  it's really centered in the case.  It's still difficult to keep it centered.

Best way to cut it is with a holding jig and miter saw with a non ferrous metal cutting blade.  yes, it makes a mess.  But you cut it slightly long, then trim it on a trimmer and then ream.  Lots of work.  

Figure out how much you can pay yourself an hour vs. buying starline.   Just eat Ramen for a week........
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CrazyLarry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2017 at 5:09am
All,

[New here, please be gentle]

I used to cut down 30-06 RP brass to make 300 savage when nobody was carrying it at reasonable prices. I spent hours trimming and annealing the case necks and then full length sizing.

Then off to the range on a quiet Wednesday afternoon to fire form all my brass from the previous weekend. Range time is always a good time, even if you just need to fire form.

Following weekend, I would then go through the motions again and then turn the necks one last time and trim to length.

This was actually an enjoyable hobby for about the first 200 or so cases. In the end, I saved up enough points on my credit card for work travel that I bought 200 Hornady cases and my hand crafted brass is relegated to the load development pile.

Case forming and modifications of that type are for calibers that are really "unattainable".

I just got in my order of 500pcs of 44AMT and I am putting in an order for an 8.5" AMT next week.
(I'm guilty of buying brass for calibers I don't yet own)

Regards...
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AndyC View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AndyC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2017 at 8:55pm
Originally posted by jw4570 jw4570 wrote:

I would skip the forming dies too.  If you really want a set of dies for the collection, I have an extra set of 44 AMP from 308 I'd sell for $110 shipped.  The reamer has never had the wax removed.  Original 1970's era set.  I also have some extra 1970's era RCBS loading (44 AMP) dies if you need a set, 3 sets from good to near new.  Shoot me an email at jw4570$verizon.net.  let me know your screen name here if you email me.

Thank you, JW - very kind of you. I'll have to wait a while to decide on that until I actually get closer to getting a pistol in my hands, but I appreciate your - and everyone else's - advice on this subject.
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