44 Special Cases starline
- Thread starter gunnny12
- Start date
madmo44mag
New member
Star Line brass is outstanding.
You can order Star Line brass directly from Start Line and save some money.
http://www.starlinebrass.com/
You can order Star Line brass directly from Start Line and save some money.
http://www.starlinebrass.com/
g.willikers
New member
If you still want to use the shorter Special cases, Harbor Freight has a very nice and inexpensive little circular cut saw for cutting down .44 mag cases.
And anything else, too.
But just using the Mag cases with Special equivalent loads is easier.
And anything else, too.
But just using the Mag cases with Special equivalent loads is easier.
Last week, I received my 500 pcs of Starline 44 Special cases 
Purchased from MidwayUSA.
I've chamfer/deburred and flaired them all (whew!!) - so they're ready to go. I have yet to load any. BUT - I have a ton of Starline brass in other chamberings: 38 Special (3000 pcs), 357 Mag (1000 pcs), 10mm Auto (1000 pcs); and they all have been performing admirably.
Starline is good stuff.
As for cutting down 44 Mag cases: I am not a fan of the practice. The thought of having 44 Special length cases with a "44 Mag" headstamp on them just doesn't sit well with me. To me it's a safety issue. I know it's not likely to mistake a 44 Special length case for 44 Magnum - and then load as 44 Magnum - but it's possible. It's a layer of safety I'd rather not shed off. Just my opinion.
Purchased from MidwayUSA.I've chamfer/deburred and flaired them all (whew!!) - so they're ready to go. I have yet to load any. BUT - I have a ton of Starline brass in other chamberings: 38 Special (3000 pcs), 357 Mag (1000 pcs), 10mm Auto (1000 pcs); and they all have been performing admirably.
Starline is good stuff.
As for cutting down 44 Mag cases: I am not a fan of the practice. The thought of having 44 Special length cases with a "44 Mag" headstamp on them just doesn't sit well with me. To me it's a safety issue. I know it's not likely to mistake a 44 Special length case for 44 Magnum - and then load as 44 Magnum - but it's possible. It's a layer of safety I'd rather not shed off. Just my opinion.
g.willikers
New member
Your concern about cutting down Mag cases is valid.
It was just a suggestion when there are no other choices.
And that little cut saw is a lot of fun to play with.
But watch your fingers.
It's possible to get more than just a manicure.
It was just a suggestion when there are no other choices.
And that little cut saw is a lot of fun to play with.
But watch your fingers.
It's possible to get more than just a manicure.
Nope.
As with everything on TFL, you're going to get differing opinions.
At the very least, they're not flaired. So you'll need to do that, without doubt.
Some resize new brass. I don't; and have never had a problem. Of course, I finish the loading process with a Lee Factory Crimp Die; so any case anomalies will be ironed out at that time. If I didn't use Lee FCD's for every caliber I load (handgun only), I would probably resize semi-auto cartridges; but not likely the revolvers.
Then there's chamferring and de-burring: Some do neither. Some do both. And some only chamfer. I used to do both. Now, sometimes I do both; and sometimes I only chamfer (usually, I only chamfer nickel cases).
Some also measure the length; and/or trim. I skip this step. They're usually the correct length. Once, I had a piece of new Winchester 44 Special brass that was .020 too short. I didn't notice until I loaded it. I marked it, shot it, and tossed it afterward (it was only under-crimped, basically).
g.willikers
New member
Trust no one.
Check them yourself, always.
But your question got me to think - I've never used new brass, in all the years I've been reloading.
My brass has always been newly fired range pickup.
And I do thank those folks who leave all that excellent brass behind.
Yes, the seat die is also a crimp die. You can seat and crimp in a single press stroke; or you can do it in two separate strokes. The general consensus is that it is better to do as separate operations. But there are applications where a single operation is acceptable.
Your 44 Special three die set's seating/crimping die applies a roll crimp, btw.
sawdustdad
New member
Like minds...except the number of different calibers
I'm with Wil and Sawdustdad. I have at least 2,000 of everything that has still to be loaded and fired, except for one lot of just 1,000 .30-06 1968 pull-downs, because that was all I had the money for at the time. I have bought just 500 piece lots to evaluate a headstamp, though.
I once weighed about 50 Starline .45 Auto cases, along with IMI Match, Winchester, Top Brass, Federal, and WCC. Of these, Starline and Top Brass had half the weight variance of the others. Starline seemed to have the same long life expectancy of Winchester, which was very good brass at that time (I'm talking about 20 years back and before the outsourcing got so pronounced; I can't speak for it today). I have used Starline exclusively for pistol chamberings for some time, though if Top Brass ever got back into the business, I would use their new brass, too. I still have a lot of their .44 Magnum that has lasted very well.
I once weighed about 50 Starline .45 Auto cases, along with IMI Match, Winchester, Top Brass, Federal, and WCC. Of these, Starline and Top Brass had half the weight variance of the others. Starline seemed to have the same long life expectancy of Winchester, which was very good brass at that time (I'm talking about 20 years back and before the outsourcing got so pronounced; I can't speak for it today). I have used Starline exclusively for pistol chamberings for some time, though if Top Brass ever got back into the business, I would use their new brass, too. I still have a lot of their .44 Magnum that has lasted very well.