new 44-40 brass---where to begin?

[River Jordan]

OK,

I have tried a couple of different approaches to dealing with new 44-40 brass from Starline.

I have tried:
1. chamfering the case mouth to insure roundness
2. expanding and loading as normal

AND:

1. sizing
2. chamfering the mouth
3. expanding and loading as normal


Also I have noticed that some brass is slightly too long and needs trimming so  my big question is:


What is the BEST practice for loading new 44-40 brass?   ( or at least the most common practice)

[Pettifogger]

Are you having a problem with chambering?  What is the problem or is this more of a rhetorical question?  I have never, ever, chamfered new .44-40 brass.  Why do you think that is necessary?  Chamfering doesn't ensure roundness, it bevels the neck and is an unnecessary step.  Roundness is performed during sizing and expanding the neck.  Never trimmed pistol brass either.   What do you mean by its "slightly too long?"  Too long for what?   On new brass, give it a shot of Hornady One Shot to ease the first loading, dump it in the case feeder and load it.

[Fingers McGee]

Are you having a problem with chambering?  What is the problem or is this more of a rhetorical question?  I have never, ever, chamfered new .44-40 brass.  Why do you think that is necessary?  Chamfering doesn't ensure roundness, it bevels the neck and is an unnecessary step.  Roundness is performed during sizing and expanding the neck.  Never trimmed pistol brass either.   What do you mean by its "slightly too long?"  Too long for what?   On new brass, give it a shot of Hornady One Shot to ease the first loading, dump it in the case feeder and load it.

+1.  Years ago I bought a case trimmer for 44-40 so I could cut cases down that were too long.  I've never trimmed a case with it.  Never had a case that needed it.

[Trailrider]

Because I have fairly tight chambers in my Old Model  Vaqueros, and use .430" dia. bullets, I have gone exclusively to Winchester brass in .44-40.  Starline will work, but definitely NOT Remington in that cartridge.

Yes, I have sometimes found it necessary to trim NEW .44-40 brass, although I've not bought any new brass in YEARS! But, after that I don't trim unless a case shows signs of being over-crimped.

I've reloaded W-W brass over 20 times, and the only time I lose a case is when the mouth of a fired case catches on the extractor cut in the breech end of the barrel in my Rossi-made '92 (a careful stoning has radiused and reduced that problem).  This causes a "pitcher-mouth" effect, and sometimes I lost a case after subsequent firing due to the mouth cracking where the pulled out area had been bent back into shape.

I lube, resize in a regular (NOT Cowboy) RCBS sizing die.  Then I expand the case mouth using a .44 Magnum/Special expander plug instead of the smaller one that comes with the .44-40 die set. You can change the plugs out of the expander die body by using a pair of small lock rings on each plug stem, once you have adjusted the plug for the amount of expansion desired.  I seat and crimp with the seat/crimp die that comes with the RCBS set.  Don't know if this tells you what you need to know or not. Starline brass in .44-40 is slightly thicker than W-W, but not as thick as Remington brass.

[River Jordan]

Thank you for the replies

I ask about trimming only because I have desired to square up the case mouth because

I have nticed that my LEE dies have some run out and exagerate slight variance in the squareness of the case mouth.
This effect is magnified by crimping later so I thought that trimming might lower this possibilty.

( I just bought some RCBS Cowboy dies to see if they do better.)

On another note: I have indeed needed to trim 45 Colt brass after many firings and would expect 44-40 to be similar especially since the pressure for both is similar and the circumference of the case mouth is smaller. Seems like this would be a pre condition for more change in length. I hope I am wrong as I would rather not fool with trimming.

I would be happy to never trim and hope that this is what happens.

The chamfering helps to seat big bullets ( .430)  without belling the case too much.
My thought is that the brass will last longer if I properly shape and size it the first time.

[Fox Creek Kid]

...I ask about trimming only because I have desired to square up the case mouth because...

There is no need. Starline brass come shorter than max and I have never had to trim a 44-40 case. Win. are thinner at the case mouth. Are you going to shoot BP or smokeless? Also, have you slugged the chamber mouths and the barrel yet?

[River Jordan]

There is no need. Starline brass come shorter than max and I have never had to trim a 44-40 case. Win. are thinner at the case mouth. Are you going to shoot BP or smokeless? Also, have you slugged the chamber mouths and the barrel yet?

yes I had Alan Harton ream the chambers so that I can shoot .430 bullets with either Starline or W-W brass.
It shoots great with .429 bullets also.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Smart man!! Alan is a good guy. He worked over an Uberti OT for me that was "shot out." 

[Pappy Myles]

Alan is a good guy, has worked on all my pistols.  Probably the best pistol smith for OM vaqueros around.