.30-30 to .44 Mag or .44 Special

[10 Bears]

From Left to right:
1. Begin with emptly .30-30 or .32 Special brass. I don't recomend .25-35 brass.
2. Remove neck. (I just used a pair of dikes to rip it off.)
3. This time around I used the grinder to remove the excess, down to about 1/10" over the length, then used the grinder brush to remove the slag. Inside and out. Should of posted a pic of the short version before swagging. Then I clean it up on little case mouth trimmer. Use the inside/outside reamer on that case mouth.
4. Run it through the decapper/ with the ball expanding the neck. Here you will find the reason for a bit of over length. Seems to compress the prefinished case a bit. Then I use the case trimmer again, just to make sure.
5. Load a reduced charge and an expendable projo of most any kind.
Then discharge from a good revolver. I used the Blackhawk.
6.That's a fireformed brass, notice the small bottleneck at the bottom?
(I've reloaded one of these in excess of thirty times.)
7. 240 gr. KTSWC, lead base.

After reviewing the process, I see no reason this could not be done with .45LC
I just chambered that Mag round into the cylinder of the .45 Colt and the rim was compatible with a LC rim, with clearance to rotate, just a few thousands difference in diameter.

Show the finished product to your "knowledgable" friends.
Have them read the "caliber" on the base.
Their confusion will be priceless!

__________________________________________________ __________

Disclaimer!
All of the above proceedures are conducted at your own risk.
I make no promises, guarantees, nor will I accept any responsibility for YOUR errors.
Ten bears!

[Pogo]

I never checked. Is the 30-30 the same size rim as the .44?

[Desert Rat]

That's a hell of a lot of trouble to obtain a very common and obtainable case.

[10 Bears]

Originally Posted by Pogo

I never checked. Is the 30-30 the same size rim as the .44?

Uses the same shell holder.

[10 Bears]

I conducted the original experiment with .30-30 brass that had been reloaded until the case mouth split.
Then I cut those down and made .357 Herrett rounds.
When THEY split, at the mouth, I cut 'em down further to .44 Mag/Special brass.
Beginning with the .30-30, I made a small notch in the rim, for each time it was reloaded.
Continued with the .357 Herrett loads.
When I was down to the .44 sizing, and after many reloads, there wasn't any room left on that rim for more marks.
I could only get about 30 little notches and ran out of room.
G'son, that was a cop, made off with those rounds, about 20 of them, made a few bets with his fellow officers and won, because he had the evidence and was able to demonstrate, on the range, that they worked.

Use it as a "Bar Bet" or "Range Bet" could make a few bucks on the project.

[Pogo]

Originally Posted by Desert Rat

That's a hell of a lot of trouble to obtain a very common and obtainable case.

It's still worth knowing. The day may come when you can't get brass to reload for your firearm.

Improvising may be necessary.

[Desert Rat]

Originally Posted by Pogo

It's still worth knowing. The day may come when you can't get brass to reload for your firearm.

Improvising may be necessary.

I can't argue with that, Pogo. I know a few "useless" things as well. I'm amazed you got such case life out of them. I would have bet money on case failures at that belt after a few loadings.

[10 Bears]

Originally Posted by Desert Rat

I can't argue with that, Pogo. I know a few "useless" things as well. I'm amazed you got such case life out of them. I would have bet money on case failures at that belt after a few loadings.

Makes ya wonder, doesn't it.
But, aside from the .30-30 loads and the .357 Herrett loads, the .44 Mag/Specials were ALL reduced charges.
I don't load full power in the .44 Mag anymore.
The charge is about equal to a .45 LC load, just a bit over.

[Sanders]

I'm going to have to try that. Thanks!

[yyz]

they also make very nice full cylinder length cases for making shot shells out of. put empty 30-30 in cylinder mark cut a little short of mark with small pipe cutter. prep case mouth. fire form load up with powder(i like xxx...grains bullseye) cereal box under shot card. 9 shot to top cap with over shot card cut from antifreeze jugs pretty good to about 15 feet. about 900 fps from 5 inch barrel. don't push to fast as when you get over 1100~1200 fps the shot pattern will blow the center out ie donut pattern. kind of like playing with a judge without all the weight.

[cdhknives]

How thick is the case at the lip once sized? I'd expect it to be too thick, resulting in squeezing the base of your boolet...not good for accuracy but maybe 30-30 brass is thinner than the '06 cases I've cut down.

[10 Bears]

Worked good for me and didn't affect accuracy.
And I've loaded 'em over 30 times each.

Allthough the above demo was .30-30 directly to .44 Mag, the original concept was developed when I make .30-30s into .357 Herretts, when the case mouth split and they Herrett loads caused the cases to be too short I cut 'em down again to .44 Mags, when those would eventualy wear at the mouth I would trim them to .44 Specials.
After each loading I would use a small three cornered file to make a small notch, in the rim.
Was able to get over 30 notches on some of those rims, and still reloaded 'em.
It was an ongoing experiment, many years ago, I gifted most all those loaded rounds to friends and admirers of that experiment, with notches included.

Couple of LEOs that I served with, and some shooting buddies.

One, that I still correspond with, over the Internet, goes back over 30 years, he told me he still has the round that I gave him, it is one of his favorite conversation pieces.

Up to you, cdhknives, just an experiment, I thought I would share with the forum.
Bears

[Gus]

Thanks for the info Bears

[10 Bears]

Originally Posted by Gus

Thanks for the info Bears

You are most welcome Gus!
If you try it I hope it works for you!