? 44 Mag dies to Reload 44 Spcl

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  • oldguyguns

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    Can you use 44 mag dies (3 Lee Carbide Set) to reload 44 special brass? Did some research on line and some say yes and some say you only need to buy a 44 spcl crimp die. What say you experts? doing this mostly to load some lower recoil practice ammo for my grandson who will be new to rifle shooting---
     

    Broom_jm

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    Many of the 44RM die sets even come with a shim that you can use to make adjusting the dies a piece of cake.
     

    oldpink

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    You'll probably need a seater and crimp die to reach the shorter case.
    That's why when loading for the likes of .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .45 Colt/.454 Casull, .44 Special/.44 Magnum, and .40 S&W/10mm Auto, you should get the die set intended for the shorter cartridge, as you'll be able to load both rounds equally well.
     

    mac45

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    Go figure.
    Lee actually makes (or at least packages) a 3-die set just for the .44 Mag.
    You can see the part numbers here Hand Gun Dies - Lee Precision
    After a quick look on Midway, seems they're the only ones that bother.
    My .38 Special/.357 Mag dies, and .40/10mm dies work fine for both, and are marked just that.....for both.
    Don't have a .44 Mag myself, but the bro in law does, and he load on my press. Went downstairs and looked, and sure enough, his Lee die is marked 44/44M.
    I'd bet foldin money that the only difference in the sets is Lee's not very helpful load data.

    Short version.......try 'em.
    Even if the set was marked as .44 Mag, I'll be REAL surprised if they don't work just fine after you adjust 'em.
     

    Broom_jm

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    You'll probably need a seater and crimp die to reach the shorter case.
    That's why when loading for the likes of .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .45 Colt/.454 Casull, .44 Special/.44 Magnum, and .40 S&W/10mm Auto, you should get the die set intended for the shorter cartridge, as you'll be able to load both rounds equally well.

    This has not been my experience, at all. Die sets sold for the first three pairs, mentioned above, are perfectly suitable for reloading both the short and long case, with no trouble at all. The threaded shank of the die is long enough to allow it to be backed out to handle the longer case. With most of the 38/357 and 44Sp/44RM die sets, they will also handle the even longer 357 MAX and 445 SM cartridges.

    Have you loaded for the rimmed cartridges and had difficulty seating or crimping cases with them? :dunno:
     

    oldguyguns

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    Thanks for the info. I looked in Midway and they list the 3 die set as both 44 spec and 44 mag. The same with the 4 die set. Since I will be getting the 3 die set with the rifle--my last question is this. The 3rd die (in the 3 die set) both seats and crimps the cartridge. If I buy a Lee factory crimp die (which I like to use on all my pistol reloads) can I just adjust the 3rd die in the 3 die set to only seat and then do the crimping in the factory crimp die that I added? Gets kinda confusing doesn't it.
     

    schmart

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    At least with the Lee 44 spcl/44mag die set, you can do exactly what you are proposing. Although in other calibers, I have friends doing the same with Dillon and Redding dies so I suspect you could with any die set.
    --Rick
     

    mac45

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    Yes.....you can seat with the 3rd die, and use the FCD to crimp
    The only difference in the sets is the addition of the FCD with the 4 die set, the other 3 dies are the same.
     
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