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So I was doing some reloading and my cartridge tray fell on the floor and dumped 28 cases with 35 grains each of 3F Swiss in to the carpet, now how in the hell do I clean it up without starting a fire or causing an explosion? I assume I can’t vacuum it, and brooms don’t work on carpets, so what do I do?

I just melted the lube off one and got 219.5 grains, though it should be noted that the bullet had some minor pits, so actual weight is probably closer to 220.

Update, well I attempted to load 40 grains, it fills the case completely. I was able to successfully compress the load and get a bullet to seat, however it caused the bottom of the case to bulge and thus failed the drop test. I tried again with less compression and got the same result. Then I tried with 35 grains~ by weight (about 1/8 inch below the case mouth) and it loaded with no issues, and save for one round that somehow bulged, all passed the drop test. I finished up with a Lee factory crimp die. I did use the magnum primers. The bullet is Lyman 427098. I cast with pure lead but came up with 220 grains vs. the 205 I expected, however I also didn’t weigh it until after lubing, so it’s possible the extra weight was just that. Any idea the velocity I can expect from a 4.75 inch barrel revolver?

I am in the process of reloading some .44-40 brass and was just about to trim it when I noticed that that none of my cases stretched beyond the maximum of 1.305, in fact, my longest one was only 1.299 and my shortest was 1.289, most ran between 1.294 and 1.296. So does that mean that they do not need trimmed? Anyone else run in to this with .44-40? My impression was that since it was technically a bottleneck case that it had to be trimmed, but my calipers seem to suggest otherwise. Brass is once fired, by me (and resized) Magtech.

Hence the need for the compression die. I have never tried it before so I will let you know how it goes. From what I have heard before (and it may or may not be correct), 40 grains should fill the case all the way to the top, leaving no room for the bullet, which is why it then has to be compressed. Once compressed you should just be able to cram a bullet in, it’s doable but extra work. I doubt I will load many like this (hence why I’m only loading 100 for now), but I wanted to see what the original load would feel like and actually do, I plan to chrono these. May not even be possible, I intend to find out. The compression die, without digging it back out, I believe is just a 45/70 seating die with a steel rod inserted in to it in place of the normal plunger, it’s milled to be exactly .44 caliber, so basically it just needs to be run through that first and then you should be able to seat as normal. (FYI the die is not permanently modified, it has the original part with it and can be switched back should I ever have to load 45/70) I am hoping to actually load them in the next few days now that I finally have everything ready, I’ll post my results.

I have just used my ultrasonic cleaner (Hornady 2l) to clean brass for the first time, I used distilled water and Hornady One Shot brass cleaner at 40:1 with the heat on (about 135 degrees). I did two thirty minute cycles and had the de gas function on for the first minute and a half of each (and degassed and pre heated before the first run), yet, while the brass is cleaner, I still have a lot of crap in the primer pockets (yes I de capped first) to the point that some of them don’t even look like they were even ever in the cleaner at all and at least one was still dirty on the inside as well, again looking as though it was never even cleaned. What am I doing wrong? Or do ultrasonics just suck? It was only 100 cases (.44-40). Currently I am going through manually cleaning the cases with Q tips, the fouling is soft though and just wipes right off with no solvent or even water necessary.

I am attempting to reload some .44-40 to as close to period correct as possible, and I’ve pretty much got it all figured out, I’ll be using a hand cast bullet that is very similar to the original, 50/50 beeswax and Crisco (I could not find enough tallow in quantity to even approach affordability, so I substituted Crisco), 40 grains (volumetric) of 3f Swiss crammed in with a compression die. However the only primers I have on hand are magnums, will that be an issue? Or are magnums maybe exactly what I want given the compressed load? Brass is once fired (by me) Magtech, all I could get ahold of.