Carolina Clint, SASS #76965 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Considering - just considering - buying .44 Russians for fun factor. My question is reloading. I don't see ".44 Russian" as option for Dillon Square Deal B dies. Since Dillon is closed today (Sunday), I'm asking here if .44 Special dies work for the .44 Russian cartridges when using my Square Deal B, or do I need .44 Russian dies (are Lee and RCBS the only sources) that should work with the Hornady Lock and Load press that I also have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stepnmud#33546 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 been using the Lee dies for 44 R. cause my 44 mag/44spl. won't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judah MacAbee SASS #64095 Life Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Can't answer the specific Dillon question, but I use RCBS.44 Russian dies for that round and .44 Special dies for that round as there is a lot of die adjustment for case mouth belling, bullet seating and crimping because of the case length difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Cord Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I use Dillon .44 special/mag dies for loading my .44 Russian ammo. I did trim .25" off them and polished a radius back into the openings. I load my Russian ammo on a 550. You could try loading the rounds on your Square Deal. My only concern would be if you can get a good crimp on the bullet with the .44 spec/mag dies. If every thing else works except the crimp station, you can buy a Lee Factory Crimp Die and run in it your Hornady press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"Pop" Dawson Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I was using my RCBS .44 mag/spec dies until I started trying to load TopBrass. They put a bulge about midway down the case and it wouldn't go in Duchess' Uberti pistols. It would go in my Rugers just fine. I found some .44 Russian dies at Midway and been happy ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory Jack, #8534 LTG Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I use Lee carbide 44 Russian dies in my Dillon 550B. No worries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Howdy It all boils down to how far you have to screw the seating/crimp die into the press in order to crimp the short 44 Russian case. I use a standard RCBS carbide 44 Mag/44 Sp die set to load 44 Russian on my Hornady L&L, however I had to grind down the seating/crimp die considerably in order to screw it into the press far enough to crimp the 44 Russian brass without the shell plate striking the die. Note: I have noticed that the way the Hornady L&L press is designed, most brands of dies do need to be screwed further into the press to crimp the brass than they do with other presses. This is not true with most Hornady dies. If I had it to do over again I would probably just buy a die set specific to 44 Russian, or specific to 44 Special. But I was in a hurry when I needed to load 44 Russian, and the RCBS 44 Mag/44 Sp die set was the only option I had available locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 What Ethan Cord said. I use my 44mag/sp dies, but had to shorten the crimp die by about .25" and re-taper the entrance. Not a big deal. Did it myself on a grinder with a Dremel tool for the re-taper. PS The die set still works for the 44mag and specials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.T Chambers, SASS#76185 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Can't help with the Dillon question, but I use a L-N-L AP with RCBS Cowboy dies P#18651 for Specials & Russians, P#18612 for Specials & Mags. MTC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolina Clint, SASS #76965 Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thanks, everyone. Seems like the easiest thing to do is get the RCBS .44 Russian dies and set up the Hornady Lock & Load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I use a mixed bag. Dillon .44 carbide sizer/decapper, RCBS seater and Redding crimp die. Personal preference, I don't like to seat and crimp with the same die. I didn't have to modify any of the dies. Coffinmaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.