mikeb82301
07-09-2011, 04:00 AM
One night, as I sat in my recliner, I got to looking at the .40 S&W brass, and I said to myself "Self - that's just damn near a 44 caliber (.429) outside diameter." As it turns out, it is, in fact, .424 - but I figured "Whaddahek?". So, I decided that it was time for me to create the 44 caliber cookie-cutter ! I was pretty sure that the brass all by itself was WAY too light to offer sufficient resistance, and weighing them proved that to be the case. So I decided to "bulk 'em up" to 180 grains - and albeit a bit excessive in the labor department - sat down here at my bench and individually filled 11 brass with enough # 6 shot to attain the 180 grain weight.
I then sized and primed 11 old 44 mag brass that I had - they were getting incipient separations, so I wasn't too worried about them if this experiment turned to crap. Then, I dumped each shot load individually into each brass so I would be able to accomplish the next step. I then took some plumber's cloth and sanded the inside of each of the 40 S&W brass on the inside, and took a Q-tip and smeared the inside with a bit of flux. Out to the shop I went and found my torch. I'd dump the shot back into the 40 brass, and heat 'er up with the torch until the shot melted and made a nice lead plug in the bottom of that 40 cal brass. And yes - the 40 cal brass still had expended primers in them. After they cooled, I brought them back in and went to more figgerin'.
I opted for a light 44 special load - 6 grains of Unique. I filled each of the 44 cal brass with the charge, and started to push the 40 cal brass inside - and because the 44 cal brass gets thicker as you go down into it, they fit quite nicely. In my haste - or excitement - I put one of the lead-filled 40 cal brass base UP - and thought "Hmm - let's give this a try too !" so I made up 4 more like that. Then, after getting a nice, deep crimp - takes some experimenting, but it worked fine - and I didn't have to bell any of the cases at all - outside I went.
The ones that I loaded with the base of the 40 cal brass exposed were my first trial. I had a VERY odd-sounding POP, and noticed that the 1-gallon jug didn't flinch, nor did the dirt on either side. Sure 'nuff - that sucker was stuck 1/2 inch down the bore of my Dan Wesson 44. I had switched to a 6-inch barrel just in case - and that made it 2 inches easier to drive the damn thing back out. Needless to say, that was the last time for that round. HOWEVER - the rounds that were loaded with the 40 cal base DOWN inside the 44 brass - DIFFERENT STORY !
First shot missed the jug - I was a little nervous and jerked - but the BANG was far more like it should have been. Second shot did something incredible. The hydroshock blew a HUGE hole on the entrance side - probably 2-2/12 inches in diameter - but on the exit side, it pushed out a relatively round 1- 1/1/2 inch diameter exit hole. This was your standard plastic milk jug filled with tap water. So, as I see it, this was a success. I pulled the failed experiment "bullets" and flipped 'em all over, and now have 10 rounds of this. IF you have a way of getting this round constructed - DO IT ! Talk about self-defense ! At 7 to 10 yards, this thing hits like a freight train - and with minimal powder, so it's less likely to go through 8 walls and kill neighbors and/or puncture their fish tanks full of oscars.
And that's my TRUE story
I then sized and primed 11 old 44 mag brass that I had - they were getting incipient separations, so I wasn't too worried about them if this experiment turned to crap. Then, I dumped each shot load individually into each brass so I would be able to accomplish the next step. I then took some plumber's cloth and sanded the inside of each of the 40 S&W brass on the inside, and took a Q-tip and smeared the inside with a bit of flux. Out to the shop I went and found my torch. I'd dump the shot back into the 40 brass, and heat 'er up with the torch until the shot melted and made a nice lead plug in the bottom of that 40 cal brass. And yes - the 40 cal brass still had expended primers in them. After they cooled, I brought them back in and went to more figgerin'.
I opted for a light 44 special load - 6 grains of Unique. I filled each of the 44 cal brass with the charge, and started to push the 40 cal brass inside - and because the 44 cal brass gets thicker as you go down into it, they fit quite nicely. In my haste - or excitement - I put one of the lead-filled 40 cal brass base UP - and thought "Hmm - let's give this a try too !" so I made up 4 more like that. Then, after getting a nice, deep crimp - takes some experimenting, but it worked fine - and I didn't have to bell any of the cases at all - outside I went.
The ones that I loaded with the base of the 40 cal brass exposed were my first trial. I had a VERY odd-sounding POP, and noticed that the 1-gallon jug didn't flinch, nor did the dirt on either side. Sure 'nuff - that sucker was stuck 1/2 inch down the bore of my Dan Wesson 44. I had switched to a 6-inch barrel just in case - and that made it 2 inches easier to drive the damn thing back out. Needless to say, that was the last time for that round. HOWEVER - the rounds that were loaded with the 40 cal base DOWN inside the 44 brass - DIFFERENT STORY !
First shot missed the jug - I was a little nervous and jerked - but the BANG was far more like it should have been. Second shot did something incredible. The hydroshock blew a HUGE hole on the entrance side - probably 2-2/12 inches in diameter - but on the exit side, it pushed out a relatively round 1- 1/1/2 inch diameter exit hole. This was your standard plastic milk jug filled with tap water. So, as I see it, this was a success. I pulled the failed experiment "bullets" and flipped 'em all over, and now have 10 rounds of this. IF you have a way of getting this round constructed - DO IT ! Talk about self-defense ! At 7 to 10 yards, this thing hits like a freight train - and with minimal powder, so it's less likely to go through 8 walls and kill neighbors and/or puncture their fish tanks full of oscars.
And that's my TRUE story