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.44 Auto Mag
Historical Notes:
Introduced late in 1971, this cartridge was developed for the Auto Mag pistol designed by the late Harry Sanford of Pasadena, California. The gun was also made and marketed for a few years by High Standard. The cartridge is made by simply cutting off .30-06 or .308 Winchester cases to a length of 1.30 inches, inside reaming the case neck to accept .429-inch diameter bullets, and trimming to a length of 1.298 inches. The newly formed case is then loaded with standard .429-inch jacketed bullets of 200 to 240 grains. For a time, .44 Auto Mag cases were made in Mexico, by Cartuchos Deportivos Mexico, and headstamped CDM. Loaded ammunition was later offered by Norma of Sweden. A few custom loaders furnished loaded rounds. Loading and trim dies are made by RCBS (www.rcbs.com). The .44 Auto Mag cartridge was used only in the Auto Mag semi-auto pistol, which is no longer in production.
General Comments:
The Auto Mag semi-auto pistol operates on the short recoil principle, with a six-lug, front-locking rotary bolt. Made almost entirely of stainless steel, it has a 6½-inch barrel, an overall length of 1¼ inches, and weighs about ¾ pounds. This was the most powerful commercial semi-auto pistol manufactured at that time. When loaded to maximum, a 200-grain bullet can be pushed at over 1500 fps, and the 240-grain to 1400 fps. Unfortunately, the Auto Mag pistol had a rather short and stormy career marked by more than its share of manufacturing, marketing, and mechanical troubles. The .44 Auto Mag pistol was developed primarily as a sporting gun. It has been used to take all kinds of big game, including deer, elk, moose, and Kodiak bear. It is in the same class as the .44 Magnum.
44 Auto Mag Loading Data
Bullet (grains/type) | Powder | Grains | Grains | Grains | Source/Comments | |||||
180 JHP | 2400 | 25.0 | 1600 | 1024 | Sierra | |||||
200 JHP | W-296 | 26.5 | 1500 | 999 | Hornady | |||||
240 JHP | W-296 | 24.0 | 1350 | 972 | Sierra, Hornady | |||||
240 JHP | H-110 | 23.0 | 1400 | 1045 | Hornady | |||||
Dimensional Data | ||||||||||
Cartridge | Case | Bullet Dia. | Neck Dia. | Shoulder Dia. | Base Dia. | Rim Dia. | Rim Thick. | Case Length | Ctge. Length | Primer |
.44 Auto Mag | D | .429 | .457 | UNK/NA | .470 | .473 | .048 | 1.298 | 1.620 | LP |
Notes on handgun primers: Magnum pistol cartridges are usually loaded with Magnum pistol primer Case Type: D = Rimless, straight. Primer Type: LP = Large pistol (.210”). Unless otherwise noted, all dimensions in inches. DISCLAIMER: Any and all loading data found here is to be taken as reference material only. This site and it's entities bear no responsibility for the use by others of the data included here. WARNING: For any modern firearm, it is essential that you adhere to the loading recommendations put forth in the reloading manuals of today’s components manufacturers, as well as to the owners manual of the maker of your individual firearm. The potential for things to go wrong is exacerbated in guns long out of production, those chambering obsolete cartridges, and those using cartridges containing blackpowder or cordite. As a separate caution, you must never fire any cartridge in any gun just because it looks similar to, or has a similar designation to, the cartridge the gun is chambered for. This can be extremely dangerous. Almost is not good enough, so if you are at all uncertain about the proper cartridge, have a competent gunsmith check the bullet diameter and case dimensions and firearms chamber and headspace. | ||||||||||
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