If you know where to look, you can find the stuff, I got more coming soon.
So I bought some 445 Super Mag. brass a while back, to resell. There was no interest in the brass, ok no big deal. I have wanted a 445 Super Mag. for years. Then I found a 445 Contender barrel, but naturally, it was sold when I found the add. Then a week later another guy posted up another 445 Super Mag. Contender carbine barrel. I got that one. Then I still have some H110 from 25 years ago, when I last had a 44 Mag., I had two at the time, that got stolen. Have not gotten around to buying another since. I am picky, if it's not on my short list of choices, I don't want anything to do with it. I had plenty of 240 gr. 44 caliber bullets, from 30 years ago, when I was last loading 240 gr. bullets in my 44 Mags. But after 30 years, I finally sold them, then I go buy a 445 barrel, right afterwards. Then it turns out, the 445 uses large rifle primers, and not large pistol magnum primers. Supposedly the large rifle primers are thicker or deeper, front to rear. I always thought the pistol and rifle primers were the same diameter and thickness. Since the 445 uses large rifle primers, I have those, I use those for my 30-30. I just needed bullets, just like the ones, I just sold. And maybe some dies. From what I have read, you can use 44 Mag. dies, or 445 Super Mag. dies or 44 Schafer Ultra Mag. dies. the Schafer Ultra Mag. dies are supposed to work best. So I will be looking for some, at some point, for now, I have my old RCBS 44 Mag. dies.
I did a good bit of reading on the 445 Super Mag. and it's predecessor, the 44 Schafer Ultra Mag. They like the other Super Mags, seem to have had problems in revolvers. But they seem to work great in guns that don't have a cylinder gap, such as a Contender carbine barrel. The velocities I saw for a 16" barreled 445 Super Mag. shooting 300 gr. bullets are pretty close to a 16" barreled 458 SOCOM. So the ballistics are pretty impressive, if chambered in the right gun. But not in revolvers, from what I have read.
Just a little info on the Super Mags. There is the 357 Super Mag. which is virtually identical to the 357 Maximum, both can be fired from the same guns, both have the same problem of flame cutting revolver barrels. Then there is a 375 Super Mag., 414 Super Mag and then the 445 Super Mag. You can shoot 357 Magnums out of a 357 Maximum, same for the 414 Super Mag, you can shoot 41 Magnum ammo out of them. Then you can shoot 44 Mag. ammo out of a 445 Super Mag. Elgin Gates designed the calibers in the 1970s. Then Dan & Wesson built special long frame, long cylinder guns for those calibers, starting in the early 80s. Before Gates designed the 445 Super Mag. Lew Schafer designed the 44 Schafer Ultra Mag., the two calibers are virtually identical. The Gates Super Mag. cartridges had problems when chambered in the Dan & Wesson revolvers. For some reason, the extra powder caused the burning powder charge, to flame cut the rear end of the barrel, causing the gap between the cylinder and barrel to increase. This resulted in a increase of burning gasses escaping between they cylinder and barrel. With all of the burning gasses escaping from between the cylinder and the barrel, the velocities would not be much higher than common 44 Mag. velocities for the same weight bullets. In a rifle barrel, the 445 produces velocities, about half way between a 44 Mag. and a 444 Marlin.
I plan on experimenting with 240 gr, 265 gr. and 300 gr., bullets. At this point, I have some 240 gr. hollow points. I have found some 220 gr., 240 gr., 265 gr and 300 gr. bullets.
So this weekend I am going to start loading some 445s and then some 10mms. I also got some primers and powder, so I can load some 10mms. I have plenty of bullets, brass and dies. I have not loaded any 10mm in about 30 years, picked up some Longshot, never used that powder before. But it is one of the powders I wanted to try, it was the only one, the place I went to had in stock. So that's what I am using for the 10mm. I got plenty of 180 gr. jacketed hollow points, left over from years ago.
From what I am reading, the 445 should make for one stout, 44 Mag., should make a good close range, 100 yards or less, brush gun. I put the gun on the scale last night, turns out it only weighs 4 lbs. with not scope or mounts. I plan on putting a Sig Romeo 5 on the gun, that or some holographic sight. I want to keep the gun as compact and light as possible. Most of my guns are not small and definitely not light. I weighed my 6.5 Creedmoor also, it weighs right at 12 lbs. The Creedmoor also dwarfs the Contender in size also.
So I bought some 445 Super Mag. brass a while back, to resell. There was no interest in the brass, ok no big deal. I have wanted a 445 Super Mag. for years. Then I found a 445 Contender barrel, but naturally, it was sold when I found the add. Then a week later another guy posted up another 445 Super Mag. Contender carbine barrel. I got that one. Then I still have some H110 from 25 years ago, when I last had a 44 Mag., I had two at the time, that got stolen. Have not gotten around to buying another since. I am picky, if it's not on my short list of choices, I don't want anything to do with it. I had plenty of 240 gr. 44 caliber bullets, from 30 years ago, when I was last loading 240 gr. bullets in my 44 Mags. But after 30 years, I finally sold them, then I go buy a 445 barrel, right afterwards. Then it turns out, the 445 uses large rifle primers, and not large pistol magnum primers. Supposedly the large rifle primers are thicker or deeper, front to rear. I always thought the pistol and rifle primers were the same diameter and thickness. Since the 445 uses large rifle primers, I have those, I use those for my 30-30. I just needed bullets, just like the ones, I just sold. And maybe some dies. From what I have read, you can use 44 Mag. dies, or 445 Super Mag. dies or 44 Schafer Ultra Mag. dies. the Schafer Ultra Mag. dies are supposed to work best. So I will be looking for some, at some point, for now, I have my old RCBS 44 Mag. dies.
I did a good bit of reading on the 445 Super Mag. and it's predecessor, the 44 Schafer Ultra Mag. They like the other Super Mags, seem to have had problems in revolvers. But they seem to work great in guns that don't have a cylinder gap, such as a Contender carbine barrel. The velocities I saw for a 16" barreled 445 Super Mag. shooting 300 gr. bullets are pretty close to a 16" barreled 458 SOCOM. So the ballistics are pretty impressive, if chambered in the right gun. But not in revolvers, from what I have read.
Just a little info on the Super Mags. There is the 357 Super Mag. which is virtually identical to the 357 Maximum, both can be fired from the same guns, both have the same problem of flame cutting revolver barrels. Then there is a 375 Super Mag., 414 Super Mag and then the 445 Super Mag. You can shoot 357 Magnums out of a 357 Maximum, same for the 414 Super Mag, you can shoot 41 Magnum ammo out of them. Then you can shoot 44 Mag. ammo out of a 445 Super Mag. Elgin Gates designed the calibers in the 1970s. Then Dan & Wesson built special long frame, long cylinder guns for those calibers, starting in the early 80s. Before Gates designed the 445 Super Mag. Lew Schafer designed the 44 Schafer Ultra Mag., the two calibers are virtually identical. The Gates Super Mag. cartridges had problems when chambered in the Dan & Wesson revolvers. For some reason, the extra powder caused the burning powder charge, to flame cut the rear end of the barrel, causing the gap between the cylinder and barrel to increase. This resulted in a increase of burning gasses escaping between they cylinder and barrel. With all of the burning gasses escaping from between the cylinder and the barrel, the velocities would not be much higher than common 44 Mag. velocities for the same weight bullets. In a rifle barrel, the 445 produces velocities, about half way between a 44 Mag. and a 444 Marlin.
I plan on experimenting with 240 gr, 265 gr. and 300 gr., bullets. At this point, I have some 240 gr. hollow points. I have found some 220 gr., 240 gr., 265 gr and 300 gr. bullets.
So this weekend I am going to start loading some 445s and then some 10mms. I also got some primers and powder, so I can load some 10mms. I have plenty of bullets, brass and dies. I have not loaded any 10mm in about 30 years, picked up some Longshot, never used that powder before. But it is one of the powders I wanted to try, it was the only one, the place I went to had in stock. So that's what I am using for the 10mm. I got plenty of 180 gr. jacketed hollow points, left over from years ago.
From what I am reading, the 445 should make for one stout, 44 Mag., should make a good close range, 100 yards or less, brush gun. I put the gun on the scale last night, turns out it only weighs 4 lbs. with not scope or mounts. I plan on putting a Sig Romeo 5 on the gun, that or some holographic sight. I want to keep the gun as compact and light as possible. Most of my guns are not small and definitely not light. I weighed my 6.5 Creedmoor also, it weighs right at 12 lbs. The Creedmoor also dwarfs the Contender in size also.
Comment