The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Oh, I am well aware how much of a long shot this is, but does anyone have any 44 Auto Mag Pistol dies lurking away at the back of a cupboard gathering dust please?

Are they not 44 magnum dies, but with a .308 shell-holder?

No, apparently not. There are some new sets available, but I'd be happy with an old set if anyone has one.

No body should be allowed to talk about, let alone own, something like this - The sooner they're all made into paperweights the better. :)

I know the Auto Mag was eventually offered in several chamberings but didn't the original one use cut down 308Win cases? If so, it should be possible to use 308Win dies for full-length sizing and maybe for seating. If not, a 30-06 die should work for seating.

It is possible to use 308 brass to make the 44 cases however it needs to be cut to length and reamed out to thin the brass in the walls. The auto mag case also needs (I believe) a taper putting in it so not sure the 308 dies will do the job. Really looking for the actual dies if possible.

Unless you're really expert at "Wild-Catting" I would suggest that specific dies are the only way to go.

Surely the pistol round is straight-Walled? .308 is a tapered case. Even if you had the skills to form the modified cases from 308 cases, a 308 die is not going to be any use.

dazeroo wrote:Unless you're really expert at "Wild-Catting" I would suggest that specific dies are the only way to go.

Surely the pistol round is straight-Walled? .308 is a tapered case. Even if you had the skills to form the modified cases from 308 cases, a 308 die is not going to be any use.

ALL rounds have a varying degree of taper. ...."straight wall" or otherwise. ....just some are more pronounced than others & a few rounds have an obvious taper....

saddler wrote:

dazeroo wrote:Unless you're really expert at "Wild-Catting" I would suggest that specific dies are the only way to go.

Surely the pistol round is straight-Walled? .308 is a tapered case. Even if you had the skills to form the modified cases from 308 cases, a 308 die is not going to be any use.

ALL rounds have a varying degree of taper. ...."straight wall" or otherwise. ....just some are more pronounced than others & a few rounds have an obvious taper....

Is that right Saddler? What about cases like .357 mag? Isn't that where the ease of carbide sizing dies pays off - just slide them in, parallel all the way.

Cases like the 45/70 look quite straight but are indeed tapered.

Parallel cases aren't.
Read an in depth article on this some years ago...
Without a very degree of taper they'd not extract.

Got any SAAMI cartridge drawings to counter this?