I was wondering if a rifle like a Winchester 94 could handle a .44AMP. I know there would need to be changes to feed mechanisms and the such, what I need to know is if a .44AMP would be too powerful for a .44Mag chamber to handle and I can't seem to find the info anywhere online. I'm sure the info is out there online but I couldn't find it.

GuapoPogi

Plenty of info online about the 44 Auto Mag. Clint Eastward used one in one of his Dirty Harry movies. The pistol was a failure although the blue Moly steel prototype apparently worked well but the CEO of the company wanted them made of stainless which his design team advised against and they ended up resigning enmass. The company pushed ahead with the stainless version which cost too much and had reliability issues, so much so that the company went broke.

The cartridge is made by cutting down 30.06 cases and inside reaming to take a .429" bullet. Really no better performance than the standard 44 Mag.

Don't know why you would want to bother with the 44AMP in a lever gun when they will reliably feed and shoot the 44 Mag. You may be able to boost the performance in a strong rimless case a bit but like any pistol cartridge they are all limited in performance and another 100fps or so makes very little difference at the typical velocities they all give out of a rifle.

Unless you've been there and done it (or have access to factory made cases) then making .308, .30-06, even .270 or whatever into .44AMP is a pain in the arse.

I had set of RCBS dies in the 1970s. Cut, trim, inside ream and then the job is done. Except it takes longer to do than to say.

I can't see what advantage 44 AMP would give over 44 Remington Magnum in a Winchester 94. Indeed I doubt that a rimless case would actually work.

How does the cartridge stop on the lever then function with no cartridge rim to arrest?

Without being discouraging it is an exercise that is pointless, costly, and leaves you with nothing better than was originally available.

Now a conversion worth considering...and this is why I had those RCBS dies...is to convert a 7.62mm NATO chambered Ishapore SMLE to 44AMP but with a slightly longer case trim and using bullets seated to "mirror" the profile of the shoulders of the parent 7.62mm NATO case.

A sort of a RIMLESS 444 Marlin if it were. With maybe a slightly shorter case as explained above.

The idea came to nought as we couldn't source a 7.62mm Ishapore (and it was the Ishapore magazine that was the key).

But again would it have done anything that a re-barrel of a standard SMLE to normal or cut-down case .444 Marlin didn't?

The weapon itself is not relevant. The Winchester 94 came to mind first but the question would be the same if it was a fictional pistol chambered for .44Mag. Ignoring the fact that feed mechanisms, extractors, magazines and other parts would need to be altered, redesigned or replaced, is a .44AMP too powerful for a weapon designed for a .44 Mag? Or if you do not know the answer can you direct me to another web site that might have the answer.

GuapoPogi

The 44AMP is extinct in production so the only ammo you might find will be some limited production like Cor-Bon. You could ask Cor-Bon what pressure they load to.

The .44 AMP and the .357 AMP are not listed in SAAMI standards. You do not know what the original manufacturers intended the maximum operating pressures to be. You would have to research for that data. You might find information in old loading data and in peridocals like Handloader Magazine.
My opinion is the pressure was not higher than .44 Magnum loads nor does it need to be.

If you depend on handloads just use loads suited to the rifle chambered.
If you are going to use factory ammo you will have to do some research.

You might also consider that other cartridges chambered in the chosen design might have higher operating pressures than the .44 Magnum.
The .444 Marlin operates at significantly higher pressure.

quote:

Originally posted by GuapoPogi:
The weapon itself is not relevant. The Winchester 94 came to mind first but the question would be the same if it was a fictional pistol chambered for .44Mag. Ignoring the fact that feed mechanisms, extractors, magazines and other parts would need to be altered, redesigned or replaced, is a .44AMP too powerful for a weapon designed for a .44 Mag? Or if you do not know the answer can you direct me to another web site that might have the answer.

GuapoPogi

The SAAMI pressures for both the 44 and 357 magnums were dropped from the original SAAMI pressures of 43000 to the new "standard" of 35000.

If you have a gun that will withstand the original pressures then you can still use the original loadings. Most but not all of the manuals have adopted the new lower SAAMI pressures in their data. If you have the older manuals and want to use that information just make sure your gun can handle it. Rugers and contenders are the ones that I am sure of and I know that Smith & Wesson was one of the companies that requested the lower pressures.

You should use this information like all information on the internet and use it at your own risk.