Just a question please
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ballisticxlr
New member
Not always but sometimes. It's not usually about strength as length. If the frame is long enough to take the longer, more powerful round (and it's strong enough which I'll assume for now) then it's as easy as run a finish reamer into each chamber. Some revolvers have a very long forcing cone and a shorter than normal cylinder which is only as long as the standard power chambering and so would prohibit that kind of change without also changing the barrel and/or cylinder out
You can do anything that there's room and strength for. What it takes depends on what you're doing. When I was young and into big bore revolvers my dad started me out on a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44mag. then we had it converted to .454casull and when I was bored with that we had it converted to .475Linebaugh which would later be slightly shortened and called the .480Ruger. Going from .44 to 45 and then to .475 required changing all kinds of stuff including the hand, cylinder and barrel and made a wrist torture device out of an otherwise useful .44mag.
You can do anything that there's room and strength for. What it takes depends on what you're doing. When I was young and into big bore revolvers my dad started me out on a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44mag. then we had it converted to .454casull and when I was bored with that we had it converted to .475Linebaugh which would later be slightly shortened and called the .480Ruger. Going from .44 to 45 and then to .475 required changing all kinds of stuff including the hand, cylinder and barrel and made a wrist torture device out of an otherwise useful .44mag.
stinkeypete
New member
In most cases the simple answer is "no, not economically. Buy a .44 Magnum, it will be cheaper."
Most important reason is the frame of most all .44 Specials can not handle the increased pressure of .44 Magnum. It's something like 14,000 psi vs 38,000 psi or double the pressure must be withstood.
The only thing I can think of that might come in .44 Special that could handle the pressure is a Ruger single action. Some old, some new, all are rare and you would be crushing it's collector's value at a cost of $300 to $1000 to you. You could find someone to trade guns with you even-up, costing you nothing.
Why change? .44 Special is far cooler then .44 Magnum!
Most important reason is the frame of most all .44 Specials can not handle the increased pressure of .44 Magnum. It's something like 14,000 psi vs 38,000 psi or double the pressure must be withstood.
The only thing I can think of that might come in .44 Special that could handle the pressure is a Ruger single action. Some old, some new, all are rare and you would be crushing it's collector's value at a cost of $300 to $1000 to you. You could find someone to trade guns with you even-up, costing you nothing.
Why change? .44 Special is far cooler then .44 Magnum!
Thaballisticxlr thanks just my thought . I bought a Freedom Arms Revolver on an auction (not on line) . The revolver has a 4.5/8 barrel and is in 44 Special i Shoot 44 Mag about all the time . It should be easy to fix i don,t care for the 44 special as i am setup for the 44 Mag and do reload .
As most know the 44 Special is a firearm for ladies . Being as i have 44mag,s and load for them i do not need a special for any reason .
As most know the 44 Special is a firearm for ladies . Being as i have 44mag,s and load for them i do not need a special for any reason .
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stinkeypete
New member
A Model 97 can't handle the pressure but call FA and see what they say.
It's a very sweet revolver. Someone will love it.
All you need is new brass, absolutely all of the other reloading components are the same. You might want different bullets, maybe not.
It's a very sweet revolver. Someone will love it.
All you need is new brass, absolutely all of the other reloading components are the same. You might want different bullets, maybe not.
Colorado Redneck
New member
Lady's firearm? Huh? That there's funny...
ballisticxlr
New member
OP, I'm not recommending you do this but, one could in theory cut and ream out .44mag brass to .44spl length and then just load it hotter than the hubs of hell. If your FA revolver is strong enough (I've only ever handled their .454 Casul guns which are tanks). It's well known that when the .357mag and .44mag and .454casul were being developed that their developers would just load insanely hot .38spl, 44spl and .45lc. This is exactly how I developed my proprietary ".45 Cinderblock".
Call Freedom Arms, and see what they say.
Remember its not JUST the size of the gun's frame & cylinder, its also the heat treating they receive and sometimes, even the alloy they are made of that makes the difference between a gun suitable for magnum pressures and one that is not.
There is no reaming involved in shortening the .44Mag case 0.125" (1/8")
IF Freedom Arms says your .44 Special is not suitable for conversion to .44 Mag, then that's it. Period. Sell or trade the Special for a magnum. Don't convert it.
Remember its not JUST the size of the gun's frame & cylinder, its also the heat treating they receive and sometimes, even the alloy they are made of that makes the difference between a gun suitable for magnum pressures and one that is not.
There is no reaming involved in shortening the .44Mag case 0.125" (1/8")
IF Freedom Arms says your .44 Special is not suitable for conversion to .44 Mag, then that's it. Period. Sell or trade the Special for a magnum. Don't convert it.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
I once came into possession of a .44 Magnum cylinder for an Uberti SAA clone. It was too large, both in length and in diameter, to fit into a .45 SAA frame. That tells me that at least one modern maker thinks the .44 Magnum is powerful enough that it needs more metal around the bores to withstand the pressure.