Reloading 44 mag for lever guns - LR primers?

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Reloading 44 mag for lever guns - LR primers?

Post by Wapiti » 15 Sep 2026, 6:31 am

Hi to the more experienced reloaders out there, a question.
With a 44 magnum rifle, mainly a quality lever-gun being stronger than a revolver, be fine to handload with large rifle primers one has at hand?
Should one try, I would imagine starting lower and working up?
This would also be only with full power loads using ADI 2205.
Anyone done this?
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Re: Reloading 44 mag for lever guns - LR primers?

Post by bladeracer » 15 Sep 2026, 7:56 am

Wapiti wrote:Hi to the more experienced reloaders out there, a question.
With a 44 magnum rifle, mainly a quality lever-gun being stronger than a revolver, be fine to handload with large rifle primers one has at hand?
Should one try, I would imagine starting lower and working up?
This would also be only with full power loads using ADI 2205.
Anyone done this?


Yep, the rifle primers don't make significantly higher pressure, they're just a harder cup to withstand rifle pressures. Prime a case and fire it to confirm the hammer strike is sufficient to fire it. A lot of untuned handguns can also fire rifle primers, but tuning the springs down can make the primer hits very light.
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Re: Reloading 44 mag for lever guns - LR primers?

Post by Wapiti » 16 Sep 2026, 6:54 am

Thank you sir.
That makes sense.
I remember when getting revolvers for the farm, two stainless Blackhawks. Each was worked over by different gunsmiths to give a very nice trigger, One, the 357, ended up only being able to use handloaded ammo with soft primers, but the 44 shoots anything, factories or handloads. Yet both have similar light crisp triggers.
Not all trigger jobs are the same!
That's weird huh.
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Aristotle.
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