Case bulging, Winchester White Box .44 mag.

[Yentl Marmelstein]

Picked up a Colt Anaconda and took it out yesterday to light off a few rounds.

When ejecting the cases, I noticed some bulging about .125" up from the base.

I ran about half of this box through my Ruger Super Blackhawk, but I threw those cases into a bucket, so I have no idea if they came out looking that way. I'd have to say that they didn't, or I'd have been even more inclined to notice it, particularly when ejecting one at at time in a single action revolver.

Any idea why this is occurring?

Thanks.

[Flash]

Simple.

The chambers are larger than the brass, for good and obvious reasons.

During firing, the internal pressure causes the brass to expand and seal against the chamber walls, and then when the pressure is down, the brass springs back - PARTIALLY - to what it was before firing, and can be extracted more easily.

The portion of the case that is called the "web:" or the head, that is, solid brass, will remain more nearly original size, and will not significantly expand when under the pressure of firing.

Only the "hollow" part of the case will be larger after firing than the "solid" part, thus presenting the appearance you describe. All cases expand, but if the chamber on the Anaconda is different from the Ruger (and that is most likely) you would see them as different after firing. The chambers probably are different sized, and one may have a slight taper.

Take a pair of calipers to the range with you next time, measure the head area, and the expanded area, both before and after firing and with BOTH guns, and it will become abundantly clear.

Flash