I guess I'm dedicated to the .44 WCF now...

[Little Dalton]

...just bought 51 POUNDS of brass. Hope I did ok on the price.  Starline .44-40 NOS, on gunbroker, seller tumbled them to shine 'em up and banged up the mouths pretty good. So, steep discount. Hope they straighten out ok. Aprx. 3,500 brass, at $390 shipped, so about $0.11 each. Is that an ok price? 

Now I really need to trade off my .45 stuff. 

[Short Knife Johnson]

Without seeing them, I'd say you did pretty OK.  As long as the case mouths are not kinked or rolled over, they should be salvageable.  I've been shooting .44-40 since .44-40 wasn't so easy to get.  Resurrecting cases is something I got good at quickly.   

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Take the whole lot out while doing something mindless, like watching TV, the Great Wasteland.

Sort them, or if you feel clinical, perform triage. Three piles; 1. those with straight case mouths. 2. Those needing a tweak 3. those that look beyond hope, but might be resurrected.  Your standard should be fairly strict, as resizing a turned mouth can result in a crumpled mess.

Lot 1. go straight to resizing. I don't know which dies you are using, but there are no carbide sizers that I know of, so it requires sizing lube, and care, or more neck crumbles can be expected. Do this later and avoid ANY distraction. Before doing the whole bunch. try a few in ALL of your intended firearms. (there are some variations in chambers between firearms.)

Lot 2. can be straightened. I use something tapered, like a .303Brit case or the tapered exterior of a small hollow punch. Some can be saved by using something as a hard mandrel (close to the inside diameter) and tapping the offending area with a no-mar hammer, Its a good job to do while watching Dancing with the Stars, so you aren't distracted.

Lot 3. Some with care can be saved like Lot 2. If the case mouth is crumpled/creased/split it will always be a problem, but don't throw it out it yet! I cut them off and convert them to .455Webley. That requires shortening, thinning the rims, expanding cases mouths and fireforming. If neither you nor your friends have Webleys, send them to me. (I'll pay the postage) If anyone wishes to know more, PM me.

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[sail32]

For .44-40 cases with a damaged rim I find using a screw driver or needle nose pliers inserted into the case and pushed against the thumb will straighten the rim.

[August]

Starline .44-40 NOS, on gunbroker, seller tumbled them to shine 'em up and banged up the mouths pretty good. Hope they straighten out ok.

Buddy of mine taught me this trick.  A 50 Caliber Browning Machine Gun projectile can be used as a tool to open the case mouths of 44 WCF and 38 WCF rounds that get bent in shooting or shipping.  Works great.

[Gripmaker]

Sail32,  Like SKJ, I have been reloading 44wcf for many years and have resurrected many more damaged cases. In light of that, I sure hope you are referring to the case mouth and not the case rim. If the rim is damaged enough to need repair, it needs to be relegated to the scrap pile. I haven't lost a 44wcf case in years and all have been reloaded more times than my straight wall cases and I shoot both extensively. FYI, I have used needle nosed pliers, punches, wooden dowels and any other thing handy to open case mouths before resizing so use what you have and be careful. It will work.

[Little Dalton]

Thanks for the tips! I look forward to getting ahold of the brass and getting it re-loadable. I actually don't even have dies yet... didn't even have a gun in the caliber when I bought the brass.  Now I do! (or almost). A brand spanking new Cimarron Old Model P is on it's way from Buffalo Arms, in .44WCF, and sporting a 7-1/2" barrel. I is like a kid waiting on Christmas. Hey... it IS almost Christmas...