Author Topic: when did browning make 44 mag ammo (Read 1230 times)

scgunsmith · « **on:** January 21, 2006, 10:40:19 AM »

when did browning make 44 mag ammo?
I have 4 rounds of these marked Browning 44 mag.

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2006, 01:39:02 PM »

I'm not 100% sure Browning ever actually made ammo. To be real technical about it Browning makes nothing, they just import stuff made by others. I think the ammo was made in Sweden or one of the Scandanavian countries perhaps by Norma or Lapua. Can't be sure as I've not owned a box in a long long time.

I recall shooting the .357 Magnum 158 grains rated at 1550 fps and they seemed to be doing it tho in those days I had no chrono. That would have been in the late 60s to early 70s. I think that was the time frame on the Browning headstamp ammo. Can't really pin it down any better than that as CRS clouds the dates but it was a long long time ago.

John Traveler1 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2006, 02:14:42 PM »

There's nothing wrong with your memory, Bill!

I remember seeing Browning brand ammunition in the early-to-mid 1970s too. They came in a black and gold metallic box with styrofoam liners. As I recall, they were promoted on their "premium" cosmetic appearance and association with the Browning name. Your Browning gun deserves Browning ammunition, that sort of thing. Gun magazines of the period had frequent advertisements of the same.

Recent browsing at gun shows had displays of some Browning boxes....they go for some $40 or $50/box in almost any caliber now.

HTH
John

marlinman93 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2006, 05:06:31 PM »

Wish I had sold mine, instead of using it for hunting! I bought a box about 20 years ago for my .30-06, in 125 gr. bullet. Sighted in at the range with 5 rounds, and then took them hunting with me. Opening morning, and I'm sitting by a deer trail, waiting. Along comes a string of about 10 deer. The last two were bucks, both 4x4's. I zeroed in and pulled the trigger on the first one, only to hear a gut wrenching "click". Ejected the round, and the same thing happened on the second. At the second click, they all took off running as I repeated a couple more clicks!
Got to camp madder than a wrt hen, and borrowed Rem. ammo from my brother's '06. They went off just fine. I threw the Brownings in the trash. I was always puzzled how the first 5 went off without a problem, just a couple weeks earlier?

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2006, 05:38:50 PM »

If the boxes are selling at such prices I threw away a fortune then cuz I sure shot a lot of that stuff in .357 Mag back in the day. A hardware store with a pretty good gun department used to have that stuff dirt cheap and I shot a pile of it. Still have some of the cases but the boxes are long since gone. I'm sure I tossed well over $1000 worth of boxes if they are selling at that price.