Years ago I was at the range and picked some brass up off the ground. It looks like someone had been firing Black Hills 44 Mag ammunition. As I pick them up I notice an odd thing on the headstamp of several pieces. They are stamped "PROOF". I know Black Hills sells "remanufactured" ammunition. My guess is that these cases along with standard BHA 44 mag brass are all thrown in together and reused.

I roll my own so this is not an issue, but, if you were to open a box of ammunition and see some of the cases stamped "PROOF" would you at least pause for a moment before firing them? That went through my mind as soon as I picked them up.

What if somehow there was a mix up at the factory and actual proof rounds were accidentally mixed in with standard pressure rounds. A couple of them look like there was some minor cratering. Any quality gun in good condition should be able to handle them but I don't like pushing the limits with max loads in any of my guns. If it were me I probably would have put them aside and not fired them (at least until I contacted Black Hills for confirmation). What do you think?



Experience is the best teacher, hunger good sauce.
Osborne Russell Journal of a Trapper