"Later, the small arms technical people increased the velocity specs and also went to jacketed bullets, greatly increasing both pressures and velocities."
"Dr. Nippe sent a box of these loads to White's Labratory and they varied 11,600 psi in just ten rounds and some loads went to 50,000 psi.."
"In my humble opinion, 35,000 psi should be the limit for pressure of factory loads for the .44 Magnum and velocity should stay around 1,400 fps. Anything much over that is hard on the guns and will not deliver the same accuracy. Even 3,000 rounds with factory loads these fine guns lose accuracy and need tightening up"
"Factory American loads I have recently tested from Remington are back to a more normal pressure. I have not tried any late issue from Winchester-Western, but for a time both makes were far overloaded to my notion"
-Elmer Keith, 1973.
I also find it interesting that Elgin Gates, at the dawn of IHMSA that guns made by Ruger, Dan Wesson and Seville easily made the durabilty grade while Smiths emphatically did not; some literally falling apart on the line.
FWIW, Ross Seyfried also used Keith's recommended load in 3 4" 29's. His last one (in the 1990's) was on its last legs.
