into problems. These will give you a large number of reloads if you are careful to use light loads in them. Don't try to dry cartridges in an oven; the temperature settings on ovens aren't overly accurate and permit the temperatures to rise high enough to ruin the cartridge's head strength — a situation that can occur at temperatures as low as 200 degrees Fahrenheit. After brass has been reloaded a maximum number of times, it can usually be safely fired as squib loads (practice loads firing very low-velocity projectiles) . With care, brass can be reloaded an amazing number of times. The only time this isn't possible is with mercuric primers since they will cause brass to become brittle with time after being fired. If you're really desperate for ammunition, it's possible to alter some ammunition to work in other chamberings . For example, the .30-06 or .308 Winchester cartridge can be cut down to .45 ACP length and the .223 Remington (and similar cartridges) can be cut down and expanded into 9mm Luger or .380 ACP cartridges. With a lot of work, you can even whittle a .223 cartridge down to .32 ACP or .30-caliber carbine size, though this gets to be quite a chore since the head diameter has to be modified through careful cutting in a lathe. If a little careful bashing is done on a semi-auto cartridge's rim, it is possible to peen the metal enough to create a rim. This makes it possible to cut and peen the .223 cartridge to create a make-do .38 Special or .357 Magnum cartridge. Likewise, the .308 Winchester can be transformed into a .45 Colt or, with careful work, a .44 Magnum cartridge. It's important to remember with any modification of rifle ammunition into pistol brass that it is a very crude adaptation at best. Further, the thicker brass of the cases requires that they not be loaded anywhere near the maximum capacity for standard cases: the reduced space inside the shell will likely result in excessive pressure and rupturing of the cartridge. Consequently, you should employ such brass to low powder specifications, especially the first time it is used so that the firing will "fire-form" the brass to the chamber's dimensions. To make the rim of the altered case fit the extractor of the firearm, it may be necessary to place the brass in a lathe or drill and file it into shape (being careful not to weaken the case too much) . An appropriate-sized E-clip snapped into the extractor groove of a rimless case might make a suitable rim. Cutting the brass down to a shorter length is easily accomplished with a plumber's tubing cutter; a file and a brass trimmer will finish the work. When adapting the brass to a slightly larger size, it may also be necessary to make an expanding rod (as will be the case when going from .223 to 9mm Luger) . Lubricate the cartridge carefully and send it into a resizing die on a press very slowly so as to give the brass time to expand without splitting. None of the pistol brass created from larger cartridges will be overly reliable f especially in semi-auto actions), nor will it be 100 percent safe, so you should try these procedures only ill an emergency. Always use the proper brass whenever possible. A few substitutions can also be made if cartridges in some chamberings are in short supply. The oldest standby is a .38 Special cartridge placed in the chambering of a .357 Magnum revolver — a practice that is regularly done and quite safe. With some guns, it is also possible to place a .357 Magnum into a .38 Special chamber; this isn't safe and will most likely warp or even rupture the chamber. However, if forced to choose between ruining the gun and possibly injuring yourself or dying at the hands of a hoodlum, you might opt to go out in a blaze of glory — and this just might be one way of doing that. Of course if you're reloading, you can cut. off a bit more than a tenth of an inch from the overall length of the .357 Magnum (so it will fit properly in the chamber of a .38 Special) and then reload it to .38 Special specifications. This will give you a round that will be both safe and effective in the .38 Special. You could also reload .38 Special cartridges to .357 Magnum specifications, provided you don't go with maximum loads or try to fire them in a .38 Special revolver. This is potentially dangerous because the ammunition will fit in guns not capable of withstanding such pressures. So think long and hard before embarking on such a project. It should be noted that the .38 Special +P loads fall between the .38 Special and .357 Magnum in power. Although most modern .38 revolvers will handle the .38 Special +P load, not all will, and many will shoot loose with a steady diet of these. So it is best to back off on charges if you're uncertain how tough the gun is that the round will be fired in. Although it is fairly rare, the .38 Long Colt and (more rarely) the .38 Smith & Wesson cartridges will sometimes fit into .38 Special or .357 Magnum guns. And these older cartridges might escape the notice of those who would ban more common rounds since they are old and not very efficient ballistically . For those with a .44 Magnum pistol, revolver, or carbine, the .44 Special can also be