I recently purchased two boxes of ammunition. A box of .44 Mag and another of .45 ACP. The .44 cost almost double the .45. The physical characteristics of the two aren’t all that different. Anyone know why the there would be such a difference?
Supply and demand. Mostly demand. Everyone owns a 9mm. Then they buy a .45. Most people will probably stop there.
.44 uses a longer case and is loaded to a higher pressure so more material is needed.
WAG-far higher demand for .45 than .44, economy of scale.
You wanna be Dirty Harry, you gotta pay for it.
Willingness of buyers to pay is a big component of price, not just costs or production.
.44 Mag owners are likely less price-sensitive than .45 ACP owners in the same way that sports car owners are less price-sensitive than SUV owners.
And they all look down on 9mm Glocks and Honda Civics while complaining about the price of ammo and gas.
You think you get to be the guy that makes everyone else on the range stop what they’re doing and come over to see what the fuck handcannon you’ve got for free? 
Meanwhile, supply and demand. Not a lot of .44 Mag shooters; lots of .45ACP shooters.
My .44 is a lever action rifle. I was torn between being chambered for .44 or .357. I suspect the .357 might have been less expensive to shoot,
Is the relationship between the .44 Mag and .44 Special the same as between the .357 Mag and the .38 special? If so, it might be possible to buy .44 Special ammo instead which is likely cheaper.
Have you thought of reloading?
For what purposes did you get a lever action rifle chambered in a handgun cartridge?
My lever-action Winchester Model 92 was built in 1897. It’s chambered for .32-20 Winchester, and costs about a dollar a pop. Nobody carries .32-20, so it has to be mail-ordered. Sure is a sweet shooter, though! 
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Yes. The .44 Special has a .25 inch shorter case than the Magnum.
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Can cost more than it’s worth to set up if you don’t run through a bunch of ammo.
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Cross-platform adaptability. Most who carried both a pistol and a rifle in the Old West carried the same caliber weapons. That way you didn’t have to carry twice the ammo.
Got mine in .357. But then I already owned a .357 revolver.
Back when they were about $750-800 (a Cowboy II), I was hunting around for one, checking shops and asking prices. Walked into my closest store and the guy says “oh, we have one of those on consignment for $380” :eek: Was in perfect shape, not a scratch on it, well taken care of. Bought it on the spot.