Dedicated to the ".44 SPECIAL"

[BusGunner007]

Help me understand exactly what makes the .44 Special so "special".
I've seen a lot of .44 Special stuff on the Forum, but not a Topic dedicated to it's "Specialness"... :D
So, tell us about the cartridge and guns and WHY you'd choose them over something else!

What's the reason for having the .44 instead of a .357 with 6-shots? or a smaller .357 with 5-shots?
If you carry a bigger revolver, why not the .44 Magnum with 6-shots?
:)

[jonathon]

Elmer Kieth's .44 Special loads are pretty slick. That being said, I think the .44 Special is much better for Self Defence than the .44 magnum. Even if the only reason for that is the ammount of control on the magnum.

[SnWnMe]

Not all 44 Specials are "special". Only SMITH & WESSON wheelguns in that caliber are special. It's their very own big bore chambering. :)

[Majic]

So many people today have magnumitis and most of the time it's really not needed. They punish themselves shooting the magnums with loads that are getting more powerful and platforms that are getting smaller and lighter. The "Specials" (both the .38 and the .44) will get most of the same jobs done with less stress on the platforms and the shooters.
Why carry a .44sp over a .357mag? Just like the .45acp, a big slow bullet can also do considerable damage. As they say, "if you don't know what I'm talking about then I can't explain it". Give one a try one day and see for yourself.

[BillCA]

Another advantage of "big bores" like the .44 Special is that they don't need bullets that expand. Usually it isn't moving fast enough to reliably expand a JHP, however a semi-wadcutter can do enormous damage by making large holes.

[SnWnMe]

But to answer the Q. I have no answer. It's the same feeling of elation one gets when shooting 45LC. Something about launching big, heavy bullets from tall, fat cases.

Can you spot the 44 Special in this picture?

http://www.hunt101.com/img/274061.JPG

[jonathon]

I think what keeps people away from specials is that they cost more than the .44 mags, even the brass costs more.

[Person of Interest]

It's nostalgic.

[Quantrill]

I have (4) .44's. Alright, one of them is a 44-40. The other three are all .44 magnums. Ninety nine percent of what passes through them is .44 spec. Quantrill

[artsmom]

The .44 Special is considered by most everyone to be a reliable manstopper in the self defense category with standard loads, and can be bumped up to a deer hunting round in a strong revolver.

Here is an article on the Charter Arms Bulldog, which is one of the revolvers currently chambered for the .44 Special. The Charter Arms offering is "scaled" to close to .38 Special size, with a cartridge giving performance matching or exceeding a .45 ACP or .357. Begin Flames now:-)

http://www.gunblast.com/Bulldog_Pug.htm

My father was a big fan of Colt Single Actions in .44 Specials, owning several.

[Colt46]

1. They are kinda rare. It's S & W's bastard child and there aren't many guns actually chambered for it.
2. Accurate.
3. Effective self defence round. Big heavy bullet at moderate velocity.
4. Capable of magnum performance. Keith did all the legwork for the intro of the .44 mag using a 250 gr semi wadcutter and lots of 2400 powder.
5. Dimensionally friendly to compact revolver frames.

I've wanted one for years, but haven't taken the plunge. Kalifornia's assinine drop safety test derailed my attempts to get a Taurus 455 two years ago.
Still kicking myself for not buying a 624 in 1988 when I had a chance.

[Ozzieman]

For me its the purfect round, plenty of power, good sized bullets and easy to controle in an N frame.
The Charter does let you know when it go's off, but its more of a punch than a kick like a small mag.
I do dissagree with one thread that said that hollow points dont work very well.
I purchased one of the frist bull dogs back in the early 80 and have a very good friend thats on the indiana state poliece force. He is there balistic expert. About the same time Winchester Silver tips came out and he ask me if he could borrow the gun to get some fired rounds. I said ok as long as he would give me some and give me his comments.
He fired 20 rounds in to there water tank and I still have the 5 fired bullets he gave me.
A 44 bullet is .429 inches in dia. The smallest opened up to .64 inches and the largest was .76 inches. What impressed him most at the time was that it diddnt matter what was between the gun and the water they seemd to work reliabily each and every time.
He shot several through a piece of leather coat with a heavy sweater and blue jean materal and they all worked well. He also said that some 9mm bullets going through the same ammount of crap would fill up with cloth and do nothing more than a hard ball would.
Winchester Silver tips is what I carry in all 44 sp and mags i own.

[Edward429451]

My Charter Arms Bulldog has those special bullets that will work in my 44 Mags, but I cant accidently slip a magnum into the Bulldog.

Nobody asks for any of my 44 special brass.

People give me their 44 special brass, all once fired for some reason. :cool:

If I want 38/357 performance I can download.

And...

The Charter Arms offering is "scaled" to close to .38 Special size, with a cartridge giving performance matching or exceeding a .45 ACP or .357. Begin Flames now:-)

It carries like a J frame, hits like an O frame.

Whats not special about that? :D

[RAY WOODROW 3RD]

I own a stainless Rossi Model 720 .44 Special - 5 shot.

The reasons I like it:

1) It carries well on my belt in a high rise holster designed for a .38 special.
2) The controlability of the round when firing it.
3) At 3inches of barrel it is very concealable.
4) Looking at the business end of a .44 hollow point through a .44 special barrel would make me run!
5) I only need 1 round to do the job correctly. The other 4 are if he has friends.
6) And finally, It's a .44 Special thing...You would not understand.

RW3

[BusGunner007]

I'm glad I asked about this.
My FIRST gun was a Charter Arms Undercover Bulldog 3" blued .38 Special
( it says all of that on the box! ).
My Mom gave it to me. I still have it.
I foolishly tried to take it apart after reading an article in a 'gunzine' and sent it back to Charter Arms. They put it back together, test fired it, and sent a couple of pistol rugs, stickers, etc. Nice people.
It's always worked and has never fallen apart or bound up.

When I had my FFL, I took in a Ruger SP-101 .357 in trade for a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog Pug. The guy wanted a bigger bullet for his 'fishin' pistol'.
Good trade, IMO.
I eventually got rid of the Ruger by giving it away as a birthday present for a buddy of mine. :D
I replaced the SP with a Security-Six snubnose.

Maybe someday I'll add to the revolver collection by giving the .38 a companion in a .44 Bulldog.
At least I have some great answers to my questions, and I have some research to do on the internet for a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog.
:)

[shep854]

For SD purposes, the .44 Mag is too powerful. While there may be merit in a large exit wound, the fact is that energy is wasted, and there is the risk of injury to persons beyond the target. For hunting or defence against BIG, toothy critters, the Maggie is prime, though.

With the Magnum, there is also the problem of control. Unless the gun is heavy or the shooter fairly strong, followup shots are relatively show. This is why many carry Specials in their Magnum guns. The kick also makes the Magnum unpleasant to shoot for many.

I have a Taurus 445, 2" blue. For a good thump in a compact package, it's great. Also, I can carry a much larger shot load than with the .38/.357.

[Grayfox]

Think of it as a .38 Special on steriods. :rolleyes: Controlable, reliable stopping power that makes a real big hole! :D Not to mention that its incredibly accurate and down right fun to shoot without beating the crap out of you.
I have to agree with SnWnMe, The .44 Special is at its best in its original home. The S&W N-frame. ;)

[Celtic Dirk]

240 grain SWC hognose,8 grains of Unique in N frames. Approx.1150 fps. Same bullet, 7.0 grains Unique in Charter or Taurus. Approx 1000fps. Puts them down and in the ground. Safe in my weapons. BEWARE- May not be safe in your weapons!

[Bacon]

I bought a S&W M696 when they first came out. For some reason they weren't very popular. Now I read many posts where people want them. Mine isn't going anywhere. I like it very much, thank you.

I would love to see Smith & Wesson make a 5" L-Frame without all the bling-bling. Have no doubt it would sell very well. Even better would be to bring back the Model 24. Forget nostalgia, the .44 Special is a great cartridge!

[mete]

Unfortunately the 44 Special was always underloaded to about 750 fps but even at that it's fairly effective. When you load it to 900-1000 fps with a SWC or SWCHP it really becomes a performer. Get some woodchucks and try it out !!

[Bacon]

Let's see - Hornady 180gr. XTP/JHP .44 Special - 1000 fps, 400 ft-lbs. If you don't like that one, reload. The .44 Special is great for reloading.

Why do I see so many posters that buy a .44 Mag. then load it with Specials? Although I have a SA that shoots .44 Magnum, I've only shot it occasionally. I regard the .44 Mag. as more of a hunting cartridge. The Special is more of a Range/Home Defense cartridge. YMMV

[Magnum88C]

Why do I see so many posters that buy a .44 Mag. then load it with Specials? Although I have a SA that shoots .44 Magnum, I've only shot it occasionally. I regard the .44 Mag. as more of a hunting cartridge. The Special is more of a Range/Home Defense cartridge. YMMV

I don't. I feel it can do double duty just fine. The 240-gr Hydra-Shok does just under sonic (they run roughly 1050 fps from my 629) from a 4" barrel. 10 grains heavier and 200 fps faster than your average .45 ACP isn't beyond a good SD cartridge IMHO.

To me, the best idea for a dedicated .44 Sp handgun was the 5-shot 696. I looked high and low for such an animal, figured it's be the perfect CCW piece. Only problem S&W stopped making them about a year, maybe two before I started looking. Now try and find one!

[Gunz]

The more I read the forums and learn from different sources of ballistic performance, I am now going back to being a purist: Big bore 429-452 caliber revolvers with low flash and mild pressures.

I carry a 296 for daily purposes. I mean, Daily. Weight is superb. It shoots just fine. I saw an internaet posting by Dr. SOmething whose Titanium cylinder split apart in 2 chamgers, and the alloy top strap split off. I kept the pictures somewhere.

Still, this did not deter me and my gun. I bought 2 more 296s when I found them on clearance, new, unfured for $350 each. Yeah. Even found 2 of the lovely 696 revolvers. I am now a 624 and 24 owner.

Apparently, the 44 special has the same punch as a 45ACP revolver, and the cartridges are rimmed. Forget moonclips, I guess. In any event, I do not like the ida of paying $750 for a new Smith 45 ACP revolver in Scandium.

I like the 44, and I like it more than the 357 mag, the more I practice, shoot, and compare the noise, flash, and recoil. That is what makes it Special..

[BusGunner007]

:) I like to see a guy who picks something and sticks with it.
Collecting .44 Specials, even 'saving' them from obscurity when finding them new/unfired, is admirable!

[SamD]

Very controllable yet properly powerful.
Does 90% of what you can do with the Mag.
The other 10% is all high pressure fuss and feathers.
Does what 357's do with about half the pressure and associated beating/erosion fuss.

Just a nice clean accurate tame revolver round.

Sam :)

[progunner1957]

BUSGUNNER, my answer to your question is this: I would advocate a stainless or hardchromed S&W M29 with a 4" barrel as the best solution to the defensive revolver question. Get a competent, professional gunsmith, not some kitchen table gunsmith wanabe, to round off the grip frame and give it an action job.

Feed it Corbon, Hydrashok or Glaser, Federal or Remington .44 special HPs for defense against 2 legged predators, .44 magnum loads for use in the outback against 2 and 4 legged predators. Carry 2-4 speedloaders stoked with ammo for whichever situation you are addressing.

The .44 special HPs will be on par with .45ACP HPs for defense use, from all I've ever read. If you can get your hands on an old S&W M24, .44 special N frame, it will do everything mentioned above except dispatch wild boar or bear; it will do the job on deer and other "food" critters; the .44 mag is the answer for dangerous game in the lower 48. The bears of Alaska are in a whole 'nuther world.

Make no mistake: A .44 caliber "combat revolver" - 4" barrel, 6 shot cylinder, high performance HP loads - operated by a man/woman who knows what they are doing is going to be extremely effective as a self defense weapon;
this setup will do anything a 1911 in .45ACP will do, it just does it a bit differently.

Another outstanding setup currently available is S&W's "mountain gun" in .45 Colt with a 4" barrel; I picked up one back n January for the wife to have as her "home alone" gun. I have heard S&W is going to resurrect the model 24, .44 special. This would be another great choice.

As regards the 5 shot, 2 1/2" to 3" barrel pocket .44 specials, I consider them more of a backup gun myself. For summer carry, they beat the bejesus out of a Walther PPK in .380 or any of the other "mouse guns." :D

[Japle]

Here's my 4" M-29. I've never fired anything except hot .44 Special ammo - mostly handloads - in it.

A 180 gr JHP at 1200 is plenty for anything I'll be shooting at.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/Japle/M-29Left.jpg

John
Cape Canaveral

[Gewehr98]

Especially when 5 of the rounds are carried in a nice package like the L-Frame 696 below. That's .44 Special oomph in a platform that's not particularly bigger than a K-Frame. As they say in the Guinness commercials, "Brilliant!" :D

http://mauser98.com/696altamontleft1.jpg

[armedandsafe]

Just got my "Shooters" catalogue from Sportsmansguide today. They are running a special on .44 Spl ammo. I'd tell you more, but the catalogue is at work.

Pops

[SnWnMe]

Some fancy 44s can shoot rather well.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/syciprider/dagrp640.jpg

The gold logo makes the gun look like a WWF Championship belt too!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/syciprider/nframes640.jpg

[Bacon]

Gewehr98,
That's a nice setup. What kind of grips are those?

Steve

[Gewehr98]

They're Altamont grips, I *think* you can buy them online.

[waltn]

I have both S&W M629 3" and Taurus Ti .44 Spl (5 shot).

Only reason I bought Taurus was to give to my wife a lightweight, large caliber revolver that she would carry.

Taurus is Ported and has factory rubber grips. 5 shots is not really a disadvantage. I was taught at Gunsite (more than) Two important points: You should be able to stop an adversary in the first or second shot, and having large capacity handgun does NOT give you more firepower...you can't miss fast enough to catch up with BG who hits target (you) on first or second shot.

Large Bore, Heavy bullet has been proven to be effective more often than small caliber, lightweight bullet.

If you can't stop the "interpersonal confrontation" in the first few seconds you should have called in an Air Strike!

BTW; a .357 drop pouch (normally holds 6) from Dillon Precision will hold Five (5) .44 Spl without rattling and works well in coat pocket as weight when drawing from concealed carry.