The 44 special

[1911Gurl]

Hi, I'm new to the forums, but not new to firearms. I'm 24 and have been around guns almost my entire life. My father taught my older brothers and I firearms safety and use since we were old enough to handle them. He also made sure I got my ccw when I moved out of the house and gave me his Baer stinger to carry for personal protection. I also carry a Ruger Sp101 as a BUG in my backpack (I don't care for purses). All of this boring trivia is a long way of saying what I said at the begining, I'm not new to guns. Sorry for rattling on. My question is this. What's the big deal about the .44 Special? When Smith & Wesson came out with that new blued .44 Special my dad and brothers all got happy like little boys. Even though they all have blued .44 Magnums. If they want to shoot .44 Specials they can just load them in the Magnums. My dad even sent an old Ruger single action to be rechambered in .44 Special once even though he had a .44 Magnum Blackhawk. Is there something I'm missing here? I've tried asking them, but all I keep getting in response is history about Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton. I don't mean to disrespect those gentleman, but what I'm looking for is why go to the trouble or expense for a revolver chambered for .44 Special exclusively when there are a lot of 44 Mags out there that can fire both? Also, didn't Mr. Keith quit carrying his Specials when Smith & Wesson gave him his Magnums? I believe I read that somewhere. If somebody could please give me an answer that doesn't involve either Mr. Keith or Mr. Skelton, I would very much appreciate it. I just want to know what the practical reasons are. Or is it like my older brother says? Sometimes there's no other reason than just because. Thank you for any help you can give. Erin.

[Mike Irwin]

Why?

Let's see...

Nostalgia, accuracy levels that the .44 Mag. really doesn't match, mild mannered disposition, history...

Just a few of the reasons.

Personally I love my .44 Special.

I also love my .41 Magnum, my .357 Magnums, and my .38 Specials.

But, oddly enough, I have absolutely no desire to own a .44 Magnum.

[obiwan1]

Erin:

Welcome aboard. First of all the .44 Special is just a neat cartridge. It's inherently very accurate. It doesn't have to be loaded hot and I reload mine to a mid level velocity. It's just a fun caliber to shoot. With revolvers chambered for it there is no eroded chambers nor much bullet jump between the case and barrel. Also the guns can be made a little lighter than the Magnum. I have two that are my house guns - loaded with Glasers. I usually see a Smith M624 3" at the gun shows exactly when I have no money to buy one. That's frustrating.

[1911Gurl]

obiwan1, thank you for the welcome and the answer. I had no idea that eroded chambers were a problem with firing Specials out of Mags. Is it a serious problem? What should I be looking for? I use Specials as a practice load in my Ruger Redhawk, but no one ever told me about chamber erosion. I don't want to damage my hunting gun:eek:. Erin.

[obiwan1]

It's only a real problem if you're negligent in the cleaning department. Clean after shooting and you'll be fine. :D

[1911Gurl]

obiwan1, thanks again, there's no problem there. When we were little my father made sure we knew how to clean the guns we took to the range. And we cleaned them after every trip. I think I became a little OCD in that department. If I fire one of my weapons I can't get it out of my mind until I clean it. I'm glad I haven't been unknowingly harming my Redhawk. I love that revolver;).

[Webleymkv]

How could you not like this?

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u34/Webleymkv/Nickgunphotos003.jpg

Honestly though because a Magnum isn't always needed and this revolver only weighs 37oz. I mainly use the Skeeter Skelton load in mine (drives a 250grn bullet at about 950fps) and find that to be quite useful. If I really need anymore I'll get my Ruger Redhawk out.

[drail]

The .44 Special. Everything you need. Nothing that you don"t.

[bfoster]

Personally I'd not worry too much about either heat checking or ablation (gas scouring) resulting from firing 44 Specials in 44 Magnum cylinders: the pressures are just too low. At high round counts some abrasive damage resulting from mechanical scouring by the partially burned powder grains may become evident just ahead of the end of where the 44 case seats in the 44 Magnum cylinder.

Carbon and/or lead fouling will accumulate just ahead of the point where the 44 Special case "sets" in a 44 Magnum chamber. If you fire a 44 Magnum through a badly fouled chamber pressures may become dangerous. Thus in a revolver used for both cartridges it's imperative to clean your chambers thoroughly enough to prevent this issue.

For me a sound reason to own revolvers chambered in 44 Special is that I can't properly load some popular 44 cast bullets such as Ideal/Lyman 429421 in a 44 Magnum case and use the resulting cartrdge in a S&W revolver- the cartridge is too long to fit. The only way to use such bullets is to set them back into the case beyond it's crimp groove. The 44 Special case, being shorter, doesn't have this problem.

This is not a problem in either Colt or Ruger revolvers- the cylinder of these revlvers is a bit longer than that used on S&W's.

The inherent accuracy of the 44 Special (and the 38 Special) is nearly as good as the 32 Long. Both are better shooting cartridges in windy conditions.

Too, I like shooting fine old revolvers- it's a simple pleasure to shoot something as well crafted as a triplelock or New Service Target. Or, you can create +P+ 44 Special loads and use them in a M1950...

Bob

[1911Gurl]

Please don't get me wrong, I like the .44 Special, I use them quiet a bit in my Redhawk. I was just having trouble understanding the need for a dedicated revolver in Special exclusively. I'm begining to see the light though, you guys have explained it better than my fathers history lessons and my brothers "Just because" answers. By the way, that is one beautiful revolver webleymkv. What model is that? Is it one of the new repros? I put those same grips on my Redhawk. Did wonders for recoil control and recovery for me. Erin.

[Webleymkv]

This is a S&W M21-4 with the nickle finish. It is essentially the same gun as the new model you referred to in an earlier post. This model is available in blue, nickle, and a particularly striking model with a color casehardened frame and blue barrel and cylinder.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=53948&langId=-1&isFirearm=Y

S&W has also reintroduced the Model 24 which is essentially the same gun as mine with adjustable sights and available in different barrel lengths.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&pageSize=10&published=1&beginIndex=0&resultType=2&attributeName1=Model&attributeValue1=24&attributeValueType1=STRING&attributeValueOperator1=EQUAL&isFirearm=Y

[Stoney]

I like the 44 special for the reason that in a classic Smith & Wesson, it's the do it all cartrage. Hunting, home defense, or just a day of plinking tin cans, it's well suited for all.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c119/pstone001/100_2527.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c119/pstone001/100_2525.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c119/pstone001/100_2522.jpg

[1911Gurl]

Thanks for the links Webleymkv. I'm loving those pics you posted stoney, that gun puts me in mind of the black and white detective movies I'm crazy about. Erin.

[drail]

Stoney, that is a beautiful thing. Is that a shooter or a safe queen?

[Edward429451]

For me a sound reason to own revolvers chambered in 44 Special is that I can't properly load some popular 44 cast bullets such as Ideal/Lyman 429421 in a 44 Magnum case and use the resulting cartrdge in a S&W revolver- the cartridge is too long to fit. The only way to use such bullets is to set them back into the case beyond it's crimp groove. The 44 Special case, being shorter, doesn't have this problem.

That's an odd statement. My 429421 bullets fit into my son's S&W 29-2 just fine. The Lyman 429421 was Keith's design and so was the 44 mag, and the S&W revolvers were used for the upgrade to 44 mag. They fit.

Some 300 gr bullets wont fit in a Smith cylinder.

44 specials are good because there are smaller and lighter guns than the magnums. My bulldog 44 special carries like a J frame and hits like an O frame.

[CraigC]

Because 99% of the time a .44Special is all you need.

I was just having trouble understanding the need for a dedicated revolver in Special exclusively.

Most guns chambered in .44Mag are larger and heavier than is necessary for the .44Special. Even the N-frame Smiths, except the Mountain Guns sporting the old slim profile, have a heavier bull barrel profile. Single actions need only be the size of the Colt SAA, the added beef of the large frame .44Mag's is unnecessary. Hence, the imminently packable Old Model Ruger Blackhawk converted to a lovely 37oz .44Special. I suggest you pick up one of John Taffin's books and read it through. He is our contemporary Elmer Keith.

http://photos.imageevent.com/newfrontier45/blackriver905/large/P1010025.JPG

[absolute0]

Wow, Craig that is one nice looking 6 gun...I'm jealous ;)

[CraigC]

Thank you very much!

[1911Gurl]

That is a nice looking gun craigc. Where did you get the conversion done? My dad had his done by Bowen Arms. And I'm pretty sure dad has some of John Taffins books. At least I think he does. I'll check when I go visit this weekend and if he does I'll borrow a few. I like his articles in the magazines. One more question if nobody minds, does the Special shoot more accurately out of a dedicated Special revolver since it doesn't have to jump the gap of a Magnum cylinder? I like shooting them out of the Redhawk, but I believe the accuracy could be improved upon. Thanks, Erin.:)

[Stoney]

drail
She's a shooter, a reblue with a few pits here and there, but she shoots real strait.:)

[jibjab]

I like big slow bullets, they will getter done at sub-sonic velocities which could be a real hearing saver. My favorites are the .44spl in a revolver and 45acp in a semi-auto.
Here's a S&W 696 which for me is the bee's knees :D
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=29999&d=1202023788

[bfoster]

Here are a few pics of 44 Specials- kind of an illustrated version of your dad’s history lesson.

S&W 44 hand ejector, first model (aka the triplelock, the New Century, or The M 1908). 6½" barrel. First prodution run, shipped in 1908. This is the model of revolver in which the 44 special made its’ debut. The sights aren't original, they date from the 1950's. Many older S&W's were "updated" for bullseye service during the 40's and 50's, the collector's value of such revolvers is nil, however many remain excellent shooting revolvers. Likewise, the stocks are from another N frame S&W- this style stock was made from 1910 through 1917. Shoots particularly well with mild charges of Bullseye and the old Anderton bullet (Ideal 429215) cast about 1:16. Too old to shoot stiff loads.

http://www.bfoster.org/S&W_Revolvers/Triplelock.jpg

Colt New Service Target- 2nd type, shipped in 1920. 7½" barrel. Near original condition except for chip in stock. The Paine sights ( the shooter sees a "ball" in a "U" shaped notch) were featured on many early target revolvers. They're quite usable though IMO not as practical as the Patridge sights found on most more recent target revolvers. This revolver shoots best with mild charges of Bullseye or PB under either the Himmelwright bullet (Ideal 429220) or H&G 107B, a standard wadcutter. Again, too old to shoot really powerful loads.

http://www.bfoster.org/Colt_Revolvers/New_Service_Target_44.jpg

S&W M 1950. Close to original condition. These are some of the strongest S&W 44 Specials ever made due to the materials used, the processing and the workmanship. There's no need to "baby" these revolvers like those made before heat treating was introduced in the 1920's. They thrive on any standard load, and while I'll not recommend this, many were loaded to well beyond SAAMI specs prior to the introduction of the 44 Magnum.

http://www.bfoster.org/S&W_Revolvers/M1950_44_Special.jpg

S&W 24-3 3" barrel. A near contemporary Lew Horton piece. (Lew Horton is a distributor who often orders short runs of special configurations). Factory combat stocks replaced with older style factory round butt stocks for easier/better concealment, and because I'm not fond of finger grooves in revolver stocks. With practice, the stocks offer far better control than many folks might suppose.

http://www.bfoster.org/S&W_Revolvers/M24-3.jpg

Bob

[jibjab]

Holy crap bfoster can I stop drooling now ? Very nice :)

[Webleymkv]

If anyone wants some excellent reading (particularly about .44 Specials) I'd suggest checking out this website.

http://www.sixguns.com/

[1911Gurl]

Thank you for the pics bfoster. I like them all, but the last one is my favorite so far, it looks like it would make a great ccw gun. I've heard a lot about Lew Horton guns, a friend of my dads used to have a snubnosed revolver in .45acp(my favorite round) a lot like that one, that he said was a Lew Horton gun. When I was little he said I could have it when I was older, but I think he was just teasing. I wish you hadn't shown me Mr. Taffins link Webleymkv, I've got to get up early and I've already seen 4 of his articles on that site I want to read. It'll hurt, but I think I'll have to put them off until tomorrow night. Thank you though. And thank you everybody for helping me understand the attraction of these guns. You've all been very sweet. Erin.:)

[Jim March]

In a gun the size of a Colt SAA, where it's just not strong enough for the 44Mag, the 44Spl is very special indeed.

It gives you a fraction more cylinder beef than the 45LC, so you have a bit of margin on handloading or if you're both good and careful, you can exceed the power level of the 45LC in that size platform.

The 44Spl is one of a family of four calibers that are all big-bore and all able to perform well with subsonic velocities: the 45LC, 45ACP, 44Spl and 44-40. Of these, the 44Spl is best suited for DA revolvers as it has a bigger rim than the 45LC and isn't bottleneck like the 44-40. Only the 45ACP really competes and it needs moonclips. It also can't hit the same peak power as the 44Spl because the case volume is lower.

Upshot: as a revolver load capable of big performance at subsonic speeds, in many gun sizes and types the 44Spl is still without equal.

Other bonuses: most 44Magnum leverguns can eat 44Spl ammo, so a 44Spl wheelgun can be paired with such for partial ammo interchange. Reloading dies for the 44Mag are almost always able to do 44Spl ammo too, so for a budget reloader this can be a plus.

[dsawjr]

A Lew Horton Special in .44 Spec. 3" bbl, combat grips. One of the most accurate pistols I have ever fired.

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/donsawjr/624jpg.jpg

[CraigC]

Oh boy!!! A Triple-Lock Target, a New Service Target, a 1950 Target and a model 24 all in the same thread, be still my heart! :eek:


That is a nice looking gun craigc. Where did you get the conversion done?

Jim Stroh of Alpha Precision, great guy and excellent craftsman. He runs a one man shop and it is spotless! Thanks for the kind words.

http://www.alphaprecisioninc.com

[bfoster]

CraigC,

Would that it were a triplelock target. This is a 50's conversion of an ordinary triplelock. Note the post war rear sight and the Micro front sight. Back when they were reasonably priced I passed on a number of reasonably priced tlt's due to condition- now they're rather dear. :( However, there's nothing wrong with the way this specimen shoots.

Bob

[Socrates]

The old guys got it right. Lee Jurras standard is a 250 grain bullet at 950 fps. 44 special will do that. Something about loading those big, nice 240 plus grain Hollow points that just gives you a feeling that it's going to get it done.

I just wish they took advantage of the low pressure, and made a nice small scandium or titanium 5 shot.
I'd leave 357, and never look back...

[Magnum Wheel Man]

most of what has been posted has delt more with nostalgia... & the 44 special has almost a cult following, just like several of the other old gems... but... since GURL was talking CCW... this is my "main squeeze" I do carry a few others, but this airlite is so easy to carry, that you almost don't even know it's there... IMO, the 44 special is one of the truely great transitional rounds, still just as good today ( & in some cases better, because of improved bullet selection, & platforms to shoot it in )

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=27884&d=1193745335

[CraigC]

Would that it were a triplelock target. This is a 50's conversion of an ordinary triplelock.

I noticed that but I didn't wanna nitpick. The front sight is unmistakable. My attention was drawn to the New Service. ;)

[Mike Irwin]

Well, I can't let BFoster's Lew Horton Model 24-3 go it solo...

This is my Model 24-3 Lew Horton, the 6.5" Target version.

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL856/932748/2140597/262378060.jpg


The box of shells is a beautiful complete box of Winchester .44 Specials loaded probably sometime between 1915 and 1920.

I have several complete boxes and two broken boxes of that ammo.

The speedloader is loaded with CCI Blazer Gold Dots. I keep one around, sitting up right, for use as a hot tub. Yep, the hollow point is that big. :p

With handloads and Trail Boss powder this this is scary accurate.


A friend of mine had the 24-3 short barrel model, and offered it to me. I just didn't have the money at the time, even though I desperately wanted it.

[wjkuleck]

Dunno if this has been mentioned, but the way I feed my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Spl was by .44 Spl loads in .44 Mag cases, e.g., 8 grs Unique under 240-gr cast lead SWC.

No worries in the cylinder department.

Regards,

Walt

[RevolverRO]

.44's I have owned:

Lew Horton M24-3. Fantastic gun. Hated the factory 'finger groove' grips, they looked good, felt good in the hand, but upon firing I wished I was holding onto something a little more comfortable...like a chunk of broken glass. Replaced them with Pachmayr grippers.

S & W Model 696 'dash zero' First model of the short-lived 5-shot L-frame 3". Great gun, strong, scary accurate. Replaced the Hogues with K-frame service stocks and a T-grip adaptor.

Rossi 720. Oddly enough, my favorite DA of the three and my 'trail gun'. Light, but balances well due to a majorly heavy lugged 3" barrel. All stainless construction and decent adjustable sights.

Best load ? Speer gold dots for factory ammo, will group 2"-3" at 25 yards through all three guns.

Favorite handload ? Modified Skelton load, either a 250 Keith SWC or a Berry's 240 SWC over 7 gr of Universal, app 900-950 fps. Very little leading, enough power to handle any problems, but not too punishing.

As an aside, I also have a 4 3/4" Uberti copy of a New Frontier--in .44 mag (!) and a Lew Horton 3" M29. I use the Skelton load in these as well. When I feel the need for a 'full magnum', I load a .44 mag case with 23 gr of H110 and a 240gr Hornady XTP for app 1350-1400 fps. This is a stout load, but even through the 3" M29 it is controllable--although I don't recommend shooting it from a benchrest at night !:eek:

[KimberDen]

This bulldog I have weighs loaded 25oz and fits in a jean pocket, front or back. S&W and Taurus used to make similar type snubs. IMO it's a better option than a 5-shot 38 special.

I wouldn't want to find out how a 22oz snub feels like shooting 44MAG. :)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/KimberDen/100_0503resize.jpg

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

CraigC: That's my idea of a sweet gun! What is the finish on your 44?

[CraigC]

Thank you sir! This one was a beater so I had it finished in matte hard chrome. Jim Stroh did the work and farmed the plating out to Accurate. I met Bob Cogan last week. He's a good guy and does a fine job.

[Master Cylinder]

I'm just a hop skip and jump away from S&W and when I was there the other day to do some shooting (damn range was closed actually) I noticed they had a beautiful case colored model 22 (i think) revolver on sale for $740. I loved it but wasn't sure if that was a good deal. The salesman told me 44 special was becoming expensive and recommended against the gun (but of course tried to back me into some much more expensive stuff). Your thoughts?

[CraigC]

It's no more expensive than any other comparable centerfire caliber. As usual, it really pays to load your own.

[Jeff F]

The .44 Special is one of the greatest and most accurate cartridges in the world. Its a big bore that hits pretty hard and is easy to shoot. I used to shoot in ppc matches when I lived in the bay area and the .44 special was what I shot against some really good shooters that were using .38 spl wad cutters. My loads were a 200 grain full wad cutter that made MP and I shot quite a few 600 out of 600, 60 shots fired. It is by far my favorite cartridge for most everything, competition, with heavy loads it will work for woods carry or hunting backup, and I carry it with Winchester Silver-tips for self defense.

[Richard]

In regard to this post, I agree that pictures are worth a 1,000 words. Questions? Regards, Richard:D

My Custom 3rd Model Hand Ejector:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/RichardOldfield/Revolvers/sw3rdmodheii640.jpg

[grymster2007]

Because it's special.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30627&stc=1&d=1204079372

[jamaica]

I have two 44 Spls. One is a Colt SAA which was my woods gun for many years. I used to load them pretty heavy. Beyond current specs. The loads have been reduced since I first loaded for the caliber. What a great hard hitting caliber, yet managable. Fun to shoot in the Colt.

My other is a Taurus Titanium snub 5 shot. It weighs only 20 oz empty. A powerful cartridge for such a light weight carry piece.

http://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/taurus.jpg

[Socrates]

I loved shooting my charter arms bulldog with 240 grain bullets, at about 1050 fps. However, it didn't like that load, and shot loose very quickly. Considering the gun size, it was
light, yet packed way more juice then the similar 357's of the day...