0.38 Special or 0.44 Special

As fine a caliber as the .44 special round is, I don't believe it would be a good choice for new or semi-new shooters. If I were making the choice, I'd opt for a quality 38 special or .357 Magnum revolver. 38 special ammo is cheap easy to find, and in most cases should not cause problems with noise or recoil. Start with 38 special wad-cutters and work your way up the power scale from there.
 
These are not new shooters, and as owners of a 44 Special must have resolved where to get their ammo.

The 357 is not a house gun...just sayin'. It becomes a 38 in disguise.
 
Don't let anyone tell you the .44 Special isn't a good choice for defense. The only, repeat, only issue with the caliber is perhaps availability of commercial ammo whenever and wherever you want to buy it. You can solve that issue by putting two boxes aside as your "They're coming through the windows" supply, and ordering a year's supply over the internet.

Given your wife shoots just fine for groups out to 7 yards, I think you are at maximum in-the-home handgun self-defense range and need not be concerned about accuracy beyond that point. If she can consistently hit an 8" target at 7 yards or less, she's doing better than a lot of folks.

Having said all that, choose the caliber you can shoot the best at the ranges intended for use. If you have a snubbie, get a longer barrel. I prefer 3" or 4" barrels to snubbies.
 
I would grab my 44 before one of my 38's If I was going for a revolver for SD. But like most to day I use a semi auto 45acp

Remember a 38HP might expand to 44, but a 44 HP not going to shrink to 38 size. :D
 
It is certainly true that to get the most out of the 44 Special you need to handload, and that is not a popular route in the self-defense arena. The same cannot be said of 38 sp. and 357 magnum. There are adequate commercial loads in those cartridges. I am reminded of what my granddad used to say: "Definition of a hand gun? A small hand held device used to fight your way to a rifle." :)
 
Revolver Options

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57767_757751_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

Maybe a S&W or other makers 45ACP would fit your need. Just because it says 45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) revolvers can also shoot this round. Yes it needs a special clip to hold the ammunition those little moon clips are reasonably priced. 45ACP is more readily available than 44SPL and probably cheaper. Supply and demand and all. Ballistically speaking a 45ACP 230 JHP and a 44SPL 240 SWCHP are near matches.
 
From my understanding, both will do the job just fine. So personal preference. All about shot placement (practice, practice, practice). However, that said, I prefer the .44Spec for me. Just because it is a heavier bullet and creates a bigger hole. My wife would prefer the .38. Easier for her to control.

It is certainly true that to get the most out of the 44 Special you need to handload, and that is not a popular route in the self-defense arena.
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I load what I shoot, and shoot what I load. Don't know why, people get hung up on this subject.... but they do. Obviously not a topic for this thread though! :)
 
I think .44special is a better defensive gun than a .38special ... fairly similar in ballistics to .45acp ... both perform better than they look on paper. The disadvantages are the poor availability and high price of ammo, and also slower followup shots. Heavy slow bullets produce a lot of momentum, which translates into a lot of recoil, but the recoil is a relatively slow push, which many people find more pleasant than the quick, sharper recoil of a lighter, faster bullet. The people I've known that have (and carry) .44specials seem to like them a lot, and they seem to stick with them long-term.

I bought a S&W69 4-1/4" 5-shot L-Frame .44mag about a year ago (after a scary bear encounter that made my 10mm 1911 seem small). My 69 handles full-spec .44mag well (and that's what I carry), but I also shoot a lot of .44 special through it for practice, and they are VERY nice to shoot, I think.
 
It is certainly true that to get the most out of the 44 Special you need to handload, and that is not a popular route in the self-defense arena. The same cannot be said of 38 sp. and 357 magnum. There are adequate commercial loads in those cartridges.
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The only difference is what you expect to find at your local gun shop. So don't buy ammo there. It's out there, no matter what you want.
 
I don't know the numbers, but when I was shooting one of my 44 specials at the range the other day it made a piece of wood break off the target and fly up into the air. :)

I have three 44 specials, two 38's, and a 357. I would feel comfortable with any of them for SD, though I might lean towards one of the 44's. I love my 357, but if I shot it indoors I might have even more hearing loss than I already do. The 38's are fine, but the 44's make a bigger hole.

For those who have never shot a 44 special, the recoil is nbd. With a steel-framed 3" or 5" revolver it is easily managable for me and I am not a recoil junkie at all.
 
There are some things you can consider, to get an idea of performance, absent specific gel tests and such. The numbers for the basic common ammo of each gives reference, as well.

The .44 Special factory load (standard, been made forever) is a 246gr lead at approx. 750fps.

.38 special is a 158gr @ 850fps.

The smaller .44spl guns are 5 shot, and you don't get 6 until you get to the larger, heavier "N" frame (S&W) size class. .38, you get 6 in the medium size guns.

.38 Special has a HUGE variety of different loads available, numerous bullet weights and designs, and the specialty loads (for suitable guns) of +p and even +P+ from some makers.

.44 Special is much more limited in its choice of factory ammo, but shines when handloaded.

.38 Special is one of the most widely available cartridges that exist, even if its not the top of the pyramid any more.

.44 Special isn't one of the top popular rounds, so it may not be common on the shelf stock everywhere.

Just a few things to consider..
 
I own 3 .44 spec.. and cast RN, Keith style, and full WCs from 200gr to 260gr. If your only choice is factory I guess you could practice more with the .38. That being said, a full 250gr WC .44 @ 900fps is OK too.
 
since your wife is not gun savvy enough to know this for herself, I suggest the .38 special. it can be had in decent defensive loads that aren't too difficult to shoot from an all steel gun. you can also get factory target loads that will feel like shooting a .22lr. next, a six shot .38 special is no bigger if not smaller depending upon the manufacturer as a 5 shot .44 special. to get six rounds of .44 special you have to go to a considerably bigger heavier gun.

and another thing.... you can go in to any gunshop, walmart, hardware store et cetera and get .38 special ammo off the shelf whereas .44 special can be difficult to find in some locales.

regarding the "stopping power" mantra debate... I'd rather defend myself with a .44 spl 240gr. @ 850 fps than a .38 spl. 158gr. at the same speed.
 
whereas .44 special can be difficult to find in some locales.
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So mail order it. This is just not a strong argument against 44 S&W Special. A number of my guns are not defined by what is in the LGS stock.
 
From what I see, a S&W 13 4" would be a great gun for you. A good grip size for most. 38 or 357 capable and good holster availability.

I'm not a huge fan of 44 spcl due to gun size and ammo availability. I think 38 and/or 357 is the ideal revolver defense round.
 
So mail order it. This is just not a strong argument against 44 S&W Special. A number of my guns are not defined by what is in the LGS stock
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Then there is cost. Add to the already higher price of the 44 Special the shipping, and you have a very substantial increase in the cost of shooting over the easier to find, less costly 38 Special.
 
You already pay for shipping if you buy at the store down the street (because they pay for it and pass it along), plus you pay a premium for their profit, so in my experience it's almost always cheaper to buy in bulk by mail. Some cities, counties and states don't allow it, though.
 
Then there is cost. Add to the already higher price of the 44 Special the shipping, and you have a very substantial increase in the cost of shooting over the easier to find, less costly 38 Special.
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I agree, but the issue was being "difficult to find". Mail order 44 S&W Special is not necessarily expensive but cannot compete with the economics of the ubiquitous 38 S&W Special. Is it really a matter of seeing how cheaply you can shoot and only settling for the very cheapest? What's to decide then?
 
A Charter Arms bulldog loaded with Corbon .44 special 200 grain DPX is one of those most effective self defense snub nose revolvers ever made. Devastating stopping power in a lightweight and compact package, with manageable recoil and extreme reliability.

Carry with confidence. :cool:
 
If you already have a .44Spl, then it makes sense to keep with the same caliber, but with a heavier gun. The earlier suggestion of the S&W 69 is a good one, as would be any N-Frame .44Spl or .44Mag revolver. Look at the Ruger & Colt revolvers in those calibers, too.

But I would also suggest a good shotgun in .410. Mossberg 500 makes a great pump that comes in different barrel lengths (shorter the better for HD). And the VCA won't be able to tell the difference b/t being hit with 4 000 pellets from a .410 or 8 00 pellets from a 12 gauge. But your wife's shoulder will tell the difference in recoil and controllability.
 
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