.44 magnum for ccw?
- Thread starter pt100
- Start date
Well, I'm bound to step on some toes here, hope I don't stomp too hard.
Some people think that if you carry a round that will overpenetrate that you WILL hit some innocent person. Not true. Your chances are very slight of this happening, even in the tighter parts of a city. I've spoken to numerous state police, sheriff's deputies, attourney general, and an attourney about this. None had even heard of it happening in FL. That's not to say it hasn't happened, just that there's a lot fo hand-wringing and passing on of second and third hand stories.
IMHO, if you're that worried abotu overpenetration, carry a knife and leave the guns at home. Overpenetration MIGHT hurt someone else, underpenetration (a bad habit of these superlight & fast bullets everyone just HAS to have) can kill YOU. At least the knife can get to the vitals. The only time I've been in a situation to need a gun where someone else might have been at risk was an attempted carjacking. Had the goon made me shoot him, instead of running at the sight of the stainless steel cannon, the bullet WOULD have gone right through his head and landed somewhere else. BUT, the same would have happened even if I was carrying a .380.
The biggest problem would be the noise if fired inside a house or vehicle. 'Course I guess better deaf than dead. Wear soem electronic hearing protection in your house if you think trouble's about, even if you're using a .38 or 9mm. Both are screaming loud indoors.
That being said, I often carry an S&W 629, 4". I load the 240-gr Hydra-Shoks, and they ARE self-defense bullets. I get just under 1100 fps out of the 4" tube. To me, it sodesn't kick any harder than .357 Magnums out of my SP-101. So if you can handle a steel .357 snubbie, you can handle a .44 Magnum.
So to answer the original question, IF you can hit with the .44 magnum, and IF you are comfortable with the recovery time, or are willing to develop the skillset necessary, then by all means, carry one.
Some people think that if you carry a round that will overpenetrate that you WILL hit some innocent person. Not true. Your chances are very slight of this happening, even in the tighter parts of a city. I've spoken to numerous state police, sheriff's deputies, attourney general, and an attourney about this. None had even heard of it happening in FL. That's not to say it hasn't happened, just that there's a lot fo hand-wringing and passing on of second and third hand stories.
IMHO, if you're that worried abotu overpenetration, carry a knife and leave the guns at home. Overpenetration MIGHT hurt someone else, underpenetration (a bad habit of these superlight & fast bullets everyone just HAS to have) can kill YOU. At least the knife can get to the vitals. The only time I've been in a situation to need a gun where someone else might have been at risk was an attempted carjacking. Had the goon made me shoot him, instead of running at the sight of the stainless steel cannon, the bullet WOULD have gone right through his head and landed somewhere else. BUT, the same would have happened even if I was carrying a .380.
The biggest problem would be the noise if fired inside a house or vehicle. 'Course I guess better deaf than dead. Wear soem electronic hearing protection in your house if you think trouble's about, even if you're using a .38 or 9mm. Both are screaming loud indoors.
That being said, I often carry an S&W 629, 4". I load the 240-gr Hydra-Shoks, and they ARE self-defense bullets. I get just under 1100 fps out of the 4" tube. To me, it sodesn't kick any harder than .357 Magnums out of my SP-101. So if you can handle a steel .357 snubbie, you can handle a .44 Magnum.
So to answer the original question, IF you can hit with the .44 magnum, and IF you are comfortable with the recovery time, or are willing to develop the skillset necessary, then by all means, carry one.
Hmmmm,
Well, I often prefer a Hi Power because I do better with that design, either 9mm or .40. But yesterday, we traveled about town and I had this .44 Special on with Fed LSWC HPs and felt comforted. In my case, local politics will not allow a .44 mag for general CCW, so the Special does the job. A .45LC would work just as well if I had one.
Well, I often prefer a Hi Power because I do better with that design, either 9mm or .40. But yesterday, we traveled about town and I had this .44 Special on with Fed LSWC HPs and felt comforted. In my case, local politics will not allow a .44 mag for general CCW, so the Special does the job. A .45LC would work just as well if I had one.
Dusty Miller
New member
You just might have a good point here, Hal, but I can't say I'm really sure what it is!
Dusty,
Simple. From a pure mechanical standpoint there's no reason a .44magnum can't be a very good defensive round. A 240 gr modern hollowpoint @ just under sonic from a 4" or shorter tube would seem to be the ideal defensive round. (the Hydra-Shok mentioned above)
Peer review is the only limiting factor. Peer review based not on research but on hearsay or opinion.
Look at the comments from a number of otherwise very level headed and knowledgable members. Just because the .44Mag,, in most of the available offerings is just a hair over what they can handle, it gets black listed for everyone.
That's exactly like me saying a 12 ga or a .30/06 is "too much gun and too powerful" because it's just over what I can shoulder in a shotgun or rifle. I quit at about 20ga and .30/30 FWIW.
Simple. From a pure mechanical standpoint there's no reason a .44magnum can't be a very good defensive round. A 240 gr modern hollowpoint @ just under sonic from a 4" or shorter tube would seem to be the ideal defensive round. (the Hydra-Shok mentioned above)
Peer review is the only limiting factor. Peer review based not on research but on hearsay or opinion.
Look at the comments from a number of otherwise very level headed and knowledgable members. Just because the .44Mag,, in most of the available offerings is just a hair over what they can handle, it gets black listed for everyone.
That's exactly like me saying a 12 ga or a .30/06 is "too much gun and too powerful" because it's just over what I can shoulder in a shotgun or rifle. I quit at about 20ga and .30/30 FWIW.
An old observation by Maasad Ayoob was that you may be able to shoot your big bore stomper/manglem ( 44, 41, 10mm ) faster and more accurately than someone else shoots his 357, but you'll never be able to outshoot what YOU could do with a 357. They haven't quantified which big bores equal, much less exceed the 125/357 load, so power is a wash. That leaves accuracy and speed. DVC, remember?
Mannlicher
New member
I carry a Model 29 Mountain Gun on occassion. The usual load is the 165 CorBon, or sometimes I just load some 240 grain LSWC handloads. Either will do as well a job as anyone's .380, KelTech .32, or what have you.
I do practice with it, as I do with all the handguns I carry. I can hit what I need to, and I have confidence in the loads I carry. Weight is not a factor, nor is the size of the Mountain Gun. A good holster and belt sure helps.
The old saw of 'if you dont like it, dont carry it' still applies. I don't think many of us here are 'expert' enough to decry what others are comfortable with using.
I do practice with it, as I do with all the handguns I carry. I can hit what I need to, and I have confidence in the loads I carry. Weight is not a factor, nor is the size of the Mountain Gun. A good holster and belt sure helps.
The old saw of 'if you dont like it, dont carry it' still applies. I don't think many of us here are 'expert' enough to decry what others are comfortable with using.