.44 Magnum Opinions

M

Mikul

New member
While at the range today, an ex-cop two lanes over started firing a .44 Magnum. What a beautiful sound! I could feel it as much as I could hear it. I want one. I'm a sucker to good low frequency sound (thunder, big helecopters).

Is there any practical use for a .44? I can't imagine carrying one, and a .45 seems a lot more practical in the home.

Finally, are there any other guns with such a beautiful low frequency sound?
 
Practical use? Hunting, predator defense, target shooting. They aren't really designed for person on person self defense. Of course, there are those who disagree...
 
Mikul
Practical? What has that got to do with it? ;)
After I bought my .44 Mag some friends asked me "why did you get a .44Mag" ?

I replied...because I didnt have one. :)

Go ahead and do it....you'll love shooting it.

------------------
"Lead, follow or get the HELL out of the way."
 
You won't regret a 44mag. Just start out
with lighter loads before shooting full house
magnums. You can break a wrist shooting one
handed with maximum loads if you aren't careful. Other than that, have a blast!
(no pun intended!)

------------------
Never do an enemy a minor injury. Machiavelli
"Stay alive with a 45"
 
I'm not quite sold... yet (keep trying ;) )Any suggestions on which one to buy. The guy at the range (who let me shoot his, BTW) was using a Ruger. It had a bit more muzzle flip than I'd like. He did mention that there are some with muzzle brakes to consider.
 
Mikul
Mine is a Taurus M44 SS with a 6 1/2 inch bbl. and they come with factory comp barrel.

Take Care :)

------------------
"Lead, follow or get the HELL out of the way."
 
Mikul, just bought a Ruger Redhawk in stainless steel (5 1/2" barrel) about a month ago. I love this gun. Its gone right up to #1 favorite gun to shoot of my handguns. I think they're alot more fun to shoot than a .45 auto. I'll be using mine for hunting, plinking, and if King Kong decides to break into my house. ;)
 
Mikul...

I prefer a very beefy weapon myself. So when it comes to making a decision on a handgun that fires a .44 magnum round, I believe there are only two real choices. If you're on a budget...go with the Ruger Super Redhawk (stainless). If you're not on a budget, you have to get yourself a Colt Anaconda. Both are made in America and are built to last a long time time. The Colt Anaconda is an heirloom no doubt...but getting more expensive by the minute.
 
Get a super redhawk.They come with the scope rings and you can interchange handles with a gp100 if you want smaller handles, you can also shoot 44 specials if you want something less stout for home defense or plinking. The super redhawk is HEAVY DUTY ! :cool:

[This message has been edited by cplane (edited March 24, 2000).]
 
I'll have to agree with cplane, the Ruger Super Redhawk is my favorite 44 Magnum. It has a better action design than the Redhawk due to its two spring action, and consequently can be made to produce a much finer trigger pull. It also, like the Redhawk, has a longer than standard cylinder which allows the use of longer than standard cartridges, such as our 330-grainer at 1385-fps. Both of the Ruger double action 44s are also stronger than any other double action 44s, and can handle more strenuous loadings without difficulty. If I could only have one handgun, it would be a Super Redhawk!

Best regards, Randy Garrett www.garrettcartridges.com
 
How about a Super Blackhawk? It should be able to handle heavier loads longer than a DA, if you REALLY want to push the envelope when you get some experience. Of course, the Ruger's a darn strong gun anyway.
 
I just bought a used 7 1/2" magnaported Redhawk. It is sooo cooool. Much more accurate than I thought it would be, the recoil and the sound it makes are just one of a kind. I've been exploding starlings out of the trees in my yard at 60+ yards. The trigger is a bit heavy and I plan on taking it in to get lightened, I just don't think I can stand to be without it for a week. As far as the muzzle flip, I don't think your going to get away from that. You'll come to like it I'm sure.

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bullet placement is gun control
 
Frontsight:

The Ruger Super Blackhawk is a fine gun, but it is not nearly as strong as the Redhawk or Super Redhawk. The cylinder wall thickness of the Ruger double-actions is far greater. If all things were equal, the single-action would have an advantage, but all things are not equal. Also, the longer cylinder of the Ruger double-action 44s allows the use of longer cartridges which are capable of greater power. The longer and stronger cylinders of the Ruger double-actions give them the greater potential, by a considerable margin.

Best regards, Randy Garrett www.garrettcartridges.com
 
Randy, I was actually speaking of action longevity, not cylinder thickness. You're right in that respect, and I'm sure you know that a SA action will withstand very heavy loads more than a DA...that's all I'm talking about. Sorry about the confusion.
 
Frontsight:

It is true that the actions on Ruger single-action revolvers are very durable. However, I don't think there is any reason to believe they are more durable than the actions on the Ruger double-actions. We have three Ruger double-action 44 Magnums in the shop and they have accounted for over 100,000 round among them, and have done so without a single malfunction or part failure. That's a pretty tough record to beat or take exception with! I think it is instructive to note that when Ruger came out with a 454 Casull, they built it on the Super Redhawk platform and not a single-action design.

Best regards, Randy Garrett www.garrettcartridges.com
 
I have two .44 Magnums, one a Lew Horton 3" 629 which is very versatile for hiking, car, or home use, and a 6" magnaported Super Blackhawk which began life as a 10" model. Both are very accurate, both are a challenge to shoot but worth the effort. I find this the most versatile of all calibers, although not ideal for anything I ask of a handgun.
 
I have always heard the exact oppisite as far as the Super Blackhawk.I have heard from countless sources that it is the stronger off the 2.You can look at the reloading guides and they list the hottest loads for the Super Blackhawk not the redhawk.Also the Freedom Arms was originally built on the Ruger frames untill he got enough captitol to build his own,and he had no problems with the ruger frames .

killer45auto
 
I have a S&W 629 and love to shoot
44specials. It is quite diverse,44special
for two legged creatures,ie, home defense, and 44mag for bigger four legged ones. I can shoot with one hand 44specials and must use two for 44mags.
A 44special is very similar ballistics
to 45 anyway.
 
I love .44 Magnum...it is a blast to shoot in almost any gun, very powerful and extremely high fun factor.

That said, it is a horrible choice for a home defense or CCW gun. Full house loads are too powerful both in recoil and penetration....you won't get quick follow-up shots off, and even a lead-nosed SWC will go through the bad guy, four sheets of drywall and the neighbor's cat. Almost all guns chambered in .44 Mag are much too heavy and big for sustained concealed carry, and practice ammo is not all that cheap. To top it all off, the boom of a full house .44 Mag is impressive enough with earmuffs on...it will leave you positively deaf if you touch one off even outdoors without hearing protection.

It does have its place as a fun range cannon, and it is an excellent cartridge for handgun hunting where permitted. It does reach its best potential in a good lever action, but a 6" N-Frame Smith in .44 Mag will take almost anything on the continent nicely. Shooting .44 Special in a Magnum is a waste of assets IMHO...more pleasant to shoot than full power mags, but what's the point of paying for the extra steel if you are not going to ride it out? Kind of like owning a Porsche and pulling the spark plugs out of half the cylinders because it's cheaper and easier to handle that way.
 
Any notion that the 44 Magnum is a horrible choice for home defense is misguided. All firearms are capable of firing a wide range of ammunition types, and are therefore capable of performing different tasks. Certainly a 44 Magnum with heavy loads would be a provacative choice since over penetration would endanger non-combatants, and the recoil of full power loads would substantially reduce quick fire or followup capability. However, when loaded with light hollowpoints driven to modest speed, the 44 Magnum provides responsible penetration levels with less recoil than most handguns normally deployed for such use. Consequently, the lightly loaded 44 Magnum can be made to deliver more rapid followup shots, due to low recoil levels, with ammo that is very reliable in stopping a fight. In this way, the extra weight of the revolver allows the shooter to handle the recoil better than would be possible with a lighter firearm dispatching an equally disabling blow. It could be reasonably argued that many 44 Magnums are a bit on the heavy side for concealed carry, but I certainly don't find my 4-inch Md-29 to be too heavy for sustained concealed carry, and I carry it in a Galco shoulder holster every day. It is true that the super strong and super heavy Ruger double-actions would be a real chore for concealed carry, but that goes without saying. If a guy wants a specialized gun for personal defense or concealed carry, more power to him, the more guns we have the better. But let us not discount the 44 Magnum, as it is extremely versatile.

Best regards, Randy Garrett www.garrettcartridges.com
 
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