.44 Special and .45 ACP comparison

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Short Bursts

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Does anyone have experience with the .44 Special and the .45 ACP particularly in the selt-defense role? I am interested in comparimg the two cartridges, not re-hashing the revolver versus automatic debate.
 
Short burst:

It is hard not to rehash, when the .44 special vs. .45 ACP "BEGS THE QUESTION!"
The .44 special is a revolver cartridge, a good one, but I prefer .357MAGNUM!!! The .45ACP in my opinion is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST auto cartridge for self defense ever devised!!!
To compare them is like comparing apples to oranges...

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SURE SHOT


[This message has been edited by James Montes (edited October 19, 1999).]
 
Well in MY humble opinion, a charter arms bulldog 44 special is NO punk gun. I recall a Shooter's bible some years ago where a guy named McReady (?) showed off his "woods load", 2 snake shot and 3 "business loads" hp wadcutters.

I have never seen a bulldog up close but its supposed to be a very small gun. And stuffed with glasers its should blow a rat sized hole in anything you point it at (according to Thomas Harris anyway).

You have MORE options if you opt for a 45 acp, in revolvers like the smith 625-5 or a variety of automatics. You definitely have everything from pocket rockets to race guns. The 45 acp is a badass cartridge, esp. in 230 gr. hydrashock or 185 gr. silvertips. If you shoot 230 gr hydrashock you can practice with 230 gr ball ammo.. point of aim is the same.

If you can get either of these bullets in 44 spec. (federal does NOT currently load the hydra shock on their website in 44 spec.) it would be a great load. The silvertip is available in 44 spec in 200 grain variety with a muzzle energy of 328 ft/lbs. The 45 ACP generates 411 ft/lbs in silvertip configuration with a 185 gr. bullet.

The 45 will be:

a) cheaper to shoot
B) easier to get ammo for
c) have more options for the kind of gun you want.
d) more powerful in most loads

But like I said, that bulldog is supposed to be a super defensive carry gun, a heck of a lot better than a 38 special.

my 2 cents,

Dr.Rob
 
My old man had a .44 "BULL DOG" I found it to be a clumbsy gun. Last time I shot it I was twelve (might have something to do with it!) Cartridge is very good, but as the last forum member stated it has its draw backs...
FOOT NOTE...
The .44 BULLDOG was the same WEAPON used by DAVID BERKOWITZ aka "THE SON OF SAM" not really a promising claim to fame...
The mear thought of it gives me the CREEPs...

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SURE SHOT


[This message has been edited by James Montes (edited October 20, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by James Montes (edited October 21, 1999).]
 
As to the cartridges, both move at similiar velocities, both produce big holes and lots of OSS.

I favor the 45, because of the Govt model it comes in. Best defensive handgun ever made.

But if all I had for defense was a good 44 Special, I would consider myself far from unarmed.
 
Factory loadings of the .44 Special suffer from the pressure limitations of some of the old and/or weak guns that have been chambered in .44 Special. As a result, most of the defensive loads available for the .44 Special are rather feeble, typically pushing a 180 grain JHP at less than 850 fps from a 3" barrel. A "+P" load in a modern gun like the S&W 696 should be able to boost the same bullet in the same barrel to over 1000 fps, but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for someone to offer such a load commercially.
 
My house gun used to be a .44 Special revolver (S&W Model 624) with Winchester Silvertips. I never felt underprotected.

Now it's a .45 ACP pistol (Glock 21) with Hydra-Shoks. This is fine, too.

My $0.02.


[This message has been edited by jimmy (edited November 04, 1999).]
 
Note on .44 Special ammunition:

The 165 gr +P loads from Triton really move out, over 1,000 fps from a SW 296 snubbie, this load uses the Ranier Funnel Point HP design and expands to about 1" in water out of my 4" M24, I figure it's going over 1,100 fps from the 4" tube. Awesome performance, penetration may suffer, however.

Dave
 
The new 44 spec ti revolvers from Taurus or S&W put the 44 spec in the big leagues of self-defense guns, especially if you shoot a self-defense load like the 165 gr load from Corbon.
 
One thing to consider in all this is that the .45 ACP round has had about twenty years of extensive research on improving it for defensive purposes, while the .44 Spl. has been mostly neglected until very recently. The .45 ACP SHOULD, therefore, be the better round at this time for defense.
 
Used to have a Bulldog Pug, and it wasn't at all unpleasant to shoot, unless I loaded some pretty hot 240gr. ammo. It's another one of those I wished I'd never got rid of. I like the 44spl. Maybe with the new revolvers chambered for this round there will be more options in self-defence ammo for it. Hopefully something a little heavier than the 165grn +P mentioned above...

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RKBA
www.southernparty.org
 
I've used them both and like them both. I have shot 45acp in pistols and revolvers and 44 specials in S&Ws and Taurus. I wouldn't feel naked with either or a 45 Colt. Regards, Richard.
 
In my days as an LEO I carried a Model 25 Smith in .45 ACP with half moon clips. I also had a Model 24 in .44 Special. To tell you the truth, there isn't ten cents worth of difference.
 
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