.44 Special ?

ImLugger, don't worry it wasn't directed to you. It was directed to a statement made earlier in the thread.

For home defence I'd definitely go with .44spl simply because of the lower noise, lower recoil and lower chance for overpenetration.
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The bullets used decide how much a load penetrates. I'm trying to decide on Fed 130gr. HS LowRecoil or Corbon 140gr. JHP 357Mag. Both penetrate about 14" and expand pretty well and don't have as much flash as the 125gr. stuff. Similar recoil to 45ACP with slightly more flash. The 44Spl. in some loads is an excellent performer and I'm in no way saying its a bad load for SD. You can't go wrong with a bullet starting at .43 diameter. I just don't think it easily outperforms the 357Mag for SD.
 
Phinaxz

WOW all kinds of debating going on in here LOL

Lets see if I can simplify this matter for the original question HEHE

I am a huge fan of hand guns and have collected many and used all of them for target and tournaments, ect.

38spl and 44spl is simply a self defense weapon and will do the job.
357mag and 44mag was made to do what ever it was you wanted to do.
All of them if you aim it right will KILL! it doesnt matter the caliber or ammo, it depends on if you can hit the target and just remember if you have to use it in self-defence, do as my daddy told me finish the job cause dead people dont lie! I have seen to many good people go down for just defending themselves cause some punk lived to lie about it. If you know that you could never pull that trigger to do what is needed, then you should not carry a gun at all!

Basic satistics:
38spl w/158grn =755fps (gets the job done!)
Good for protection and cheap for target shooting

357mag w/158grn =1450fps (superman speed & punch!)
Great for protection, also great side arm for hunters

44spl w/ 200grn = 900fps (look out its gonna hurt!)
Fantasic for protection, and good side arm for hunters

44mag w/240grn = 1350fps (speed & size, humm you figure it out!)
For thrill seekers and large game hunters

so it doesnt matter, 755 feet per second or 1450 feet per second, death is in the blink of an eye.

For personal carry or stuf aways:
If your a larger man or women go with the 44spl,
if your a smaller man or women go with the 38spl

I personaly carry the new 44spl Bulldog Pug,
my wife carrys a 38spl Comanche II,
both loaded with full metal jacketed hollow tips and sadly enough both have had to be used. So as I speak from experiance.

I indeed hope this has helped the person who originaly ask or anyone else who is looking for a personal protective weapon.
 
Hey y'all. Just registered here. My wife says I have an opinion on everything.(in my opinion, that's not true) but I have had a long held belief as to what weapon to carry fo self defense. You will spend a lot more time carrying the gun than you will spend shooting people with it so as long as it is of a caliber/load that has a reasonable expectation of stopping an assailant, carry the one you like best. Remember the three most important factors for stopping power: 1. marksmanship 2. marksmanship 3. marksmanship.
 
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Ok, either I know how to shop around...

Or the gods of .44 Special factory ammunition have taken a particular liking to me. I've been packing a S&W 696 No-Dash for a while now, and have come to a few conclusions:

1. The 696 is 10x the gun the Charter Bulldog .44 was, and won't shake loose like the latter.
2. While I can't go to WalMart or K-Mart to buy .44 Special ammo, I count no less than 19 different loads sold by just one website, www.cheaperthandirt.com , and the Federal 200gr LSWCHP loads I carry weren't too difficult to find.
3. 5 rounds of .44 Special from my L-Frame 696 snap a good bit less in the hand than 6 rounds of full-house .357 Magnum in my K-Frame Model 19. If the 6th bad guy ever shows up in the oft-discussed SHTF scenario, I'll be sure to publicly and privately lament the fact that I chose to carry the 5-shot 696.
 
Phinaxz

Yes SixForSure you are absolutely right, the gun has to feel like it was born in your hand, one has to be very comfortible with what they have, the feel of it in your hand and the feel of the shoot. So I agree with you on that one, I would tell anyone you have to simply go around and trying out all kinds and find the one you feel best handling.

I also agree with you Gewehr98. the S&W 696 is far more superior! but is also a bit more expensive, So my advise was if someone wants the same style weapon but cant afford the higher quality like you and I can they should by all means go for the Charter Pug, but like above it has to first feel right to the user.
 
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