44 SPL for pocket carry

ive always wanted to try out the older Taurus 445 .44 spl 2" revolver. never found one locally but knowing the design they would be considerably for suitable for the round that the similar sized Charter Arms guns.
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Having both I would take my Bull dog first because of the lighter weight of the dog. Also the quality of the dog was better.
I had to have a very good gun smith go through my 445 to keep it from locking up after a cylinder or two. I got the trigger better than the dog but it took a lot of work and I had to clean out a lot of loose metal that was still in the gun.
I do think the 445 is a heaver built gun but I would never trust it as a carry gun. For me its a range toy.
 

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Don't get me wrong....

I like the .44sp cartridge. But I consider it a bit bulky for pocket carry in my opinion. Better off with a S&W J frame model 642 in .38sp or maybe even a Ruger LCR in.38sp. There are several different small frame, light weight revolvers out there that would make good pocket carry guns.
 
If you are considering carrying a .44 special revolver like the bulldog I would personally just go with a .45acp pistol. I believe they have similar ballistics and you will be able to carry more ammunition (even in a compact) in a lighter pistol. I carried a Glock 30S for a while that wasn't too bad even though the frame was still pretty thick but I know there are lighter .45's on the market than that. As things stand now I carry an LC9S in the summer and a 2nd gen CZ P-07 in the cooler months which I've found do-able. I've had nothing but problems with .380 pistols but that is probably just personal bad luck. In the end select something that you know you will carry all the time. Comfort should be a high priority.
 
But then who likes pistols? ;) . Rather carry a revolver anyday... And for me, the .44 Special Bulldog is it. Now, .45 Colt would be my cartridge, but you can't find a .45 Colt in the small form factor of the Bulldog. And a 240g SWC still will hit plenty hard if needed.
 
No CCW here, though I have a Bulldog from 1976. Pachmayr grips are quite comfortable, Jeff Cooper didn't like the "hook" front sight, Skeeter Skelton found his favorite 44 Special load of an SWC over 7.5 grains of Unique was a bit much for it.
 
Yep, for my Bulldog, it gets only 6.0g of Unique under the 240g SWC. I feel the heavier load would beat the tar out of the little Bulldog.... All my other .44 Specials get the Skeeter load.
 





I happen to like the bulldog concept, but I find the cylinder lock up becomes suspect in time. the picture here shows the ever so thin cylinder stop bolt. compared to other revolver lock works it is weak. however, you can see that except for a longer barrel it is not much bigger than a "J" frame sized gun.
 
Since you have a primary, I recommend going light weight. A LCP fits that role perfectly, small, flat, lightweight. If you favor a revolver, the S&W 642 or Ruger LCR work very well. The .44 is going to kick pretty good Andis more bulky.
 
Indeed I DO carry my Charter Arms .44 Spl Bulldog in my front pants pocket! It fits with little less room to spare than my S&W J-frame 642, albeit about 6 ounces lighter!

Based on my own handloading data, the .44 Spl bests the .38 Spl from a 2" barrel by about 100 lb-ft of kinetic energy...this is signifcant! A CA Bulldog delivers with the same authority as the average .45 ACP load from a 1911!

The advantage to the CA .44 Bulldog is it's LIGHT (19.6 oz actual weight), but carries FIVE big bullets that won't go without notice if they are needed to impress upon a criminal or thug that one refuses to be a victim!

I own several J-frames but only ONE CA Bulldog....and I grab the bulldog when I need something "pocket ready" but potent!
 
Kilibreaux - ended up ordering a bulldog, shipped+ffl will be about $360.
already have brass and a few extra dies on the way from midway to make another set of 44 caliber dies. all the other components i have for 44 mag along with 240gr XTP for defensive loads.
I'd pocket carry my 44 mag if it would fit, but it's a 7 1/2" super redhawk.
 
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