Big Bore snubbies

Once I pointed it at a mirror, to get an idea what a Bad Guy might see. A big Gold Dot cartridge in each cylinder looked like the Terminator's baleful eye; that could easily cause one to reconsider what he was trying to do!
 
Some great pics here and some great revolvers. Keep 'em coming.

Stratford Bulldog:
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And, John Gallagher Custom Redhawk .44 magnum:
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On a bit of a whim, I plunked down just under $400 out-the-door this weekend for this Rossi R44102 5-shot .44 Magnum at Academy Sports. I had a bit of trepidation because it's apparently an Academy exclusive item and I don't know that they're still being produced. They're not shown on the Rossi website and seem to be a bit esoteric if one researches them on the net... Reports of barrels reduced in length after importing and such... I'm no expert... They ARE shown on the Academy Sports website:

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/rossi-r44102-44-magnum-revolver/pid-570330?color=Blue&N=385933201

I called the 800-number and located 3 within driving range... but I'm thinking availability may not last forever. Academy also carries the Taurus Tracker and this is a shorter version without the porting. It's actually a 2 1/2" bbl., not 2" as some of the ads read... It's like one Buckeye shows in the original post of this thread.

Anyhow I took it to the range today and was relieved to find it accurate and VERY comfortable to shoot with .44 Specials... and tolerable with .44 Magnums in my strong carpenter hands... But the Magnums won't be for everyone, and certainly not as pleasant range fodder.

They weigh 32 oz... I LOVE the grips and the way it fits my hand and, though the detailing and finish are not top-notch, neither is the price. In all, I'm very happy with this particular rather unique gun at this price-point but hesitate to give the model a glowing general recommendation since apparently there are examples of some with problems... Well, it's a BrazTech... They're controversial!

 
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Well, I'm glad I stopped by this thread!

I just started looking for my new backup/off-duty pistol. I've been looking at the Charter Arms Bulldog. I'm pretty close to sold on it. You want something that's going to spend most of its life in your ankle to be dependable for sure but also something you won't have to take a week's worth of bereavement leave if you have to dive in a river to save some poor kid, and the ol' backup sinks to the bottom. I know what you're thinking, "That almost NEVER happens."

Here's where it gets tricky.

I'm 6'4" and not the tiniest guy you'll meet. Do I stick to the tried and true, traditional 2"-2.5" snubby? Or, should I pack a 3"?

The caliber isn't 100% decided yet unless I do go with the CA. Then, it'll definitely be the .44 Special.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Joe
 
I have a Charter Bulldog too... They're very handy and I've had no problems.

.44 Special SHOULD be more popular and prolific than it is today. It's my favorite SD revolver round for sure!
 
Lee,

Thanks for that advice, but you can't practically throw it in the pocket of your duty pants, and, if I'm carrying a .45 on my belt, it's just silly to throw a backup gun on their too. I've got more than enough crap on my belt anyway.

Joe
 
The question is more along the lines of this, fellas:

For a big fella who WILL be totin' a revovler on the ankle, is 3" feasible?

It isn't that much bigger than 2.5" but the additional sight radius can really come in handy if you need it.
 
Well, a BUG is kinda for dire circumstances... To me a 1/2" difference won't matter in performance but will be a tad more comfortable.
 
For a big fella who WILL be totin' a revovler on the ankle, is 3" feasible?

It isn't that much bigger than 2.5" but the additional sight radius can really come in handy if you need it.
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Sight radius? Really? Are you shooting in match competition? Because otherwise half an inch of additional sight radius isn't really very important.
 
I'd rather have a 5-shot snub-nosed .44 Special or .45 LC than a 6-shot .357 Mag. But that's merely my opinion. I know that when it comes to gun preferences, mileage will vary, and it very often does vary.
 
natman,

You're right. Sight radius is useless on a snub-nosed gun. In fact, sights are useless on a sub-nosed gun. Such a weapon is designed for very close-in work where speed to battery is of primary concern, that an firing as fast as you can.

At 7' or less, one won't be needing sights.
 
Handguns have sights?
Gotta' get to an eye doc, one of these days.

Seriously though, anyone relying on any sized handgun should look into learning about point or instinctive shooting.
When the adrenaline is flowing, it's mighty hard to not be completely focused on the target instead of the sights.
 
Dang that Bulldog looks good! I've decided I'm going with the CA Bulldog 2.5" .44.

Continue with the slide show. I'll contribute in September when I have mine.
 
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