I like 44 specials. I was going to the range today to compare a few 32acp's that I have acquired in the past year or so. I figured that while I was at it I might as well compare some 44 specials, too. I brought all of the ones I have right now: A Rossi 720 3", a Taurus ultra-light snub (2", I believe), a Charter Arms Bulldog snub with shrouded hammer (also 2", I think), and my old-fashioned JP Sauer and Sohn single-action (6" or so). All of them were fun to shoot.
I shot about 25 rounds through each of them. It was all Magtech Cowboy Action Loads. The recoil was fairly gentle with all four revolvers. There were zero malfunctions. Some shots were standing, some kneeling, some rapid fire, some slow. I usually shot in groups of five and tried to adjust POA in between groups. Usually the very first round or two was way off as I adjusted my extra-large hands and middle-aged eyes to the pistol. Let's please pretend that I shot these from farther away than seven yards. As you can see, I am a poor shot.
The Rossi's grips are a little small for me, but I managed. The sights are good. The trigger is great. It is very easy to shoot double action. This is only the second time I have shot it, and I was adjusting the sights as I went along. By the end the results were improving. This little revolver is a lot of fun to shoot! It took me months to track one down at a decent price, but it was worth the wait.
The Taurus has excellent grips - the rubbery feel and the shape are very good for my hand. It is very light-weight, but that didn't seem to affect the felt recoil, which was inconsequential. The sights are tiny. It feels good to shoot. I like the way it points and balances. The trigger is heavier than I prefer, and the sights are very small, but I had fun shooting it. With more practice I could adjust my POA and be fairly accurate... accurate for me, anyway.
The Charter Arms is okay. I don't like the feel of it in my hand as much as the other three. There is something about the action that feels kind of cheap to me. The recoil wasn't much, but I felt it more than the other three. I like the hammer shroud. The single-action trigger is average and the double-action a bit heavier than average, but they are both acceptable. I don't love it, but I have carried it a few times. The shrouded hammer keeps it from getting tangled up with a shirt or a pocket.
The Sauer and Sohn has the lightest single-action trigger I have ever felt. I had forgotten how light it is... as you can see from the first shot. The sights aren't great, but I adjusted after a while. It is easy to shoot. It's really a 44 magnum revolver, so it's a pussycat when loaded with 44 special. I wanted a 44 magnum for less than $300, and this seemed like a pretty good deal for $299. My Ruger Blackhawk fits my hand a little better, but the JP Sauer is a quality weapon that I enjoy shooting.
I enjoyed shooting my little 44 collection. It is a fun and underrated caliber, IMHO. I enjoy target shooting and plinking with it, and definitely don't feel under-gunned when I am holding one. And I think I have almost convinced my FiL to start hand-loading it (fingers crossed)!
I shot about 25 rounds through each of them. It was all Magtech Cowboy Action Loads. The recoil was fairly gentle with all four revolvers. There were zero malfunctions. Some shots were standing, some kneeling, some rapid fire, some slow. I usually shot in groups of five and tried to adjust POA in between groups. Usually the very first round or two was way off as I adjusted my extra-large hands and middle-aged eyes to the pistol. Let's please pretend that I shot these from farther away than seven yards. As you can see, I am a poor shot.
The Rossi's grips are a little small for me, but I managed. The sights are good. The trigger is great. It is very easy to shoot double action. This is only the second time I have shot it, and I was adjusting the sights as I went along. By the end the results were improving. This little revolver is a lot of fun to shoot! It took me months to track one down at a decent price, but it was worth the wait.
The Taurus has excellent grips - the rubbery feel and the shape are very good for my hand. It is very light-weight, but that didn't seem to affect the felt recoil, which was inconsequential. The sights are tiny. It feels good to shoot. I like the way it points and balances. The trigger is heavier than I prefer, and the sights are very small, but I had fun shooting it. With more practice I could adjust my POA and be fairly accurate... accurate for me, anyway.
The Charter Arms is okay. I don't like the feel of it in my hand as much as the other three. There is something about the action that feels kind of cheap to me. The recoil wasn't much, but I felt it more than the other three. I like the hammer shroud. The single-action trigger is average and the double-action a bit heavier than average, but they are both acceptable. I don't love it, but I have carried it a few times. The shrouded hammer keeps it from getting tangled up with a shirt or a pocket.
The Sauer and Sohn has the lightest single-action trigger I have ever felt. I had forgotten how light it is... as you can see from the first shot. The sights aren't great, but I adjusted after a while. It is easy to shoot. It's really a 44 magnum revolver, so it's a pussycat when loaded with 44 special. I wanted a 44 magnum for less than $300, and this seemed like a pretty good deal for $299. My Ruger Blackhawk fits my hand a little better, but the JP Sauer is a quality weapon that I enjoy shooting.
I enjoyed shooting my little 44 collection. It is a fun and underrated caliber, IMHO. I enjoy target shooting and plinking with it, and definitely don't feel under-gunned when I am holding one. And I think I have almost convinced my FiL to start hand-loading it (fingers crossed)!
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