Dedicated to the ".44 SPECIAL"

Let's see - Hornady 180gr. XTP/JHP .44 Special - 1000 fps, 400 ft-lbs. If you don't like that one, reload. The .44 Special is great for reloading.

Why do I see so many posters that buy a .44 Mag. then load it with Specials? Although I have a SA that shoots .44 Magnum, I've only shot it occasionally. I regard the .44 Mag. as more of a hunting cartridge. The Special is more of a Range/Home Defense cartridge. YMMV
 
Bacon said:
Why do I see so many posters that buy a .44 Mag. then load it with Specials? Although I have a SA that shoots .44 Magnum, I've only shot it occasionally. I regard the .44 Mag. as more of a hunting cartridge. The Special is more of a Range/Home Defense cartridge. YMMV
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I don't. I feel it can do double duty just fine. The 240-gr Hydra-Shok does just under sonic (they run roughly 1050 fps from my 629) from a 4" barrel. 10 grains heavier and 200 fps faster than your average .45 ACP isn't beyond a good SD cartridge IMHO.

To me, the best idea for a dedicated .44 Sp handgun was the 5-shot 696. I looked high and low for such an animal, figured it's be the perfect CCW piece. Only problem S&W stopped making them about a year, maybe two before I started looking. Now try and find one!
 
The more I read the forums and learn from different sources of ballistic performance, I am now going back to being a purist: Big bore 429-452 caliber revolvers with low flash and mild pressures.

I carry a 296 for daily purposes. I mean, Daily. Weight is superb. It shoots just fine. I saw an internaet posting by Dr. SOmething whose Titanium cylinder split apart in 2 chamgers, and the alloy top strap split off. I kept the pictures somewhere.

Still, this did not deter me and my gun. I bought 2 more 296s when I found them on clearance, new, unfured for $350 each. Yeah. Even found 2 of the lovely 696 revolvers. I am now a 624 and 24 owner.

Apparently, the 44 special has the same punch as a 45ACP revolver, and the cartridges are rimmed. Forget moonclips, I guess. In any event, I do not like the ida of paying $750 for a new Smith 45 ACP revolver in Scandium.

I like the 44, and I like it more than the 357 mag, the more I practice, shoot, and compare the noise, flash, and recoil. That is what makes it Special..
 
:) I like to see a guy who picks something and sticks with it.
Collecting .44 Specials, even 'saving' them from obscurity when finding them new/unfired, is admirable!
 
Very controllable yet properly powerful.
Does 90% of what you can do with the Mag.
The other 10% is all high pressure fuss and feathers.
Does what 357's do with about half the pressure and associated beating/erosion fuss.

Just a nice clean accurate tame revolver round.

Sam :)
 
Never underestimate the .44 special "combat revolver"

BUSGUNNER, my answer to your question is this: I would advocate a stainless or hardchromed S&W M29 with a 4" barrel as the best solution to the defensive revolver question. Get a competent, professional gunsmith, not some kitchen table gunsmith wanabe, to round off the grip frame and give it an action job.

Feed it Corbon, Hydrashok or Glaser, Federal or Remington .44 special HPs for defense against 2 legged predators, .44 magnum loads for use in the outback against 2 and 4 legged predators. Carry 2-4 speedloaders stoked with ammo for whichever situation you are addressing.

The .44 special HPs will be on par with .45ACP HPs for defense use, from all I've ever read. If you can get your hands on an old S&W M24, .44 special N frame, it will do everything mentioned above except dispatch wild boar or bear; it will do the job on deer and other "food" critters; the .44 mag is the answer for dangerous game in the lower 48. The bears of Alaska are in a whole 'nuther world.

Make no mistake: A .44 caliber "combat revolver" - 4" barrel, 6 shot cylinder, high performance HP loads - operated by a man/woman who knows what they are doing is going to be extremely effective as a self defense weapon;
this setup will do anything a 1911 in .45ACP will do, it just does it a bit differently.

Another outstanding setup currently available is S&W's "mountain gun" in .45 Colt with a 4" barrel; I picked up one back n January for the wife to have as her "home alone" gun. I have heard S&W is going to resurrect the model 24, .44 special. This would be another great choice.

As regards the 5 shot, 2 1/2" to 3" barrel pocket .44 specials, I consider them more of a backup gun myself. For summer carry, they beat the bejesus out of a Walther PPK in .380 or any of the other "mouse guns." :D
 
Here's my 4" M-29. I've never fired anything except hot .44 Special ammo - mostly handloads - in it.

A 180 gr JHP at 1200 is plenty for anything I'll be shooting at.

M-29Left.jpg


John
Cape Canaveral
 
The S&W .44 Special is indeed "special"...

Especially when 5 of the rounds are carried in a nice package like the L-Frame 696 below. That's .44 Special oomph in a platform that's not particularly bigger than a K-Frame. As they say in the Guinness commercials, "Brilliant!" :D

696altamontleft1.jpg
 
Just got my "Shooters" catalogue from Sportsmansguide today. They are running a special on .44 Spl ammo. I'd tell you more, but the catalogue is at work.

Pops
 
.44 Spl

I have both S&W M629 3" and Taurus Ti .44 Spl (5 shot).

Only reason I bought Taurus was to give to my wife a lightweight, large caliber revolver that she would carry.

Taurus is Ported and has factory rubber grips. 5 shots is not really a disadvantage. I was taught at Gunsite (more than) Two important points: You should be able to stop an adversary in the first or second shot, and having large capacity handgun does NOT give you more firepower...you can't miss fast enough to catch up with BG who hits target (you) on first or second shot.

Large Bore, Heavy bullet has been proven to be effective more often than small caliber, lightweight bullet.

If you can't stop the "interpersonal confrontation" in the first few seconds you should have called in an Air Strike!

BTW; a .357 drop pouch (normally holds 6) from Dillon Precision will hold Five (5) .44 Spl without rattling and works well in coat pocket as weight when drawing from concealed carry.
 
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