Next big one, .357, 45acp or .44 magnum?
- Thread starter Lo-khem
- Start date
Scarborough
New member
To not buy a .357 would in effect be an attempt to disregard the physical laws that govern the universe. Buy the .357 first.
J.R. Bob Dobbs
New member
The order in which I first bought one:
1) 357mag 1984
2) 44mag 1986
3) 45acp 2001
If I had it to do over, I'd buy the 45 before the 44.
1) 357mag 1984
2) 44mag 1986
3) 45acp 2001
If I had it to do over, I'd buy the 45 before the 44.
kahr Carrier
New member
1-357,2-45 and 3 -44.
Pappy John
New member
1-357,2-45 and 3 -44.
Yep, that's the way I did it. But once you have the .44 you kind of forget why you ever bought the other two in the first place. bwahahahahaha. I kid....still love my .45 1911, but I did turn my mod. 686 into cash and as long as I still have my .44's to play with I'll never miss it.
Yep, that's the way I did it. But once you have the .44 you kind of forget why you ever bought the other two in the first place. bwahahahahaha. I kid....still love my .45 1911, but I did turn my mod. 686 into cash and as long as I still have my .44's to play with I'll never miss it.
Hmmmmm
When i first started buying handguns in the 70's....
first was .357 Blachawk
Replaced with 41 Blackhawk after 357 was stolen
Replaced with 44 Mag Super Blackhawk after EEFW 'loaned' 41 to a friend that left the US (Canada, I think).
Replaced 44 a 22 Colt SAA
Replaced 22 SAA (EEFW gave to her dad, o-t-r long haul truck driver, stolen from his truck somewhere out west) with mdl 59 S&W
no handgun for several years, EEFW "didn't know" where the 59 Smith went.
Upgraded to New Improved Wife Model 2.
Inherited 38 snubby from her dad.
Bought new KP90 Ruger .45ACP
bought new .357 Vaquero short barrel 'Sheriff's model'.
I have my eyes on a new Vaquero in .45 Colt, Not .45ACP
HTH
p.s. I am sort of partial to Ruger's SA revos.....just in case it wasn't obvious from this post...
When i first started buying handguns in the 70's....
first was .357 Blachawk
Replaced with 41 Blackhawk after 357 was stolen
Replaced with 44 Mag Super Blackhawk after EEFW 'loaned' 41 to a friend that left the US (Canada, I think).
Replaced 44 a 22 Colt SAA
Replaced 22 SAA (EEFW gave to her dad, o-t-r long haul truck driver, stolen from his truck somewhere out west) with mdl 59 S&W
no handgun for several years, EEFW "didn't know" where the 59 Smith went.
Upgraded to New Improved Wife Model 2.
Inherited 38 snubby from her dad.
Bought new KP90 Ruger .45ACP
bought new .357 Vaquero short barrel 'Sheriff's model'.
I have my eyes on a new Vaquero in .45 Colt, Not .45ACP
HTH
p.s. I am sort of partial to Ruger's SA revos.....just in case it wasn't obvious from this post...
Eric Larsen
New member
I agree with the "universal law theory" 357 first.....
Shoot well
Shoot well
jimsbowies
New member
the disease
Once you buy a really good 1911 single stack....then your "collection" or accumulation will change.....suddenly, you'll want another single stack, then another, then another...sure, you'll experiment with the "modern" guns...the Glocks, Sigs, etc...but you'll go back...you'll always go back....it is truly a disease 
Once you buy a really good 1911 single stack....then your "collection" or accumulation will change.....suddenly, you'll want another single stack, then another, then another...sure, you'll experiment with the "modern" guns...the Glocks, Sigs, etc...but you'll go back...you'll always go back....it is truly a disease
If you are choosing a gun based on caliber, what else do you already have? You may want to either expand into wildly different ones, or stay in common ammo.
Otherwise, if you see a gun you like, and it uses one of those three very common, very good rounds, buy it. Don't let caliber choices cloud your desire.
Find out what you want to do (self defense?) and what gun will do it best, and the caliber will decide itself. All three are above the minimum threshold for antipersonell use.
However, .357 vs .45 is a platform issue. Not many .45 acp revolvers or .357 autos. The .44 you wonder about doesn't really compare.
Otherwise, if you see a gun you like, and it uses one of those three very common, very good rounds, buy it. Don't let caliber choices cloud your desire.
Find out what you want to do (self defense?) and what gun will do it best, and the caliber will decide itself. All three are above the minimum threshold for antipersonell use.However, .357 vs .45 is a platform issue. Not many .45 acp revolvers or .357 autos. The .44 you wonder about doesn't really compare.
I'd go .357 then .45 and then .44. That being said having a .44 one plays with that a lot to the exclusion of others. For 2 legged defense the .357 makes sense but the 627 8 shot (if that is what you are thinking about) is a bit large to carry (although some can do that effectively).
The very first handgun I bought was a Dan Wesson chambered in 357 Magnum. I shot it a lot and learned much. My second handgun was a Ruger MK II Government Target. I shot that one even more and learned more. Then came the Smith 39-2 in 9mm. With that I learned that aluminum frames can and do wear out. Then came a 1911 in 45 ACP, only mistake was in buying Auto Ordnance. I now own a couple of 22's, a bunch of 357's, one 44 Magnum (Super Redhawk), and several 45 ACP's (including one Colt 1917). It is really hard to go wrong with a good 357 as a first purchase.
As has been discussed much on this forum the .357 is probably one of the most versatile guns out there. Shoot cheap .38's for fun and target practice then shoot .357's for defense or fun. There are so many kinds of loads available for this round that it will pretty much cover your bases. I own two .357's and would buy another. Eventually I will probably buy a .44 and a .45 too, but the .357 would be my first choice. Here are some to consider
Ruger Security Six or GP-100
S&W 27 or 28
S&W 19 or 66
S&W 586 or 686
Dan Wesson M-15 ( I like my Pistol-Pak )
Have fun shopping.
Ruger Security Six or GP-100
S&W 27 or 28
S&W 19 or 66
S&W 586 or 686
Dan Wesson M-15 ( I like my Pistol-Pak )
Have fun shopping.
Everyone must have a 1911 in .45 ACP and a Wheelgun in .357mag.
This is a universal law of the Universe for gun owners. To violate this law means you will never be able to shoot accurately and will be looked upon with disdain by other shooters.
Get with the program, buy one of each! There is still time to be saved!
This is a universal law of the Universe for gun owners. To violate this law means you will never be able to shoot accurately and will be looked upon with disdain by other shooters.
Get with the program, buy one of each! There is still time to be saved!
If you will only own one revolver it really should be a .357mag or a .38spl if you don't see yourself shooting magnum rounds.
The .38spl (which you can shoot out of a .357mag chambered gun) is probably the most versatile revolver caliber. In good quality target rounds it is one of the most accurate rounds available, in cheap practice rounds only 9mm is cheaper (there are 9mm revolvers), in premium defensive ammo there are very effective .38spl choices and in .38+P you are very well off against two legged opponents.
A .357mag revolver covers all your possible needs. In a K-frame (or equivelent) it is small enough to effectively conceal and large enough to handle stout .357 loads and to shoot comfortably. Depending upon your needs and desires it is available in sizes from the little J-frame and equivelents (pocket sized revolvers) all the way up to guns built on big .44mag frames. It can shoot the .38spl cartridge giving you all the versatility of that chambering plus in .357 you have good defensive ammo, extremely high powered defensive ammo plus even stronger ammo that is designed for hunting and defense against animals (it is generally considered the minimum round for defense against bears). For self defense the .357mag cartridge does have overpenatration issues as well as noise issues indoors (certain hearing damage), but again you can load it down with .38spls or .38+Ps so as not to have this issue and still have effective defensive ammo.
A .44mag is just stronger than you need for most purposes. The ammo is expensive which will limit your shooting. Many people find it unpleasant to shoot (have you rented one yet to be sure you like it) which can further limit practice. For defense it has major overpenatration and noise issues (like the .357mag but worse). For carry, all the guns that chamber it are quite large and would probably be too big for most people to conceal comfortably. It is a good round for hunting or defense against bears. You can shoot .44spl out of a .44mag gun which will make it good for home defense (the noise and overpenatration issues are addressed yet it can still be a good defensive round) and the recoil is lessened for easier practice but this round is as expensive as .44mag ammo if not even more expensive (so again you will probably have less practice than with the other options). If you like shooting .44mag it is a good gun to own after you already own a .357 and/or .38spl.
A .45acp revolver is a great gun for home defense. The .45acp cartridge is a good self defense round and has little of the overpenatration issues of the magnum rounds. However, the guns chambered for it are generally much too big for comfortable carry (for some reason they are usually on .44mag frames even though this is a very low pressure round). Also, while not as bad as .44mag or .357mag, this is an expensive round (about 70-80% more than .38spl ammo).
I love my 1911 (in .45acp) and I love this caliber, I find .44mag interesting. I intend to pick up revolvers in both calibers. However, I think that for a first revolover you really should go with a .357mag. In fact, I own three (a J-frame equivelent in the Taurus 605, a K-frame S&W 65LS and an L-frame S&W 586 that I finally get to pick up on Tues) plus a .38spl (a Colt Police Positive Special and my first gun was a Taurus 82 that I stupidly sold) but I've yet to buy a .44mag or .45acp revolver.
The .38spl (which you can shoot out of a .357mag chambered gun) is probably the most versatile revolver caliber. In good quality target rounds it is one of the most accurate rounds available, in cheap practice rounds only 9mm is cheaper (there are 9mm revolvers), in premium defensive ammo there are very effective .38spl choices and in .38+P you are very well off against two legged opponents.
A .357mag revolver covers all your possible needs. In a K-frame (or equivelent) it is small enough to effectively conceal and large enough to handle stout .357 loads and to shoot comfortably. Depending upon your needs and desires it is available in sizes from the little J-frame and equivelents (pocket sized revolvers) all the way up to guns built on big .44mag frames. It can shoot the .38spl cartridge giving you all the versatility of that chambering plus in .357 you have good defensive ammo, extremely high powered defensive ammo plus even stronger ammo that is designed for hunting and defense against animals (it is generally considered the minimum round for defense against bears). For self defense the .357mag cartridge does have overpenatration issues as well as noise issues indoors (certain hearing damage), but again you can load it down with .38spls or .38+Ps so as not to have this issue and still have effective defensive ammo.
A .44mag is just stronger than you need for most purposes. The ammo is expensive which will limit your shooting. Many people find it unpleasant to shoot (have you rented one yet to be sure you like it) which can further limit practice. For defense it has major overpenatration and noise issues (like the .357mag but worse). For carry, all the guns that chamber it are quite large and would probably be too big for most people to conceal comfortably. It is a good round for hunting or defense against bears. You can shoot .44spl out of a .44mag gun which will make it good for home defense (the noise and overpenatration issues are addressed yet it can still be a good defensive round) and the recoil is lessened for easier practice but this round is as expensive as .44mag ammo if not even more expensive (so again you will probably have less practice than with the other options). If you like shooting .44mag it is a good gun to own after you already own a .357 and/or .38spl.
A .45acp revolver is a great gun for home defense. The .45acp cartridge is a good self defense round and has little of the overpenatration issues of the magnum rounds. However, the guns chambered for it are generally much too big for comfortable carry (for some reason they are usually on .44mag frames even though this is a very low pressure round). Also, while not as bad as .44mag or .357mag, this is an expensive round (about 70-80% more than .38spl ammo).
I love my 1911 (in .45acp) and I love this caliber, I find .44mag interesting. I intend to pick up revolvers in both calibers. However, I think that for a first revolover you really should go with a .357mag. In fact, I own three (a J-frame equivelent in the Taurus 605, a K-frame S&W 65LS and an L-frame S&W 586 that I finally get to pick up on Tues) plus a .38spl (a Colt Police Positive Special and my first gun was a Taurus 82 that I stupidly sold) but I've yet to buy a .44mag or .45acp revolver.
Sinnce you are asking this on the wheelgun forun, I'll assume you like wheelguns a little better.
My first gun was a .41 mag blackhawk, but I'd prolly have been better served by a .357
In retrospect, it prolly made me a better shot, but took much longer, and ruled out the possibility for using it for defense.
Get the .357 first.
The ammo is not too expensive, the recoil isn't intimidating, and you can use 38 spl. rounds for defense indoors.
A .45 semi-automatic is the next logical step.
I can think of a few guns I'd get before buying a .44 mag, but maybe you'll be the exception.
My first gun was a .41 mag blackhawk, but I'd prolly have been better served by a .357
In retrospect, it prolly made me a better shot, but took much longer, and ruled out the possibility for using it for defense.
Get the .357 first.
The ammo is not too expensive, the recoil isn't intimidating, and you can use 38 spl. rounds for defense indoors.
A .45 semi-automatic is the next logical step.
I can think of a few guns I'd get before buying a .44 mag, but maybe you'll be the exception.