What's better in .44 magnum, Ruger or S&W?

It's not a matter of just being either heavier or thicker.
It's in the little details like the bolt notches on the cylinders, and "load-bearing" engagement points in places like the crane.

Geometries and interactive parts' bearing surfaces are deliberately designed in the Ruger to handle higher pressures and extended use.

People far too often fail to see that with the Rugers, it is NOT ALL ABOUT "thicker" or "heavier". Those are only a percentage of the overall picture.
Denis
 
None of them seem to be made for shooting lead bullets.
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I will stand by this. If the throats are .429ish and the bullets are .430+, there will be leading problems from what I have seen. There is no such thing as literally sizing to suit the gun, because sizing dies are what they are, which is typically .430.
 
There is no such thing as literally sizing to suit the gun, because sizing dies are what they are, which is typically .430.
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I can't say this isn't an issue, if you buy "off the shelf". But back in the days when I was interested in casting, Lyman would sell you a sizing set up in any diameter you specified, above or below the "usual standard".

And a mold to match, if you needed it.
 
There's plenty of commercial casters that'll sell you .429 .430 or .431 diameter bullets, a few even do .427 .428 and .432
Most people can't shoot well enough to appreciate the difference anyway.
 
There's plenty of commercial casters that'll sell you .429 .430 or .431 diameter bullets, a few even do .427 .428 and .432
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That's good to know, but in all my shopping with the big vendors, I missed that diameter choice. Note that the guns are still typically made to shoot standard diameters, which are smaller than typical lead bullets. Some guy that makes specialty bullet sizes does not belie my point that guns are made with jacketed in mind, not lead. Traditional guns like 45 Colt Cowboy, 44-40, and some others would be different in most cases but not my Redhawk 45 Colt with .451 throats. That gun seems to be designed with the assumption that it would be running bullets too fast to use lead, the 1100 or so velocity limit that home casters ignore.

Most people can't shoot well enough to appreciate the difference anyway.
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But the issue is whether the bullet will lead the barrel.
 
No offense intended to anyone--but the notion wheel guns are not made to fire lead bullets is rather nutty.
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Is nutty or seems nutty? The idea or the person?

The real test for me is whether a bullet will pass through the throats without more than finger force or a light tap. Those guns well suited to lead will allow at least .001 over standard to pass through with little coaxing.

I have a Smith 4" 19-4 and a Chief's Special 3" 36-1, both nice nickel classics, that will take only jacketed through the throats, and I am not inclined to have that grade of gun modified, so I bought FMJ just for those guns. On a number of other guns that were leading to an unacceptable degree I had the throats reamed. Brownell's supplies those standard reamer sizes for a reason.

Of course, reaming throats was not necessarily a solution. It turns out that Smith's EDM rifling is prone to leading. Only some guns use that rifling type, which I now avoid.
 
S&W is better no matter the caliber, you can't judge quality by mass or hugeness. Now a Ruger is much better than a Taurus or a Rossi.
 
ln the late 70s l got SW M29 and a Ruger SBH in 44 to shoot IHMSA. The Ruger is long gone, but the M29 is still with me.. That square trigger guard just chewed my knuckles too much...They both shot cast or jktd bullets equally well. l prefer the S&W to the Ruger and don't worry about the durability issue because l stick to mostly mid range, but also Magnums for hunting...My 44 bullets are in the 230-250gr range with plenty of power to knock over a 55lb ram @ 200meters..lf l want more power or 300gr bullets l have a S&W 460PC for the heavies..

Concerning lead bullets in newer S&W barrels- my H&G cast bullets sized to 430 shoot equally well in my old Mod 29, a 629 DX from 1998, and a 629-7 PC Magnum Hunter bought last year chock full of MIM parts n locks
 
ln the late 70s l got SW M29 and a Ruger SBH in 44 to shoot IHMSA. The Ruger is long gone, but the M29 is still with me.. That square trigger guard just chewed my knuckles too much.
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Unless you have fingers the size of bratwurst, that is the byproduct of trying to treat a single-action revolver as a double-action.

Just as with sandpaper, grinders, chisels, soldering irons, making love, and many, many other things....
Let the tool do the work. Don't try to force it to do a job for which it wasn't designed.

Single-action revolvers are designed to roll in the hand. If you try to man-handle it like a double-action, you'll get your knuckles busted. (As you found out.)
 
frank... l have other single actions...Colts AND Rugers. 44-40. 45 LC. 357..
l know how to hold and fire different weapons.. THAT sbh went away..lt went AWAY. Even AFTER l put a pair Pachmyer Presentation grips.. l don't tolerate ANYTHING that causes me pain or discomfort
 
(...) Even AFTER l put a pair Pachmyer Presentation grips.. l don't tolerate ANYTHING that causes me pain or discomfort
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Sigh....

Grips designed to give a double-action grip feel on a single action frame, and prevent the frame from rolling in your hand... :rolleyes:
 
Nothing nicer than a M29, but having said that, I'd like to have a stainless Super Blackhawk or a Redhawk with a 5.5" barrel. Or even the new S&W M69.

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frank---Please read this post twice..lts the shape of the trigger guard that annoys me.. Squared off in the back AND a spur to add to injury.. l shoot a buddys Freedom Arms 454 quite well with no complaint..

btw.. l can roll quite well
 
44- l will second that...Lower gun SBH was like the one l sold.. Grips TOO..
They just didn't work for me... Not every gun fits every shooter
 
I like both brands.

I have 2 Rugers and 2 Smith's in 44.

A SBH, Super Redhawk, 629-3 Classic and a Model 69.

I like them all as they all their different roles.

The Classic had the best trigger until I got the 1990 Super Redhawk. That thing is ridiculous.

I would like a Dan Wesson next.

ETA - upon further review the Classic is a 629-2
 
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