Thread: 44 Automag
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Old 02-28-2011, 09:22 PM
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In 1973 or ’74 my Army buddy at Ft Eustis, VA sold his M28 Highway Patrolman to me so he could buy a .44 Auto Mag. I was shooting for the battalion pistol team at the time and he lent me that new pistol so I could try it out.

There I was, standing on the firing line with this stainless steel brute in my hand. God, those rounds looked huge as I loaded them into the magazine. Inserting the magazine, chambering the first round, I prepared myself for what was assuredly going to be the most ferocious recoil I had ever experienced.

As I tightened my two handed grip on the pistol, bending my knees a bit more and leaning a little harder and further forward in anticipation of the recoil, I pressed the trigger; BOOM she went, and I plowed up a couple of feet of earth in front of the 25 yard target! I had over compensated for the recoil and pulled the shot about three feet low. Darn it! This thing didn’t kick much more than my 1911A1!

After that shot I assumed my one-handed target shooting stance and shot the remaining rounds at the bull’s eye. It shot fairly well; at least as well as my 1911A1 – maybe better.

And that was my one and only experience shooting a .44 Auto Mag.

The follow up story on my buddy is kind of sad. You see, though he bought that pistol legally in Virginia (active duty, on a permanent change of station assignment, he qualified as a “resident”) he was actually a resident of Brooklyn, NY. Upon his discharge he returned to Brooklyn and applied for a pistol permit; which was denied. To the best of my knowledge (I visited him in ’76) that pistol remained in its original box safely hidden in his basement – he was unable to ever openly admit that he was in possession of that “evil” device. I hope and pray that he never got into any trouble over it – he was a really decent person, and a friend.

Here’s to you Bill – Salute.
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