Like many of you, I love the .44 Special cartridge. Easier on the hand than the .44 Magnum, yet re-loadable to nearly magnum power if you want to. A more accurate cartridge (in the right guns) will be hard to find.

For years I lusted after the S&W Model 24 (Model of 1950), but alas, these were almost unobtainable. However in 1983 and 1984, S&W turned out the Model 24-3 revolvers, which were almost dead ringers for the earlier Model 24s, lacking only a pinned barrel, a trigger guard screw and an upper sideplate screw, all of which were inconsequential. I was lucky enough to acquire both a 4" and 6.5" model.

These were built as a limited run. 2,625 had 4" barrels with Baughman front sights, and 4,874 had 6.5" barrels with Patridge front sights.

These are the sweetest-shooting .44 specials I own - accurate, durable and handy. And they don't make 'em like this any more! Here are some pics:


Model 24-3 4", shipped in March, 1984


Model 24-3 6.5", shipped in April, 1984

Hope you enjoy this fond tribute to a couple of truly classic Smith & Wessons!

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I bought a 4" version right after Skeeter Skelton wrote the gun up in Shooting Times in 1983. I still have that magazine. The gun cost around $380 total new. Mine came new from a place in Ohio in Shotgun News. I don't think Lew horton was involved with these but just the 3" round butt version. I later picked up a 6 1/2". I'm so glad they weren't 6", keeping it authentic.

EeeeGads man!

I think that 44 special might be TOO MUCH GUN for mud bugs

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On the Oak Savannah

I got lucky and found a 6.5" version sans box, etc., but it was like new.

Additionally I was able to find a 3" and 4" 624 AND a 696 ND, so yes - I agree the 44Spl is special.

Overall favorite cartridge for most of what you need a revolver for.

Since selling my .44 TL a while back, the only non-magnum I currently own is an early CA Bulldog.
Both the OP's 4 & 6.5" are nice but that 4" is really talking to me. A very nice pair.

I still don't know how mine shoots.
Most of my guns hit the range the first week. I just haven't picked up ammo yet it's been about 9 months now.



The previous owner may not have used it much.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

I collect pre war S&W N frames but rarely shoot them. I prefer K frames but this 24-3 modified by Andy Cannon was at a local shop. I had some Black Hills 44 special rounds and I have shot all 200 rounds of them so now I am going to try some 44 special cowboys loads.
The round butt with Houge grips fits my hand and makes shooting comfortable.

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24.3.jpg (50.6 KB, 145 views)

[QUOTE=PALADIN85020;139211681]Like many of you, I love the .44 Special cartridge. Easier on the hand than the .44 Magnum, yet re-loadable to nearly magnum power if you want to. A more accurate cartridge (in the right guns) will be hard to find.

For years I lusted after the S&W Model 24 (Model of 1950), but alas, these were almost unobtainable. However in 1983 and 1984, S&W turned out the Model 24-3 revolvers, which were almost dead ringers for the earlier Model 24s, lacking only a pinned barrel, a trigger guard screw and an upper sideplate screw, all of which were inconsequential. I was lucky enough to acquire both a 4" and 6.5" model.

These were built as a limited run. 2,625 had 4" barrels with Baughman front sights, and 4,874 had 6.5" barrels with Patridge front sights.

These are the sweetest-shooting .44 specials I own - accurate, durable and handy. And they don't make 'em like this any more! Here are some pics:


Model 24-3 4", shipped in March, 1984


Model 24-3 6.5", shipped in April, 1984

Hope you enjoy this fond tribute to a couple of truly classic Smith & Wessons!

John[/QUOT

That four inch is the perfect full size SD revolver.

And unless you're in California to fully appreciate it... with our draconian handgun laws, what he's managed to accomplish is nothing short of a miracle... and I'm jealous as all get out.

I only have a 24-3 Lew Horton 3" and a pre-model 24... and want more.

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	M24-3 Lew Horton .jpg (106.3 KB, 167 views)
	LH 1950 Target Pre24.jpg (85.7 KB, 147 views)

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

I found this one at a gun show in CA a few years ago at a very reasonable price. It was in a show display case with a plexiglas top that was so scratched up I had to practically put my nose against it to see what model of N Frame it was. It had Pachmayrs on it but I didn't care. When I was doing the paperwork I casually asked "do you have the box or a gun rug for it ?" The dealer said "oh yeah, right here" and pulled the box & contents out from under the table. I had found the Target Stocks at the previous show for $10 and put them away in case I needed them someday. It must have been serendipity.

They started out as 10 lb lobsters.

I have one of the 2,625 4" guns. Purchased new for $325 in 1984 from Nix Shooting Supplies in Lewisville, Texas.

It's the "from my cold, dead hand" S&W.

S&W did a great job with the M-24-3. They packaged them in old-style 2 piece boxes and printed up copies of the old instruction manuals and parts list/price list to go with them I haunted the gun shops after they were announced and bought the first 4 and 6-1/2 inchers I saw and had my dealer order me a 3 incher when they first appeared in ShotGun News.

The big dealer/distributor in Ohio was probably Ashland Shooters Supply in Ashland, Ohio. They got a lot of limited production S&W's and had the factory crank out a few specials for them.

I think the 3" 24-3 was the second new S&W revolver I ever bought. Ordered it and a LH S&W 3" N frame holster for it straight from Lew Horton to the gun shop at which I was working to put myself through school. Ate lean for a while after that!

Have since acquired a NIB 6" 24-3 (which is amazingly still NIB!), a 624 3" that just didn't measure up and got swapped off, and finally a 624 4". There's some 5 screw .44 Specials in the safe as well, but of the lot, the 24-3 3" is the favorite. And is now the most worn! Lots of carrying and shooting over the years.

Great thread with good pics!!! Keep them coming gents!!! I wish I had a .44 Special or two...

Me's got a couple of "dem" too......

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100_0767.jpg (238.2 KB, 183 views)

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S&W Accumulator

I have a 4" 99% M-24 with factory target grips I was thinking of selling, what do you think its worth?

Count me in with the .44 Special lovers!
Over the years I've managed to acquire one of each barrel length of the 24-3s. All were bought used and I was just lucky enough to stumble across them. Traded for the 4 and 6 1/2" inch guns and got great deals because the sellers didn't appreciate what they had.
I've also got a 696 no-dash that has become one of my favorite woods companions.
I had a 3" 624 for a while, but the stainless just didn't float my boat. Besides, I already had the blue one. I took it to several gun shows as trading material and couldn't sell or trade it because it wasn't a magnum.
"What fools these mortals be"
Anyway, it now resides with one of our fellow forum members who was tickled to death to get it.
I currently own six .44 Specials, but only one .44 Magnum.
My own personal grail gun is a 5" blue 3rd Model HE that I can actually afford. Some day, some day.....

Wasn't there some problem with cylinder throat and bore diameter, or with the M-624's ?

I read that somewhere in a magazine, not on the Net.
Read the same about the guns they made in .45 Colt.

Anything to this?

My came with the RB target stocks, but they just didn't fit my hand. I took a pair of finger groove SB to RB grips and cut the bottom off about a 1/4", and sanded off the humps of the finger grooves. They now fit my hand.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

We're in the same camp, Paladin! I have a 3", 4" and 6 1/2" - they're my favorite revolvers and would be the last to leave my hoard. I bought the 4" and 6 1/2" new. I remember thinking "someday these will be collectibles." For no longer than the blink of an eye, I considered keeping them unfired. Well, that thought quickly vaporized and I've had 33 years of shooting enjoyment from them. My heirs will receive "soiled" collector's items. . . . Oh well, I won't care by then!

H Richard: I'm pretty much like you. Never could stand a round butt on a N-frame. The grips on the 3" gun used to be a set of the old Ace RB to SB combat grips. I cut 'em down and thinned them into a nice set of boot grips that fit me perfectly.

Here's the Skelton article about the soon to be reissued Model 24-3 in 1983. It got me to grab that 4 incher as soon as they appeared in Shotgun News. And it might have been "Ashland Shooter Supply" as mentioned by BUFF earlier.





And with it's 29-2 Big bro...

Here's my 4" model - a high contender for "my favorite sixgun", but I have a few of those (blessed). Also pictured are my other two .44 specials, first a .44 special conversion on a 3-screw Ruger flattop .357 frame done by John Gallagher, then an original Charter Bulldog .44. I'd love to have a 6 1/2" 24-3 if the stars ever align for one coming available and me having the funds at the same time.

Well.....I suppose I know what my next revolver will be...

I bought the first 4" M24-3 to come into Birmingham, Alabama. It shipped to McCain's Police Supply. The first thing I did was to round butt it. After I sighted it in, it went into a Safariland Model 29 basketweave holster on my Sam Browne belt. It carried well.

Wound up selling it about 12 years later.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Can somebody sell me a 4" to complete the family?

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

44 spl out of a snubby n frame. What's not to like?

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

I have one of the Lew Horton 3" models; it forced me to get a 3" 629 lest I shoot it past its 95% condition. Excellent guns, and a fine representation of the .44 Special. The quest for a decent Triple Lock goes on...

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50 Years of DSOTM

I might sell ya mine I need to figure out what it's worth?

Yes, the 624 was produced with a few cylinders made out of defective billets. Mine was returned to the factory for magnafluxing, and pronounced OK. The factory box is stamped with a red "C" to indicate return, inspection and passing. You can also call the factory with the serial number and they can tell you if yours is one of the suspect guns. In that case, they will trade you for something of "equal value," as they don't make this revolver any more.

Here is a pic of mine, which sees use as a trail gun or as a discreet carry gun in the winter months under heavier cover. I've equipped it with Ahrends concealment grips, which are my favorite for round butt N and K-frames. It was one of 5,000 made for Lew Horton distributors in the 1985-1987 period. This one left the factory in May, 1985, according to Roy Jinks.



Here is another .44 Special I own - this is a 3rd Generation Colt Single Action Army, still as new in the box. It's the only one I don't shoot.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Come to think, mine was too (4"). The third and I think last I ever bought new was a 6.5" 624, which besides my HS Citation, is the only gun I regret letting go. That 624 was a joy to shoot and wicked-accurate.

After reading this thread, I took my 24 out of the safe for the first time in a while. For the past few months all my revolver shooting (and a lot of it) has been IDPA with a 3" M-64. It has a bobbed hammer and I take a very high grip. Some dry snaps DA with an adjustable-sighted N-frame felt like the sights were a foot above my hand.

I promise this isn't your gun Gil.



I bought mine new and had the same thing done right away to fit my short fingers.

I say we sue Horton for stealing our idea

I have a bunch. Triple lock, 1926's, a 1950 with a modern 24 barrel and a 24-3 plus some 696's. I am looking for either a beater 6.5 or a beater 28 as I have a 3" barrel from one of the Horton guns and want to do a 3" square butt. Great guns.

Aside from the fact that they were all made to the stupid SAAMI spec. ~0.432" throats (going back to the ancient ancestor .44 American cartridge of the 1800s I think was the logic behind it), and some 624s had a "mysterious" cylinder problem (most probably being chambered in .44 Mag!), no.

Nothing to worry about if you shoot the usual hollow based factory lead bulleted ammo or do your own loads!

I was never much of a Skeeter Skelton fan, but I read that article in SHOOTING TIMES when it was published. In October of 1983, I purchased a new 4" 24-3 from the Walter Craig Co. for around $265.00, I believe. Still have it along with another 4" and a 6.5".

Don't know whether Walter Craig Co. is still around, but I'm pretty sure these guns were regular or limited production models that were not made specifically for one distributor. The Lew Horton snub-nose guns came along a little later.

As for the large chamber throats, I had a couple (maybe three) bullet moulds opened up to cast .432" bullets. As a result, accuracy improved.

So, you pushed .432 bullets down a .429 bore? Any pressure signs? How hot did you load?

Muley Gil-

Which .44 Spcl. ammo did you carry on duty? Did you ever shoot anything alive with it? Dogs, raccoons, etc. Coyote?

Were you handloading for that gun? I've wondered if Federal's 200 grain lead SWCHP might be enough for defensive needs. What I've wanted was a 250 grain Keith bullet at some 900 FPS, and the factories just aren't gonna make it. That should comfortably beat out the service load for the .45 ACP.

I guess that Buffalo Bore makes effective .44 Special ammo?

I have a 624 with the .432 throats.

Had Penn make up a special batch of .432 sized bullets.
Had to order 2,000 of them for him to do it, as it was a mould he was retiring.
They shoot great.
No issues whatsoever shooting a .432 lead bullet through a .429 bore.
Anybody wanting to try them? Shoot me a PM.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Texas Star- No pressure signs in .44 Special with #429421 standard loads. None in .44 Magnum either using same bullet and just-under-max. loads of #2400 powder.

I've shot many of these over the years. A .432" cast bullet in a .429" bore should be quite safe in any revolver in good condition.

It's been 30 years since I measure my throats and I can't recall diameter.

I always sized to .431 with great results.

This was especially true with my late (sniff sniff) 6.5" 624.. The Lyman 429421 cast from water quenched wheel weights over 16.5 of 2400 would put 5-shots under 1" at 25-yards

The LBT 230 grain ogival wadcutter makes nice, big holes in things. I get all my LBT .44 molds cut to drop .432. I have yet to see a .44 throat under .431.

I still have most of a box of 500 penn 200 grain TCs sized .430 if anyone wants them. I bought them back in the 90s. The small diameter and too-hard alloy caused them to lead like crazy.

.44 special is a Pleasure compared to .44 Mag in the hand Albeit my favorite 4" tapered .44's also fire Magnum

Is that middle one a 5 incher? Beautiful! Is there a story behind it?

"I am looking for either a beater 6.5 or a beater 28 as I have a 3" barrel from one of the Horton guns and want to do a 3" square butt."

S&W made a small run of .44 Specials with square butts in blue and nickel. They made the same guns in .45 ACP. They were too recent to be in SCS&W III but may be in SCS&W IV. Might have been 24-6 or 24-7. I remember seeing a couple in a local gun shop when they were new.

Started out with a 6.5" barreled 624, then a 3" 24-3,and finished up with the 4" 24-3. Frank

I didn't mean to deceive, but that 5" was cut, not original. The job was beautifully done and with a factory-looking crown. It shoots well, although requires a 6 o'clock hold, I guess because of the remounted ramp sight. It is wearing Blu Magnum stocks.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

.45 ACP? Tapered barrel? Details, I need details!!!!

They were discussed on this site when they were first sold, but that was a few years ago. As best as I remember, they looked like the 24-3 3 inchers but with a square butt frame and, I think, the top sideplate screw that older S&W's had and has been reintroduced on the 'Heritage' guns a while back.

It's again, just from memory of what I think was posted here back then, but they were small runs, about 150 each of the 4 variants, .44 Special blue and nickel, and 150 .45 ACP blue and nickel. The one I looked at in the shop was a blue .45.

So I guess they might be a bit hard to find with only about 300 of the .44's made.

"Muley Gil-

Which .44 Spcl. ammo did you carry on duty? Did you ever shoot anything alive with it? Dogs, raccoons, etc. Coyote?

Were you handloading for that gun? I've wondered if Federal's 200 grain lead SWCHP might be enough for defensive needs. What I've wanted was a 250 grain Keith bullet at some 900 FPS, and the factories just aren't gonna make it. That should comfortably beat out the service load for the .45 ACP.

I guess that Buffalo Bore makes effective .44 Special ammo?"

I mostly carried handloads-250 gr Keith SWC over 7.5 gr of Unique or 200 gr JHP over 7.5 gr of Unique. I also carried Silvertips.

Never had to shoot anything with a handgun while on duty; except maybe a few bunnies.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I'm terribly envious of those of you with four-inch 24-3's.

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Oh well, what the hell.

We are a smug bunch, alright. Worse, those of us with an original 4 inch 1950 Target, a 4 inch Model 24-3 and a 4 inch Model 624 are really a bunch of insufferable b*******.