Especially since I may have to give up a .45 S&W Semi Auto all metal. I like the .44 special in a pocket (maybe) size package. Never had a .44 special before.

Overrated/underrated?

Pros/Cons of this revolver vs. trading a 45XX something.

You must have some big pockets.

You realize that the 296 is an L frame?

I had a 242 (the same gun in in a 7 shot .38 special). It is an interesting curiosity, handles nicely, but turned out to be impractical for EDC.

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Tony

Power-wise the 44 Special can only compete with the 45ACP if it's loaded above standard SAAMI levels to "+P" power.

You can't get too carried away with upping the power because the L-frame 44 Specials, 296/396/696, have a relatively thin barrel extension, unlike a N-frame 44 Special.

There are plenty of articles/posts on handloading up the 44 Special's power in these L-frames. I upload my 396NG but don't go overboard.

Any semi-auto will be flatter in your pocket than the revolver.

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396NG bbl. extension


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Waiting for the break of day

OK, don't buy it. Frank

Can't go wrong with a 5 shot .44 special. Do need a big pocket though.
I have a CA Bulldog Pug .44 and would like a 396 or something but everyone want a fortune for them!

Oh yeah, don't give up the .45!

OK, here goes. Let me know where it is, I need one.

I've had this one for years.
I switch between a 337 Airweight (.38 spl) and this one when I head to Tennessee for a walkabout.



I've changed the grips to a set of Pachmayr Compacs and they will stay on the revolver.

It just depends on what your gonna' do with it. The 296's are high dollar revolvers now. I got mine back in the day and thought $500 was to much money, but I "needed" it for hiking where you run up on these ...



And more likely predators on two legs.

It's a great gun when you are considering lightweight and big bore.

Good luck!

GF

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SWCA #2420

As long as you can handle the Recoil and size for carry. I shot a 44 Bull Dog and my Old Hands didn't like it for practice at the Range.

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Two Handguns every day

Bought this one last weekend at a gun show ($575). Hardly ever see them for sale. Generally am not a big fan of DAO revolvers but this one has a great trigger pull which I think will be very manageable. Seems pretty large for pocket carry except perhaps for rear jeans pocket or coat. My intended use is all day wear during snake season (when isn't it snake season in Texas?). Nice to have something light (18 ounces) that doesn't become a nuisance when cutting mesquite or doing other things but which still packs a punch and/or a large snake shot load. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Attached Images

	S&W 296 44 Special.jpg (139.0 KB, 91 views)
	S&W 298 AirLite Ti.jpg (108.3 KB, 82 views)

I have a few Smith 44s and they are great. But not pocket carry guns. Try a Charter Arms 44. I've got one and pocket carry it or use an Alien Gear CT 2 made for the Ruger sp101. They even have a CA .44 hammerless. Better yet for the pocket.

I agree with topsarge, I have a 44 Bulldog in my pocket right now! 20 oz, SS 2.5" lifetime warranty, fits in my K frame holsters. I would like a 396 if I find one!
Good luck
SEMPER PARATUS

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NRA Life Member
CPO

Just say no.

If you want a pocket .44 Special (I do, but can't afford one), I'd go with the CA Bulldog.

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Oh well, what the hell.

I just bought an Charter Bulldog 44 and I do believe it will be my main carry from now on. In comparison my LCR shooting 357 mags has WAY more recoil than this Bulldog shooting 44spl.
This Bulldog only weighs 19 oz. empty and I thought shooting 44 spl would be way more than what I would like but was I ever surprised. I shot a box of 50 in about half an hour and I could have shot 100 without any discomfort. I don't like mule kicking recoil in any handgun and the 44spl really surprised me. $389 otd and lifetime warranty. I am loving it.

People keep saying that. I don't know why. .44 Special, 10mm, and .45ACP+P all have very similar Mass x Velocity numbers when using similarly-developed ammunition. What the 10mm does through high pressures and velocity, the Special accomplishes with a generous case and projectile weight. But to be frank, I think that most of the "discussion" of cartridges in the forty-and-up class is a waste of time. Shooter preference greatly outweighs any minor variations in ballistics.

Now, in a practical sense, you can get yourself some very compact .45 ACPs these days--whereas that .44 Spl isn't going to shrink any.

The difference is that in a full-size gun, .45+P is fairly jarring in a semiautomatic, but .44 Spl is downright gentle.

Personally, I would not get an airlight .44 Spl, unless I was taking rather long walks in the woods. Anything less than a forced march, and I'd much rather have a steel Special or a 69.

***** HEY *******
BUY IT !

(if you don't, I will tell your Mother )

Talk you out of it? Now why would we try to do that?

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America First

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You imply you're disagreeing with my statement but then you say what I said ??

The 44 Special, in a factory load IS downright gentle because it's only loaded to 15.5K PSI max., SAAMI specs.

The 45 ACP +P has a SAAMI max of 21K PSI.

So yes, what I said was if the 44 Special is loaded above SAAMI max. to an unofficial "+P" level (usually in the 21-23K PSI range), power-wise it CAN compete with a 45ACP.

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Waiting for the break of day

No, you didn't comprehend what I said, because you looked at it from a reloading standpoint.

Ammunition companies do not have unlimited money to throw at development--the sort of development I'm talking about. Now, if I'm running Federal/Speer/Winchester/Whatever, and I have X dollars to spend on developing and improving defensive ammo, do I spend that money on 9mm, .45ACP, .380, .40S&W, or .44 Special?

Hint: I do not spend it on .44 Special.

So most of the "big-name" factory ammo is pushing better numbers in popular cartridges. Boutique ammo makers specializing in more niche cartridges have spent all of their time and money optimizing their .44s and .45 Colt loadings, for instance. That is what I'm referring to when I talk about development.

Certainly not pressure. Pressure matters very little to most folks when it comes to how abusive a loading is. 9mm, for instance, is quite pleasant to shoot, even in itsy-bitsy guns--and that's a cartridge that runs at 35,000 PSI. All 9mm is, is a little noisy. And mostly for other shooters, at that. The guy behind the gun doesn't notice it much.

What matters is projectile weight times velocity first--and the mass of powder in a distant second. The gas exiting the barrel has a very slight effect on perceived recoil, and when you burn a larger amount of powder to achieve the same velocity, you get more gas. Most people won't be able to tell the difference, but it can matter to a Grand Master action shooter.

Anyways, how about whether .44 Special really does lag behind .45 ACP.

Let's take two loads. The first is Buffalo Bore's standard pressure .44 Spl "Anti-Personnel" 200-grain wadcutter ammo. It's loaded to 1000 fps, out of an actual gun (as opposed to a test barrel). That's a PF of 200.

Federal's standard-pressure .45 ACP HST (*ugh*)--the Wally World-stocked ammo of choice for mall ninjas everywhere--claims 890 fps with a 230-grain jacketed around--or 204.7 PF. That's about 2% more.

Personally, I'd call that quite competitive. As I said earlier, the difference is so slight that personal preference is a much bigger factor.

Going up to +P loadings in .45 ACP gets you 218.5 in a 230-grain Hydra-Shok, or only 209 in a 185-grain.

But Underwood sells a bonded hollowpoint .44 Special that delivers 1100 fps with a 200-grain bullet--or 220 PF. And a 240-grain JHP that, at 950 fps, works out to 228 PF.

Loading up some Hodgdon load date, a 240-grain LSWC can be propelled to 950 fps at a mere 13,600 CUP. And a 200-grain JHP breaks 1,000 fps easily, at 13,100 CUP.

So really, one could say that the .45 ACP has to be loaded to +P to match the .44 Special, but that's simply not right.

What's right is what I said earlier--the differences are so slight that they just don't matter.

NO!!! I won't talk you out of it.. I love mine.. The only bad thing is the 200 grain max bullet limit..

That was removed from later models. It was an initial concern to jump crimp that didn't materialize with the factory loaded 246gr lead roundnose bullets. Use whatever weight you prefer.

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Waiting for the break of day