I do not own a 44 magnum handgun. That is the only reason I can think of to buy one, plus I like shooting big guns.
I have always wanted a model 29 Smith but IF I'm going to get a 44 mag, I want the one that is the most "shootable" and one that won't make me feel guilty driving home from the gun shop. How do the Smith and Wesson 44 mags stack up against the RedHawks, BlackHawks and the ported Raging Bull? I would preffer double action but if the single action is the most "shootable" (Whatever that means) I would go with the Blackhawk.
I would be using the pistol for recreational shooting and as a woods gun, maybe even home defense....but not for hunting.

Expect a deluge of widely varied opinions, but since you asked this on the S&W forum instead of the Ruger (forget the other ), I have a feeling the majority will have a one-sided opinion . . . . and I concur.

S&W's are excellent guns, very shoot-able and the best carry gun of the lot. They will not handle the heaviest of the Magnum loads as well as the Ruger. Ruger's are better high round count/range and heavy, heavy load guns. The are not as easy to carry though. I do not like the Taurus RB, JMO. I prefer the 44M, it is a better carry gun than the RB and handles loads up to 300 gr or so well. It is also ported liked the RB.

All of the guns are the quality products. The Taurus is probably the best buy, it has a surprisingly good trigger and shoots well. However, I have an issue believing a Taurus is a lifetime gun, I trade mine about every 5 yrs in theory, again JMO. The Smith is my pick of the three, but I buy guns with an emphasis on carry, not just the range. The Smith is the best mix of everything you look for in a 44 IMO.

That said if you are looking to fire Max loads at the range and carry a 340 gas check bullet etc once an a while for grizzles, go with the Ruger. That's my 2 cents worth on the issue.

Have owned a 29, a 629 Classic, a Redhawk, and a Blackhawk. The 629 Classic with the full lug barrel was the easiest to shoot. The Blackhawk was the least shootable of the bunch for me.

I've had a lot of 44 Mags, Rugers and Smiths (don't know about the Taurus).

To me, the Model 29 is the most "shootable".

Ruger Red Hawk price will approach the price of a S&W with not near the collectability(arguable to some folks). Difference is cast(Ruger) or forged(S&W) Red Hawks are huge guns.

no doubt...any 44m offered by S&W...i have the 29's,629'2 as well as performance center 44's all handle and shoot great...also have a 44m anaconda by colt that does great!

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I will start by saying there is nothing wrong with a Super Blackhawk. But when the day is done and you're at home and have cleaned your gun, there is nothing that brings the pride of ownership and puts a grin on your face like having a Model 29 in your hand will.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

On the subject of the screaming buzzard guns...

The Bisley models are more comfortable to shoot with heavy loads depending upon your hand size. I like them much better than the standard Super Blackhawk. Some people that have shot my Bisley have had the back of the triggerguard bite them, but I never have. Try a Hogue overmould grip on a regular Super Blackhawk frame- it's very comfortable and is a pleasure to shoot...it just looks awful and is an abomination if you like wood grips like me.

I haven't shot any of the Taurus .44 magnums, but as to their Raging Bulls in .454 which I have shot, their grips are very well thought out and very comfortable to shoot and extremely accurate. One fellow regularly shoots one (an 8") at steel targets and does quite, quite well. The Raging Bull does come in .44 Magnum also, and I would think that it would be tame compared to the same frame in .454 Casull...it just needs a set of walnut grips on it.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I have had both. Ruger does make some short barrel stuff now in the mag. Really, a person doesnt need a DA for your type shooting so I wouldnt let THAT be a decision breaker if you liked other factors.

44 magnum means your a future reloader. forget about those ported barrels they hamper the use of cast lead bullets.
that leaves us with the 29 629 and the R words.
you dont quite know what your in for yet and you might like to have the DA option of the 29 629 and SRH
of these, it just gravitates to the 29 629 as the design isnt wierd like the SRH lending the smiths as a more universal solution to the 44 mag problem ... if ever it was one

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it just needs more voltage

Easy solution. Buy one of each. Problem solved.

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Corripe Cervisiam

What you really need is a 9.5" barrel Super Redhawk in .44 magnum with box and a Simmons 2x scope just for grins. If you could find one for $650 shipped, that would be a bonus.
Wait.... I have one of those and that is what I would sell it for
Man is that spooky or what...............

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Forum consigliere

Buy one of each if you can, and tell the wife it is for an experiment in longevity of the firearms. You could tell her you are developing a spreadsheet on the shootablility as well!

Seriously it depends on what you want to do with it. For concealed carry I'd go with the Smith, and it may hold it's value better than the others. If I were shooting heavy loads consistently (or wanted something for pistol whipping bad guys with) I'd go with either Ruger. Both are built to last! I know some folks have had good luck with the Taurus, and it does feel good in my hand. I have questions about quality control and longevity though.....

Enjoy the search, and shoot as many of them as you can!

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Even older, even crankier....

Pre-lock S&W, otherwise a Ruger Redhawk.

I've got two Model 29-2s, a 4" and a 6".

The Super Redhawks are huge guns. The 44 mag is also available as a standard Redhawk and they are not that big.

I've owned a M-29 and a stainless Super Blackhawk with the usual 7.5-inch bbl.

The S&W is a better all-round sidearm, if you reload and can usually feed it moderate loads, reserving magnum ammo for the real needs.

The Ruger handles recoil much better and points very well. It will stand up better to heavy loads. It is slower to reload, but you may not have an urgent need for rapid reloading if you can shoot well and use that level of raw power.

The Redhawk and Super Redhawk are too big and heavy for comfortable daily wear.

I prefer not to discuss Taurus guns. Heard too many bad things and few good about them. That includes both the guns and their repair dept. They're also harder to sell than S&W or Ruger.

I'd get a M-629-3 with six-inch bbl. and smooth wooden grips to minimize recoil effects, for a general sidearm. But it is on par with firing .357 ammo in a M-19 or M-66: do it as needed, but not routinely. If you often need full loads, learn to carry and use a Ruger single-action. Alas, the Bisley frame may not come on a Super Blackhawk. Not sure. But the basic Dragoon grip is pretty good, too.

Desert Eagle!

IMHO, 'shootable' would be a combo of comfort + accuracy without consideration for size & carry convenience.

I have 44's in S&W, Colt, Ruger, T/C Contender, Desert Eagle, & SAA clones.

I feel the small advantage gained in less felt recoil by porting a pistol is more than offset by the increased muzzle blast. Most people will learn to flinch from the noise quicker than the recoil. Porting is often done to correct for buying more gun than the user is comfortable with.

Generally, less recoil, more comfort. This would lead me to believe heavier is better. The heaviest guns are the Desert Eagle & also they make the BFR revolver in 44. (in a pinch, they'll double for a boat anchor)

Grip size can be a large part of comfort & is strictly a matter of personal choice. Most all the 44's, except D.E., can be fitted with a variety of sizes & styles of stocks to please most any taste.

Trigger function means a lot to accurate shooting. Of my seven S&W's, the triggers are all the same & IMHO rate excellent! Of all the rest, each trigger is to it's own & needs mastery for weight , creep, & over travel.

The next feature for consideration is barrel length & your choice will affect both weight & ballance, but most guns are avalible in various lengths. As a side note, 5" to 6" barrels are a standard for most bullseye target guns. I don't think this came about by accident, & the 5" gets my nod.

Now after my rambling, you want to know my favorite, anything with 44 Mag on it. If I were in your neck of the woods, I would be considering a hog hunt in the near future, shortly after you get that new 44 Mag.

I've had a Super blackhawk and it stood up to a steady diet of heavy loads,but it was a knuckle buster.The 5 inch 629 was a well made and accurate gun.A 4 inch anaconda is my current shooter and woods gun,accurate and handles recoil well.Just bought my first (pre) 29,but I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet.I'd say it's a toss up between the smith and colt.

You left out the best 44 mag made today, the Freedom Arms SA 44. I vote that.

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Sure you did

If you are not going to hunt, a 4" 629.(stainless is forever) I love mine and with Pac grips on it very easy to shoot.

I also have a 7.5 Ruger SRH for those small missile loads. Forget the Taurus, you get what you pay for

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Still Running Against the Wind

Don't leave out the Dan Wesson offering.

I like all of them except the Taurus. I just can't learn to like them.

I started out shooting an old Ruger SA and still enjoy shooting it to this day. I like the way the recoil is absorbed on a SA as opposed to the Saw Handle grips of the DA's.

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Dum vivo cano

I have the same setup in .454 Casul except that the scope is a Simmons 2-6.

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Corripe Cervisiam

In an IWB holster!!!!

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Even older, even crankier....

Have you been in my safe? Talk about spooky.



well that's a 2-6X Simmons and an extremely low serial number Super Redhawk. There is a Model 29 in my future as I've been haggling with a golf buddy for one. It would, "Make my day!"

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

Lots of good choices in 44 mags. I don't care much for the taurus but most of the others are all pretty nice. My Super Blackhawk was too hard on my knuckles and got sold off..
Most of my 44 mags are S&W but there's nothing wrong with a Freedom Arms, Dan Wesson, Ruger or Colt either.
When I adopt another 44, it's most always a S&W.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

I don't like the Supers either. I don't like the Bisley but this one is just right.

Attached Images

Markam park 10-15-09 004.jpg (116.6 KB, 206 views)

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Dum vivo cano

Friends don't let friends own Taurus's!

IMHO...while Ruger makes very good products, the best combination of workmanship, accuracy, and reliability can be found in a S&W Model 29 or 629...

+ 1 statesrightest love my 29's but I shoot the Super Redhawk more.

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NOT SO FAST,, NOT-- SO-- FAST

I have had two Model 29 Smith & Wessons and two Ruger .44's. One a Bisley and the other a 50th Anniversary Blackhawk. The Blackhawk with full power loads was a handful, but the Bisley was a tank. If I were going to get a .44 again, strictly for the money, the power and portability it would be a 4 5/8 inch Super Blackhawk, they are a beast and any load you could desire will work in them. Second would be another 4-inch Model 29 or 629.

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Vaya con Dios

Mind you, merely my own opinion, worth every penny you're payin' for it:

If you wanna shoot loads that'll make your nose bleed in the short term and make you sterile in the long term, go for a Ruger Super Redhawk. WAAAYYY more shootable than a plow-handled single action in the same caliber. Compared to the Super Redhawk, the Vaquero in .44 mag. felt like a bomb exploding in my hand.

While the Ruger will be stronger (which will only matter in terms of uber-thumpers), the trigger cannot be made to be as sweet as a 29/629.

The above is based on my own experiences, having owned them all.

Whatever you choose, may you have decades of enjoyment with it like I've had with mine.

+1 re: Congratulations! You're about to become a reloader!

I have to agree with Death Grip and Joni Lynn, my Dan Wesson .44 10" barrel is the most accurate of any .44 mag I have ever shot or owned, 3" groups at 100 yards off a rest.

Not owning any of the .44 mag, I can't comment on any of them except for this. Remember that the grip style of the Blackhawk was basically designed in the 1800's and look at the loads it was meant to be used with. It's just not meant for .44 mag and as others said, it could be a knuckle buster. Even my .357 Blackhawk can be a handfull with full power loads.

CW

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μολὼν λαβέ

The five and a half inch Ruger Super Blackhawk is for me my best shooting 44 mag, in the shorter length barrels with the super you get a round trigger guard instead of that knuckel busting dragoon style trigger guard. The reason the Ruger is number one with me is that recoil with it is no problem at all, just let it roll in the hand a bit. The N frame Smiths just beat the heck out of my hand with heavy loads and yes I have tried a lot of different grips. Now with mid range loads I do enjoy my four inch 29 a lot and my six inch 629 is a fine shooter as well as long as I stay away from the real heavy loads. This sort of thing is very personal and if possible try to find buddys with different types, shoot em and see whats best for you!

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Stay safe people!

Well my SuperRedHawk beat the **** out of my indexfinger.
Drew blood every shot, very accurate and could take hevy loads.

If you plan on shooting alot of hevy loads, i'd go for the Ruger.
If not, Smith & Wesson rules.

but that is only my 2cents

I'm going to own a 629 Classic with the five inch barrel at some point. I love everything about that gun.

I have owned a number of .44 Mag. revolvers... mostly S&W and Ruger. I have no broad experience with the single-action type. They are good handguns, but I just never really warmed up to them except for the .22 LR Ruger Single-Six. The Ruger double-action .44's are well made. The triggers are not so good. The revolvers are heavy, more so than I like or think necessary.

I've had several of the N-frame .44 S&W's. The 6" ones are superlative range and woods guns. For range and woods... and even HD., I'd prefer the 4" S&W Model 29. If recoil is a concern, the lugged barrel will greatly moderate that issue. The sights are excellent. The triggers in DA and especially in SA are simply superior in every respect to anything available from any other manufacturer. The grips are well shaped and suit my hand. Some like the various rubber grips that are offered by Pachmayr, Hogue, etc. There is a very wide variety available.

Some will opine that the S&W 29/629 is not as strong as other designs. I take that with a very large shovel full of salt. Perhaps there are folks who can afford to spend the money required to shoot enough heavy/overloaded .44 Magnum rounds such that they might wear out a S&W revolver. If that should be the case, they will not likely fret to much over having S&W do any necessary repair work that might be needed.

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<><

All are probably good guns, but it may be important for some to also consider the possibility of resale. S&W products are often more desirable on the used market and may retain a higher value than the others.

Of the 3 mentioned, there's no doubt it would be a S&W.
Not to say the others aren't good, but the Smith has more of what I like in a revolver. If I were shooting lots of heavy load 44's I'd consider the Red Hawk. Not to bash Taurus but I'm just not interested.

I'm going in the other direction here. I myself would prefer the Smith; but it is way out of my price range right now! Your post said that you wanted a .44; just to own one. So did I and I went with the Taurus Tracker. Since I've bought it, I've put 300 or so rounds through it without a hitch!!! It's accurate as all get out and manageable to shoot! I know that a lot of people give Taurus a bad rap; but I also know that many of those have not owned one personally either. Many of the earlier ones had some bugs; but the QC has gotten better. So, until I can afford to own a S&W, the Taurus will suit me fine!

You did fine, as I told you I like the M44 a little better, but you've got a good gun. My first 44 was a Taurus, it shot well. I prefer the S&W, but for the money, you bought a good gun. Enjoy it, I did mine.

I've owned a 6" 629, a 7.5" Redhawk and currently have a 4 5/8" SBH. By far the SBH has been the most comfortable and easiest to shoot well.

I have a 629-6 Classic 6.5 inch with a 2X Leupold mounted and it's a very manageable rig. Not too heavy or huge and would carry well as a hunting rig in a hunting style shoulder holster.

The Super Redhawk is just plain MASSIVE. Might as well carry a rifle. The straight Redhawk is a very worthy competitor and should handle a steady heavy magnum diet. I had a Redhawk and after replacing the springs with Wolff performance springs, it had a very good SA trigger. I sold the Redhawk because it favored 180-200 grain bullets at maximum loads, whereas I prefer to shoot mid range 240 grain fodder from my magnums.

The Super Blackhawk with the 7.5 inch barrel is a fairly well balanced big revolver. Strong, accurate and comfortable to shoot if you have grips that fit your hands on the gun. The stock Ruger grips kill my hands. Hogues are OK but ugly. Vintage Herrett wood stocks are nearly perfect if you can find them.

If you can find a lightly used Taurus they can be a fantastic buy. Several guys at my club have Taurus 44's and a couple shoot silhouette and score well with them.
I've seen nearly new 44 Tracker's in the used case for under $300 making them a very attractive buy for the gunner on a budget.

It all depends on whether you feel lucky. Well, DO ya? Dirty Harry didn't carry a Ruger. Buy the Smith. As far as the Taurus, the only thing I buy that uses a cow for a trademark is malt liquor.

I have the Ruger Vaquero Bisley, very nice, easy to shoot. That said if my bank account could stand it I would own the S&W Model 29!!! I really don't think many of us will shoot enough max load .44 mags to do any damage to the S&W.

If you look at it from an initial cost perspective the ruger is the better choice. You could buy approximately 1.5 rugers for what you would pay for a new smith. The smith is great and feel is wonderful. Of course if you like playing cowboy better than dirty harry then go with the ruger. I have to say that the ruger is a better therapy gun when you want to shoot heavy loads. On the other hand you have more style with a smith. I have 1- super black hawk, 4- 629's, and 1- 29-2. Now if I could get a 4" 29 and and a 4" super black hawk. Just get the one you can afford. But if you can afford 2 get both. good luck Doeboy