I have wanted one of these for decades, probably 40 or more years, to match my 1022, which I bought in 1965. So about 6 months ago, my local Cabela's found one in Minn, and had it sent to my SC store, where I paid about $1150 or so for a really nice rifle. Pristine, spotless bore, no rust anywhere, although I had to source a new front bead sight and had my local gunsmith install it, as it was snapped off.

Fully cleaned it after a full strip, and now finally sourced some Starline brass, and with Hornady 240gr XTP JHP's, took it out to a state range, a gorgeous 40 mile drive thru the woods and hills and curves and valleys, past the forests and fences, one curve after another. I think this UpState backwoods road dates to before the Revolutionary war, just has some asphalt on it now.

Same road where a few days ago, lacerated a rear sidewall of my Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifloglio, where I had no cell reception. But eventually got it home, and new tire under warranty, so was anxious to run it again. I enjoy driving there and back as much as I enjoy shooting. Also took today a PSA 223 to zero a Vortex dot.

My cabine really kicks so I protect my aging shoulder with a pad, and it didn't take too many rounds to zero my Ruger at 50 yards. I no longer hunt but that seems like a nice reasonable range for a zero.

So, here is my "Grail" rifle. I wonder if Ruger made them again, would they sell well, even if expensive.

Here, my new-to-me first generation, tube mag 44 Mag carbine.

all the best... SF VET
[IMG][/IMG]

I had their later version, the mag fed Deerfield. Never could get the darn thing to shoot well and the OCD (or cheapness) in me hated losing brass. Bought the 96/44 instead.

They do have a bit more kick than one would imagine.

I bought one back when 1st out. Sighted in at 100 with 240 Rem JSPs. It shot about 2.5” at 100yds. I like the rifle but never shot a deer with it. Just a few years ago I had two at the same time. I sold them for $350@. It wasn’t a week and Ohio announced a new deer season. They made straight case cartridges 38cal minimum legal. This gun would have made ideal deer gun for Ohio. We had been slug only. Most shots are less than 100yds.
I would much carry any good rifle, even if single shot than a shotgun.

Congrats on your new aquisition.

When I was in 5th grade I remember going straight to the gun section whenever my folks took us to Sears, back then I had my eye on a shiney new Ruger 10/22 I wanted very badly, My folks were firm that it was BB guns only until 6th grade.
On one occasion I went to the gun section to drool on my beloved 10/22 but noticed it had a muzzle bore that I could almost put my pinky down, this began my fascination with the Ruger .44 Magnum carbine and I thought to myself...One day I will own one of those 44's too.
I still have that 10/22 with its barrel roll stamp that says "Made in the 200th year of American Liberty" and have since added three .44 Magnum carbines, two early examples with the old "Sour dough" front site insert and one very late production example.
IIRC these were reportedly very expensive to produce, still remember the magazine ad with Bill Ruger dressed in camouflage posing in front of a huge Silver back Gorilla he took with it.
Always wondered why they never offered one in .357 Magnum, Stainless steel even better.
Was tempted to add a "Deerfield .44 carbine" when they came out but thats really more of a 44 caliber mini 14.

Another one of my wish list guns, but my gut won't let me pay over a grand for one. And when they do show up in my neck of the woods that command a bit more than what the op paid.

Nice catch, and very nice write up!!

It wasn’t Bill Ruger, but it was a great ad.

I don’t get any great apes in my yard, but I do get the occasional bear. Mine stands ready at the back door.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Maybe you remember seeing this one of wild Bill with a 44 carbine.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

I deer hunted with one back in the 80s. It was a good woods gun, and accurate enough for the distances I was shooting.

Too bad they don’t make them anymore. The Henry .44mag lever rifle would be a good choice for that type of gun today.

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NRA Life Member

I had two of the original "Deerstalker" carbines over the years. One purchased new around 1975 for about $135.00 was used in my early experimentation with cast bullets. The second one I picked up barely used about twenty-five years ago. Both are long gone.

These guns had a neat look about them about them and were probably good 100 yard deer carbines, though I never took any game with mine. They actually shot cast bullets reasonably well and I never had a problem with gas port clogging when using such bullets, a warning often repeated, perhaps by many who had no experience with these guns.

Overall cartridge length is critical with the carbines. As I recall, the magazine would not handle the longer overall lengths that were often used in revolvers, but that's a small point. Other than the limited hunting range, these are good guns, the looks and handiness of which are ruined with a scope. I never tried one of the aperture rear sights, but in retrospect that would probably be the best sighting equipment for the Ruger if one's eyes were up to the task.

I have a Ruger Ranch in .357 handy little rifle for Penn's Woods with it's 5rd rotary magazine ..... would love a semi "5/.357 carbine".

My best friend since first grade and hunting companion died (2002) and both his son, daughter and wife were in agreement that rifle should come to me. I have it in my safe, only fired it once since I got it.


He harvested a lot of deer with that little gun, it was quite appropriate for the heavily wooded area we hunted in. He got the gun new mid 70s!

Bill was a very good shot and his gun was quite accurate. It had one of the good pivot mounts that actually held a good zero with the 2 1/2 scope he had on it!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Probably the handiest woods/brush gun for deer and boar. Always liked them myself. Recall them selling new for $119 way back. Really caught on with hunters/collectors these days. Glad the OP got one.

A "grail gun" indeed. I don't remember the last time I saw one for sale anywhere. Great looking firearm. Enjoy it in good health.

A note on Cast Bullets in the Original 44 Ruger carbine. The warning is for people that don’t clean their rifle. You can shoot jackets and probably never clean as long as you keep action lubed. I have bought these rifles on the cheap because they had “problems”. The problem was always gas port and lead bullets. Most handloaders are smart enough to know what problem is.
Joe Sixgun buys factory lead ammo without giving it a thought. This mostly because Lead Bullet is the cheapest box of 44mg. Doesn’t maintain the rifle and in a couple or three years when he pulls it out of the closet, it has problems. Nothing a deep cleaning won’t cure. I have never bought one of
these with problem that looked like it had ever been out of the stock. As all early Ruger products, they are hard to beat.

I put a lot of rounds through one many years ago and regret getting rid of it.

If you want to have fun.

Go out late in the day when the sun is low in the sky and "bright" and to your back. Shoot the carbine and you will be able to see the sun reflecting off the base of the bullet as it travels to its target. Not quite a tracer but close and fun to see.

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Who are? "They"

As many of you know, there were actually two types of Ruger .44 Magnum carbines.

Here's a pic of the two. The top one is the original, and the lower one is the one based on the mini-14 action. This one belongs to me, still unfired in the original box.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Nice rifle, Thanks for posting. Now that you have it in the SC upstate, do not forget your friends on the forum if you get bored with it ��

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Kind regards, Heinz

I had a chance a few years ago to get one of the rare Ruger 44 Magnum Carbine with Mannlicher stock. I was a few minutes late! That is not a gun you see much of.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I think it was around 77 that I took a Ruger 44 Mag International Carbine ( full Mannlicher stock) on trade on the advice of My gun show buddy. Fun shooting, but I found out soon it had an upper limit to My reloads. My top loads in My SBH would jam the thing pretty good. So I used My S&W loads with no problems. Let My GS Buddy talk Me out of it and I think He still has it.

I’ve owned several Ruger Carbines through the years and always shot my
SBH loads with no problems. A 240gr JHP over 22.5 gr of H-2400. Just couple years ago I bought a pound of H-110. Had been ready it was better powder for carbine loads. In past always tuned whatever 44 carbine I had to the SBH load. Never got around to H-110 and sold my Marlin 1894SR.

I picked up a 44 carbine about 3 yrs ago. 1964 vintage. Guy used it up in the Adirondack Mt region of NY. For a long time that was the only part of NY that you could use rifles for deer hunting. It had a 6X Nikon scope which made it a 150yd deer gun. I decided i wanted to go old school and got a Skinner Peep Sight. I also had to put a taller front post on it. While I can get pretty good groups at 100yd I limit myself to about 75yds. After the buck tags are filled it’s my go to doe rifle. I also took a coyote with it. Best shot of all was probably the one my son made at 50yds on a problematic Muskrat, that was tearing up the banks of my pond. Is shoot plain old Winchester white box 240gr. Had to sneak in pic of its 629 companion…… the 44 carbine was also in a 70s Bigfoot movie. I think it was Legend of Boggy Creek. The main character managed to shoot the mighty beast at the end, but the 44 mag was no contest as Bigfoot walked off into the woods.

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If they were made again, 44 & 357, 357 Maximum & 445 SuperMag and 460 & 500 S&W. I know I’m dreaming, I’m happy I have the 44 carbine.

The problem is they cost so much to manufacture. But people are desensitized to high gun prices, so it might sell. I don’t think I’d take less than $2k for mine. NOT because it’s worth that much. I just like it that much.

My sister took up deer hunting with a passion when in her forties. She carried a borrowed rifle for years. Then my three brothers and I chipped in $100 apiece and I went to the local Walmart and got her a Ruger .44 carbine lever action. She has been carrying it ever since.
Yes they do kick a surprising amount.

I wrote about one hunt with my sister here:

Pops must be smiling. A Yuletide Story II

Thanks for the nice pics. Often heard the original required a lot of expensive machining. For the price of $119 sure sounds like a good deal even back then. Recall seeing one made in 1976 I believe marked "Made in the 200th Anniversary.

When these first came out, my grandfather bought one for my uncle, who shot many deer with it. Fast forward to 1976, my uncle took me hunting for the first time at age 10. He let me use the .44, and I proceeded to shoot my first deer with it that year.

I’ve bugged him for many years to sell me that gun, but he won’t. I really don’t blame him, as he has sons and grandsons who should have it.

A few years back, I get a call from my friendly LGS, saying they had something I might be interested in. Yup, a .44 carbine. Needless to say it came home with me. Other than badly needing a stock refinish, it is in good shape.

This is the ad posted about above---not Bill Ruger, but neat advertisement.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

took my 44 carbine to a state range today with a shooting buddy, and with him spotting, with a 4X Leupold AR scope on it, took only a few rounds to precisely zero for 100 yards. I don't hunt, and my range only goes out to 100 yards, so for fun and "consistency" that is what I zero all my rifles for. I think next trip, will see what the trajectory of my 240 Hornady XTP's is at intermediate ranges, just for fun. Loaded Win 296.

Made up 15 rounds of 357 with Extreme 158 plated and shot them for the first time in my 4 inch 28-2, the first time I have ever shot 357. Worked fine, so came home and made up about 150 more with 14.5 gr of Win 296.

After two days, could not find a consistent zero with a new Vortex Spitfire dot on a PSA 5.56. My shooting buddy couldn't either, the click adjustments were wonky, so Vortex said sent it back, so going back to them. Strange....

NV

Reading that ad about shooting an elderly Gorilla and admitting it’s intelligent, kind of made me sad.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

When I read my gun magazines and the writers talk about shooting this or that game, usually with pictures, to test this or that firearm or ammo, I have a sense of ill at ease about that. I used to hunt pheasants, great comradeship, with friends and sons. But we ate them. I have no problem with hunters who seek game and then use them for food and sport. And on the island we have a cottage down by Charleston, about every two years they cull some of the deer to ensure enough forage for them to thrive. Necessary, as is needing to reduce a predator population, like coyotes. In some places, hunting is essential to lay in enough meat for a family to get thru the winter.

Some countries really need the income from hunting licenses for exotic animals. Or to balance their wildlife, or for removing dangerous animals. Or culling a diseased population. And testing ammo on gelatin isn't going to give real life information like testing on game will. Heck, here in the South, wild pigs cause great damage to crops, and removing them is vital.

I am no Bambi lover, and there are countless honorable reasons for shooting animals. It is often a much more humane way when necessary than other means. If I liked venison I would hunt them without any emotion.

But when killing is just for purely for sport, that is not something I could do. I was sitting next to a chap on an airplane a few years ago; he was on his way to collect a trophy leopard. For some reason, I just admire that animal. I am not a snowflake who has some sort of "spirit animal." But if I did it would be a leopard. Maybe because I imagine them as kin to our family cat.

Seeing in a magazine a picture of some writer with his trophy kill, doubting that it will be "used" just somehow bothers me, esp when the article is all about this or that firearm or cartridge.

On the other hand, killing people who's life mission is to hurt my Country gives me no remorse. All of this has no relationship to a Ruger 44 mag carbine.

SF VET

One of these in 357 would get my wallet open PDQ. Ruger makes plenty of companion handguns. And I read somewhere that most of the design work is essentially done... e.g. for a rotary mag version they use the 77 mag, etc.

So what kind of accuracy did you get, group size?

Keep in mind that this was the early 60's and nobody knew what we know today. It makes me wonder if this mount is still around in a museum somewhere.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

22... good enough to keep flipping beer cans on the berm at 100 yards. We were hungry and wanted to get something to eat for lunch. Went to Nichols near Rock Hill SC, a really big "gun store."

I am going to do more precise mid and max range trajectory tests soon. If Ruger made a 357 mag companion to my 44 I would buy one in a heartbeat.

SF VET

In contrast, 350 Legend and 450 Bushmaster, both excellent hunting rounds, can be made cheaper in the AR platform. Ruger had tremendous success selling these as factory guns which would preclude the return to expensive and complicated machining.
I’ve had both versions of the Ruger 44. Given the cult like status of these and the fact I actually like to hunt made them too valuable to actually use. I built my 2 dream deer guns in AR 350 legend complete with Leupold glass and a lifetime of ammo with the sale of the Deerfield.

Hopefully you would be in line right behind me.

Would love to have both carbine and lever in 357 to pair with my Ruger 44's.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

Found another advertisement for the 44 carbine. This is from a Guns magazine from December 1963. Notice at the time it says this was Ruger's first and only rifle. Next time I fire up the time machine, think I will take some extra cash along and buy a crate full of these to bring back to the future.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

Great pic of the ad ajgunner. Price seems more like pocket change these days! Super handy rifles for brush or close cover. Glad I got to fire a couple of them way back.

I bet if Ruger started making these again they would have to run a line 24-7 to meet demand. They were such a handy rifle—woods hunting, tractor/ATV/truck gun, home defense, etc.

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Possum—The other white meat!

The problem is it’s an AR platform. I own several but they have no soul. No history. It’s a super rifle with unlimited potential but there’s no blued steel and walnut. When I pick up my 44 carbine or dads old model 12 I feel like I’m in a time warp back to when guys wore Woolrich plaid and deer hunter from the ground. By the way I still wear Woolrich red and black when it gets cold. I’m the butt of a lot of jokes at deer camp.

I just couldn't find a way to shoot or zero my new-to-me Ruger with the open sights on the rifle; tried my bifocals and Rx ballistic shooting glasses, so decided to move a spare AR Leupold to it. At first, had trouble sourcing the proper rings/mounts, but then found on Ebay a new set precisely for my rifle. Was easy, and works great for my aging eyes. By the way, I made up a wooden rifle bench device for working on my rifles, just takes a moment to clamp it to my work bench, pad the two ends to securely hold whatever firearm I want to work on, usually sights and cleaning, and whatever.

I did nor want a dot optic or big bulky scope on my rifle, that sort of sighting device just seemed too "modern" or just out of place on my carbine.

Works for me... SF VET[IMG][/IMG]

On a side note for those interested while this is from memory IIRC there were was a change in late production 44 carbines, earlier versions have two screws in the top of the receiver that holds a part inside, late version have what looks like two plugs there that IIRC were some sort of rivet .

I have heard the 44 carbine was Rugers first rifle and that the 10-22 came after as a companion piece.

I've owned 2 over the years. Shot a lot of cast bullets through them with zero problems.

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S&W Accumulator

mine has two screws in the top of the receiver, with cautions about being sure not to unscrew them, thinking they are part of a scope ring mounting. But they are bigger than the scope screw holes anyway. I think this and an M1 Carbine are just great firearms. I reload for both. SF VET

If you read the advertisement that I posted above, it confirms that the 44 carbine was the first rifle that Ruger produced in 1963. The 10-22's were shortly behind it with some coming out in 1964, then they really hit the streets in 1965 with full production.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

Nice look; my Penn's Woods "Brush gun" (Ruger 77/357) and CZ 527 FS/mannlicher (.223/5.56) all wear small Leupold 1-4x20 scopes.