There always seems to be an interest in the stainless steel 5 shot .44 spcl. I decided to start a new thread and relate on my experience with one of my favorite Smith & Wesson. It does not carry as easy as 5 shot .38 special but it has a larger bullet. It is not as comapct as a "slab sided 1911" but it can handle different loads without a worry. I did not like the feel of the rubber grips so I bought rosewood from S&W.
I have carried my revolver mostly on hikes through the woods and fishing. Because of the shorter bbl length, it is out of the way paddling in my canoe. There is still plenty of punch in the .44, even with the velocity loss. It conceals easily under a shirt or jacket and with a IWB holster it disappears under a T shirt. There are too many snakes in this state and I unfortunately shot a rattler on the trail. It did not rattle and my wife and I almost stepped on the 4 footer. Three feet away, coiled and ready to strike. It was fear for my algeric wife, that caused my reflexes to take over. I try to be observant but saw it in the nick of time. Who knows if it would have bit one of us.
There is plenty of loads for the .44 special. It is fun to shoot and the recoil is low enough for my wife and daughter to enjoy a day plinking. I like Speer Gold Dots, Federal and Winchester 200 grn bullets. The Federal LHSWC is the most accurate in my revolver, followed by 6.4 grns of Unique pushing a 225 grn LSWC. Of course the first 2 loads in the cylinder are CCI snake shot. There are good cartridge carriers on the market. I especially like the Tuff speed strip similar to the one made by Bianchi for the .38 / .357. I have one in my top shirt pocket.
There are bears, alligators, poisonous snakes, pythons now, and panthers, even sightings of a skunk ape, Floridas bigfoot. ;-)
The most dangerous of all are the homeless people living in the middle of no where off the trails. They are always watching what you are carrying and often approach asking for cigarrettes. My S&W 696 is always a comfort when encountering the wildlife especially the inquisitive strangers. I know the compact revolver can keep things safe, at least it has so far.
I have no monitary interest or stock in any of the products. Feel free to comment on anything but my spelling.
I have carried my revolver mostly on hikes through the woods and fishing. Because of the shorter bbl length, it is out of the way paddling in my canoe. There is still plenty of punch in the .44, even with the velocity loss. It conceals easily under a shirt or jacket and with a IWB holster it disappears under a T shirt. There are too many snakes in this state and I unfortunately shot a rattler on the trail. It did not rattle and my wife and I almost stepped on the 4 footer. Three feet away, coiled and ready to strike. It was fear for my algeric wife, that caused my reflexes to take over. I try to be observant but saw it in the nick of time. Who knows if it would have bit one of us.
There is plenty of loads for the .44 special. It is fun to shoot and the recoil is low enough for my wife and daughter to enjoy a day plinking. I like Speer Gold Dots, Federal and Winchester 200 grn bullets. The Federal LHSWC is the most accurate in my revolver, followed by 6.4 grns of Unique pushing a 225 grn LSWC. Of course the first 2 loads in the cylinder are CCI snake shot. There are good cartridge carriers on the market. I especially like the Tuff speed strip similar to the one made by Bianchi for the .38 / .357. I have one in my top shirt pocket.
There are bears, alligators, poisonous snakes, pythons now, and panthers, even sightings of a skunk ape, Floridas bigfoot. ;-)
The most dangerous of all are the homeless people living in the middle of no where off the trails. They are always watching what you are carrying and often approach asking for cigarrettes. My S&W 696 is always a comfort when encountering the wildlife especially the inquisitive strangers. I know the compact revolver can keep things safe, at least it has so far.
I have no monitary interest or stock in any of the products. Feel free to comment on anything but my spelling.
