Hello,
From "The Arms Chest" (classifieds) section of the December 1945 issue of "American Rifleman":
".44 Special loads, exhaustive tabulation of 650 tested handloads
for .44 Special, "Handgun Cartridge #1", limited, numbered edition,
$1.00 postpaid. 44 Associates, Auburn, Mass."
"American Rifleman" articles of interest to .44 Special fans:
August, 1944 "The S&W Triple-Lock and the .44 Special Cartridge", by Gordon C. Boser
February, 1949 "'Magnumizing' the .44", by George W. Rice
February, 1953 ".44 Dynamite", by John W. Zlatich
May, 1953 "Expanding Bullets for the .44", by John W. Zlatich
October, 1953 ".44 Special vs. .357 Magnum", by John W. Zlatich
In Zlatich's first article, he shows several loads in the 1,200 - 1,500 fps range, and talks about muzzle velocities up to 1,600 fps.
The "American Rifleman" articles are much easier to locate than the 44 Associates document. I believe that NRA members can obtain photocopies of old articles through Member Services.