.44 Large Frame Revolvers for home defense.

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

CA has never been a match to a S&W. CA started business in 1964 and since day #1 they had a bad reputation.

Charter Arms - Wikipedia

Not with me, it didn't. I bought a Bulldog when it first came out and had NO problems with the gun. The grips didn't fit perfectly and were shimmed with a glued-in matchstick so that they did, but they handled recoil very well and allowed secure "Mexican carry," better than any other gun except perhaps a 1911. Factory ammunition (246gr RNL) backed out of the case after four rounds, but handloads and a heavy crimp took care of that.

The gun shot well, carried well, and never gave me a problem. I wish I still had it.

The link is interesting, but says nothing about a bad reputation.

 

[wood714]

About a month ago I picked up a Charter Arms Bulldog 14420.
So far I've shot 150 rds of the HSM 44S-5-N Cowboy Action
(200gr LFP) and 100 rds of Lee 200gr LFP powder coat over 5
grains of Herco, That load chronographed in the mid 730's out
of the 2 1/2" barrel.

I bought a 44 Bulldog a few years ago for a truck gun. Now if I'm not traveling it's my desk gun.

Those 44 Special Gold Dots would leave a mark!

 

[Shibadog]

I bought a 44 Bulldog a few years ago for a truck gun. Now if I'm not traveling it's my desk gun.

Those 44 Special Gold Dots would leave a mark!

Now THAT's a hollow point

 

[dbescher]

It's not a Smith but it does have a MUCH better trigger.

This is definitely true, at least on 21st century Smittys. Bulldogs are also dead solid reliable, relatively light, surprisingly accurate, and fire a potent cartridge.

Cost, I think, is perhaps their single best quality. You can crack some malefactor in the teeth with a bulldog as many times as you want and as hard as you want. If it falls apart or the barrel bends, so what? Kick it into the nearest storm drain and go buy a new one.

 

[Shibadog]

I've spent a lot of nights camping with my model 69 close at hand. 5 rounds of .44 Mag should suffice for things that go bump in the night. At home it backs up a 12 gauge.

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

I've spent a lot of nights camping with my model 69 close at hand. 5 rounds of .44 Mag should suffice for things that go bump in the night.

I also used to carry one. It's a great gun, but it didn't like my extremely relaxed type of shooting ... the recoil would cause the cylinder stop to unlock during the firing of the second-to-last round, and the cylinder would rotate the last round to the firing position. When the hammer was then cocked, that last live round would be rotated away from the barrel, and the first fired round would be rotated into place. So I would only have 4 shots, not 5.

It could be fixed by using titanium for the cylinder stop, but no one makes them, as far as I know.

So I had to switch to a 5" N-Frame 629 for my EDC ... it's enough heavier that the cylinder unlocking doesn't occur.

 

[Hawg Rider]

I'm a big fan of N-frame revolvers, including .44 Magnums. But the intent of this Thread was "for home defense". Although the .44 Magnum round is certainly a manstopper, you need to consider the standard concerns for home defense: family members in the house, design of your house, and its proximity to neighbors. Even the milder .44 Magnum HP rounds have a lot of penetration power...wood, drywall, stucco, etc. If you and the wife live alone on an isolated piece of property, then there's probably no issue with a large caliber handgun (or rifle, for that matter). But if you have other family members in the house and/or neighbors' houses are very close...you need to think about where those rounds could go. And then with a large revolver there's the limited number of rounds (usually 6) and no way to mount a white light. Just sayin'. Personally, I keep a S&W M&P 10mm 2.0 (15 + 1 SIG V crown HPs) with weapon light and red dot in the night stand. There's also a 12 ga. semi-auto shotgun with 00 Buck and weapon light standing by. My wife and I live alone and neighbors' houses are far enough away so I think we're good.

 

[A10]

Never seen a nickel 29-9. That is one spiffy revolver! I'm thinkin' Imma need on sometime....