Deciding on 44spl or 44acp revolver

[diyj98]

Since Smith can only make good 44 specials and cant make a good 44 magnum, i would choose the 45 as my biased opinion. Rugers got them cornered in the 44. But they make one terribly awesome model 25 or 625.

I've prefered my 629's over any Ruger 44 I've owned. The old model Blackhawks were great guns, but the new models don't impress me as much.

 

[Rick_A]

That's an easy one.

20140815_134250_LLS by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

Common calibers in my favorite shooters.

Rimz moon clips are great for practice. If it wasn't for them I may not have purchased it

 

[Ed Fowler]

I dearly love my 625, have shot it more than other center fire revolvers just because the 45 AR cartridges are plentiful from Star Line and a delight, can shoot them over 40 times before rims get too big to fit in my Dillon, never a split case (over time the rims swell and will not fit in the shell holder).

Mine is a very accurate revolver.

 

[Lou_the_welder]

I've prefered my 629's over any Ruger 44 I've owned. The old model Blackhawks were great guns, but the new models don't impress me as much.

I wasn't talking about a SA Blackhawk! The Redhawk and Super Redhawk are about as bullet proof, as they get! Much stronger than any 29 and scoped, very "E"fficient

 

[diyj98]

I wasn't talking about a SA Blackhawk! The Redhawk and Super Redhawk are about as bullet proof, as they get! Much stronger than any 29View attachment 222511 and scoped, very "E"fficient

I know. I just meant the only Ruger I'd put in the same class with a 629 is the old model Blackhawk. The Redhawk and Super Redhawk are strong guns, but I find the 629 much better craftsmanship. We all have our preferences, but the 629 normally showed better triggers, smoother actions, and to be normally better accuracy than the Ruger guns.

 

[ontargetagain]

That's an easy one.

20140815_134250_LLS by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

Common calibers in my favorite shooters.

Rimz moon clips are great for practice. If it wasn't for them I may not have purchased it

Hey, go back and do your head shots with the S&W
Nice shooting with both pieces!
Karl

 

[g-dad]

I understand how you feel, tradition is a hard thing to deviate from Shooting a 1911 45acp is just a wonderful marriage of gun and round, I have a nice 1911 for that.
Maybe to make things 'right' I will shoot the 45 rimmed case out of the revolver that way it's not an 'auto' cartridge

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions....all good stuff
Karl

1 caliber with 2 different ways of delivery. It don't get no better than that!!

 

[at_liberty]

Since Smith can only make good 44 specials and cant make a good 44 magnum, i would choose the 45 as my biased opinion. Rugers got them cornered in the 44. But they make one terribly awesome model 25 or 625.

Sorry if you had a bad experience, but my 5" 629 Classic is an awesome gun that shoots great and makes me look like a good shot. My two Redhawks, while in 45 Colt, may be strong and capable of 30k psi loads but are not in the same class as my Smith.

 

[CajunBass]

I'm coming late to this party, and the OP may have made his choice for all I know.
I didn't wade through 13-14 pages of replies, but here's my take on it.

I've never cared for a revolver chambered for a semi-auto cartridge, so that's out for me.

I do like the 44 Special cartridge. I've got a Model 69 that I shoot Special level loads in
magnum brass in. That's my D/A. And I can shoot Magnum loads in it, if I want to.



But for real fun with the 44 Special, I ended up with a pair of Uberti, 1871/72 Open Top, Colt Copies in 44 Special.
Light, svelte, easy handling, comfortable to shoot, pretty to look at.

Right hand



Left hand.



They always attract attention at the range.

 

[daddy bear]

Pardon my ignorance. When did 148 grain wad cutters become inaccurate past 25 yards?

My 4" 28 still stacks them nicely at fifty from atop bags. Off hand, I don't do so well anymore. Could be age and eyes to a degree.

Jack

 

[steelslaver]

As far as the old school thing goes the 44 special and the 45 acp revolver are both getting up there in years. The 44 special came out in 1907 and it was only 10 years later that the 1917 45acp came into being.

I reload and ammo availability doesn't matter much to me. But, you can get a selection of 45 acp ammo anywhere. Not near as much selection or availability of 44 spec.I can get 500 45 acps way way cheaper than 500 44 spec. At the ammo manufacturing place near my brothers I can get 500 acps for $140. For hollow points I paid $150 for 500. I bought a lot of each. $290 for 1000 loaded rds. No bulk 44 specials. To buy 1000 rds of unloaded 44 special brass would be $210.

 

[at_liberty]

As far as the old school thing goes the 44 special and the 45 acp revolver are both getting up there in years. The 44 special came out in 1907 and it was only 10 years later that the 1917 45acp came into being.

I reload and ammo availability doesn't matter much to me. But, you can get a selection of 45 acp ammo anywhere. Not near as much selection or availability of 44 spec.I can get 500 45 acps way way cheaper than 500 44 spec. At the ammo manufacturing place near my brothers I can get 500 acps for $140. For hollow points I paid $150 for 500. I bought a lot of each. $290 for 1000 loaded rds. No bulk 44 specials. To buy 1000 rds of unloaded 44 special brass would be $210.

I think it is more than how to make the cheapest holes in paper. The 44 Special is the one that is actually a revolver round, admittedly more attractive to the reloader for lack of ammo distribution.

 

[StrawHat]

steelslaver,

The 44 special cartridge was introduced in 1907. The 45 ACP cartridge was developed by 1905.

Kevin

 

[Marc.38]

I own a 629 .44 Mag 6" and when I use it with ammunition .44 SPL is like shooting with a .22 LR. It is a convenient and accurate shot. I own also a Charter Bulldog .44 SPL 2" for self defense. I definitely recommend the .44 SPL, either in a specific revolver for this or a Magnum.

 

[Jcmiller]

I am a fan of both. I recently bought a Model 69 and it's a ***** cat with 44 Special loads.


I also have a 325 Thunder Ranch which is my wheel gun I qualified with for my CCW. It shoots great and it is also a ***** cat to shoot. In fact I shot a bit better with it than my Kimber Pro CDP II or my Glock 23 during qualifying.

 

[ontargetagain]

Well I still have not acquired a dedicated 44spl revolver but it still is on the want list, meanwhile a nice offering came along on a 625-4 5" Model of 1989 that I had to jump on!

Thanks for the continued interest in the topic, I will find a bargain on a 44spl in the future...........
Thanks
Karl

 

[BC38]

Don't get the 44 acp unless you handload for it, finding factory 44 acp ammo is tough.

I was wondering when someone was going to comment on that. I was really tempted, but abstained.

 

[trooplewis]

One more vote for a M69 Combat Masterpiece. I was going to get a Ruger SA Flattop in .44 spl to go with my Bulldog when S&W hit the Calif Firearms Roster with the M69.

An L-Frame that can handle 44mag or 44 spl, what is not to like?

It won't make me give up my SA Ruger Vaquero Birdshead in .45ACP, but who says I can't have the best of both worlds?

 

[Vulcan Bob]

If you don't like the moon clips for the .45 ACP just use the .45 Auto Rim, problem solved. If you can live with the dreaded IL the 21-4 in .44 Special and 22-4 in .45 ACP/Auto Rim are fine revolvers, I have both and do rather like them.

 

[StrawHat]

...There's no sexier lines in the shooting world than a tapered-barre N-frame target revolver ...If I were to win the lottery (kinda hard since I don't buy tickets), I would either buy a Model 26, or have one built from a Model 28. The 26 was the tapered barrel version of the 25, and there were precious few made...

jtcarm,

I was rereading this thread and saw your post. Back in the early 80s, I was looking for a Model 26 and discovered they were all more money than I could afford. I had a 28-2 and an ACP cylinder. Took the barrel off and shipped it to Dick Nickel who bored and rifled it for the 452 bullet and shipped it back to me. I turned a bit off the shoulder of the barrel so it would sit deeper in the frame and installed the new cylinder. Had to go after one or three of the ratchet teeth so the chambers would line up correctly and had to trim the breech of the barrel to get decent barrel cylinder gap. Removed and replaced the frame lug and should have quit there. I didn't and went so far as to round the grip frame for a set of "K" round butt grips. Eventually figured I preferred the square "N" better, oh well.

Anyway, fro very little money, I ended up with a 4" tapered barrel "N" frame with adjustable sights. I did not bother to get it refinished, it looked good to me as it sat.

Here it is, pictured with what is perhaps the penultimate police revolver, the M22-4. I like them both. Just realized the photo also has the Model 25-2 that carried me into a lot of wins during competition and one of the many 1917s I also like.

Kevin