Do I need a SW 44 magnum revolver or not?

[onemanwolfpack]

If you have to ask then the answer is YES

 

[Mr.Harry]

I don't know why I can't stop reading this thread or refrain from commenting. But you (OP) are obviously a fan of smiths, the .44 mag is Smith's CHILD. It's an amazing round that is so successful on a variety of levels and in many manufacturer's firearms, but it's smith's baby. I could go on to argue that if there is one round MOST suited to REVOLVER over auto-loader... But I will not. If you appreciate S&W revolvers, I would tell you the ONLY one, or the FIRST one you should posess is a .44 mag.

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

The reason the .44 magnum was developed was for the handgun hunter of larger game or defense against dangerous animals. Outside of that the only need to have a gun like that is enjoyment of a powerful handgun.
[...]

My S&W69 shooting 180gr JHP's at 1700 ft/s is an AWESOME two-legged predator stopper.

 

[SLT223]

I shot this 44 magnum revolver tonight, I believe it's a model 29. I definitely don't need this one. Why would they make a snub-nose in this caliber? It's one mean bitch.

Because a snub nose in that caliber is one of the most versitile firearms ever made.....especially in the hands of a reloader.

It can be used to plink with light slug low velocity rounds all the way up to something that can drop a brown bear.

 

[Da Nang Seabee]

I've had my .44 Blackhawk since 1970. I shoot mostly .44 special because the 44 mag is uncomfortable for me to shoot. The specials are a pleasure to shoot. I would not sell it unless I really had to.
I suggest going to a range and renting one or borrow one and try it out.
What's kind of fun (indoor range) is to start shooting specials and when the range loads up sneak in 6 magnums and light the place up a bit. I know; I'm a nasty man.

 

[JohnAC]

Couple thoughts...

1. Yes, you need a 44 mag. Every collection should have one.

2. I love when threads turn into show and tell!

3. I think a 629-2 or -3 Classic Hunter like the one below would go great with your collection.

 

[Engine49guy]

So many variables when comparing 45 Colt/ACP to .44 Special/Magnum,
IIRC the 45 Colt goes back to 1873 in the black powder days compared to the .44 special which was introduced around 1907 as a smokeless powder round ,
IMO when comparing .44 special to .45 Colt they are quite similar with perhaps a slight advantage to the 45.

While there is nothing stopping someone from pushing a 45 Colt round to Magnum pressures and velocities older .45 Colt handguns still exist and if that "Magnumized" ammo finds its way into one it can spell disaster.

For this very reason the .357 and .44 Magnums were introduced with slightly longer cases so those rounds would not fit in older guns accidentally (product liability) .

The old Military .30-06 rifle round had a similar limitation since it pre dates WWI leading to the development of the .308 Nato round in the 1950's.

Arguably the greatest advantage in choosing a.44 Magnum handgun over .45 Colt (especially if you dont handload) is the greater availability of modern ammo in retail outlets as well as a larger variety of firearms chambered in the .44 Magnum over .45 Colt .

Im admittedly a bit of a Ruger .44 carbine fan and enjoy the interchangeability of ammo between my S&W .44 Magnum revolver with my Ruger rifle while having the option to tame my S&W revolvers recoil with factory .44 Special when punching holes in paper .

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I decided 357 is enough for me.

 

[model70hunter]

I wasn't joking. Sorry. For normative, practical handgun shooting the .44 Magnum is an over powered beast and anything it can do the .45 Colt can do equally well except, maybe, as I noted, take down large, dangerous game. But if that's what you're after then a .460, or .454, or .500 is likely better.

Perhaps in the field against soft game like deer a 6 inch barreled .44 Magnum will outperform a similar .45 Colt, if there is one, but that is barely within the standard, practical use I was discussing.

Nota bene:Standard loads are under discussion - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not shoot hot .45 Colt loads in a Single Action Army or replica thereof, except one built heavier and stronger like a Ruger single action.



Tell me in what way, please. I'm not being disrespectful or mean spirited about the .44 Magnum, I just want to know what you folks think a .44 Magnum can do that a .45 Colt in an N frame or a Ruger Vaquero (for instance, especially an original one) cannot do.

Further, in one afternoon's shooting session you can probably shoot twice as many standard .45 Colt rounds in an N frame than you can .44 Magnum rounds.

This has nothing to do with .44 Specials in a .44 Magnum - I used to load my 3" M629 only with .44 Specials. That is not the point here.

And, for the record:



The .44 Magnum is an American icon mostly because of the Dirty Harry movies and while it might have been the most powerful handgun in the world for a short while there is a flaw in the story - if you research the Dirty Harry stories you will find that Inspector Callahan admits that he loaded that gun with .44 Specials.

Eminently sensible.



Well, it's a small club to be sure; I don't know about elite and, either way, I quit that club long ago.

One side story, just because:

A number of years ago I became a certified Texas concealed handgun license instructor. Because revolvers and pistols are used by our general populace instructors must pass the shooting test with one of each. On that particular day I used a now sold Norinco 1911 and a 6" barreled 586, just for fun. High score is 250 and I scored 248 with each, dropping one 15 yard round out of the center of mass 5 ring. 50 rounds per gun - lotsa fun and no big deal, just an intro to what follows:

The young man next to me was a police officer from a town near San Angelo, Texas. His pistol is long forgotten. His revolver was a 4 inch barreled .44 Magnum and his ammunition was factory, full house .44 Magnum. I looked at him and asked him if he was out of his mind and in pure Texas fashion he snorted that it was no big deal. (After all, I'm under 40 and I'm a policeman from Texas!)

At the conclusion of the test, which somehow he managed to pass, his shooting hands were bloody, blistered, and immediately bandaged. He looked at me sheepishly and said, "You were right; I'll never do that again."

And that's the gun and caliber you folks adore?

YMMV, as they say, and I'm not interested in that caliber. Period. I'll likely use a .45 Colt (Model 25-5) for my next test; I don't expect any blood or blisters.

I hear you, not all guns/calibers are for all folks.

You mentioned standard 45 Colt. As soon as I ran the 950 FPS AMMO I went Elmer Keith on my old Blackhawk loads. I fired 4 boxes one afternoon and somewhere in the 3rd one I noticed a stinging in my right hand from sweat. It was a popped blister about the size of a dime. I grabbed a glove and continued on.

Nothing standard about those loads. But then I like magnum rifles too.

 

[bananaman]

I "think" that I want something without someone's help. I am 63, and never fired a 44 magnum. I "think" that I want 1 still! I have a 25-15 in 45 Colt, and a Ruger Bisley in Colt also. So far, it is keeping me from taking the plunge. BUT... if the right deal came along, who knows??? Bob

 

[Sgt_Schultz]

I have this gem for sale! It needs a good home... Lew Horton Smith & Wesson Model 624 (S&W #103580), serial number ALU05XXX, is indeed a Lew Horton Special Edition. This model was unique in the market place at that that time, being chambered in .44 Special and having a three inch barrel. This gun is one of 7000 units produced. These Model 624’s were manufactured by Smith & Wesson and delivered to Lew Horton Distributing from 1985 to 1987. This particular gun was shipped from Smith & Wesson to Lew Horton’s in June of 1985.

Smith & Wesson 624 Lew Horton 44 Spec. 3" Barrel : Revolvers at GunBroker.com

 

[Mr.Harry]

The .44 Magnum was SO GONE like 10 years ago!
WHY would ANYONE choose to carry a .44 Magnum when they could just as easily, and for nearly the same money, carry a .500 Magnum producing double the KE?

The .44 Magnum was and in many way still is "relevant" in the ballistics world, but the reality is there are quite a number of NEWER calibers that make the .44 Magnum look pointless!

And I guess we'll have to wait about 60 years to see if they retain that same 'relevance'.

 

[Mister X]

I consider myself a revolver guy and I don't own a .44 magnum nor see any need to unless I was venturing in into bear territory or something, which I don't plan on doing.

I do see a practical defense need for snub revolvers and that is what I own exclusively.

 

[BigBill]

I've owned rugers in 44 mag since the DH days. But in my sub conscience I wanted a S&W m29. Four years ago I got one. I think every revolver guy shouldn't be without a S&W m29. It's a crime not to own one.
Shame, shame, shame on you if you don't own a m29.

 

[g5m]

Look for a nice, older one. You'll appreciate it.

 

[BIGDOC]

Yes.....you need a S&W .44.....YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE TO STOP A VEHICLE....lol

 

[Etalksalot]

To comment on the detracting qualities of the .44 mag I most often hear voiced in this thread & others - Ammo is cost prohibitive) yes, if you do not load reload (I do not) it isn't a cheap gun to put in extended shooting sessions with. Neither do I have much disposable income, but it doesn't prevent me from shooting it with a fair amount of frequency. I guess it's all relative; the cost versus the amount of shooting one does, but it brings me deep joy and satisfaction to shoot it within the limitations of my means. The recoil is excessive) no, I don't find this at all personally. Although mine has a 6 1/2" barrel with full lug. This absolutely makes a huge difference in felt recoil as I've fired .357's in L frames with short barrels that were far more uncomfortable to shoot. They're unnecessarily over-powered) no. Especially if you ever have any intentions of hunting or using it for trail carry. A .357 will cover a lot of bases but not all of them when it comes to larger game and four footed adversaries. I bought one with the intentions of covering as many applications as possible. Same as I do with all my guns, rifle, shotgun or other; because I cannot afford an armory's worth of different firearms all suited to very singular/specific purposes, nor do I want that. In deciding to get a .44 mag revolver i sought a gun for hunting, trail carry, home defense, and even open carry where permitted. If I had to, I could shoulder strap it concealed under something, but it wouldn't be my first choice for concealed carry. You often hear that 44 mag is too much for home defense or CC. That it will over-penetrate and is thus a poor/unsafe choice, and I understand the logic behind this completely. As others have pointed out, 44 special or mild magnum loads could be the answer to this 'problem', but there is another thing to consider here - myself, God forbid, I ever find myself in an 'End Days' type of scenario, well if so I WANT to be able to shoot THROUGH walls, doors, car doors, refrigerators, etc. just my two cents.

My agreement with your 2 cents is absolute. I love 44 mags. I never understood the problem with over penetration. If you shoot someone with a .44 hollow point, it would make a huge hole going through that person and I'd imagine that'd do the trick just fine. I get what the guy above you is saying, but I only make it to the range 1-3 times a year and I'd absolutely love to own a .44 Mag. I saw a YouTube video where a guy lined up about 20 phone books and had them braced and from maybe 10 feet away, it blew through 10 of them!! Not tiny phone books either! It even damaged the 11th one. If that does take down your intended foe, I'd highly recommend tucking your tail between your legs and boltin!! That is immensely awesome!! I don't reload either, but I can buy a couple boxes of rounds for it. I plan on getting an old school 4 inch Smith & Wesson Model 29 one day, but I plan to get a blued, snub, square butt Chief Special, a 3 inch nickel Chief Special and a blued, snub 19 first, but the 29 or 629 had moved up quickly on my list of guns to aquire.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Wow! Zombie thread!

In my puerile interest, I read through it and I came away with two thoughts...

1.) Doesn't own a 44. Why the heck not?! Get one! Heck, I have 4 mags and 4 specials, least you can do is get one.

2.) (and this is the big one) Doesn't care about Dirty Harry. OMG! I'm going to walk away and let you guys edit your posts before I come back...

 

[CH4]

Everyone needs the basics:

22LR
12 ga
30-06
44 mag

 

[CDR_Glock]

The 44 is my threshold gun. I got my first 44 Magnum from one of my best friends, a S&W PC 629 7.5" Hunter.

I went bigger, and bigger, and bigger still, getting a 454 Casull, 460, and then a 500.

I found, though, that the 454 Casull was my magic spot around my area, so I have 3.

To round it out, I also recently acquired a 3" 44 Magnum.

As beautiful as wood looks, it's not conducive to shooting heavy loads. I'm expecting a set of Hogue grips to tame the punch.

So do you need one? Yes. Particularly if you're a reloader. It is a versatile caliber where you can go very hot (bear load 44 Magnum) or quite light (44 Special).


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