Good early .44 Magnum articles?

[jphendren]

I am looking for a list of early .44 Magnum articles. I recently picked up a Model 29 from 1961, and find the .44 Magnum to be a great and interesting round. I discovered that the .44 Magnum was used to kill a polar bear back in 1965, by Robert E. Peterson. Were there any good articles on that expedition? Any other early articles on the .44 Magnum, Model 29, and big game hunting with the Model 29 that you can think of?

Thanks,

Jared

 

[jubela#4]

A good book with alot of articles about model 29's would be Elmer Keith's Gun Notes. It's a collection of his magazine articles and he writes alot about the 44 magnum.

 

[Inspector-Callahan]

Jared,

I too have been looking for an article detailing the Petersen polar bear hunt. I did read somehing not too long ago in the wake of Robert Petersens death that the publisher displayed the full size polar bear mount in his office. I would love to read more about the trip.

I would imagine that this would have been something that S&W had records of as this would have promoted their magnum 44.

IC

 

[5-Shot]

I believe Petersen's story might have been in Guns & Ammo. Good luck in finding it.

Many years ago the University of Maryland had bound copies of American Rifleman going waaaay back. I have no idea if they're still around. I'm sure AR had an article on the 29's introduction.

Ed

 

[Dashriprock]

Just looked at my incomplete set of 1965 G&A's and I don't have the issue with the Petersen article.

It's bloody difficult to build complete magazine sets. Since 1965 is my birth year, it's particularly irksome! I do have a complete Shooting Times 1965 set, but no .44 Magnum features ran.

However, I do have a complete set of Gun Digest and the 1957 piece titled "A Man's Handgun" by Col. Charles Askins is a peach, if you like his style. There are others over the years from other authors as well.

Rules prohibit posting scans of copyrighted material here, but I'd be happy to scan and email some of these if you PM me with an email address.

 

[jphendren]

Dashriprock,

I tried to PM you my e-mail address, but it says you are not accepting PM's.

Jared

 

[David LaPell]

One of my very early reloading manuals, I think from 1956, has an article by Elmer Keith on reloading the .44 Magnum. It was an add on because there was not alot of reloading data at that time.

 

[Dashriprock]

Jared, I just went and checked and all settings are right -- I should be able to receive them.

No sweat, just drop me a line to

eleemtb at comcast dot net

and we'll go from there.

 

[Rule3]

Google

Click on the links at the bottom of wikipeda


The Smith & Wesson .44 Mag - Robert E. Petersen's Massive Polar Bear Mount Donated to the NRA - Hunting Photos

.44 Magnum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The .44 Magnum: 50 years young! | American Handgunner | Find Articles at BNET

 

[jphendren]

Dashriprock, still a no go. This is the message I get, I wonder if I am doing something wrong?

"Dashriprock has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.

If you are trying to send this message to multiple recipients, remove Dashriprock from the recipient list and send the message again."

OCD1, thanks for the links.

Jared

 

[29-1]

I am looking for a list of early .44 Magnum articles. I recently picked up a Model 29 from 1961, and find the .44 Magnum to be a great and interesting round. I discovered that the .44 Magnum was used to kill a polar bear back in 1965, by Robert E. Peterson. Were there any good articles on that expedition? Any other early articles on the .44 Magnum, Model 29, and big game hunting with the Model 29 that you can think of?

Thanks,

Jared

Here is about the best list of early 44 mags available from PRE-64
Chuck
Mr, dnonac,
You might find the following listing helpful when searching for early literature regarding the S&W .44 Magnum;
Jan-56 All Model Circular
March, 1956 U S Hand-Gunner Review/AD
March, 1956 American Rifleman 24 Review Maj. Gen. Julian Hatcher
April, 1956 American Rifleman 66 Full Page AD
May, 1956 Argosy 36 Article Pete Kuhlhoff
May, 1956 Argosy 67 AD
May, 1956 American Rifleman 78 1/5th Page AD
1956 Gopher's Shooter Suppy Catalog #11
June, 1956 Guns 39 Article Kent Bellah
June, 1956 American Rifleman 75 AD
June, 1956 American Rifleman 109 AD
August, 1956 American Rifleman 11 Full Page AD
August, 1956 American Rifleman 113 Full Page AD
September, 1956 American Rifleman 124 1/5th Page AD
September, 1956 American Rifleman 120 2" x 4" Ad
October, 1956 Argosy 42-43 & 87-88 Review Elmer Keith
October, 1956 American Rifleman 98 1/5th Page AD
October, 1956 American Rifleman 30 Review E.J. Hoffschmidt
October, 1956 American Rifleman 9 Full Page AD
November, 1956 American Rifleman 90 AD
December, 1956 American Rifleman 75 AD
Mechanix Illustrated Review
1957 The New Lucian Cary on "GUNS" 104 Review Lucian Cary
1957 Gun Digest 11 Article Col. Charles Askins
1957 Gun Digest 118 Article Maj. Gen. Julian Hatcher
1957 Popular Handguns 103 Picture Larry Koller
1961 Sixguns Book Elmer Keith
I've always found that finding/ reading the literature is, for me, almost as enjoyable as locating the gun. It adds that little somthing extra...
Thanks,
J.C.

 

[Dashriprock]

Dashriprock, still a no go. This is the message I get, I wonder if I am doing something wrong?

"Dashriprock has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.

If you are trying to send this message to multiple recipients, remove Dashriprock from the recipient list and send the message again."

OCD1, thanks for the links.

Jared

Must be. I just tested it and rechecked settings -- all good. Like I said, email me direct to eleemtb at comcast dot net with your mail address.

 

[Rule3]

Must be. I just tested it and rechecked settings -- all good. Like I said, email me direct to eleemtb at comcast dot net with your mail address.

You probably need to clean out you SENT and Received (in and out boxes)
If you have more than 25 you are over.

 

[Dashriprock]

jphendren, you have a PM.

*halfwit alert! I seem to have not noticed that one little check box about getting PMs ONLY from listed contacts. Fixed it.

 

[Texas Star]

This was in, Guns and Ammo soon after the hunt. I read the article then and asked Petersen by mail if he'd had any flaking or other problems with the gun's nickel finish.

I got a reply advising me to check about such matters with Kelly Lookabaugh (sp?)), who was S&W's rep in the Los Angeles area. I'm almost certain about his name, but never contacted him.

Based on what I know now about gun magazines, I suspect that he (Petersen) would never have said anything bad about an advertiser's procuct!

I eventually met Bob Petersen at the SHOT show, but did not have a chance to ask him about the polar bear hunt or nickel finishes. He was a very ...self confident... man with whom I felt little rapport. He reminded me strongly of a condescending salesman. But I met him only briefly. It is possible that if he knew someone better, he might have been nicer to know.

I believe that he shot the bear with factory mmo, and the bullet passed through. He used 240 grain bullets, but I don't recall how many shots. I think only one or two. I have a vague recollection that the bullet(s) went through both shoulders, which surprised me, but maybe I just recall that they penetrated all the way through the chest/heart. I'm almost sure that the bear dropped at once, with no trouble.

Mr. Petersen was an experienced hunter and probably a superb shot.

Maybe someone else has the magazine and can recite the details.

I never heard yea or nay on the nickel finish, but when stainless guns came out, it was no longer an issue for me.

A few years ago, maybe a decade, a Norwegian explorer had to shoot an aggressive polar bear with a S&W .44 Magnum. The exact model and barrel length weren't stated. He killed the bear, but animal-hugging readers raked him over the coals for it in letters to the editor of, National Geographic. I felt disgust at their attitude. What have some people come to, in their PETA brainwashing, that they'd suggest that this man allow himself to be killed rather than shoot the bear?!

T-Star

 

[Dashriprock]

If one googles robert petersen 44 magnum polar bear, there are quite a few references, though no G&A article.

Most sources claim five rounds to drop the bear. Heck, there's even a Popular Mechanics ref out there!

 

[jphendren]

I also read 5 rounds, of Norma 240gr ammunition. Supposedly this stuff was HOT!! From what I found, all 5 shots reached vital organs, but 2 or 3 completely penetrated. I will buy the magazine if I can find one, but so far no luck. A nice scan of it would be greatly appreciated if anybody has it. The bear was spotted from an aircraft, or helicopter. Then hunted on foot in -50ºF weather. I'm not sure of these details, but found them mentioned on various gun forums.

Jared

 

[7tenz]

If one googles robert petersen 44 magnum polar bear, there are quite a few references, though no G&A article.

Most sources claim five rounds to drop the bear. Heck, there's even a Popular Mechanics ref out there!

Just a sidenote, I first learned of the Wildey 45 and 9mm magnums from a Popular Science mag, long before anybody else.