Smallest rev. that will shoot .44 Spec.?

[Triggernosis]

Can someone inform me as to what the smallest revolver is that will shoot the .44 Special?

 

[ladder13]

Charter Arms Bulldog?

 

[DCWilson]

In current S&W production that would be an L-frame gun like the 396 Night Guard. Other L-frames, no longer in production but avidly sought by collectors, are the 296 and 696. These L-frame .44s are all five-shooters. I'm not familiar with what other manufacturers may offer, but smallness is obviously constrained by the basic dimensions of the round. The bigger the cylinder gets, the bigger the frame window gets, which makes overall dimensions larger...

 

[Spotteddog]

Charter Arms Bull Dog.
I only hope I live long enough to see S&W make the ultimate BUG. A Bull Dog sized S&W.

 

[sonny]

Charter Arms Bull Dog.
I only hope I live long enough to see S&W make the ultimate BUG. A Bull Dog sized S&W.

...keeping in mind, IIRC, that Buffalo Bore ammo says "Note: This Heavy .44 Special ammunition can be fired in every .44 Special or .44 Magnum gun made EXCEPT CHARTER ARMS .44 SPECIAL BULLDOG"

So it may be a matter of minimum size or stronger metals. I will NOT buy a Bulldog, even if they are only about 350 bucks.
I paid a lot more for my Smith, but it is safe with commercial ammo.
Sonny

 

[Landric]

I'd love to see a Bulldog sized S&W in .44 Special, or a Ruger SP101 in .44 Special for that matter.

 

[smithcollector]

the 296 is great, if you can find one, and i believe the ammo limit is 200grain? fun little gun though.

 

[Evil One]

I carry a Taurus 445, its between K and L frame size.
I dont think I would want one any smaller.


Jim

 

[Dave T]

Back when I owned a couple CA 44 Bulldogs (an original 3" blue one and later a 2.5" BD Pug) I did some measuring and the closest in size other revolver I could find was the Colt Detective Special (I think they call that one the D Frame but I'm not sure about that). Given that size working in the Charter I always thought Smith & Wesson should be able to make a 5-shot 44 on the K-frame.

When they came out with the 696 I was so disappointed I actually called S&W and got someone on the phone. He explained at great length how the K-frame would not stand up to the cartridge because the throat of the barrel would be too thin. When I asked him how it was that the Charter Bulldog worked he got mad hung up.

I still wish S&W would make a 5-shot 44 Special K-frame. Wait a minute, if the did it would have a lock and MIM parts wouldn't it. Dang!

Dave

 

[jframe]

I carry a Taurus 445, its between K and L frame size.
I dont think I would want one any smaller.


Jim

How do you like that Taurus? I realize that folks here tend to not like them because of spotty reliability, but I really liked the concept of that 445. I always wanted to try one in that high gloss stainless finish they had, then they pulled the plug on production. Never seem to see one at gunshows around here.

 

[Evil One]

How do you like that Taurus? I realize that folks here tend to not like them because of spotty reliability, but I really liked the concept of that 445. I always wanted to try one in that high gloss stainless finish they had, then they pulled the plug on production. Never seem to see one at gunshows around here.

I love it, had a issue with lite strikes in DA due to a light hammer spring.
I carry it with either 200 gr gold dots or 250 gr black hills thunder ranch loads.
Its comfortable to fire with any ammo I have put thru it, including my hotter handloads.
I wouldnt mind finding one in stainless also.
Unless I go to a gunfree zone, I dont leave the house without it.


Jim

 

[pred]

Just got this 696 at a local shop about 1 month ago.
It was priced at $450, I asked if that was OTD price for cash.....
..... Now she's mine.
Nice shooter, Heavy enough that you can actually shoot it.
I have Lightweight Smiths and this is NICE to shoot.

Peter

 

[moxie]

The fact that Buffalo Bore doesn't recommend that its heavy ammo be used in a Charter Arms is not a condemnation of the gun per se, merely an acknowledgement that there are limits to everything. In this case we're talking about a 21 oz. revolver that was designed when the 246 gr. round nose at about 750 fps with a tailwind was the standard. As others have said the CA is perfectly fine with 200 gr. Speers or Silvertips. Mine has gone through thousands of these as well as thousands of reloads. Nary a problem.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Another small .44 spl. is the Rossi model 720. Discontinued though.It predates the 696 Smith. And is a nice gun. I kept a round count to 780 rounds to see if it would break. It didn't and is still going strong. 3" stainless with adjustable sights. Much better than the CA buldog.

 

[s&wchad]

FYI, this is a 296. I'm not sure it's the smallest, but it's probably the lightest. The stocks are not original to the gun.

 

[44 special Dave]

As for S&W, in no particlar order;

693 3" barrel 5 shot L frame 35.5 oz

396 mtn lite 5 shot L frame 18.5 oz (some lists say 19 oz)

296 centennial 5 shot L frame 18.5 oz (some lists say 19 oz)

396 night guard 5 shot L frame 24 oz

I don't think I left out any L frame smiths.

Taurus had (all 5 shot)

445 blued and stainless 28 oz 2"

445 total titanium 2" 19 oz

445 ultra lite 2" 22 oz (have never seen one of these)

As mentioned there are the 2.5" and original 3" Charter bulldogs and
Rossi (2",3" and 4"?)

I think the taurus, charter and rossi are all slightly larger than a K frame S&W.

Hope this helps
Dave

 

[Evil One]

I think the taurus, charter and rossi are all slightly larger than a K frame S&W.

Hope this helps
Dave

I have tried my 445 in a K frame holster... wont fit.
It does however fit the L frame holster with a little wiggle room.
I lucked into a used no name holster that fits it like a glove.


Jim

 

[Model 15-4ever]

The fact that Buffalo Bore doesn't recommend that its heavy ammo be used in a Charter Arms is not a condemnation of the gun per se, merely an acknowledgement that there are limits to everything. In this case we're talking about a 21 oz. revolver that was designed when the 246 gr. round nose at about 750 fps with a tailwind was the standard. As others have said the CA is perfectly fine with 200 gr. Speers or Silvertips. Mine has gone through thousands of these as well as thousands of reloads. Nary a problem.

Yes I agree. Buffalo Bore is not my idea of standard factory ammo. His "Heavy .44 Special" loadings are probably all at over-SAAMI pressure, as he makes no pressure statements. Take a look at the actual velocities he posts on his website and compare them to handloads on the Hodgdon Data Center website - comparable figures would be way over SAAMI-spec. We know that the S&W guns are overbuilt, the Charter Arms are not. I have shot 910 fps 250 grain SWC loads from the Charter and they will rattle your teeth and send recoil right through your trigger finger - I'm an experienced shooter and I wont use loads like that in that gun. That is no condemnation of the Charter Bulldog, it's designed for 246 grain at 750 fps equivalents. But Speer 200 grain GDHP handloads at a measured 845 fps shoot right to POA, are very effective and are quite tolerable. Even the factory GDHP loads make 750 fps.

Having said that, the guns are far "rougher" than any S&W - the trigger pull and overall build quality and finish are nowhere near S&W. They are small though

 

[AKAOV1MAN]

I have all 4 of the L Frame 5 shotters. I really like them. I have 3 Charter Arms wheelguns, an original (SN 369) Undercover .38 Special that
dates from 1965 and is a hell of a snub, well built and accurate. I have a recent Pug in .327 Magnum, it will be a good gun when it gets buffed some(compliments my M16 .327 4"). My other Charter was the Bulldog, I got it in 73 with the idea of a really slick off duty or BUG with some ooomph. On of my buddies was a reloader, he made up some reloads for it. Although I had come to rely on his reloading skills, I let him try the first few. On the 5th shot the Bulldog went DOA, frame bent, cylinder really blown out-but not completely, it directed all the blast forward away from the shooter.
After checking his reloading specs we ascertained that he had loaded the .44 Special to well over .44 Magnum specifications!
Actually I still have some respect for the little Bulldog in that it held up as well as it did and did not harm the shooter-but I did not get another one.
I carry a heavy loaded .44 Special (Buffalo Bore) when I am in the woods where the biggest 4 legged threat will be a Black Bear. I am totally confident that it will deal well with 2 legged predators as well. As I said above, I really like the .44 Special, I just acquired one of the PC Heritage M25s in .44, really nice smooth gun-and veery acurate. I wonder why the prices on those have not skyrocketed?

 

[Smile]

A bulldog sized Smith and Wesson would be a great carry piece.
What frame size would be the correct one for that matter?