Why the .44 special?

[Guevera]

Not something that I would carry, but this Ruger .44 magnum rifle now has an integral suppressor. I use subsonic .44 Specials which make a hugely satisfying "whallop" noise hitting dead trees in a nearby beaver-flooded valley.

Also a very good caliber for quickly putting those pesky drain holes in the bottom of plastic flower pots.

 

[S&W Fan]

The .44 spl........if you have to ask.....Just leave it to us that love it..........

Couldn't have said it better:

 

[Thomasino]

Many people opt for a revolver because of its simplicity and reliability. The 44 special can send how many grains of lead similar to a 45 ACP but in the form of a revolver. Personally I can't imagine carrying a 44 Magnum because of the recoil issue, and the next best thing in the form of a revolver would probably be the 44 special. Although I don't carry a 44 special , I do carry a 38 special + p as my main carry gun. I'm sure it would do the job if I ever were forced to use it. Revolvers have a special kind of allure to them that makes them attractive not only for carry guns but also for target shooting and competition. I think of 44 special is a great carry gun!

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[Topsarge]

Because most people are looking for something small and light and easy to carry. Most people seem to like pocket carry and the 44spl doesn't lend itself to pocket carry. Not to mention the price of practice ammo

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I pocket carry a Charter Arms 2.5" 44 sp in the warmer weather. I also occasionally carry a Colt Defender 45 although it is heavier. I just like the 44 sp round. It's very accurate. In cooler weather I now carry a 629 3" with .44 sp ammo in an iwb or a Simply Rugged pancake.

 

[Topsarge]

I agree with most everything said. One thing I will concede is the GP100 is a little to big for what it is. Carry an N frame and get the full 6. If you want to shave weight, go find one of the Lew Horton 3" models, they are a great carrying .44. Or get the Charter Arms that weighs less than the Ruger.

I agree. I have the Lew Horton 24-3, a Charter Arms Bull Dog Pug and a newly purchased 629 3" Talo. I like the 44 sp a lot and won't even bother with magnum loads in the 629. It's plenty accurate and if a 44 at 1000fps won't get the job done, then you are in trouble.

 

[netex]

may get called a thread ghoul, but just recently joined, well after the above last posting.

love .45 auto in 1911. got a lot of them. don't agree the .44 special is required for big critters as i shot and killed a 600 (+/-) pound cowinkle in alaska at bad breath ranges with a combat commander. bought that'n new in back the mid '70's.

think one of my .44 specials wouldda been a much better ballistic choice though...

have many, many hours of flight time and likely 50K rounds logged with the 1911's, but no retraining is required for a DA revolver. learned to shoot DA with 25-3 and 29-3 S&W's i used to own. point and pull is as basic as it gets.

i recently went on a .44 special acquisition marathon. got started due to my wife becoming more sensitive to recoil from her .357M snubby. we ain't getting younger! wanted to stick with a DA revolver for her as in a crisis situation all one needs to remember is to point it and pull the trigger. did the homework and was amazed to find that OEM 44 Sp operating pressures are well below my beloved 45 ACP. even 38 special. in fact almost ALL of the other still commonly used center fire handgun cartridges.

this translates to less wear and tear on the weapon. longer bbl life. less shock wave at the muzzle. less muzzle flash at night. less muzzle flip for the shooter. less chance for injury of a finger next to the front of the cylinder. faster second shots.

got her a 696 no dash. loved that so much i quickly became addicted and scored a 3" 624-3 RB. then a 2" 296. then a 6" 624-3. then a 5" model 1926.

use buff-bore 200 grain hard cast wad cutter loads at original SAAMI pressures in them all. like the ~for sure~ 7/16" clean cut holes they make and deep straight penetration traits. they use firearms for their velocity testing specs:

1.1036 fps - Ruger Super Black Hawk, 5.5 inch barrel
2. 971 fps - S&W MT Gun, 4 inch barrel
3. 948 fps - S&W Mod. 396, 3 inch barrel
4. 920 fps - Charter Arms Bull Dog, 3 inch barrel
5. 913 fps - S&W Mod. 296, 2 inch barrel

i think that for self defense situations these are every bit as effective as 200 grain standard pressure loads in my 1911's. most of these happen at night, at about 10', and are done in 3 or less shots. with this in mind, tritium night sights and light rails would weigh more important than revolver/semi auto considerations in my mind.

to my thinking the 296 is the best big bore concealed carry ever made, as i could fire it from inside a jacket pocket with 100% reliability.

i must concede that for all out combat use, the 1911 is still king, but only because of a removable box magazine.

netex

 

[MCorps0311]

I have a Ruger Redhawk .44 Mag.4",a S&W 69 .44 Mag.that I can shoot .44 special in 4". & CA Bulldog .44 Special 2.5" that I can edc.

 

[diyj98]

For years I used a Charter Arms 44 special as my house gun, but it was replaced when I picked up a S&W 69 2.75". I love the 44 special for around the house. Big enough for two or four legged varmints.

 

[zeke]

If Taurus were smart they would bring back their 445 snub nose revolvers , just a little beefier than a S&W J frame but a 5 shot 44 special snub nose . My daughter got the 44 special , I opted for the 45 acp version 455, I was set up to reload for 45 acp. S&W didn't make a big bore pocket revolver at the time. The Taurus is small enough for pocket , IWB and in a belt holster you don't even know it's there.
Both have 2 inch barrels, her's is the ultra light model, mine is not but has a cool ported barrel.
If S&W would make one I would be on it like a duck on a June bug !

Have the ul version, and it is very easy to conceal and light. Put some compact grips on it, and dremeled off the sharp corners/edges. It ain't pleasant after 10 shots, but was well worth the investment.

The 44 special can be had in revolvers considerably smaller than a N-frame, and slightly smaller/lighter overall than a 3 in 1911.

 

[Jessie]

I don't think this has been mentioned but for a light field gun, I prefer the .44 special. It's a good finisher when hunting, good for critter defense ( within reason ), and for snakes, a shot shell or 2 works out of a revolver.
Try it out of a semi auto and you'll end up with a jammed up single shot.
On the streets? It's just a matter of preference in weight, size, capacity and what action you trust.

 

[eb07]

Because I love it. And I can pocket carry it