Thoughts on the .44 Special revolver........

There is much palaver concerning .44 Special conversions over on the Ruger Forum, it is either cold or hot, there is no middle ground. Why the .44 Special?

It was observed that the .44 Special factory loading is not as effective as a .357 Magnum, and up-loading was at best a watered down .44 Magnum.

Not as effective as a .357 Magnum? On what? Certainly the .44 Special lacks the range and power of a .357 Magnum. But, on paper, aluminum, wood, or night time intruders, the .44 Special is plenty authoritative. Nor have I ever seen a .357 Magnum match the accuracy of a good .44 Special.
But, you see, the .44 Special can be built on the same size gun frame as the .357 Magnum in a single action. This is not true for the .44 Magnum. The bottom line is that the .44 provides an efficient, highly accurate, pleasant shooting, mid-weight six shooter that I, for one, enjoy shooting.

Bob Wright

I like the idea of a 44 spec. for a house gun.less flash and concusion than from a 357 mag.i dont load 357 mag in any home defence revolver because of that.38 special is ehat ill load over 357 mag.Now a 44 special sounds like the perfect indoor,home defence round.less flash and recoil than the 357 mag and a nice big slow bullit to do the work of the high presure speed demon!
Ive been wanting a Charter Arms 44 bulldog or a s&W 396 44 SPEC FOR THE LONGEST TIME.

My only experience with the .44 Special is in this S&W 696 5 shooter L Frame, The 3" barrel makes it quite handy to carry and the factory Magna port holes makes it easy to shoot. It came with a DAO hammer so I finished the job and wizzed the hammer spur off. Is it better than the 7 shot 686+ in the same size package? Probably not but it is a nice carry piece. Jim
http://www.fototime.com/BE638205C218E7D/standard.jpg

S&W 296 snubbie with rosewood grips. Compact enough for pocket carry but definitely speaks with authority.

Lou

jimg11,

In case you're interested, Eagle grips makes some smooth rosewood grips called the Secret Service that can replace those rubber factory grips. Handles and carries much better. Also available in ebony, but higher priced. All of my J- and K- framed Smiths have been fitted with these.

Bob Wright

Lou22, why don't you tell the folks how lightly the M296 recoils? Lighting up a hot 44 Special load in a 18.5 oz handgun is an experience. After one range session I ordered and was lucky enough to receive a set of Farrar grips from Pierce. I prefer my custom 3rd Model Hand Ejector. Regards, Richard :D

M296:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...d/fa2d2c43.jpg
3rd Model Hand Ejector:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...4/eee9f956.jpg

Bob

Your exactly right... aint nottin wrong with the .44 Spl. As far as feet per second its not that far off from a good ol .45 ACP and just a bit smaller in diamiter.

I like mine mild, not wild :D

Shooting the 296 was an experience the first time I shot it at the range. The web of my hand won't forget soon. I plan on using it for concealed carry only, unless I get a good set of rubber grips to use at the range.

Lou

I have an old charter house bulldog in 44 spl .It weights
21 oz unloaded.It has pachmayer grips and comfortable
to shoot.I purchased it for $200 several years ago.

I also like the .44 Special. I have a 6.5" S&W 24-3, and this thread made me realize that I haven't shot it in a while.
I'm going to have to correct that real soon.

The .44 Special just happens to be one of my favorite cartridges. In it you have a big bore bullet with easily manageable recoil, uncanny accuracy and plenty of power for defense work. What more could you ask for?

I'd love to have a quality SA with adjustable sights in .44 Special. Unfortunately original Colts or having a Ruger converted just ain't in the budget. I'd really like to see somebody come out with a Colt New Frontier clone .44 Special at a reasonable price. I'd buy one in a second.