Why the .44 Special over the .45 Colt?

[Hobie]

triggernosis wan'ts to know...

For me, I'm not a fanatic one way of the other I just feel the .45 Colt is "better". That said, I have as about many .44 Specials as I do .45 Colts.

[Old Savage]

Difference in the piece of lead they throw is not important in 95% of shooting, guns have more meat in the cylinders. Bullets and bores are more standardized. Plenty of power. Not necessary to go any bigger.

[JB]

The only reason I'd go with the 44 special is times when I wanted a slightly smaller, lighter gun such as the neat little Charter Bulldog. Other than that, I'd normally go with the 45 Colt or 44 magnum for 99% of my needs.

[kimwcook]

I'm with Hobie and I prefer the 45 Colt. The reason is it's history, availability of firearms and components made to shoot it. Recently Ruger gave the 44 Spl a shot in the arm with their flattops. There aren't many rifles made specifally for the cartridge, but they can be fired in a 44 mag.

[O.S.O.K.]

Skeeter.

Elmer.

Because I already have a 45 Colt...

[Don McDowell]

One of em shoots a .430 bullet, the other .452.... other than that I can't come up with any real clear difference, and so the research goes on, and will just have to keep adding guns to the testing facility.

[kimwcook]

One of em shoots a .430 bullet, the other .452.... other than that I can't come up with any real clear difference, and so the research goes on, and will just have to keep adding guns to the testing facility.

Works for me.

[Don McDowell]

Kim I wish that theory worked as good on the bookkeeper, as I thought it should of.

Ok seriously tho, it takes less smokeless powder in the 44 special to get top velocity, but the 45 colt will out run the special when you load with blackpowder.

[hightime]

Because I don't need another cal. to reload.............Well. I'll give it more thought.

Owen

[Charles]

I don't feel that one is clearly superior to the other. They both do the same thing. I have a preference for the 45 Colt, for no rational reason. I would take a 44 Magnum over either, if I could only own one. But, I can own all three and do.

[cz93x62]

I'm not married to either bore diameter, having 44 Special, 44 Mag, 45 ACP, and 45 Colt handguns (and now a levergun) in some depth. If there is an accuracy edge between any of them, I can't shoot well enough to discern it.

[Triggernosis]

triggernosis wan'ts to know...

Thanks, Hobie!

[Booger Bill]

I love the 44 special as I have 7 of them. I own 5 or 6 45 colts too. Colt just cant get their chambers and bores standarized it seems. Of all people! I own a few single actions in them, but still get leary looking at the clyinders with the paper thin notichs. I also think there is some factor when you reload as the powder in the is so small compared to the case, that would affect accuracy some you would think plus the danger of double charging. I own a s&w 25-5 (45 colt) and those have the heavy straight barrel like the 44 mag makeing it a heavier bulky gun. I also own a 24-3 44 special (both 4" barrels) and the special is a sweeter gun to pack and handel due to the lighter pencil barrel. Here is a picture of the pair together. They do shoot similar and both are about as accurate.

[Griff]

I had a .44M Winchester mdl 94, 1969 DOB and with magnums it kicked MUCH harder than the gun in .30-30, yet there wasn't a lick of improvement in performance... if not a little less. Maybe not on paper, but certainly in the field. Shot many Specials thru it. But, lead bullet selection in a .430 isn't that great. You have a much greater selection in .452, especially if you don't worry overly much about a cannelure.

A .44M in a pistol never really tripped my switch... again, MUCH more recoil than a .45Colt. And after I got my first sixgun in a .45Colt, I ain't ever looked back. And in a rifle... or even a little carbine, the .45Colt feeds better with it's regular round, flat nose vs. the common everyday SWCs one finds in .430.

Really, I believe is boils down to a matter of personal choice. Nothing "WRONG" with either.

[rimrock]

I justified .45C to SWMBO as "different" from my .44 cal (.444) in order to buy just one more

.44 special has better selection of gun types, but .45C does the same at mostly lower pressure.

rimrock

[2ndovc]

Recently went through this debate with my Dad.

He's been a .45ACP or .38Spl guy all his life, but didn't have any smaller concealable handguns.

He recently got his concealed carry permit and lucked into
two Taurus snub nosed five shot lightweight revolvers.
One was .44Spl and the other .45Colt.
I bought him a box of Winchester .44 Cowboy loads and a box of Hornady .45 Colt Cowboy loads.
Though similar loadings he said the .45s kicked much harder and preferred the .44 Special as he shot it better.
That's what it comes down to for me. I feel quite comfortable with my .380 because I can shoot it well.

I'm sure there is some difference between the Win. and Hornady cartridges but he really liked the
.44s better.

For what it's worth. (I like them both)!


jb

[Sixgun]

Because 45 Colt guns are everywhere, but try to find classic pre-war Colts & S & W's in that caliber

In Elmer's day, there was a lot of justification for the 44 Spl. if you wanted to hotrod it. Today, there's no reason, so I say go with "whatever floats yo boat"

I much prefer the 44 Spl for many reasons, most of which are nostalgic, but some, like a slightly better trajectory over long ranges with equal bullet weights, along with an added margin of safety with thicker cylinders is another. (on the pre-war guns)

As I've aged, I have found a big bore cartridge that I ignored for 40 years but does all I need it too, along with less recoil and ease of shooting--the 41 mag..........but.......there were never any "Smith Triplelocks, SA Colts, or FT Rugers made for it.------------Sixgun

[AJMD429]

Difference in the piece of lead they throw is not important in 95% of shooting, guns have more meat in the cylinders. Bullets and bores are more standardized. Plenty of power. Not necessary to go any bigger.

Same here, plus if you were to have to stick with just one caliber, you can go from .44 Special to .444 Marlin using the same bullets. The .454 Casull does sort of open up ".45-70" level performance from the .452" bullet family, though, if one can obtain a levergun so chambered...

I'll admit, the 'same diameter' thing is more theory than really practical, as you'd want much tougher bullets for the .444 or .45 Casull velocities, and hopefully our world will never be so far deteriorated that one has to depend on such things as caliber-commonality for survival.

Either will certainly do anything required within reason. Both are tons of fun.

[Sarge]

It's 'either/or' for me as I have no desire to load for 14 pistol cartridges. When I settled on the 45 Colt several years ago, I got rid of all the 44's and components. I have yet to be sorry.

But if I had and loved a 444 rifle, I'd probably keep a .44 revolver around. If I just HAD to have a Bulldog, it'd of course be a .44 Special. However if Taurus would bring back the 450 in 45Colt, that would suit me better. I'd happily tweak one to get it just right.

[Buck Elliott]

I'll pick the .45 Colt..

I went through a love affair with the .44 Spl., a number of years ago. Back in the early '70s, I rebuilt my worn out and abused .357 SAA to .44, by installing a brand new, 7 1/2" Colt barrel and cylinder. I carried and shot it for several years, then cut the barrel to 5", and installed a new front sight.. It was easier to carry in a vehicle, but didn't balance like it did before the barrel surgery.

I traded it off for another .45 and never looked back. I also owned a very beat up .45 SAA, in the meanwhile, with serious dimensional difficulties..

Over the ensuing years, I have owned, shot and traded a number of .45s, both Colts, Rugers and imports.. I currently have a 1st year Ruger Vaquero, 4 5/8", and a pair of Beretta Stampedes, one a 4 3/4", the other a 7 1/2", and a Uberti '73 Winchester clone.. I run .454" dia. bullets in all of them, except the Vaquero, which is my heavy-bullet gun. Itw ill push 325-gr slugs at nearly 1500 fps.

My standard load for the Stampedes will shove 250-gr bullets along at 1150 fps, using H-4198 powder. It gives me 1430 fps in the 24" '73., with a long, low pressure curve.

In short, the .45 Colt will allow you to do virtually anything you can do with a .44 Spl or Mag, with pressure.

As far as recoil is concerned, anyone should be able to handle the recoil of the .45 "cowboy" loads.. Theyare pretty soft.

For gallery plinking, load a .454 or .457" round ball over a CCI LPM primer. It should work well on rats or mice in the basement, or the cabin..

[kimwcook]

Wow, and there's Buck. Does me good to see you post. Really wish everything is getting better. Hope to see you around more often. God bless you.

[C. Cash]

This type of dilemma is easily cured with a Ruger Flat Top in 44 Mag. (stir pot, stir pot......... )
+1 on Kim's post....great to see your post Buck!