Tell me about your .44 Special

[Bill in Oregon]

Had an article by John Taffin on the .44 Special in DA revolvers come up in my email this morning, and it got me to thinking how much I miss the little Charter Bulldog I used to carry.
What flavor o' Special do you have at your house?

https://americanhandgunner.com/handguns ... a-sixguns/

[Scott Tschirhart]

Shootists Anniversary USFA was my first .44 Special and it is the gun I wear at appropriate BBQ gatherings and I wore it at my wedding.

Bowen conversion on a three screw Ruger .357 frame. 4 5/8 inches and quite enough gun for anything I need a revolver for. If limited to one .44 Special, that would be it.

However, I have several Rugers that are factory chambered for the .44 Special. My Jeff Quinn Ruger GP100 is the smoothest Ruger I have ever messed with. I have a Bowen tuned 3 1/2 inch stainless Vaquero that I have not yet really warmed up to and a Bisley Flattop that Bobby Tyler fixed up for me and I still have not fired it. Top it off with my short 1873 levergun and you can say that I am blessed with .44 Specials.

[JimT]

USFA .44 Special ... Shootists Anniversary Model ...

CIMG4741.JPG

USFA44spl.JPG

I shoot basically 2 loads .. both with the Keith SWC ... 6.5 gr. Unique or 16.5 gr. 2400

Also have a Shootists Ruger Flattop Bisley in .44 Special ... The USFA is my favorite.

[Paul105]

I have two.

A S&W M396 (Alum/Titanium). At 18 oz, it's a handful
.

.
And a 5 1/2" Freedom Arms Model 97. This is one of, if not, the most accurate handgun I've ever owned. It can be loaded from mild to wild.
.

.
Paul

[Rockrat]

S&W 624

[3leggedturtle]

Paul the 44 is great looking. What bullet weight and loads you using in it? I like it better than the Ruger Alaskan Redhawk. Todd/3leg

[Ray Newman]

I have two Rugers: Bisley, .44 Spec’l. Flat Top Blackhawk and a .44 Spec'l. Flat Top Blackhawk. Both are the "smaller frame" and were part of the special run .44 spec'l. revolvers made for and distributed by Lipsey’s.

To tell the truth, I just about forget I had them in the vault. Twelve years old, new in the box, unfired. Why did I buy them? -- who knows why. Probably should sell them.

[Paul105]

Paul the 44 is great looking. What bullet weight and loads you using in it? I like it better than the Ruger Alaskan Redhawk. Todd/3leg

I'm guessing you are referring to the S&W. Bought it back in 2003 as a backup while bow hunting elk here in MT. Ended up loading it with 17.0gr of Lil'gun and a 260 Keith type SWC and a 260gr WFNGC. Both chronoed right at 1,000 fps at 5 long paces from the muzzle and recoil is notable. Later tried it with the Keith Load (17.0gr 2400/250 Keith) which ran a bit under 1,100 fps on the chrono. NOTE: based on recent articles by Brian Pearce these loads should not be use, not because of cyl strength, but because of the very thin barrel shank/forcing cone area. Doubt that I've shot more than 150rnds thru the gun.

As a bow hunting backup it was replaced with a 4" S&W 329 (Ti/Sc) .44 mag which was my primary go to .44 for better part of a decade. The 329 and now been replaced by 2 3/4" S&W M69 (L frame .44 mag) for .44 Mag duties.

Paul

[444Hal]

My 44 special is actually a 44mag cartridge loaded down to around 44spl velocity in my Marlin 1894.
Had my +P 240gr Rem SP with a healthy dose of H110 & mag primers, but thought I'd develop something that I could get off follow up shots quickly. Came up with HP-38 behind a Horn 180gr XTP HP. Runs just slightly higher than a Spl, but with the longer 20" barrel flies same speed as a 240gr mag out of a revolver barrel and stays on target.
And the plus is both loads hit the same spot out to about 50yds.

[AmBraCol]

#1 - Taurus 431, 3" barrel, roughly S$W K frame in size, in fact I carry it in a Simply Rugged holster that was build for a K Frame while up north. In spite of what some folks will tell you, it's been a good resolver and accurate. Several hundred rounds through it so far and zero problems. Have shot it to 250 yards or so with good results. Mostly shoot a 240 gr or so SWC over a snort of Unique. Recoil very similar to a 38 Spl in same size frame, just a bit more nudge but it's not snappy or hard to handle.

#2 - Shootists 25th Anniversary Ruger Bisely with 7 1/2" barrel, fitted with a Fermin Garza front sight. It's my Jeff Quinn commemorative as it was his personal piece. I actually traded one of the JQ GP100's for it before ever taking delivery. Figured I'd rather have one of his personal firearms instead of a commemorative. Haven't shot it much yet, only 100 rounds or so, all Skeeter Loads. I'm looking forward to shooting it some more this summer and using it to reach out to 600 yards or so if I can work up to it.

The first one's a strictly self defense type piece, five shots of 240 gr at a modest velocity will take care of any probable scenario for which it would be called to fill. The second one's not so much of a packing pistol as it is a range and/or hunting gun. It may one day be used to harvest game, time will tell.

[Catshooter]

Scott,

That is a beautiful roller.

One piece grips. Did Bowen cut Ruger's grip frame to make that work? I can't think how else he'd do it.

[Sixgun]

Captions are off a bit on the first pic in the magazine article those guns are from the 20's-50's...or so

The fifth pic down in the article is the 4" 1950 Target I sold John....he said he was searching his whole life for one....at the time ...20 years ago?...I sold it for $1,000....gave it away...it's a $3500 gun today.....

I shoot mostly 6 grains of Bullseye, 7 grains of 231, or 7.5 of Unique....all behind a Lyman 429421 or a Saeco 260 Keith.....shot my biggest buck ever with a 4" 1950 Target (another one from John's) with 17.5 of 2400 and a 260 Saeco.....the buck was close to 200 pounds and dropped dead 20 yards from where I shot him....

44 Spl, 38-40, and the 32-20 are 3 revolver cartridges I can't live without.

624 at the back/top..... then left to right in the middle...4" 1950 Target Smith, Colt New Frontier, and 6" 1950 Target Smith

Front left....Smith Triplelock Target formally owned by Captian Nate Herreshoff, and a Colt Shooting Master with a factory fitted cylinder and crane in 44-40. The Shooting Master was the Python of its day, built on a New Service frame but a rounded checkered grip frame......

[Scott Tschirhart]

Scott,

That is a beautiful roller.

One piece grips. Did Bowen cut Ruger's grip frame to make that work? I can't think how else he'd do it.

That's a USFA gun and Dustin Linebaugh cut the barrel down from 5.5 inches to about 4.5 or so and made the one-piece ivory stocks.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Sixgun,

I seriously question why I went to the .44 magnum, then to big bore guns when all I needed was there all along. You wrote:

"shot my biggest buck ever with a 4" 1950 Target (another one from John's) with 17.5 of 2400 and a 260 Saeco.....the buck was close to 200 pounds and dropped dead 20 yards from where I shot him...."

Which is exactly what I should be doing.

[vancelw]

Top one is actually marked .44 Russian, but it chambers and fires .44 Special just fine.
I really need to spend more time with these.
Of course, I have a couple of rifles that will fire .44 Special ....

44 Specials .jpg

It's kind of embarrassing to think about which one cost me the most

[444Hal]

I don't have an actual 44spl handgun but I was given a Texas "New Army" Cal 44 cap & ball that I've considered converting to a 44 special, if possible. What's held me back so far has been the fact it was sold by Richland Arms and the only conversion cylinders I can find are from Pietta and such.

[Sixgun]

I seriously question why I went to the .44 magnum, then to big bore guns when all I needed was there all along. You wrote:
Which is exactly what I should be doing.

I hear ya Scott.....in all reality from many different points of view of various people in the know, the 44 magnum did not come about because of the need for a more powerful, and new cartridge/ handgun, it came about for the need of a more powerful 44 Special and while they were at it (designing the 44 Magnum) they gave it their "all" adding 200 fps and a heavier gun.

The way I see it and that's if you can lob a 400 grain 45 caliber rifle bullet traveling 1200 fps lengthwise through a buffalo, then a 44 caliber bullet weighing 260 grains at the same velocity should be fine.....

It's everyone's business to shoot what they want (I'm just a happy intent b.b.) and after a half century of shooting guns I find 1,000 fps as a maximum..... plenty of power for everyday use for pleasure and joy.......hunting and social use excepted.....

Like, who really enjoys plinking with 360 grain bullets at 1400.....no one....it's bravado....and we are all guilty of it. It's the same with h.p.from a car to the tractor they cut grass with.....everyone has to have the most powerful of everything.....

Dust and all... ...first thing I see in the a.m.......not big by any standards but was for me......the empty cartridge used is on the right hand time.---00

[Scott Tschirhart]

"after a half century of shooting guns I find 1,000 fps as a maximum..... plenty of power for everyday use for pleasure and joy.......hunting and social use excepted....."

I honestly think that everything I have killed with a handgun in the last 40 years could easily have been handled with a good .44 Special Skeeter load.

[Sixgun]

Why sure.....900 f.p.s. with a heavy bullet.......(I AM a huge fan of the heavy cast bullet).......many years ago my neighbor who at the time had a lot of land upstate was telling me after hunting season....."yea, we didn't see nothing all week and one day I walked outside of the cabin and here's this buck standing 30 yards away looking at me..and the only gun I had was a 4" Smith 38 Spl (factory ammo) so I pulled it out, shot, and the deer dropped dead."

Now, I'm sure that's the exception and not the rule but in those days 38 Spls were loaded weak.

He is also L.E. and all the reasons why L.E. uses what they do is over my head as to knowledge. Our state troopers here use the 45 auto....I b.s. with these guys on a semi regular basis and they are happy with it.......but they don't show me the gun or the ammo...I'm told that's a no-no......it's some kind of an auto....duh!....

[Griff]

All of my .44 Spls must've swole up at birth... and by the time they were measured, became .45s!!!

[Bill in Oregon]

Fine posts, boys.
Six, the most important object in this thread is the object on the wall to the right of your whitetail mount.

[Walker]

Just the one, wish it was original... Shipped to San Francisco in 1913 as a 32wcf. 1st gen Russian and S&W 44 barrel and cylinder fitted later.

20160527_133027.jpg

20160315_162048.jpg

[Scott Tschirhart]

I love those markings!

[RIHMFIRE]

I have a 629 classic 44 mag that impersonates a 44 special

[JimT]

I have a 629 classic 44 mag that impersonates a 44 special

Don't you mean "self-identifies"?

[Grizz]

I have a 629 classic 44 mag that impersonates a 44 special

Don't you mean "self-identifies"?

Exactly. my redhawk has the same condition. but is quite happy to believe it when 'SPECIAL' ammo fills his cylinder. redhawks can dream too . . .

[GunnyMack]

As far as I know my 44 special is a one of a kind.
Back in the early 90s while attending Trinidad State Junior College one of my classmates, John Gallagher started making 5 shot big bore single actions on SBH frames. He was taking 348 cases an cutting down to use 458 bullets. There was always intrested students watching, chiming in etc. So one day I said to John what do you think of a small frame 44 special, can it be done? But what frame to use? If you remember thats about the time Ruger brought out the center fire Single Six frame. I promptly sold my 22 Single Six and ordered a new .32 Single Six, sent a box of 32 S&W down range before I pulled the barrel & cylinder for the donor frame.
A bit of measuring, discussions, thoughts, more measurements, file work, machine 2 cylinders ( first got too thin!), and viola an Single Six 44 special was born!

20210224_173712.jpg

20210224_173722.jpg

20210224_173738.jpg

20210224_173748.jpg

20210224_173834.jpg

20210224_174024.jpg

It now wears lace wood grips.

[Scott Tschirhart]

My most accurate snubby happens to shoot .44 Special quite well.

[Mark in MO]

While I have no 44 Special handguns I have a few of the Magnum variety. In my younger days I felt it wasn't worth doing if it wasn't running max flat out. I probably shot a couple of 5 gallon buckets of those hot loads over the last 35 years. However as I've gotten older, and perhaps smarter (hopefully), I have developed an affinity for more sedate, enjoyable to shoot loads. Currently using 240 gr. SWC or plated bullets in the 850-900 fps range and truthfully enjoy shooting it more.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Currently using 240 gr. SWC or plated bullets in the 850-900 fps range and truthfully enjoy shooting it more.

I think that's the sweet spot. All of my favorite loads, seemingly regardless of caliber or gun seem to run somewhere around 800 to 950 fps.

[Ysabel Kid]

Ruger GP100 in .44 Special. Excellent ergonomics, trigger pull (both in double-action and single-action), and sight picture. The grip insert is from Altamont Grips.
It is only a 5-shot, but I don't think that is a detriment to its effectiveness. And it is a Ruger, so it is over-engineered and built like a tank!

[Ysabel Kid]

Oh, and my bona fides in case something doesn't believe it is me!

[Bill in Oregon]

Jay, the only thing that has made me hesitate about the GP100 in .44 Special is the weight vs "that other five-shooter" the Bulldog. But it is a better revolver by a large margin

[Ysabel Kid]

Jay, the only thing that has made me hesitate about the GP100 in .44 Special is the weight vs "that other five-shooter" the Bulldog. But it is a better revolver by a large margin

I had considered that as well. Not that I try to hotrod it, but with the weight of the Ruger, it just purrs when you shoot it. I understand the Bulldog can be uncomfortable.

[RIHMFIRE]

I have a 629 classic 44 mag that impersonates a 44 special

Don't you mean "self-identifies"?

Exactly. my redhawk has the same condition. but is quite happy to believe it when 'SPECIAL' ammo fills his cylinder. redhawks can dream too . . .

FORGOT TO BE PC

[BC in TN]

290ED52E-8114-4D3C-922A-6627C37DAC74.jpeg

Left to right: Bowen conversion, Colt, Gallagher conversion.
Because of the sights, I can shoot either of the Rugers best. A little white out on the front sight of the Colt sure helps me. Any suggestions on seeing that Colt front sight a little better/sharper?

[Bill in Oregon]

BC, can't help much on the Colt front sight as I have similar issues with my Cimarron. Boy that Gallagher conversion is a handsome article!

[blackhawk44]

1- S&W m1950 Target- bought used in 1966. Brought home in basket of my bicycle. Still kept in waxed paper and blue box with cleaning tools by seller. Gave $5 more to get dies, single cavity Lyman 429421 mold and 200 rds brass.
2- Ruger OM Blackhawk custom 4.6", circa 1976. 1/20" twist Douglas bbl. Micro front sight. Local gunsmith.
3- Colt Bisley 1906 w/2nd gen. bbl and cyl.
4- S&W m24 4". Christmas gift. Still unfired.
5- S&W m24 3"
6- Colt SAA Sheriff's model 3" cased early 3rd gen. w/44-40 cyl.
7- Colt SAA 3rd gen. 7.5".