44 Special ?

[azmark]

What options are out there for an easy to carry .44 special? I don't really need to carry concealed, but smaller and lighter is better.

[Pitchy]

If you can find a older Charter Arms Bulldog they were great, light and accurate.

[azmark]

I am considering the Charter, but it seems the older ones are hard to find, and I've heard that the new ones are not as good.

[Pitchy]

Can`t argue with that, i`ve been looking for another one for a long time.

[Don McDowell]

One of the Ruger 44 blackhawks in 44 special, or a Colt colt/clone modelP with a 4.5 inch barrel, easy to carry and concealable if you want to.

[kimwcook]

One of the Ruger 44 blackhawks in 44 special, or a Colt colt/clone modelP with a 4.5 inch barrel, easy to carry and concealable if you want to.

I agree, but if you don't like SAA's for CLP, then check out 86'ers posted in the classifieds. I don't recall the make.

[Booger Bill]

44 special is my caliber of choice. Somehow I have accumilated 7 of them. Your best chance of getting a good reasonable one is to get a new ruger flat top. I got this one lately. I belive you can get them a $100s under list or so. My real favorite is the S&W 24-3 in 4". I own 4 smiths, a triplelock, 1950 target, a converted heavy duty, the mentioned 24-3 and two colt single actions. You will play heck finding a good smith cheap. Just get a ruger.

[AJMD429]

I've owned two Charter Arms 'Bulldog' .44 Specials, and the only reason I sold the first was I wanted a stainless steel instead of blued. Crimson Trace grips fit them and are way better than the factory grips. Neither gun ever had a problem. Shot Winchester Silvertips in them almost exclusively. Still one of my favorite CCW guns. One of the things I like is the lock-up in front of they cylinder; many guns don't lock there.

[jeepnik]

Can't comment on the .44 spl Charter Arms, but I have an older Undercover, and a new Southpaw. I can't tell a wits worth of difference between the two quality wise. The Undercover's trigger is a bit smoother, but it's had many more rounds thru it. I suspect the Southpaw will smooth up nicely, as well.

Now, if Crimson Trace will only make a set of grips dedicated to the Southpaw. The standard Undercover grips work, but they preclude using speed loaders, as the laser is in the way.

[Warhawk]

It'll be hard to find, but the Rossi 720 is a nice little sixgun. They have been out of production for a while now.

They also made a bobbed hammer version, but I've never seen one.

This is both versions of the Rossi 720 and a S&W model 296

[Ravenman]

Booger Bill - you have an amazing 44 Special collection. What more can one ask for.

[Hagler]

Mark,

You jes gotta look in our "Classified" section, with serrated "pocket hammer", and everything pictured, plus 2 boxes of ammo, for $325.00:

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =2&t=37786



Shawn

[ndcowboy]

Bud's Gun Shop has the Ruger Vaquero sheriff's model with the 3 3/4 inch barrel for $419. Hard to beat that.

[Triggernosis]

What is the appeal of the .44 Special over the .45 Colt? Just wondering - not trying to start a war....just want to know.

[Hobie]

What is the appeal of the .44 Special over the .45 Colt? Just wondering - not trying to start a war....just want to know.

Really need a different topic for that!

[JB]

The newest version of the Charter Arms seem to have gotten the quality back up to same level as the early guns. They never were S&W's, but the price wasn't S&W level either!

[stretch]

"Thou shalt not covet another man's wife."

Does the above apply to 44 Special revolvers do ya think?

NICE collection, Bill! By all means PM me if any of those Smiths
get hard to live with.......

-Stretch

[Pitchy]

Guess i`m stuck with this 44 sp. for now.

[Don McDowell]

What is the appeal of the .44 Special over the .45 Colt? Just wondering - not trying to start a war....just want to know.

Been trying to find the answer to that one for 40 years now, just keep adding guns in both cartridges and still can't determine a clear favorite.

[gak]

Ndcowboy beat me to it but +1 on the Sheriff. As compact and "light" as it gets in a SA. Sure have enjoyed mine. Warning, Ruger just had to be different and label the .44 Sp just "Vaquero," but rest assured it's the midframe NV.

[3leggedturtle]

44 special is my caliber of choice. Somehow I have accumilated 7 of them. Your best chance of getting a good reasonable one is to get a new ruger flat top. I got this one lately. I belive you can get them a $100s under list or so. My real favorite is the S&W 24-3 in 4". I own 4 smiths, a triplelock, 1950 target, a converted heavy duty, the mentioned 24-3 and two colt single actions. You will play heck finding a good smith cheap. Just get a ruger.

Nows thats a view. Shot afriend's 4" M24 great piece.

[azmark]

Here's how I got through my convoluted train of thought to making this post...I'm in southern AZ and I go for walks usually a bit before dawn. I wanted a relatively lightweight gun to carry in case of a close call with one of our critters. First I thought S&W 351 PD (22 Mag snub). My buddies put in their two cents' worth and said "don't forget about the javelinas...22M might not be enough gun". So I thought J Frame .38. They're not the most comfortable to practice with. I need to make sure I hit what I shoot. I figured a .44 with a little more heft would shoot pretty soft and take care of anything I came across. I've shot a .44 mag, but not a .44 spl.

.22 Mag - very light revolver, cheaper to shoot
.38 J Frame - a bit of a kicker
.44 Spl - heavier gun but big, heavy bullets too

I've thought myself in circles, as usual...help me before I get dizzy

[Booger Bill]

As I said before, just go get a new/old ruger flattop with the short barrel. Smiths are nice, but harder to find and exspendsive. Then again, you might get a uberti cimmeron like this one in .44 special or 45 colt. This one is dual clyinders in 45 acp and 45 colt. It`s light, portable and powerfull! I bought this one maybe 15- 20 years ago
for probley a 1/3 of the retail they list. I think you can still find them under list somewhere.


http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/Specia ... rerStd.htm#

[SargeMarlin]

The one that I carry the most is a Smith 396 Mountain Lite 44 spl. Its the aluminum with 3" barrel and adjustable sights. Light and accurate.

Hunting, I take a 5" SAA by Colt. Just cause.

SM

[Molasses]

Only .44 Special I've got. Model 24-6, 3" barrel with Kim Ahrends grips. I like it.
Except for the zit next to the cylinder latch and the occasional worry that the finish might start to peel.

[zac0419]

It can work as a CCW but it is better for woods carry in my book. L frame S&W 396 Night Guard. It's only a five hole 44 special but it'll handle the Skeeter loads and it is nice and light. Not cheap though.

No pictures of mine yet, this one pulled off Google. Mine's only been to the range a few times but I love it.

[RIHMFIRE]

I prefer a 44mag shoot'n 44sp...you have 2 options
and..........evertything in between....
I load some of my 44mags 240 swc very light...for plinking!

[Booger Bill]

Most often on the gun sites when the subject 44 spec versus 44 mag comes up, the thinking well, 44 mag will do everything a 44 special will and shoot both. While thats true, if you own both and have them to compare you will find there is a big differance in carrying the guns--- with one exception, the s&w mountain gun with its pencil barrel. Otherwise the 44 specials always are in a lighter more portable gun. The colt single action can be found in special, not mag. Same for its clones. The N frame smith is available in both, however, except for the mountain gun, in mag they have the straight heavy barrel. I own both. The differance is noticable and if you have both you will be packing the lighter special almost 100% of the time.
Now for us that reload, you can safely get a special up to 1,200 fps. Thats really pretty close to a mag. It`s not often, if ever, that most normal people need the differance between that and the mag!
I dont need to choose either/or as I have both. I cant remember when I took my model 29-2 with the rare 5" barrel in the field but one of my specials go`s often. There IS that much differance in packing a short barrel colt saa or a 4" model 24-3.

[O.S.O.K.]

A Smith 696 fits your desired parameters pretty well.

I have one and it is a great shooter. I did replace the grips though with some "roper" styled ones - Eagle I think made them. Makes shooting it much more comfortable. This is a strong, 5 shot L-frame stainless with full underlug and adjustable sights. I have a street combat El Paso Saddlery holster for it.

I will say though, reading your last post that you would be very well served by a 45 ACP - 1911 or other... basically the ballistic twin of the 44 Special standard loads.

[Montana Outfitters]

I have been packing a 624 Smith guiding both fishing and hunting for just over 25 years now and have shot a couple deer with it, probably 40 rattle snakes, a bunch of bunnies and p-dogs, 31 rough and franklin grouse and a bunck of blue grouse with it and have had NO problems or issues
with it......Buy a good pistol once and you never have to replace it.........

[azmark]

I doubt I can afford a new S&W. Where can I get fairly accurate value info on handuns?

I did look at the Vaquero short barrel and it's nice. The price is good, too. I'm still not discounting a Charter Bulldog. I am going to the Tucson Gun Show this weekend and will do some recon.