What's So .44 Special

Well, I must confess, I am a Baaaad Booooy. On another Forum I frequent someone just posted up a thread entitled (I edit the brand) "Is there a better al around revolver than the XXXX 4" .357?"
After several member gathered around to form a confirmation circle, I opined that the S&W 24 or 624 4" was probably a better better all around choice for a handloader, or even one of the 3" round butts might serve better than a heavy for caliber .357. Thus far the reaction has been somewhat as if I broke wind in Church. But I'm sitting there with a big smile nonetheless.

Well, CG, you know we all have our faves.
The 357 was the round that went to war-WW2, to be exact, and Korea, and Nam.  Guess with all those other loud sounds, the pop of the 357 was probably insignificant!
The 357 was the first magnum in a handgun, collecting all sorts of game for enthusiastic hunters.
For many, the 357 is the upper limit of power that can be mastered in a handgun.
The 357 has earned its place, and proven itself many times over. I respect, and have relied on the 357, and it has never let me down.

Now, those who discover the magic of the big bores have figured out that big bullets at moderate velocities also work quite well. If they didn't, black powder would never have become the standard propellant for centuries. The old big 'n' slow vs. light 'n' fast argument.  People being what they are, the quest for power has left both the 44 and the 357 far behind, yet the discerning revolver afficiando can enjoy, and respect them both.

The .357, in a S&W 5" 27 was my first centerfire revolver so I have a fondness for it. I, however, am somewhat unimpressed by the term "Magnum" it after all has no real definitive value and is more of a marketing term than a descriptor. If one uses it to mean "more velocity than the revious round" then the .38 Super, 7.62 Tokarev and even the .38 Super Vels of yore deserve the title "Magnum". The .357 and .44 "magnums were introduced using the "heavy bullet" of their precessor rounds (a mistake IMO, but heavier bullets would have muddied the marketing comparison to the older rounds, and 15% more raw materials would have decreased profit margins) Since the .41 "magnum" is not really related to the anemic .41 Long Colt except by the digits in the title, it really is an orphan by "magnum" standard not having a parent to be compared against.
As to effectiveness I will take a 240-250 KSWC at 900-1,100 fps over anything in a .357 case for hunting deer, and I have used both. Interesting to note that the deer around these parts run to a quite human  weight range.
As far as recoil, my wife is quite the collector of .357 revolvers having one in each frame size (from "J" to "N") that S&W has made as well as a Ruger GP-100 and Taurus Tracker 7 shot. Shooting either my 4"629 or model 58 with my 1,000 fps loads she finds them more comfortable than her 4" 28 with 158 gn factory "magnums" she just regrets that there aren't more .44s and .41s, much less in our small shops. to collect. Fo her .357s are like purses. I do have to say, as long as she enjoys shooting the .38/.357's I am happy, they are cheaper to cast and load.
Sorry as Skeeter Skelton even said, "It is simply a case of a good big guy beating a good little guy".  I will always have a .357 but as long as I have a reloading press a .44 is better all around

I've been shooting handguns and reloading for about 37 years and never saw the need to own a .44 Sp. I've owned quite a few .357s, .45 Colts and .44 mags and always thought why buy a .44 special when you could always shoot them out of a .44 mag? Well I guess the years and some common sense talk from guys that knew better finally sank in and I bought my first .44 Sp. last month. It's one of the Talo Ruger S.S. flattops with a 4 5/8" barrel. I'm  loading 250gr. KSWC bullets with Unique and can't say enough good things about the gun, cartridge and the load. It is quickly becoming a favorite and so much so that this morning I bought a Ruger Sheriffs Vaquero in .44 Sp.  In my case I just never knew what I was missing. I guess the years force a certain amount of knowledge on you whether you like it or not.
Don 

Yep, the 44's can be very pleasant, genteel even.
Older folks especially come to love the special for the above reason. Unfortunately, when we get older, we often loose our ability to fathom the world, and tend to recall things selectively. As wonderful as the special is, it never accomplished half of what the 357 did. Now, the 357 is not genteel-it is loud, nasty, and a scrapper, hardly one for polite company, so it is expected that a certain distate will be aimed in its direction, and so it is.

It should also be remembered that everything the special did was with the efforts of highly skilled men loading her up. The 357 was never in need of such help.
The virtues of the special are many, but it always has been a cartridge with a small, fanatical following. Magnum, the term, arrived after the term "express" had gotten a try and was found wanting. "Magnum" most likely came from the term for that large bottle of fancy booze some are fond of. It came to mean a standard weight bullet at much faster velocity than its parent cartridge. The 357 is indeed, significantly faster than its parent, the 38.
IMHO, people should enjoy the traditional wheelguns and rounds for what they are, without the chilhood playground games of "mine is better". The 44 is good, but the 357 achieved through merit over the decades a reputation based on results. Attempts to tarnish this record have been many, but the record stands.

I am sorry that it appears I offended you with my personal experience, but I am afraid that is the only type I have. as I said, I actually put both to use and prefer the results the .44 gives.

CG, relax.
I'm NOT offended. You have to understand, I've listened to countless people over the years blather on about their fave______you fill in the blank, and proceed to lecture me endlessly about how everyone must think their way, or they are just wrong.
Look, we are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy a few great cartridges, lets just do so without all the nonsense.
Best wishes.

.....way back when the first guy picked up a rock and thought his rock was better than the next guys! I tend to go with which ever rock is in my hand when I need it. Chris

Way back in the mid 70's I watched the >357 vs .45 acp debate rage. I bought both

I got hooked on the .44 Special back in the 1970 reading EK and
Skeeter. But I'm going to take a slightly different tack here. I like
the .44 mag/.44 spl for the same reason I like the .357 mag/.38 Spl.
Versatility. Both combos can be loaded light for accuracy or hot for
hunting. Certainly the .44 Spl and mag are king here, but both sets can
do many things unlike so many other monolithic calibers. To me the most
versatile of all these calibers is the .44 spl. Load it light or load it
hot and you can hunt just about any N. American game with it. On top of
all that, the .44 Spl. can be had in medium size revolvers rather than
having to use the large frame .44 mag guns. I shoot a pair of Ruger
Vaqueros for Cowboy Action Shooting and a Rossi Model 720 3" in
Stainless that's just around the size of an "L" frame smith.  Very fun
to shoot. I also have a Ruger Flattop 5.5" and Lipsey's Bisley Flattop
5.5" in .44 spl on order. I just can't get away from .44 Special.

DDubya

From my experience the 44 Special is an inherently accurate round. It is accurate over multiple bullet weights and from mild cowboy type loads to strong loads for hunting. For SD it offers a large frontal area in weights that assures penetration. It is in reality a round that performs best if you reload and one they has worked well for 105 years.

... of those vaqueros, thanks for the photo.
Al

We are so very fortunate in the U.S. We must never allow our Second Amendment rights to be lost, though they've been chipped away at steadily for many decades. We can have .357s, .44 Specials,  .44 maggies,  whatever is our pleasure.
 
This lucky dog just received the first of what I hope will be two .44 Specials I've won bids on. #1 is a 6 1/2" 24-3 from the early 80s,  one of the issue that we have Skeeter to thank for mainly, I guess. Not pinned or recessed, but a beautiful piece, definitely "as new." 3 Ts, too,  as they used to say. Patridge front. Even the timing is very, very good, not something you can always count on. If I can ever figure out how to get digital photos into these posts,  I'll get some pictures to you guys.
 
#2,  which I'm still waiting on,  will be a 4" 624 from the same time period. These '80s stainless jobs were all subject to a recall due to a bad lot of stainless S&W got from a supplier. This particular piece had never made it back to the factory tor testing,  but it is there now,  and if it comes home safe to its owner,  it'll soon be on its way to me. According to S&W,  only one of the cylinders on these guns was found to be actually defective, so the odds seem pretty good.
 
Don't know if John Taffin was nagging S&W back then; if so,  thanks to him.  But I do know Skeeter was. 
 
Thanks, Skeeter.

MAK;
I often see listings for guns that seem to have a percentage just thrown at them. The NRA as well as most gun encyclopedias give precise ways of determining percentage of original condition, but most people just seem to let their imagination be their guide. However, I have also noted that many online sellers at places such as Rock Island Auction, Gunbroker, aand Gunsamerica seem to be very meticulous in their description and supply lots of excellent photos. I have bought a number of guns from all three of the above sources, and, in most cases, I think I have gotten better than I hoped.
If I am fortunate enough to have the gun in my paws, I can decide on condition by myself. Then I can decide on an offer that will make me happy if accepted.
That's the whole deal with valuation: a price that makes both buyer and seller happy.
 
Mike

I'll make a long story short. Since I've been away I found out what's so .44 special! Last month I bought a new Charter Arms Bulldog, took it out last Saturday for a walk feeding it some 200gr Winchester Silvertips. I'm in love! If I could figure out how to post pics here I'd put some up. I've tried and gave up. Anyway I love this chambering so much I ordered some 250gr Keith bullets from Dry Creek Bullets and I'm gonna put 'em on top of 5.0gr of Green Dot and see what happens. I've been carrying this gun everyday in a Simply Rugged Silver Dollar pancake. This rig is both comfortable and comforting! My Browning Hi-Power is in the safe and no longer will a 9mm be my main carry, as long as there's .44 special to be had. My next gun purchase will be a Ruger Blackhawk .44 special and maybe one day when the stars align and the Good Lord allows it a Colt New Frontier chambered in .44 special will reside in my safe. Thanks to all for your input, tough love and patience. Happy trails.
Paul

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Is that Smith for sale....?  It looks like something I need.....

Paul, email me your photos and I'll stick em in for you.
Bill, Not mine, just a good looking revolver with some good looking grips!

Looks like that leather fits like a glove.
Thanks for the post---
Al

Thanks for the help Al. Yes, I really appreciate Simply Rugged's holsters. I have four of them and they all are of high quality at a  very fair price and a fast turnaround.

Paul:
I picked up a CA Bulldog the other day for a car gun. Probably stick it in a Fobus in the car  after I wring it out. Not great workmanship but a superlight .44 Special. I'm a little scary about the thin dimension of the locking bolt, hand, etc. But according to his "Book of the .44", John T. depends on his. Have you put many rounds through yours?

Amity, I've put 160 rounds through mine so far. 60 of those were Winchester 200gr Silvertips the rest were handloads, 250gr Keith from Dry Creek Bullet Works over 4.8gr of Green Dot. This particular revolver has a story. I bought it new about 2 months ago. After the first five rounds of Silvertips the gun was hanging up on two chambers. After making sure it wasn't an ammo issue I reloaded and fired 5 more rounds with the same malfunction. I also noticed the screws in the frame were backing out. I thought this might be causing the problem so after tightning the screws the hammer was bound shut. I couldn't cock it single action or cycle it double action. Before I got totally bent out of shape I made a call to Charter Arms and informed the very nice lady what was happening. That day she e-mailed me a shipping label so I could return the gun for repair. I included a note describing the problem, noting some cosmetic issues on the barrel and made mention of how rough I thought the chamber walls in the cylinder were. Less than two weeks later I got the gun back with a copy of the work order. They replaced the barrel, cylinder, crane, hammer and grip frame. The previous grip frame was plastic and they replaced it with an aluminum or some type of alloy frame, I know it's not steel as a magnet won't stick to it but either way it's a world of improvenent over the plastic one. So, the 160 rounds previously mentioned have all been fired since I got the gun back from Charter Arms and I have had zero problems since. Like you said, wring it out before you depend on it for self defense. I carry mine literally everyday and have the utmost confidence in it. Now I just have to practice enough with it to gain that much confidence in my shooting. Charter Arms was very friendly and accomadating through this process and I would not hesitate to buy another one. In this day of high output manufacturing to meet demand I expect a lemon to make it through once in a while but Charter turned my lemon into lemonade.

Isn't it just great to pack one of those Charters? 20 ounces (empty) carries like a feather yet a 250 gn handload right there. THAT is "firepower" . Play around with other powders. I am using Unique, 2400, 4227, None of them are "bad" I just have a feeling, that if i can cast more 250s I am going to find the "perfect" load. groups are fine with most loads but I just sense that it is waiting for the right feed to really surprise me.  I picked up some 205 gn bullets at a garage sale kind of a short SWC. I messed with them a bit but it was all "ho-hum". For my needs it's going to be a 240 or 250. I may melt the rest of the 205s down since none of my .44s are terribly impressed with them. 

Paul: thanks for the story on your Bulldog. I'm prepared to have a similar experience but if I can end up with a dependable very lightweight piece in .44 Special,  be worth the journey. Even if Charter has to rebuild it, as long as they're very forthcoming in that regard, it'll be fine.
 
Country,  yep,  that's why I took the plunge even with some posts bemoaning the lack of QC. The Bulldog seems to weigh about what a Dick Special does and actually looks similar to the Magnum Carry if you take a look from about 10 feet away. The idea of having such a lightweight packin' .44 is awful attractive. Looks like Paul got his running well. Did you have any issues with yours?
 
I'll put it through its paces, get it redone if need be, and then will also search for the right load for a bullet at around 240-250 gr. 

Mine is cruisng just fine although my heavy bullet loads, just within SAAMI specs, did loosen some screws.
I am a bit giddy at the moment however. I stopped by the LGS to check on an order for a couple of guns of no interest around here and not only did they get a .22 revolver of the type I have a fondness for, and it was cheap, (look forward to me doing a little report on a certain "type" of revolvers from the past, this summer) But My LGS had just gotten, through an estate a Lyman DOUBLE 429-421 mold, W/Handles of course.  Yeehaw. Don't know how much it will cost, the shop owner will let me know in the morning, but that is a hard mold to find used around here. I nailed down a single last year. Now I can triple my output in one swell foop.  By Friday I hope to be doing and end to end sweep of the County for wheel weights.
 
Sorry, but that is more exciting than a new gun with all the .44s around here.

The .44 Special is a well balanced cartridge that when handloaded will do most everything that you need to do in the lower 48. 
.44 Special handguns are usually lighter than their .44 Mag brothers. That makes a difference when you actually wear one all day long rather than carrying one to the range in your pistol box. I can tell the difference in how my back feels at the end of the day when I have had my 624 .44 Special on compared to my 629 .44 Mag even though they are both 4" barrel revolvers carried in the same holster and belt combination.
They work at relatively mild pressures so that they aren't abusive as to recoil (to the shooter not the firearm), and they don't have as much muzzle blast which seems to me to make it a whole lot easier to shoot well.
While this is personal to me, I am sure that it will also be the same with others. Hand me a .44 Special and I am going to shoot .44 Special loads out of it. Admittedly my favorite load exceeds what is in most manuals (the Skeeter Skelton load which most know) but that isn't abusive either as to recoil and blast on the shooter or to most firearms. On the other hand, put a .44 Magnum in my hand. Sure I could shoot .44 Specials out of it forever. Taint going to happen. Sooner or later, I am going to handload some good ole Elmer Keith Memorial Magnum loads and touch them off. I also have this bad habit of not admitting that those loads buck a bit more than I like and even with good hearing protection bang on my hears more than I would like. At the end of the day, I'll guarantee that I am not going to be shooting as well as I would be had I stuck to .44 Special level loads.
I have found the same thing is true of my .45 Colt loads. Since I have both S&W and Ruger .45 Colt handguns, I could have two different favorite loads, a standard loading for the S&W revolvers and a knock them down and stomp on them load for my Ruger Bisley. Obviously I could shoot the standard loads in both types of revolvers but again, give me a gun that you can load to the firewall and a box of loaded to the firewall handloads and I'm going to shoot them. My logic to prevent this is I only load one loading of .45 Colt and since it needs to be OK in my S&W revolvers and my Ruger Bisley, gee I never have any of those loaded to the firewall loading that make me break out the .22 for some long practice sessions to get the flinch back under control. 
No mystery to it in my mind. They aren't magic. Are those good reasons for you to find a .44 Special special? That's up to you. 
Jim

countrygun;
Hold up, boy. I used a double cavity 429421 for years, but some months ago, I found a four banger on Ebay. I got it for about $$60, and it's a honey. I can finally cast enought bullets in  a couple of hours to frrd the six 44's that live here. I think I sold my double cavity. I will go look after while. Also found a four banger 454424 (the old model that Elmer designed). Even though I only have two 45 Colts, it really cuts down on casting time.
 
Mike

Well, at latest count I have you beat by one .44 but I am going to have to work twice as hard to keep up with a 4 banger. (lucky dog)  Id just like to have a double 454424 keith. I don't get as much time in with my .45s these days. 
You ought to see me moving like a one-armed paper hanger when I get out my single .38 molds. one is a 158 SWC and the other is an HP SWC.  I generally run one of my .44 mold at the same time. The wife knows better than to even come near, once I start rolling and get the rythm. She won't come around 'till I yell "Outta lead"