Ruger .44 Carbine?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Click Click Boom

Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
484
Location
Houston TEXAS
I have never owned a pistol caliber carbine before. I came across a Ruger .44 Carbine NIB "never fired". Its $350 plus tax and appears to be late 80s vintage. But Im not really sure. The Gun does appear to be unfired and is in fantastic shape. I have a few Q?'s.

Does this seem like a fair price for the above descried rifle?

How much does the .44 mag carteidge benifiet form the longer barrel?

About what should I see in MV/ME from hunting loads wehn compared to a revolver?

Is this a good 100 yard hog gun?

Thanks for your time. I tried a search but I must not be using to correct "Key" words.
 
I'm presuming you're referring to the lever action as opposed to the semi-auto. I'd imagine the velocity gains would run about 100 fps for some loads. It seems like I've read that the .357 Mag's with 12" barrels sometimes list lower velocities because the powder charge had stopped gaining against the drag of the rifling. I would figure that the long sight radius would make 100yd shots on hogs pretty reasonable. Plus apparently the Ruger lever action has a very short throw which'd be a good thing for quick follow up shots. As for price, the $350.00 seems pretty good. For twice that you'd be looking at Marlins, Winchester etc. so I'd probably give it a shot. If you are talking about the semiauto, I'd still say the price is good however the velocity might be a bit lower.
 
Does this seem like a fair price for the above descried rifle?
Click to expand...
Yes, if it's truly the old tube-mag .44 Carbine. I recently sold a much-used one for not much less than that.

How much does the .44 mag carteidge benifiet form the longer barrel?

About what should I see in MV/ME from hunting loads wehn compared to a revolver?
Click to expand...

I chrono'd some handloads in my carbine and a 6.5" S&W on the same day. A 240-grain JHP driven by 20 grains of 2400 gave 1260fps from the revolver and 1620fps from the carbine. That's an increase of almost 30%.

Is this a good 100 yard hog gun?
Click to expand...

I'd say so, though I never used mine for that. XS Sights makes a ghost ring that fits - I am pretty sure the one they make for the 10/22 bolts right onto the factory holes on the carbine. With the ghost ring it is a very fast-handling little rifle.
 
It is the semi-auto .44 Carbine. And it really is NIB. This gun was part of a "estate sale" There were some really nice Rugers in his collection. I did notice that the mounts for the base plate are different than on a 10/22. There are 2 screws on th back of the reciever and then it looks likr the 2 holes are pluged on the front with the other set of screws in the barrel just forward of the reciever.

It seems that people prefer the older .44 Carbine to the new rotory mag newer 99/44 Deerfields. Why is this? Are the older ones of higher quailty or is it just old timers not liking the new design?

The gun is coming home with me today anyway. It will make a nice trailgun with my S&W 629 Trailboss on my hip.
 
It seems like I've read that the .357 Mag's with 12" barrels sometimes list lower velocities because the powder charge had stopped gaining against the drag of the rifling.
Click to expand...


In a revolver there is the barrel/cylinder gap lets the gas escape as fricton slows the bullet down in a 12"-15" barrel. But in a rifle or single shot pistol barrel, there isn't a barrel/cylinder gap and all the gas pushes the bullet down the barrel.

The Ruger 44 mag will be a great and handy carbine. It will also be a very good hog gun for 100-120 yds. Great find, congratulations.
 
Good price. I bought a similar one about 7-8 years ago for 300. I see them go in excellent condition for around $500. The only down side I found is you have to use full power loads to get the action to cycle reliably. Not really an issue in the carbine but I usually use a slightly reduced load in revolvers. Lead bullets will gum up the gas system but I have used a moderate amount of plated bullets without any problems. Flat or hollow point only as FMJ or similar bullets can go off in the mag tube. I did some experimenting and fouund just about anything shoots about 3-4" at 100 yd which is good enough for my uses. I put a receiver sight on mine and it works well. Scoping it would upset the balance as far as I'm concerned.
 
Last edited:
The velocity gain of a revolver cartridge out of a 16 inch or longer barrelled rifle vs. a 4-7" barrelled revolver is virtually guaranteed to be at least 300fps and often more, sometimes, much more.

The old semi-auto, tube fed, gas op Rguer carbines are indeed often preferred over the newer ones. I think that the feeling that they are lighter, more compact, handier and the like has much to do with it. Also, you can use longer COAL loads, like those that are made jst for the longer clyindered revovlers) in the old guns but are stuck with shorter COAL loads in the newer ones. You may loose a round of capacity when using the longer COAL loads.

The old guns require full power loads to work and will not work with specials or downloaded rounds, BTW.

It is a shame they do not make them anymore, a real shame.

Tsh77769
 
The gun is mine. Its in better shape than the New .44 Ruger Deerfield they had on display. Im thinking about putting some truglows or a aimpoint in the rifle.

One of the benifiets of working at a Gander MTN in Texas is that all of our customers beg us to come shoot there Hogs. These things have infested Texas. I had one guy offer to pick us up and suply the ammo.

HOG Beware. I have a new toy.
 
Williams makes a nice screw on reciever sight for the .44 carbine. I just sold one on Ebay for like 12 bucks a month or so ago, new.
 
Enjoy that 44 carbine! I've got 2 of them and one of the new style. The older tube-fed ones are my favorites. I have low power scopes and use them to shoot jackrabbits in full gallop. They don't seem to miss. Just be sure to shoot jacketed bullets since the gas port will shave lead from lead bullets and foul the gas piston.
 
I checked my records and it was a 10/22 sight from XS that I used on my carbine. It fits the two rearmost holes on the carbine. I had to replace the front sight to match and I used a .600" high ramp, also from XS.

I think the front and rear sights on the Carbine are also the same as on the 10/22 so if you want to use replacements made for the 10/22 you should be able to do that.
 
It seems that people prefer the older .44 Carbine to the new rotory mag newer 99/44 Deerfields. Why is this? Are the older ones of higher quailty or is it just old timers not liking the new design?
Click to expand...

The 96/44 is a lever action.

The Deerfield is a semi auto. The new model is the 99/44, the old is simply Deerfield.
 
They are lots of fun

Too bad that those pansie's at Ruger don't make a mag that holds more than 4 rounds.
 
Ah, the old Flint Crippler (anyone know the reference here?) My dad owned one for several years, and regretted selling it. He scoped it when new, but either the scope was defective or the kick was just too much, as the scope never held zero. With open sights, though, it was quite accurate out to about 50 yards, and respectable out to 100. The closest I've come to owning one is a lever action Winchester. Personally, I think you got an awesome deal, and have fun with the thing!
 
yeah i almost got one of those - went with the revolver for my first .44 mag gun instead - but $350 for a new one is a darn good price. $100 more than that is fair for a new one, a lot of people charge more. i think it'd be fine for hogs out 100 yards, particularly with some hot hunting rounds like buffalo bore makes. i was considering it as a bushwhacking gun for deer in close. in any case, i did my homework on it, actually would've bought one at one point if the store i went to still carried it, and through digging for info on it i've pretty much only heard good things.
 
The Deerfield is a semi auto. The new model is the 99/44, the old is simply Deerfield.
Click to expand...

No, the Ruger catalogs and web site clearly call the new model the 99/44 Deerfield. The old carbine was originally called the Deerstalker but the name was changed to .44 Carbine early on.
 
I knew an ol timer that had one of the older Ruger .44 mags like you are talking about. He probably killed 50 deer with that rifle up until some lowlife stole it from his house.
 
Ruger Deerstalker

I bought one NIB for $88.88 from:
Ken's Guns, (no relation)
5123 west North Ave
Milwaukee, Wisc.

These can shoot to 100 yards with 38,000 cup factory ammo. They can go to 125 yards with the same zero with 48,000 handloads.

Oh, did I say it was 1969? Sorry, times an inflation factor of 6x, today that would be over $500. You got a VERY good deal.
 
Im late for work so Ill make this a quick post....


From a sand bag today at about 75 yards it shot a (5 shot) 1/2 inch group wide by 1.3 long. I should be ableto do better but that was my first try just to see how it shot with the iron sights. That was good for me so we went hoggin.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
ruger 77/44 carbine
Replies
0
Views
232
cdet69
C
F
  • Locked
Triger Pull in Ruger 44 Carbine
Replies
1
Views
689
rcmodel
R
T
  • Locked
Ruger .44 Carbine
Replies
0
Views
437
tinroad37e
T
B
  • Locked
Ruger 44 Mag Carbine
Replies
7
Views
790
ghostrider07
G
S
  • Locked
Ruger .44 carbine (Deerslayer) Should I?
2
Replies
37
Views
7K
JR47
J
Back
Top