^^^ Yeah. What he said. ^^^I'd prefer the Speed Six.
If you want to shoot heavy loads, get a .44Mag Redhawk or S&W Model 29.
I agree. I remember when that Ruger Speed-5 came out. I wrote a letter (which they published) asking why they would take a perfectly good Speed-Six and convert it to five rounds of what I considered to be an inferior manstopping round. In the article (don't recall the name of the magazine) they had insinuated that the .44 Special was a superior manstopping round. I could understand why someone would convert to a .44 Spc if they liked the round or just wanted a bigger hole in the end. But I felt they were deceiving themselves if they thought they were taking a step up ballistically. The 125-140gr JHP has already established itself as an almost perfect (as close as one can get) manstopping round. Thus, going to five rounds of a slower, fatter bullet didn't make sense. In the ensuing years, I've become a bit more rounded in my views, but that's now.) Around the same time, the so-called "cop-killer" bullet controversy was raging and everyone was trying to keep the media from learning that the 125gr JHP .357 would penetrate many bullet resistant vests. (Advancements since then has rendered this OBE.)My heart loves the .44 Special, but having carried .357 for duty/defensive purposes, to include a defensive shooting, I would rather have six rounds of .357 than five rounds of .44 in the cylinder. I have a Speed Six, but would not have it converted to .44 Special, if I could find a 'smith with the skill.
A 250gr bullet at 1200fps is not a .44Mag load. It is a heavy .44Spl load. Add another 250fps and you have a .44Mag load, so I don't see this as an apples to apples comparison. The .44Spl can be had in smaller/lighter guns and one strong enough for heavier than dismal factory loads has a lot to offer. The 3" GP is a full 6oz lighter than my 629MG and that matters on the hip.The only reason Elmer loaded the 44 Special as hot as he did was because there were no 44 Magnums around then. As soon as the Magnum came on the scene he abandoned hot loads in the Special. Just my opinion but I think today's hand gunners should do the same. (smile)
Dave
There is actually a lot of merit to the .44Spl over the .357. A big bore doesn' tneed to expand to be effective, the .357 does. Its reputation is COMPLETELY dependent on proper expansion of a jacketed bullet. The .44Spl gets it done with or without, just like the .45ACP. It is also a lower pressure cartridge without the .357's ear-splitting muzzle blast. So it gets the job done without making your ears bleed. Another strike against using kinetic energy as a gauge of a cartridge's effectiveness.I agree. I remember when that Ruger Speed-5 came out. I wrote a letter (which they published) asking why they would take a perfectly good Speed-Six and convert it to five rounds of what I considered to be an inferior manstopping round. In the article (don't recall the name of the magazine) they had insinuated that the .44 Special was a superior manstopping round. I could understand why someone would convert to a .44 Spc if they liked the round or just wanted a bigger hole in the end. But I felt they were deceiving themselves if they thought they were taking a step up ballistically. The 125-140gr JHP has already established itself as an almost perfect (as close as one can get) manstopping round. Thus, going to five rounds of a slower, fatter bullet didn't make sense. In the ensuing years, I've become a bit more rounded in my views, but that's now.) Around the same time, the so-called "cop-killer" bullet controversy was raging and everyone was trying to keep the media from learning that the 125gr JHP .357 would penetrate many bullet resistant vests. (Advancements since then has rendered this OBE.)
Riomouse911...is that .44 special SP-101 a custom conversion?