Which .44 Mag?

It's easy to get bitten by that big revolver bug. I have the condition myself

Just speaking for myself I would be looking at a gently used S&W 629 or a Ruger Redhawk. I regret letting go of my 5.5" Redhawk years ago. They are tanks, and mine was fed a steady diet of full power .44 Magnum without any concern. I don't have experience with the magnum Taurus models but hear and read good stuff about them. I guess it all comes down to who has good CS if there are any issues after the sale that need to be addressed.

If you don't mind SA revolvers, the Super Blackhawk line is a good option. But for swing out DA I'd probably shop for something like a Smith or Ruger that is within budget. The Smith's are generally considered smoother action-wise, while the Ruger built its reputation on being able to handle day in day out pounding of full power loads.

Taurus 6.5 barrel DA with Pakmyers. Comes ported. Can shoot it all day one handed using 240 gr jsp. There's one at a pawn shop here for 460. Flat gray silverish. Guess a type of parkerize. Nice looker.
Ruger SA Blackhawk. 7.5 I believe, has enough front weight to deal with rise. Can find around same price. There's good ones out there without spending arm n leg.
45lc ok too. Performance pretty comparable to 44mag.

I would go SA. Get a blackhawk in 45 colt, you wouldn't be giving up anything to the 44 mag and it's just cooler. You can surely find a used blackhawk for $500 thats what i would do.

Well you could go 41 Mag, 45 Colt or even 480 Ruger too there Good Ol' Boy.

Hand fit is important, so make sure that you handle the pistol and that the grips fit the hand. This is why I no longer own a Redhawk. The choices were the wooden factory grips, which ate up my hands, or huge Packmayr's. At the time there were no other choices. I have short, stubbie fingers and this is a problem with magnum handguns. As the frame size increases, to keep things proportional, manufacturer's also increase the grip size. This has nothing to do with human ergonomics, it has to do with pretty. Unfortunately for me, the idea grip size is a set of clam shells on a K frame S&W, which is a much smaller grip than the typical grips on 44 Magnums. But, if I cannot index my hand correctly for proper finger placement on the revolver, I can't shoot it well.

Ruger oversized the Super Blackhawk grips, compared to the Blackhawk, but they are still useable as wood grips. The pistol rotates in the hand which reduces the felt recoil. So I think a Ruger SuperBlack Hawk is an affordable 44 Magnum, and a useful one, and that is why I purchased back in 1983, which was the first year that Ruger made a stainless SuperBlack Hawk.



I never sent this three screw back, for the transfer bar change, but it is still a great 44 Magnum revolver.



Of the 44 Magnums I have kept, this has to be my favorite. It is unusually accurate. The chamber mouths are tight, which was a characteristic of this dash model, so I have to cut loads a bit.



I was lucky that the Hogue X grips fit my hand and put rubber between my hand and the back strap.





This really reduces any recoil pain with this revolver.

I really like the trigger pulls of the S&W's and if you go to the local gunstore go look for used 44 Magnum. People buy these big bangers around Christmas, shoot less than a box of 20 rounds, find they can't handle the recoil, and trade them for something less painful. This is true for all the big bangers, you will come across like new pistols in 44 Magnum, 454 Casull, 480 Ruger, 500 S&W in the used display, that have not had a box of ammunition through them.

Of course if you have to have the biggest out there, try to find a used Ruger Super Redhawk, or equivalent, just make sure the grips fit your hand.

For $5-600 the only thing your likely to find is Taurus or a Super Blackhawk.

Id go Super Blackhawk all day long.

For a first time .44 Mag. I would go with a used Super Blackhawk. Next thing I would do would be to get some oversized target style grips for it because the factory grip frame and stocks are not fun to shoot with!

I've had mostly good Taurus revolvers, but when my funds were limited a couple of years ago and I wanted a 44 magnum, I decided to go after a used Super Blackhawk.

I did some searching of completed sales on Gunbroker of Super Blackhawks. It turned out that if you were patient and didn't mind an imperfect finish, you could eventually win a used one for a bid of around $400. I haunted the auctions patiently for a couple of months and won a 7.5" version (my preference) for a bid of $399. There were only a couple of pictures. When it arrived at the LGS the finish was pretty worn, and it had been shot a bunch, but it was also a three-screw model from 1970. It's probably my favorite handgun. It locks up nice and tight, and its trigger is divine.

I wouldn't worry much about buying one used. They are very durable. (I also have two regular Blackhawks and two Single Sixes). Most people shoot them way better with the factory grips if they tuck their pinky under the grip. I taught that to a friend just yesterday.

Let us know how it goes!

SBH! Some folks like the standard wood grips (I do) and others prefer various Hogue or Pachmayer grips.

You should be able to find a used one in the $400 range if you shop.

My opinion only: the stock wood grips are great if you use them properly-- grip them low and allow the gun to rotate upward when fired. You will not have a problem with the square trigger guard hitting your fingers if you hold it properly. I can shoot mine all afternoon!

Super Blackhawk is never a bad idea, but there are a lot of reasons to like the Super Redhawk. They mitigate recoil quite well and are typically accurate.

I agree that a SBH is never a bad idea. I have more than one.

I have several 44 Mag revolvers, and really like them all.

An older Taurus M44, long barrel. Nice rubber grips that do very well to soak up recoil, a ported barrel to help keep the barrel down. Big heavy gun, easy to shoot well, never a problem with it for over 20 years. Mrs Thunkit loves it with 200gr lead at about 900 fps. I think this would be the easiest DA to find for less than $500.

9.5" Super Redhawk, scoped, mostly a bench toy. I can shoot the heaviest loads, it gobbles em up like jelly beans. Again, the weight mitigates the recoil. Probably in the $800+ range.

7" Redhawk. Hell for stout. Again, big heavy revolver. This one I can't seem to figure out how to shoot well. Still trying. Also probably over your budget. $700+

Several Super Blackhawk revolvers. If you want a single action, this is your best bet for your budget. Can find them for $400 or less, if you are wait for the deal.

I think it would be difficult to find a S&W 44 Mag for $600.

Hooda Thunkit said:

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I think it would be difficult to find a S&W 44 Mag for $600.

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My $600 M29. I appears to have been dropped a short distance or slid on its side a short distance on a rough surface. There are a couple minor scratches on one side of the barrel and cylinder. Otherwise it was in great shape when I got it and from looking at the recoil shield probably only had a couple boxed though it.

The big question is does the OP reload?...If not there is nothing budget friendly about a .44 mag as a range toy.

mcb said:

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My $600 M29. .

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Generalities usually get me in trouble .

I do think, however, that your deal is more the exception than the rule. I would have sprained my wrist getting the money out of my secret stash for that deal!

For the most part, I stand by my statement. Most of the 29/629 revolvers that I see are $800+.

Hooda Thunkit said:

Generalities usually get me in trouble .

I do think, however, that your deal is more the exception than the rule. I would have sprained my wrist getting the money out of my secret stash for that deal!

For the most part, I stand by my statement. Most of the 29/629 revolvers that I see are $800+.

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Agreed, it was just too easy so I had to post that. I did nearly catch my wallet on fire getting it out so fast on the deal. Most of my other N-frames I have bought have been ~$750 and had far more rounds on them than this one appears to have had.

Deals are out there if you’re patient and haunt the good used gun counters religiously.

In the past few years I’ve picked up some decent deals on magnum revolvers that were in great shape; a 629 Mountain Gun for $475.00, a 7.5” .41 Mag Redhawk for $350.00 (It was languishing on consignment in a police-oriented gun store), and a few months back a 4” 66-1 .357 for $500.

Keep looking and you’ll find exactly what tickles your fancy...without breaking your bank!

Stay safe.

I have several 44's to pick from, here's a few of them,



But I always pick a S&W M-29, as that's what I MUCH prefer to shoot, and also to hunt with.

DM

The taurus tracker series being ported and with the great ribber grips really kills a lot of felt recoil. I had a 2.5 inch barrelled m44c taurus that didn't feel bad at all with very heavy loads

Blues Redhawk is REALLY sexy! That is a great choice as it’ll digest loads that’ll make a 29 run and hide without a hiccup!

I have never seen a blue Redhawk in person. I've seen pics, but for all I know they could be photoshopped.

Do they really exist ?

Hooda Thunkit said:

I have never seen a blue Redhawk in person. I've seen pics, but for all I know they could be photoshopped.

Do they really exist ?

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Yes they do.

I would love to see a blue Redhawk. I got this one for $550 at the LGS a while back because it had languished in the case for so long. The recoil is surprisingly moderate.