New (to me) .44 Magnum

A good few years ago I gave up on the .44 Magnum. I had stopped hunting and since I didn't reload they were just too damn expensive to feed. I've started hunting again and I reload now, so I figured that it was time to start looking for a .44 magnum as my next purchase.

The search was not long- I walked into Pinto's this morning and there was a US Arms Abilene with an 8" ported bull barrel in excellent condition. It has very little wear and excellent fit and finish. Before Mossberg bought them they had a reputation for tight tolerances, great triggers and excellent accuracy. They were popular with silhouette shooters and had a reputation for durability.

This one is rock-solid, very tight with few signs of wear. It's on layaway now, and I hope I'll get it out this coming week- I'd might be able to take it hunting if I can.

460Shooter said:

Nice man. Happy critter gettin!

You going to give it you're custom touches?

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At very least I'll be modifying the grip- it's really fat at the bottom. I was actually hoping for a shorter barrel but this one hangs in my hand really nice, so I'll shoot it some before I make any decisions as to whether or not to bob it at 4-5/8"

The price? $375- quite a lot lower than they usually go for. Typically I see them for $400-$800, depending on the condition and features.

Malamute said:

I think if you try 9 grs Unique with any cast 240 or 200 gr bullets in magnum cases, youll like it. Very pleasant to shoot, splits the difference between specials and magnums, without too much muzzle blast. It flattens the trajectory out enough over what specials do to make hits easier at crazy distances with a little practice. Good fun.

Looks like its in great shape.

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Thanks for that- If there's one thing I've got it's Unique- when I started reloading a buddy sent me four pounds of it.

243winxb said:

Check the gap with a feeler gauge, between cylinder and barrel, with cylinder pushed back towards the recoil shield.
If Larger then .009" i would not buy it.

Had a Hawes 'Western Marshal', .44 magnum revolver with a large gap. Not pleasent to shoot.

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The cylinder has zero end-play, and the cylinder gap appears to be .001-.002". I think it'll be OK.

Charliefrank said:

Sweet looking revolver. I shot IHMSA for several years. Never happened to see one before.

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I think they enjoyed some popularity in the 1980s.

The Evangelist Cowboy said:

Shot it yet ?

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Yes, and with the mid-range loads it's a sweetheart. I'm loading a 260gr. HCSWC to about 1200 fps. Between the porting and the bull-barrel it's like shooting a .357 Magnum. Accuracy is quite good, and the trigger is significantly lighter than my first impression indicated. This was my first 25 yard group, shot standing unsupported. Aside from the flyer it's not tragically bad; about 2-3/4". I expect I can improve on this with practice.

I'm not really used to shooting guns this heavy anymore, but it will come back to me.

I did reshape the grip slightly and refinished them. I narrowed them and the front and took some meat off the sides, but left the back wide to help distribute recoil. The grip now has a teardrop cross section with the narrow bit at the front. The new shape is much more comfortable and secure in the hand. I refinished them with a hand-rubbed carnauba wax finish. I also made a field holster for the gun; nothing fancy but it works well.

kBob said:

This revolver NEEDS a Tinker Built midsized bowie with deeply blued steel parts......perhaps with eating utensils in the Scots Dirk Fashion on the sheath......

-kBob

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This could happen... if I can ever make one without someone insisting on buying it!

The Evangelist Cowboy said:

that would be awesome to see, and Id buy it... JK

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SEE?!