Which 44 mag?

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Hi...
Look for a used Dan Wesson double action revolver.
It will handle any sane load and if anything like mine deliver superb accuracy. The interchangeable barrels are a big plus.

I love my Dan Wesson 744. I can swap the 8" barrel to the 4" barrel in a couple of minutes. I plan on picking up a 6" barrel and 2 1/2" barrel one of these days. I love the EWK muzzle break... it takes about a minute to put it on any of the barrels and reduces muzzle flip considerably.
 
I vote 629 Classic.
I'll never shoot enough heavy loads to hurt mine. I've read that you shouldn't shoot anything over 240gr, then again I've heard they are fine with 300s as long as you aren't shooting 1000s of them at Max velocities....
 
I have always wanted a 44 mag revolver to go with the lever. What I have in mind is a 6 inch barrel, suitable for hunting, solidly built and with good accuracy. Can be new or used. The ability to add an optic at some point is a major plus. Is a super black hawk the default here?

For pairing with a lever, and an eye towards optics...

Ruger (Super Blackhawk) Bisley Hunter is what jumps to mind.

A Super Redhawk right behind it, favored over a more classically designed Redhawk Hunter for the grip and dual spring action.
 
Lots of great recommendations here...and I'll say that 44 magnum/special is easily my favorite round. You can accomplish darn near anything with 44...almost. Me, I'm a target guy, I don't hunt, so take that in mind.

All I can speak from is personal experience and all I've owned is a 7.5" Super Redhawk and now a 4" 629. I foolishly traded off the SRH in 2010 and have regretted it ever since, the gun has a face only a mother can love, but it is built like a tank and was very accurate. I'd feel very confident running the nastiest of nasty loads through the thing and never once think about mechanical failure. Top gun in the pic, had an Ultradot on it that functioned perfectly:
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My current is a 629 4", it is a great looking firearm, DA and SA is great, it's fun to shoot. Do I feel it is robust as my old SRH? No, I really don't. I shoot a ton of 44 special loads and the occasional magnum.

It too is the top revolver in the pic, I added an inexpensive Primary Arms red dot on it and it has ran flawlessly:
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I think a good SAA matches with a lever action.

OR

If it's for showing off then how about a High Standard Crusader. Get a matched pair in .44 and .45

Or

-I'm partial to 629s which are available in so many varieties. I'm fond of my 5" with MagnaPorting.
 
Well , if you pick a quality pistol you cant go to far wrong . I had a S&W 29 , and a Ruger Redhawk I sold the Ruger because for me , the Smith & Wesson shot better. I would suggest that you try out a couple different guns before you plunk down your hard earned greenbacks . Try a Redhawk , a Blackhawk , and a 29 and see which one works the best.
 
What size bullets your using in your levergun should mandate which revolver to get. If the levergun uses .432" bullets go with the rugers or older smith's 29-2/29-3. If your rifle runs .430" bullets go with the newer s&w's. Jacketed bullets, it doesn't matter.
 
The ..44 magnum is a great cartridge that is up to most any job demanded of it. Most of us will never have any use for the “bomb” loads that some revolvers are capable of handling. Practically any North American game animal can be or has been killed with good factory loaded ammo. The chance of shooting a S&W loose with factory loads or reasonable handloads is pretty slim. Back in the 1970’s and early 1980’s when the silhouette game was in full swing, model 29’s were pounded by competitors with thousands of “bomb” loadings. The revolvers did suffer damage over the long term which started the talk of weakness in the design. S&W did address this concern by including an “endurance package” on the 29-3 and later models. The fact is that hardly any of us will subject our guns to such abuse over the long run so, there is little reason for concern. Everyone has opinions. Some are based on experience and others are not. The best advice is to the O.P. Is to handle the different options available and choose the one that feels right to him because there really isn’t a bad choice.
 
You have literally tons of options. Your choice will depend partly on intended use and partly on personal preference. S&W N-frames are modern classics and have an appeal all their own. It pained me to send a lovely model 57 back to the seller last week due to mechanical issues. However, if you're going to send thousands of full pressure loads downrange, it might be best to choose something else. They will shoot loose with continuous use of heavy loads and the so-called "endurance package" did very little to mitigate that. I treat mine like slightly stronger .44Spl's and keep them at 1200fps or less. I say "full pressure" because many factory loads are not. If it's a 240gr at 1200fps, it's far below full pressure. My 29-3 and 629MG are excellent shooters.

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An elegant single action in a similar strength class is the stupidly-named Uberti Callahan. It's only slightly beefier than their Colt SAA replicas and has the 1860 grip frame.

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For a similarly finished single action capable of withstanding a lifetime of full pressure loads, there is the Old Model Super Blackhawk. This one has been trimmed to 5½" by Bowen and fitted with Ajax stags.

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There are various New Model .44Mag single actions including the Bisley Hunter model...

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...standard Bisley, this one worked over by David Clements...

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...Bisley Vaquero...

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....and 50th anniversary Blackhawk.

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For guns in a strength class all their own, the big Ruger DA's are capable of nuclear 50,000psi loads. The Super Redhawk is my favorite platform for a dedicated hunting sixgun.

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For the ultimate in strength, this .44 started life as a 4 5/8" Super Blackhawk. I later converted it to a Bisley, then had David Clements spiff it up with a new front sight, lanyard ring, Belt Mt basepin, Bowen rear sight, freewheel, action job and roundbutting.

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In its final guise, Jack Huntington opened the frame window and fitted an oversized six-shot cylinder, 4 5/8" octagon barrel, custom #1 style front sight and completely hand finished it. It is fitted with Dall sheep grips by Rob Rowen and capable of the longest, heaviest loads.

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The ..44 magnum is a great cartridge that is up to most any job demanded of it. Most of us will never have any use for the “bomb” loads that some revolvers are capable of handling. Practically any North American game animal can be or has been killed with good factory loaded ammo. The chance of shooting a S&W loose with factory loads or reasonable handloads is pretty slim. Back in the 1970’s and early 1980’s when the silhouette game was in full swing, model 29’s were pounded by competitors with thousands of “bomb” loadings. The revolvers did suffer damage over the long term which started the talk of weakness in the design. S&W did address this concern by including an “endurance package” on the 29-3 and later models. The fact is that hardly any of us will subject our guns to such abuse over the long run so, there is little reason for concern. Everyone has opinions. Some are based on experience and others are not. The best advice is to the O.P. Is to handle the different options available and choose the one that feels right to him because there really isn’t a bad choice.

I disagree. I have shot them loose in short order. The Endurance Package doesn't address the spindly half-frame design. Keep in mind the design goes way back to the turn of the century (before this last one) with nothing stronger than the .44 Special in mind. Personally I don't shoot 240 grain loads, as I hunt with them and you still can't feed them a steady diet of the heavy stuff -- and I'm not talking about overloads, but loads well within the SAAMI maximum. My 29s have been relegated to light duty. Nothing wrong with them, but there are better choices for the heavy lifting.
 
Now I have a 7 inch Super Blackhawk with a Leupold pistol scope. Accurate and weighty enough to handle the recoil. I did have a ported Raging Bull. It was better for recoil but I could not find a scope mount for it.
 
I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk with 5.5" barrel that I really enjoy but for hunting I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter with 7.5" barrel and I mounted a Ultra Dot Red dot sight on it. I must admit that I am partial to single action revolvers.

Super Blackhawk Hunter_2.JPG
 
I vote Ruger Blackhawk if on a budget . Bisley grip if you want to shot hotter loads. But grip is such a personal preference you really need to SHOOT the various grips, not just handle them. If that's an option, easier said than done LOL. SBH hunter is a nice option if your looking to use a scope and irons .if you watch gun broker you can get them for 650 or less.

BFR's are cool as hell and would be the bee's knees if you don't mind a heavy revolver and shelling out 1k. I dream of having one one day .

Lastly Smith and Wesson make fine revolvers as well. Not sure of your budget. My buddy has the performance center hunter ,and that thing is a friggin Lazer. But you pay a crap ton for it .

My thing with Smith's N frame is, idk how they will be in the long run with hotter loads. I look at it this way. The Smith n frame 44's are like a modern half ton truck. Really nice to look at , will do 95% or task the average Joe needs, and have pretty dang good tow ratings. BUT just because they are rated at 8000lb towing don't mean you should be towing 8000 every day....cause you're going to kill the poor thing. They make big heavy trucks to handle those tasks for a reason. In the same way they make big heavy revolvers for fire breathing loads. Anyways look forward to hearing what ya decide.:thumbup:
 
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I disagree. I have shot them loose in short order. The Endurance Package doesn't address the spindly half-frame design. Keep in mind the design goes way back to the turn of the century (before this last one) with nothing stronger than the .44 Special in mind. Personally I don't shoot 240 grain loads, as I hunt with them and you still can't feed them a steady diet of the heavy stuff -- and I'm not talking about overloads, but loads well within the SAAMI maximum. My 29s have been relegated to light duty. Nothing wrong with them, but there are better choices for the heavy lifting.


Can you give us an idea of what it took to shoot them loose? Bullet weight/velocity and round count?

Thanks
 
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