What's Special about the 44 Special.
- Thread starter NorthBorder
- Start date
Forgot I asked that but the cylinder on .357s are only so big. I'm fond of the GP's. Good picture
Nice! I have the 5" full lug. Its probably my favorite revolver to date, tho the SBH is up there too
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Craig, first, I want to say that I am not posting this to be argumentative nor am I trying to start an argument. I have some questions regarding your statements.
First statement, question below:
Second statement, question below:
I have no experience with the .44 Special, but have been interested in it for a while. Also, I have shot my Ruger Vaquero (original) .45 Colt with some pretty hot loads and decided the punishment to my wrist wasn’t worth it.
Side Note: I did confirm with Ruger that my 7.5” .45 Colt Vaquero would handle “Ruger Only Loads”.
I decided that just because I can do that, it doesn’t mean I should.
First statement, question below:
Can a .44 Special Colt SAA handle the pressure of the Keith load, 250 grain bullet at 1200 FPS?
Second statement, question below:
Can a .44 Special be loaded to or exceed Ruger Only .45 Colt loads?
I have no experience with the .44 Special, but have been interested in it for a while. Also, I have shot my Ruger Vaquero (original) .45 Colt with some pretty hot loads and decided the punishment to my wrist wasn’t worth it.
Side Note: I did confirm with Ruger that my 7.5” .45 Colt Vaquero would handle “Ruger Only Loads”.
I decided that just because I can do that, it doesn’t mean I should.
Styx
Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2014
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- 3,282
I'm not expert on 44 special or 44 magnum as I only own one, so I don't have vast experience with multiple revolvers and different loads compared to other members. That said, in simplic terms, I view 44 special or 44 magnum the same way I view 38 special and 357 magnum. It's basically the same difference and rationale for why many carry 38 special over 357 mag in a revolver and vis versa. That's the easiest and most simplic way to explain it without getting too overly technical.
For range use, EDC against humans, and out of lighter revolvers, 44 special makes more sense. For defense against larger 4 legged predators, for hunting, or for range use out of heavier revolvers, 44 magnum makes more sense. That's just how I view it.
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Yes.
Note I said, "at this power level". I was specifically comparing loads in guns in which the .44Special shines like the Colt SAA. It would make no sense to compare "Ruger only" .45Colt loads to .44Spl when the context is a .44Mag sized frame. The reasons for Keith to switch to .44Spl from .45Colt hold true today. Thicker chamber walls make for a higher pressure threshold with a good safety margin.
IMHO, the .44Special is the perfect cartridge for the Colt SAA, not the .45Colt.
P5 Guy
Member
Maddy passed away five years ago due to heart failure. She was 12.
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Thank you very much for that explanation. I appreciate it. That makes sense to me.
.308 Norma
Member
Elmer Keith’s ka-BOOM (Video)
www.forgottenweapons.com
I don't understand your point. I already have a couple of 44 Magnums, and when I finally run across one of my "grail guns" (the perfect 44 Special) you can bet I'll never try to "hot rod" it to near 44 Mag velocities.
BTW, I can't define "the perfect 44 Special" - I'll know it when I see it, and I'm the one that gets to decide whether it's "perfect" or not. One thing it won't be though is a large-framed 44 Magnum that I can also shoot 44 Specials in.
.38 Special
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- 7,369
For what it is worth, John Taffin has written that the Keith load bulged a chamber, under the bolt cut, on one of his .44 Special SAAs. I tend to be conservative these days, but that load is a little too close to the edge, for me. As @.308 Norma notes, when I want that kind of horsepower I just grab a Magnum. .44 Special perfection, in my book, is the Skeeter load.
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doubleh
Member
I never payed much attention to what Elmer said. I was too busy reading Jack O'Connor and was only concerned with with 22 rimfire handguns during the time Elmer was writing. Shooting as much as I liked to with centerfire was above my income bracket then anyway.
My take on the 44 special is that it's an accurate caliber plus gives enough power without OMG recoil to be an excellent choice. To find information on the 44 special read John Taffin's musings on the perfect packin' pistol. He has spent most of a lifetime with it and knows far more than most of us do about it.
My take on the 44 special is that it's an accurate caliber plus gives enough power without OMG recoil to be an excellent choice. To find information on the 44 special read John Taffin's musings on the perfect packin' pistol. He has spent most of a lifetime with it and knows far more than most of us do about it.
dickydalton
Member
I know the Special is fun to shoot in my Taylor's Frontier S&W copy.
Riomouse911
Member
As far as the original question goes, the “special” part of the .44 Special (or .38 Special) is merely a matter of the shooters subjective opinion.
To me, shooting a Special in a “Special sized” revolver is a lot of fun. The flattop Blackhawk .44 Spl., like a S&W K frame .38, is just about the perfect blend of portability and shootability. .44 Special recoil isn’t abusive, the 240 gr SWC bullet is a versatile size/shape for just about any type of application, and there are lots of loads that can be surprisingly accurate.
For the guy at the next bench over, a .44 Magnum may solve all of his hand gunning needs so owning a .44 Special-chambered gun isn’t necessary . The guy on the other side may go only with a .357. For me, my Magnum guns shoot mostly (mid range) magnum loads. But my Specials happily shoot Special-level loads (and a lot more of those get fired than Magnums, too).
YMMV.
Stay safe.
To me, shooting a Special in a “Special sized” revolver is a lot of fun. The flattop Blackhawk .44 Spl., like a S&W K frame .38, is just about the perfect blend of portability and shootability. .44 Special recoil isn’t abusive, the 240 gr SWC bullet is a versatile size/shape for just about any type of application, and there are lots of loads that can be surprisingly accurate.
For the guy at the next bench over, a .44 Magnum may solve all of his hand gunning needs so owning a .44 Special-chambered gun isn’t necessary . The guy on the other side may go only with a .357. For me, my Magnum guns shoot mostly (mid range) magnum loads. But my Specials happily shoot Special-level loads (and a lot more of those get fired than Magnums, too).
YMMV.
Stay safe.
Succinct, no need to embellish... Well said, Craig. The famous .44 Special has been my hands down favorite since 1970....even though it was Smith's reintroduction of the M-24 in the eighties before I was able to afford one. Here's one of mine with a pair of black/white ebony stocks I made up for it. From mild to wild, the .44 Special will do the job.
Rio said: "For me, my Magnum guns shoot mostly (mid range) magnum loads. But my Specials happily shoot Special-level loads (and a lot more of those get fired than Magnums, too)."
Me too with Skeeter's justly famous prescription: 240 LSWC backed by 7.5 gr of Unique, which fills 90% of my needs.
Heads up Smith & Wesson, bring back the 4" Mountain Gun in .44 Special (without the freakin' lock)...I predict you'd sell a ton of them. But thanks anyway for the M-69, which is a close approximation albeit with the IL and sleeved bbl. Mine gets lots of holster time.
Best Regards, Rod
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Yes, special sized is the righteous truth. 38 or 44 . You have showed pictures of thin sleek 38sp S&W's and that GP 100. Not up on S&W names and numbers.As far as the original question goes, the “special” part of the .44 Special (or .38 Special) is merely a matter of the shooters subjective opinion.
To me, shooting a Special in a “Special sized” revolver is a lot of fun. The flattop Blackhawk .44 Spl., like a S&W K frame .38, is just about the perfect blend of portability and shootability. .44 Special recoil isn’t abusive, the 240 gr SWC bullet is a versatile size/shape for just about any type of application, and there are lots of loads that can be surprisingly accurate.
For the guy at the next bench over, a .44 Magnum may solve all of his hand gunning needs so owning a .44 Special-chambered gun isn’t necessary . The guy on the other side may go only with a .357. For me, my Magnum guns shoot mostly (mid range) magnum loads. But my Specials happily shoot Special-level loads (and a lot more of those get fired than Magnums, too).
YMMV.
Stay safe.
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And Keith would agree with you...his "#5" is the proof. Rod
Smokin Gator
Member
I have one 45 Colt USFA and a couple of the bigger 44mag Vaqueros. Also a Ruger 44 Special flat top and Taurus 445 44 Special. I love to shoot all of them. If someone already has a good 45 Colt handgun I don't think they really need to get a 44 Special to do anything different, unless they want one.
Miami_JBT
Member
I'm a .45 Colt fan and have a small pile of guns chambered in it, but I have one gun specifically chambered in .44 Special. My 1970s production Charter Arms Bulldog. It is a stout little five-shot wheel gun and .44 Special is no slouch out of that gun. I mostly enjoy .44 Special out of my ,44 Magnum revolvers and actually mostly shoot .44 Russian out of the Bulldog. I'm on the hunt for a Lew Horton S&W Model 24-3.
.44 Special is accurate, capable, and honestly a viable cartridge that doesn't get the respect it deserves these days. Heck, same with .44 Russian. Honestly, I think both cartridges need to be chambered in modern designs. A modern snub-nose in .44 Russian with modern powders and projectiles would be a heck of a self-defense package.
.44 Special is accurate, capable, and honestly a viable cartridge that doesn't get the respect it deserves these days. Heck, same with .44 Russian. Honestly, I think both cartridges need to be chambered in modern designs. A modern snub-nose in .44 Russian with modern powders and projectiles would be a heck of a self-defense package.
Always liked the look of the birdshead grips. In your opinion, are they better or worse than standard grips for recoil management and comfort? I've never fired one.
Not Craig, but…
The fact that Colts never offered the birdshead grip on the SAA might tell you something.
Kevin
Riomouse911
Member
An M&P (pre-model 10), and Models 14, 15, 64 and 67, are the .38 Special K frames I have in the safe.
Others here on THR have a variety of K frame .38’s that I don’t have.Stay safe.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
The birdshead (or Thunderer) is made for carrying, not for shooting. I don't like the standard birdshead at all. Especially with any sort of recoil but the Thunderer, with the hump at the top works pretty good. None are as easily controllable as a standard plowhandle.
TTv2
Member
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- Mar 31, 2016
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- 4,997
I'm pretty open to many calibers, but the .44 doesn't do it for me. The only time I've thought about getting .44 is for a 5 shot Magnum either the Taurus or the S&W Combat Magnum.
Between a .45 ACP revolver and a .44 Special, I'd rather have the .45. If someone would make a 5 shot .45 ACP wheelgun that's not Charter, I'd buy one, the cost of ammo and the amount free brass at the range make it a better choice than .44
Between a .45 ACP revolver and a .44 Special, I'd rather have the .45. If someone would make a 5 shot .45 ACP wheelgun that's not Charter, I'd buy one, the cost of ammo and the amount free brass at the range make it a better choice than .44
