44 mag barrel length vs recoil and other questions

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squ1rrelsn1per

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i recently fired a 44 mag for the first time, and to my surprise: wow, i thought the kick was going to be a lot worse. anyways ive decided id like to pick one up. my buddy who owns the gun i fired has a swith and wesson with a 7 1/2 inch barrel (i think). im wondering if i go with a 6 inch berrel or smaller for a little more ease of carry-ability, am i going to add recoil by doing so or is this not a factor? is a 7 1/2" barrel to much to carry?

also if anyone feels compelled to throw out a recomendation on a particular gun that they prefer please do. this is my first pistol, although i own approximatly 20 long guns, i am not well versed in pistol knowledge. primary purpose for this gun is a self defense side arm for hunting (pigs and also deer and elk in bear country).

i am mainly looking at revolvers, because the 44 mag as far as i can tell is pretty much restricted to revolvers other than a D.E. but if someone knows of an auto loader in 44 mag lemme know. thanks - justin
 
Head out to the gun stores and hold a few. No one can tell you what will balance and be comfortable to you. Also the recoil can be controlled by the load. Are you sure you were shooting .44 magnum ammo in your friend's gun?
 
Don't forget that the .44 mag fires .44 special.

there are some very good .44 special defensive loads, as well as the option to shoot your gun more without the more intense (though not bad, as you've decided, and yay! for that) recoil.

I wouldn't go shorter than 6" on it though, IMO.

good gun hunting!
 
I've always thought the Ruger was way too much of a horse pistol. I like something with a 6-inch barrel or less. I do believe the factory grips on a Smith 29/629 might take some skin off your palms. I think the reason they're included is because they think people with gloves will be using them. I griped to Smith and they sent me some smooth wood grips that are much more beautiful. The patterned one is too rough; why don't they just wrap the grip in a cheese grater?

The Smith & Wesson has always been my favorite .44, even better than the Anaconda. The Rugers are strong, but the grip design places the cylinder right over the knuckles, which ensures that the gun will roll and jerk. I prefer it just kind of going straight back.

A 5-incher would be perfection and I'm utterly amazed Smith has never offered it. It also would be one handsome revolver.

ASTRA_629_2.gif

A S&W 629 and an Astra .44 mag. Both are outstanding guns.
 
i thought the kick was going to be a lot worse.
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What kind of loads was he shooting? I shoot only handloads out of my Smiths. 44 mag loads are actually loaded down to 44 special levels.

So, if he was shooting mild handloads, and you pick up a Smith 44 mag and buy some hot factory loads, your experience is liable to be way different. Especially if you're shooting a 44 w/4 inch barrel.
 
What are you going to use this gun for? It's like saying what kind of car should you buy... is it going to be a commuter, a wood hauler or a street racer? Same thing with a gun. A carry piece, a paper puncher, a woods carry gun, a hunting gun... how are you going to use it?

You lose very little in terms of velocity from 7.5" to 6" but there is some change in recoil and muzzle blast with heavier loads. You would probably be hard pressed to tell the difference with .44 special type loads.

If this is to be primarily a carry piece, there are a LOT of better options. Different brands also feel different to different people. You might be one of the lucky ones like me that recoil is just not that big a deal, whereas some people can't hardly stand the recoil of a .357.
 
S&W does have a 5" 629 classic. I had one but sold it to my brother. I put an unfluted cylinder on it. Full lug revolvers need unfluted cylinders IMO. It is a well balanced looking and feeling revolver.
 
thanks for the responses thus far fellas. yup, i double checked with my friend today we were indeed firing 44mags, not specials. they were factory loads. anyways my primary question here is: does the barrel length affect felt recoil? and if so how much?

markbo, as stated before, this will be a peice to carry around while hunting (pigs and deer in bear county). im looking for something with some punch if things go bad. anyways yeah i think i am one of the lucky ones as you stated. the recoil just doesn't really seem to be that big of a deal to me. - justin
 
A 5-incher would be perfection and I'm utterly amazed Smith has never offered it.
Click to expand...

Smith & Wesson did make a few five-inch model 29s, and may even have made a few six-inch model 629s. I'm told they're collectors' items.

If I ever find one at a reasonable price, I'll shoot it.
 
Smith & Wesson did make a few five-inch model 29s, and may even have made a few six-inch model 629s. I'm told they're collectors' items.
Click to expand...

Yup. John Ross' 5" 500S&W is a tribute to the balance and performance those guns offered. I just signed the DROS on mine today and am waiting ten *long* days now....
 
Thanks Justin. I will make one recommendation then: a Single Action. A Ruger 50th Anniversary model Blackhawk. It is a Flattop, which is a longed for Ruger version not made for quite some time, brought back for this anniversary special edition. They can still be had for good prices right now and they are everything a man needs in an SA magnum handgun. I do not believe there is a better choice unless you just cannot live without a double action. In a .44mag, DA is shot very, very little. I have 1/2 dozen redhawks and very, very seldom do I fire DA.

If you don't know who John Taffin is, suffice it to say he is mentioned in the same breath as Elmer Keith, Skeeter Skelton and Ross Sefried. He is probably the preeminent expert on single action revolvers today. This particular model really strikes his fancy. Start reading here: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_11_52/ai_n16741380
 
The previous posters advice on going out and holding different models is very good advice. Unfortunately, most of the stores I've been in only regularly have S&W 44 mags in stock. The size and shape of your hand is one of the most important considerations. If you have big hands, I would recommend a Taurus Raging Bull. The gun is heavy! But the weight takes the recoil right out of the 44 magnum and the grips don't hurt either. If you have small hands, I would go with the smith and wesson. Smith seems to be making the smallest grip these days and there are a lot of after market options. Don't get hung up on brand names either. I own magnums from pretty much everybody making them these days, and all of the 44 magnums are top notch. You can't go wrong with Dan Wesson, Smith and Wesson, Taurus, Ruger, or Thompson. I'd stay away from Colt, simply because of the shortage of parts.
 
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