44 mag advice/suggestions

nice! got a wider view of it?

I can definitely give you a +1 on the Redhawk and say that you probably don't want a Taurus Tracker if you are shooting heavy loads. It is built on what I can best describe as a .357 frame and lets you know every round you fire. I have one, in case you wondered.

PGT, I noticed you have the witness elite. I have been looking. Recommendations?

I have always felt the Blackhawk had less perceived recoil due to the grip profile. It is designed to pivot in your hand like a Colt Peacemaker. You should not have recoil problems with the Blackhawk 7.5. You are aware it is single action only?

I have both the Super Redhawk 7.5 in and the Alaskan love shooting them both. I also use the Alaskan for CCCW. I have done the wolf spring change on both and the triggers are almost as good as my two S&W 686 plus

My Alaskan is quite accurate with .45 Colt. Never tried .454 out of it.

JJHACK said:

What broke on the smith?

What dash number was it?

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Not sure, but the cylinder would not rotate in either SA or DA - couldn't unload it either.

Would be better to know factually about this. I'm very curious to hear how a S&W revolver was actually broken from firing buffalo bore ammo.

What dash number?

I know of a problem with a S&W not rotating the cylinder. It came from being dirty inside the action holding back the spring on the cylinder release lever. It was not from recoil. Just really dirty. Once the cylinder release is held back by a hair, it's locked solid.

Maybe something was broken? Just wish you knew more so we could understand it

sothoth, if you are considering a single action, i would highly recommend the bisley. i have the 3.75" version and it's a joy to shoot. quite comfortable with full house loads.

i'd really like to try out an alaskan in .44 mag. i handled one the other day and was suprised at how much i liked it.

Considering i've been shooting the same two M-29's since the 70's and neither have needed anything, i'd say they are durable enough! That's includes a LOT of compeition too...

Of course, i don't over load them either... 240's or 250's at 1,300 fps is all i've ever needed...

SO, i'd take the S&W, put Pachmeyer rubber grips on it, and shoot it all i wanted! AND that's exactly what i've been doing since the 70's...

And yes, over the years, i have owned several of the Ruger blk. hawks and red hawks...

DM

29, 629

I have owned S&W 29's in 4, 6.5 and 8 3/8 bbls, and 629's in 3, 4, and 6" bbls- none ever broke, even with heavy loads.

Switched to Ruger Sbh and Redhawks, no problems there either..keeping Sbh 5.5 and 4" RH-
RH 7.5 and S&W Mountain Gun heading to Gunbroker!

For my needs the 7.5 RH is too big for easy carry, and the 4"RH handles long oal better. All have been reliable and good shooters for me. I prefer the looks of blued guns, but prefer the easier care of SS.

I don't think you can go wrong with either mfr!

I don't believe barrel length has anything to with the accuracy of a gun. Velocity yes, easier to shoot accurately yes. But not simply more accurate because of the length

kbheiner7 said:

Not sure, but the cylinder would not rotate in either SA or DA - couldn't unload it either.

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Could have been a simple fix as others have said. Powder residue/grit under the extractor star or a loose extractor rod. Both are common and both are from lack of maintenance, not the gun being broke. Could also have been a problem with the ammo, such as a bullet jumping crimp or a high primer. Some of the early 629s had a problem with shooting high recoil loads but that was later addressed with the endurance package that became standard on all 629s. It also was a free fix from the factory on older guns without it.

A few years ago, I decided to add a .44mag revolver to my collection. I handled the various guns in my LGS and researched owner reviews extensively. When all was said and done, I opted for a Ruger Redhawk with 5.5" barrel. The main reasons were it could handle all the insanely hot loads like the Buffalo Bore 340gr. HCLFNGC +P+ (not that there is much need but it's just fun), I liked the way it got my hand the best (felt pretty natural for a such a large frame revolver) and it can fire double action just in case I ever want to carry it as a hiking gun in bear country (which I probably never will because of ya' know... there's bears) but the versatility over single action is nice to me.

JJHACK, that is a lovely bit of functional decoration you put on your FA revolver. And yes, Bisley frame and grips aids in the recoil department by limiting the movement of the gun within the shooter's grip. But the fatter grips I made sure make a huge difference as well.

Sothoth, there is simply no way that a 629 has a higher bore axis than a SBH. I think you're being fooled by the high hump of the SBH's top strap on the frame into thinking that this is the case.

The "plowshare" grip on the SA revolvers does slide and pivot in the hand. With .38's and maybe lighter .357's not so much. Or the shooter might be able to hang on well enough to avoid movement. But with any of the SA guns and full on .44Mag loads it would require either sticky rubber or some contact cement holding the gun to the shooter's hand to avoid movement. But some movement is good in this case. Being a SA revolver you need to cock again before you shoot. So it's not like you'll rapid fire with these rounds like you might want to with a DA/SA revolver. And if you did rapid shoot in a two handed manner like in cowboy action shooting I sort of doubt you'd be using full power .44Mag loads.

Of the .44Mag guns I've owned or shot I found that the best STOCK setup for me was the S&W 629 with the factory rubber grips. This setup seemed to fit the hand the best and fit moreso than material seems to aid in reducing the recoil shock. Next in line was the Ruger Redhawk with stock rubber grips. I only owned it for a short time before selling it to a good friend that wanted it but it shot well. But I've got a short barrel Super Redhawk that makes me grin more so I didn't have much trouble in selling it off.

On the other hand I found that the STOCK grips on the SBH are just terrible for anyone with bigger hands that is not capable of crushing walnuts one handed... And truly if you look around you'll see LOTS of folks that switched out the stock grips for aftermarket options. The Super Redhawk stock grips seem to fall in the same category. I know I quickly swapped mine for a Hogue rubber monogrip.

The SBH, Redhawk and SRH are all a trifle heavier than the S&W 629 or 29. So they will do a slightly better job of absorbing the recoil. At least this seemed to be the case for myself. But since anyone that shoots much .44Mag at all SHOULD be reloading their own it's not hard to dial down the power to about 90% of full pressure. And even that 10% off the top is enough to make the S&W a pleasure to shoot vs a nasty hand bumper when using full house loads.

At least that's what I've found. This is all very personal of course.

Years ago, when the .44 mag was the King of the Mountain and folks wanted or needed something more powerful, the use of over-max loads in them to obtain this was the only option. This added to the fuel that the average .44 mag owner needed a firearm capable of handling loads in excess of standardized pressures and velocities. Now a days there are many options out there that make even the stoutest .44 mag loads pale by comparison. One no longer needs to make their .44 into something it isn't, they just need to buy the appropriate larger caliber handgun. Puttin' a Porsche engine in a Beetle does not give you a Porsche. Just gives you a Beetle that handles poorly under power and tends to break down a lot. Addin' extra metal and weight to the Beetle to make it stronger and more capable to handle the Porsche engine just gives you a heavy and bulky Beetle.

I have S&W, FA and Ruger. I hunt exclusively with a revolver and my 3" 629 has taken the most game but only because it is with me most since it is easier to carry. I have seldom fired any 44 DA. If I was to get one for hunting then it would be a FA if I could afford and then it would be a SA Ruger. If my desire was for HD gun then it would be a 629 but not because it is DA but it is faster to reload. I have not read all the replies so I may be repeating what others have said. For me the SA handles hot loads better than any DA and the Bisley does the best. I also like that if I fire twice then I can reload two rounds with the SA. If I could find and afford one of the special runs of 3 3/4" Bisley then it would be my daily carry.

I'm in the early stages of research at this point. I currently own two snub nose pistols, a Charter Arms 38 and a Ruger LCR 357. I'm looking to get a gun with a longer barrel, I've been considering the 7.5" Ruger Bisley. I find with the LCR 357, I start feeling it with factory loads after about 30 rounds. How would the kick compare with the 44 rem mag?

JJHACK said:

I don't believe barrel length has anything to with the accuracy of a gun. Velocity yes, easier to shoot accurately yes. But not simply more accurate because of the length

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This has been proven to be true, over and over!

DM

I don't believe barrel length has anything to with the accuracy of a gun. Velocity yes, easier to shoot accurately yes. But not simply more accurate because of the length

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i agree. a longer barrel aids the shooter in providing a longer sight radius. however, in terms of mechanical accuracy it adds nothing.

some even believe (with regard to rifles, anyway) that shorter barrels are stiffer and therefor more accurate.