.357 magnum or .44 special?

[Old Griz]

Man, that's a pretty darn nice truck gun!

I may finally give in and give Charter Arms a try. My dealer said he hasn't gotten any negative feedback lately, and at the price, I won't be out too much. I sure like the idea of a compact .44 Special. I'll just have to hide it from all my .357s so they don't get jealous.

 

[hkenvy91]

and about the dreaded civil hole! i know it has happened to some pistols in the past. but i own 3 with them and have never had an issue with a lockup! even my 3 inch 629! i have put some seriously hott 240-250 grain magnums through it with out a hiccup! now for my on carry piece i do trust my life to my hk uspc45

i do love my 629 and will never part with it! its kind of a lew horton remake called the trailboss! its a special run SW makes every few years

 

[babarracing]

44spl or 357:

if you reload a 44 spl is wonderfull/ If ya don'y ammo is darn hard to find and expensive. A 200gr bullet at 900fps is my choice. gold dot or silver tip.

 

[alde]

Ever shoot a snubbie 357 in a closed area with no hearing protection? I love my 357's and shoot a 2-1/2" S&W 686 often and even CCW it but would not use it for a house gun. I also have a S&W 696 44 special that is my favorite gun. It carries well and is super accurate. It would be my choice for a combo CCW/HD revolver. My HD gun is a 45 ACP pistol though. It's pretty hard to beat 9 rounds of 230 grain flying ashtrays with much less muzzle blast than any 357.

 

[pez]

I had a Charter Bulldog .44 and it was a great gun- now my bro has it. A Bulldog with the hammer bobbed (like I had done to mine) is really nice- and LIGHT.

http://www.charterfirearms.com/products/Charter_Bulldog_14420.html

 

[rswartsell]

Maybe it's just me but my Charter Arms Bulldog is the most uncomfortable gun I own for shooting a lot of rounds. If you can practice with it enough to stay proficient, great!

For me though a box through the Bulldog and my thumb isn't the same for about 2 days. I have never fired a .357 that would stress the base of my right thumb this bad. Lot to be said for that big hole though.

 

[CypherNinja]

If you can find one..... how about one of these?

http://cosmolineandrust.blogspot.com/2008/02/sunday-smith-36-model-296-1999.html

18 ounces, snag free, 5-shot .44 Special.

That's a whole lot of "epic win" in my book.



EDIT: It's ugly, though. You might want a 396 instead.

 

[papajohn]

rswartsell, I know what you mean about that Charter being a knuckle-buster. I had a 3-inch Smith 657 (41 Mag) that looked absolutely GORGEOUS with the wooden combat stocks it came with, but if I shot anything hotter than mid-range loads, it ruined my thumb for a week. With a Pachmayr Compac on it I could shoot full-house screamers, even rapid-fire.

Some guns don't fit smallish hands very well, I think the Charter is one of them. Maybe with a wider grip that moves the base knuckle farther around to the side, it'd be more confortable. But then a fatter grip is harder to hide. Yet another compromise!

Papajohn

 

[Stainz]

While you are out shopping for a .44 Special, don't forget that S&W did make their interpretation of the Charter Arms Bulldog - the 696. It has the same dimunitive forcing cone that the 296 has, so 'real' Keith level loads should be avoided. Mine is fun with my ferret flatulance .44 Russian loads to medium Specials.

An even better choice, at a whole six ounces more, but with an additional round capacity, another inch of barrel, larger hammer & trigger, and real .44 capability - the 4" 629 (SKU #163603). With the cult following the 696 has gained forcing it's price up, you can likely get a new 4" 629 - with the $35 S&W Accessories .500 Magnum grip mine sports, new for no more than a clean used 696. My 4" 629 will be here when that 696 is gone. Stoked with 200gr Gold Dot bulleted .44 Specials, either would be my choice for home protection long before real .357 Magnums in one of my .357M revolvers.



Stainz

 

[Boxhead]

I prefer the 44 Special hands down.







The 4 357's I own, a Ruger Security Six snubby, 2 old Ruger Flattops and an Old Model Blackhawk only see 38 Special ammo. I can't stand the pierce of a 357 round going off and much prefer the thump of the larger bores.

 

[Poor East Texan]

I might have already mentioned this but back in the late 70's/early 80's I had a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44.

This put late teens/early 20s.

I shot it with .44 Specials mostly. One day I put 6 full boogie Mags in it. After just two I took the rest out and never shot Mag again.

MAYBE it'd be different now. But Dads Chiefs/36 snub nose doesn't make me feel all that great with 158gr led bullets either! And what I mean is it roars and kicks pretty good.

EDIT: The Ruger was SWEET with .44 Specials in it!