What I've never seen discussed on a gun board is that gunfighters like the celebrated "Jelly" Bryce used .44's that probably had factory ammo with 246 grain bullets. That was what was sold in stores, and if he handloaded, I've never seen that mentioned
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Elmer Keith and others used hot .44 loads but few cops bought ammo from them. (Keith did sell his reloads to a limited clientele.)
Bryce killed a number of men, some with .44 Special M-1926 S&W revolvers, I think. But Bryce was a very fast and accurate shot, which no doubt says a lot for his survival. The bullets were big and had the mass to penetrate to vital organs on men, and he was at close range and fired multiple times.
Unlike Keith, Bryce didn't seem concerned with killing bears, angry cattle, or deer. I guess his marksmanship and the big bullets worked.
The man I know who has killed more people with a handgun than anyone else I've met said 9mm NATO ball from a Beretta -M9 and a Browning Hi-Power worked pretty well, but he usually fired twice at human targets. He'd have preferred Speer Gold Dot or Federal 124 grain HST Plus P ammo, but it was forbidden in warfare. BTW, I knew a former Rhodesian cop who headed activities against Commie terrorists in that country, now Zimbabwe. He saw after action reports and talked with men who'd shot others with 9mm handguns. He told me that 9mm usually worked, if shots were well placed. This fellow, David W. Arnold, preferred the Colt .45 auto, but carried a P-38 due to regulations. He felt pretty confident with a 9mm. But he was a superb marksman, I think on the national team in IPSC events.
The 9mm has less mass than a lead .44 but the jacket and high velocity provide penetration. I knew a cop who shot some old auto bodies wth Remington's 125 grain .38 JHP. He said that bullets penetrated "until next payday." I presume they'd easily reach the vital organs on humans. Bullet placement is king, although added power and expansion are nice to have, and I think can be crucial in marginal cases.
Keith respected the penetration of a full jacketed 9mm, but not the stopping power. He cited the case of a man who killed a black bear with a P-38, so again, placement was the the vital factor.
The bottom line is, if I had Buffalo Bore ammo, I'd probably rely on a .44 Special. If not, I'd prefer a good .38 Plus P and the .38 is handier to wear.
I do not use small .44's like the Charter Arms guns, or snub S&W N-frames. I think the best .44 Soecials for routine carry for defense are the S&W M-1950 Target and .44 Military and the stainless version of the former, Model 624, with four-inch to 6.5-inch barrels. In a gun with three-inch barrel, I use ether a Ruger SP-101 .357 or a S&W M-60-4 .38 with Plus P loads in .the .38. Actually, if I anticipated strong likelihood of a pistol fight that day I'd probably carry my Beretta M-92FS with Federal 124 grain HST rounds and spare magazines.
