.44 magnum help me decide

[bikemutt]

I'm in the mood to get a .44 magnum, mostly as a range gun, maybe to hunt someday but I'm more a bird hunter than big game.

Guns I'm considering are:

Colt Anaconda
S&W 29
Ruger Super Redhawk

I really like Colts, own a couple. No Smiths in the fleet right now. Own several Rugers.

I have actually shot the S&W 29-2 in 8-3/8" and feel comfortable with a gun of that size and the load, I know I'd have fun at the range with it.

Any thoughts from the experts?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Colt Anaconda....Your invested money is safe. Plus they are a well built, accurate gun.

 

[skidder]

My Ruger Redhawk has been a good gun for 14 years. I've shot deer and other furry creatures (several pack-rats) with all kinds of handloads. I once owned a Smith 629 but the cylinder was too short for my 320 gr. reloads, but the Ruger ate them for breakfast. I don't know if the Smith still comes with a shorter cylinder, but it was a big deal to me at the time and that is why the Redhawk has a permanent home in the safe.

 

[Loosedhorse]

Would have to agree that if extreme loads (or extreme reloads) are on the menu, Ruger SRH is your gun. Only stronger gun is a Freedom Arms...maybe. I wanted a .475 Linebaugh, so I used a Ruger .44 SRH as the base gun. Solid.

But then, it's ugly. Beauty is a 8 3/8" barrel Smith without the full-length underlug. And you already know it's comfortable. Me? I think you have your answer right there--just stay away from the most powerful loads.

(Oh, not a .44 but I gotta recommend: .460 Mag. You can shoot everything from .45 Schofield cowboy loads to stronger-than-Casull .460s. Quite a gun.)

 

[bikemutt]

Ah yes, I did get to shoot a .460 at the same time as the .44. It was very civilized, particularly when compared to the .500, my hand still hurts from that one.

 

[bluetopper]

For a range gun shooting for pleasure as you describe I prefer the Smith 29/629 hands down.

 

[gamestalker]

I can't say a bad word about the model 29, they are soo nice. But if I wanted a do anything 44 magnum that I didn't have to worry about every scratch it earns while doing it's job, I would buy a Super Red Hawk or a Super Black Hawk.
You actually mentioned the Super Black Hawk, and that is a very well built hand cannon, nearly indestructable in my reloader's opinion. But you would have to decide if DA is on your agenda. I've had a Super Black Hawk since about 1980-ish and have abused it horribly, yet it still shoots quite well and handles anything I load up for it. I can't say that I'm a specific fan on any one revolver make, as I have quite a few and they are all special to me. But when considering a Ruger, especially a revolver, I always see this little picture in my head of a steel working anvil, because the Super Black Hawk's are about as strong as an anvil.
I vote Ruger for a 44 magnum, any Ruger.

 

[Mauser lover]

I have shot the Ruger on your list, although not any of the others; and the Ruger did not kick as much as I thought it would, and it is very accurate, even for me, even though I shoot mostly rifles. Although this one did not kick too much, the .460 S&W Mag. is much more powerful, and will definitely kick more. However, if you put .45 LC through it, it should not kick much at all, at least the normal (non super) Redhawk did not kick very much with .45 LC.

 

[Got_Lead?]

I have both the 629 classic, and a Ruger SuperRedhawk. I like the feel of the Smith much better. It's not as beefy as the Redhawk. And if I were to shoot thousands and thousands of the heaviest loads you can stuff in the .44 case, I probably would go with the Ruger. But then I'm not shooting silhouette every weekend.

If I were to only have one .44 mag, it would be the Smith. The action has such a good feel to it. I just like handling it. Mine has the factory hogue grips, which gives it a very positive feel in my hands.

 

[mes227]

I own a S&W 629 MG and a SRH .44mag. Both great guns. The MG gets a lot more range time as I find it more comfortable to shoot; just seems to fit my hand, better better balance (and, obviously, better lookin'!) High on my "must have" list is the Anaconda in both .44Mag and .45Colt.

 

[hq]

Colt Anaconda
S&W 29
Ruger Super Redhawk

I really like Colts, own a couple. No Smiths in the fleet right now. Own several Rugers.

I'm by no means a revolver expert but here's a thought or two...

I've owned a S&W 29 (4", Mountain Gun configuration) for some time and I really like that gun. It's a later model with the infamous "Hillary Hole" above the cylinder release. Surprisingly accurate for a short-ish barrel revolver, fit and finish are excellent and, dare I say it, bluing almost rivals that of my RB Python.

Recently I bought a 6" Anaconda. Not that I needed another or a better .44, I've just wanted one for quite a while. However, I'm disappointed with the rubber grip. I have size 10 hands and it's a bit on the small side and too narrow for the recoil - I've been wondering if it'll eventually leave a "COLT" -imprint on my palm. I'll need a set of good, wide target grips for mine. Trigger is fantastic, which may mean that I just got lucky. Many Anacondas seem to have a timing issue, caused by a common machining fault; the fitting of the hand is slightly loose in mine and when you cock it very slowly, it sometimes fails to lock the cylinder in battery. There's an easy fix for that but I haven't had time to open the side plate yet.

It's over 20 years since I've shot a SRH but I still have fond memories of it. Built like a tank. Too bad I don't like the looks, but that's just personal preference.

To sum this up...
- (6)29: a very nice gun, the proverbial .44, works right out of the box, I'd try to find an earlier model without the lock if I was in market for one
- Anaconda: future collectible, full-lug Python looks, make sure the timing is correct before you buy, supposedly very accurate
- SRH: probably the ultimate .44 if you're into hot loads and shoot a lot, slightly tool-like, which can also be a good thing

IMO you can't go wrong with any of these three.

 

[Magnumite]

Of the guns you listed, the my nod goes to the S&W or the Ruger for your intended purposes. Both are accurate and reliable. The Ruger will be shooting long after any N frame S&W has gone out of time if you are shooting ALOT of rounds out of it. If you buy a S&W 29 series, look at the locking bolt cuts in the cylinder. If they appear long in relation to their width, that is a later gun with engineering modifications to deal with long usage of heavy loads. A heavy under lug barrel is a no brainer, it has all those mods also.

I was interested in the Anaconda for some time. Shot a couple, but other shooting priorities always kept me from buying one because they didn't do anything my Redhawk could do as well or better. A friend had an early Anaconda and it was very accurate. I wouldn't buy on now because IMHO, they are way over priced for what they are and their performance. Only because of the "Colt" name that is on them does the price go so high. Additionally, the lockwork seems fragile for that cartidge. They should have studied the Redhawk before building the Anaconda if they wanted to build a competitive revolver.

 

[hardluk1]

bikermutt Add the Dan Wesson 44 mag to your list , Stronger than 2 revolvers on your list. You may find them with a purple finish on the frame and blue barrels . Does not matter , they still shoot very well . barrels can be changed too. DW also has the super mag line but prices go crazy.

 

[bikemutt]

I had the pleasure of shooting a Dan Wesson .44 a couple of months back. It was at a friends house in the back yard with no real target to shoot at save an old tree stump. I was very impressed and I'm glad you mentioned it; I have added it to the list!

With respect to the Colt, I read somewhere that the first batch of Anaconda's had serious accuracy issues which Colt quickly corrected. I wonder what the chances of getting one of the first "dogs" are these days? I know I would be very unhappy spending that class of money for a crooked shooter.

 

[Cop Bob]

Hard Decision...

The Colt, very nice piece, good smooth actions generally right out of the box. Good rep for accuracy... Con.. too many darn moving parts inside a Colt Revolver to make me happy.. but that is just me... they ARE fine pistols...

The Ruger, and bit heavier, not too hard to work on.. new Ruger stuff I have handled lately has had very nice trigger right out of the box..

Smith 29... a tad lighter in weight, excellent accuracy, simple mechanisms, parts readily available. easy to work on and maintain.

Guess it all boils down to what YOU like... me, I'm a Smith-a-holic.... got a drawer full of N-frames... love them all... I have a Ruger too... it's a fine gun...

 

[BCRider]

If you compete in any of the handgun matches you could download some cases to .44Spl like power levels get a holster and some speed loaders and use this gun in competition. My local club also holds handgun only Mettalic Silhouette matches a couple of times a year. And to knock down the usual center fire rifle size targets we need a big bore gun like a .357Mag with heavy bullets or a .44Mag. No holsters or speed loaders needed for this event.

So look around for things to enter where you can shoot a big hand cannon. It just adds to the fun of the beast.

 

[camar]

I have a S&W Md. 29 Hunter with 6" bbl. and a Ruger .44 Mag. Blackhawk with 7 1/2" bbl. I would choose either one. Sorry I am no help with your decision.

 

[Owen Sparks]

How long ago did Colt stop making the Anaconda? What if you need parts or service?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I believe general production ended in 1999. I also believe the Custom shop cranked out a few more Anacondas up to about 2003. I'd guess they did that until they ran out of parts..... Colt still works on revolvers. However, I have heard rumor that they have few if any Anaconda parts. I'm not too worried about it. I'll enjoy mine and worry about parts or service when the time arises. In reality, how many guys every have trouble out of revolvers? I guess very few.

 

[viking499]

I really like my Ruger Redhawk. It is easy to shoot and hold on to.

My friend just picked up a 29, which looks like a keeper, but I have not shot to compare it to mine.

 

[beeenbag]

the fitting of the hand is slightly loose in mine and when you cock it very slowly, it sometimes fails to lock the cylinder in battery. There's an easy fix for that but I haven't had time to open the side plate yet.

Good luck, I tried bending the tip of the hand over to compensate the slack to the rachet. Which is what I assume you mean by easy fix. If it does work, it won't last long, most likely it won't work just like it didn't for me. The stock hand is a soft almost aluminum feeling material, not very sturdy.

I just received my anaconda back from colt yesterday, the tip of the hand looks different and the color of the material it is made of is different. They replaced the hand, ratchet, extractor and stem. $95 for parts and labor. It was 6 weeks after they received payment and I had it back. I would recommend you save your self some time and just send it in.

How long ago did Colt stop making the Anaconda? What if you need parts or service?

See above statement. They will fix them. You can't buy the parts yourself from colt, but if numrich doesn't have them then you have to send colt the firearm because they will not sell you the internal parts on a revolver.

 

[oerllikon]

I went for a super redhawk, but I handload. I recommend it personally, but I havent seem a bad choice yet! Get what you like, handle them and shoot them if you can

A face only a mother could love. Hard to see, but I polished the fluting on the cylinder as well

 

[warnerwh]

I'll have to second the Dan Wesson. I personally wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

[Chuck Dye]

I have never much cared for the appearance of the SRH, with the possible exception of the Alaskan, not caring for the frame extension or the unadorned barrel. I have, and enjoy, a Redhawk Hunter with a Leupold 2x mounted. A consideration is whether you will scope your .44. While I have fired quite a few rounds through my Redhawk with its barrel mounted scope, I have only fired a couple cylinders' full from revolvers with frame mounted scopes. The difference is large, both in how the guns hold and in how they torque on recoil. I don't have the experience to decide or recommend which way to go. I will be keeping the Redhawk, though.

 

[Jed Carter]

I think the Smith trigger would be the best of your choices. Owned the Ruger SHR in .480Ruger, shot both a Python and Anaconda, owned several S&W revolvers, most .357mag. I have become almost exclusively a bottom feeder and have sold or traded all my revolvers except a Ruger GP100, so my opinion on revolvers has little recent experience. Here is a link to a used model 29, http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/411545423