9 mm or 44 Special?

[halfmoonclip]

I love to fool with things with a four in their name; .45 Colt, .45 ACP, even .44 Mag.
And a Mountain Gun in .45 Colt would make my day.
But all that is just too big for this armed civilian to carry and conceal; the numbers "3", "6" and "5" answer too many questions. No lectures about 'comfortable' vs 'comforting' either; we're talking about a service caliber. Nines just make too much sense when considering size and power.
Moon

 

[Kleanbore]

For everyday carry/ self-defense, how comfortable would you be with a 5-shot revolver against multiple armed assailants?

That's the real issue.

 

[Confederate]

I have a few 9mm, but I'm considering buying a 44 special (Charter Arms Bulldog)
What your opinion as a defensive round?

I'd like to say I have a love/hate relationship with the .44Spc, but that would be only half true. I have no love for it. I had a Charter Arms Bulldog back in the 80s, and once you begin shooting it, it's not long for this world. For carrying, it's not bad, but for stopping power, I'd go with the Ruger SP-101 with the shorter barrel. I'd buy the Ruger for a number of reasons. First, it will last for the rest of your life and the lives of your children and their children. Two, it's much more fun to shoot. It takes both .38Spc/.357, so it's far more likely to be on your shelf than the .44Spc. Three, the .357 Magnum has far more stopping power than the .44Spc. But both will do the job, so not really an issue. The SP101 can take hot .357s day in and day out and there's no problem. But you have to baby the Bulldog and make sure it's not too hot for the gun. Finally, the SP101 will also take .38 Spc ammo and you can stoke it up to the +P with no problem, and I'd rather have some .38 +Ps in my chambers than .44Spc any day.

The .357 is far superior to the .44Spc when it comes to stopping power, but you have to master both to be effective. Twenty years from now you'll still be shooting the Ruger, but if you still have the Charter Arms, you'll still have to watch the ammo you're putting through it. And I suspect you'll also be having some problems with it. With the Charter Arms, you'll be limited by the ammo the gun will take. But with the SP101, you'll be limited by how much you can take. And the SP101 will, in twenty years, still be as strong and beautiful as the day you bought it. The Bulldog will most likely need some work done along the way. It's a good gun to carry and it has its good points, but given the choice, I think most people will like the Ruger. It will shoot whatever ammo you can fit in the chambers because it's strong and resilient. The Charter Arms will not. It's a fairly tepid revolver when it comes to strength. No one will ever describe it as being like a bank vault or a brick outhouse as they do the Ruger. The Ruger is stronger than it needs to be, but the Charter Arms is only as strong as it needs to be and no more.

And that's worth considering.

..

 

[Charlie Martinez]

I download all my 44 Magnum ammo to 44 Special levels and I have a great time shooting at the range. If the sidearm was for carry purposes while hiking or hunting where concealment was not an issue the CA 44 Sp. Bulldog is fine but 5-shots and a bulky gun is not the best choice for CC.

 

[JR24]

The .357 is far superior to the .44Spc when it comes to stopping power,

Is it though? In most short barrel testing I've seen you get basically 9mm performance, with all the flash bang and and recoil. The .44 spc even in short barrels still is pretty close to .45 ACP, which has been effective for quite some time ...

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revolver-ballistics-test/
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/revolver-velocity-vs-barrel-length/

 

[Confederate]

Is it though? In most short barrel testing I've seen you get basically 9mm performance, with all the flash bang and and recoil. The .44 spc, even in short barrels, still is pretty close to .45 ACP, which has been effective for quite some time ...

Just from a cursory look at the data, there are a number of problems. First, Lucky Gunner used a variety of different barrel lengths made by different manufacturers, and that's always tricky. For these measurements to be valid, all the other variables have to be accounted for. Variables are RH/LH twist rates, b/c gaps, headspace and barrel diameter consistency. These variables often can differ wildly, and the best way to dispense with them is to have one gun with one barrel and remove an inch or so (and the "or so" is very important as you approach the shorter barrel lengths). When Dan Wesson made Pistol Pacs, some thought using the different barrels was the answer. But this was dashed because the barrel diameters were somewhat sloppy. Thus, some 8-inch barrels were producing velocities slower than the 6-inch barrels. So some started off with 8-inch barrels, then removed segments of the barrel until they reached 2-inches. The diameter wasn't important because consistency was what they were after. The variables remained constant.

Check out Paul Harrell's video on this topic here:



..

 

[Paul R Zartman]

Silly question, bigger is better, git rid of those quaint little cartridges...

 

[Buckeye63]

200gr Speer Gold dot is a great 44 spl defensive round for the 44spl ... also a good 200gr LSWC is good for critters

 

[Hockey7711]

Thanks everyone.
I currently have a walther pps m2 for carry,
But I do like to shoot my hand loaded 200gr 44 sp in my sw model 29.
I realize that the Bulldog would be quite a different experience due to size and weight of the gun, and short barrel.
Maybe it would work as a backup gun in the car so something like that.
I currently load 9mm, 38sp, 357 mag.44sp and mag, so I'd rather not add another cartridge to my collection. So maybe the Bulldog will just be a range gun for me if I get it. I tend to make the loads on the light side so they are comfortable to shoot.

 

[mnrivrat]

Simply put , my vote goes to the one on my nightstand. That is a .44 Special.

 

[pairof44sp]

Split the difference and get a 40 cal. Or a 41 mag.

Nick Eckers shill account identified.

 

[P5 Guy]

The smallest 44SPL I would ever think about carrying is S&W's 696

200 LSWCHP at about 850fps let you know you shot something. While this is a hefty revolver I do not want to depend on it for self/home defense.

 

[Goes211]

I'm a believer that shot placement means almost everything and caliber means almost nothing, if you remove extreme examples like 50 bmg. for example.
So if you want a 44 and you shoot it well, then it would be a great defense round. Personally, I'd rather have 10 or more rounds in a full size, top brand semi than 5 rounds in Bulldog. But having said that, one or two well placed shots out of just about anything ought to get it done.

 

[Kleanbore]

The .44 Special is an excellent stopper.

Basis for that assertion?

Very well thought of.

By whom?

all things being equal, bigger bullets tend to work better.

All things are very rarely equal. The advantage of having two or three hits rather than one is indisputable. Therefore, most agencies use, and most trainers recommend, firearms with adequate penetration, adequate expanded diameter, reasonable capacity, and low recoil.

 

[lee n. field]

I have a few 9mm, but I'm considering buying a 44 special (Charter Arms Bulldog)
What your opinion as a defensive round?

.44 Special, a .45ACP equivalent (on paper) in a rimmed revolver round. So, yeah.

I wouldn't want a Charter Arms revolver to be my only gun.

 

[JeffG]

Skeeter Skelton was a gun writer with a lot of knowledge and carry of the .44 Special.

http://www.sixguns.com/BookOfThe44/bot44c10.htm


https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...n-44-special-load-out-of-a-3-5-barrel.843750/

 

[Buckeye63]

The Speer 200gr Gold dot & Federal 200gr LSWCHP out of the Charter Bulldog has alot less recoil impulse than any 357mag round I have tried out of the LCR357
And the .429 will not shrink!!!

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

"Back in the day" the 44 American/Russian/Special, 44-40, 45 Schofield and Long Colt were the preferred manstoopers, the 38 Long Colt was tried and found wanting, hence the Army's insistence on .45 caliber handguns. I have often wondered why the big bores went out of fashion, so to speak.
I agree that shot placement is critical but in times of stress how many of us will shoot that well-we're not talking about the slow fire phase of 2700.

 

[jimbo555]

An easier to carry glock 19 holds 3x the ammo. Easy choice for me.

 

[JR24]

I have often wondered why the big bores went out of fashion, so to speak.
I agree that shot placement is critical but in times of stress how many of us will shoot that well-

I think you answered your own question, at least vis a vis 9mm. Modern bullet design makes it close, and it's easier to both shoot and train people to shoot over big bore guns, especially under stress.

 

[AK103K]

I think you answered your own question, at least vis a vis 9mm. Modern bullet design makes it close, and it's easier to both shoot and train people to shoot over big bore guns, especially under stress.

A lot cheaper too, so you can afford to actually practice enough to be effective.

 

[Kleanbore]

I have often wondered why the big bores went out of fashion, so to speak.

Vastly improved terminal ballistics in smaller bores, slow controlled fire du to recoil.

 

[wcwhitey]

Again this is not a caliber discussion per se, it is a revolver vs. auto one. Carry what you want, have a gun, first rule.

 

[joneb]

I have a few 9mm, but I'm considering buying a 44 special (Charter Arms Bulldog)

The Bull Dog is easy to carry at 5 rnds, a single stack 9x19 will be thinner and provide two or three more rounds. I am a big fan of a DA revolver for a self defense tool.
My experience with Charter Arms was not good and I will not purchase another.

 

[Buckeye63]

Again this is not a caliber discussion per se, it is a revolver vs. auto one. Carry what you want, have a gun, first rule.

I agree .. Im sure most of you are like myself, we all have alot of options in our safe , some may say to many .. I honestly can’t recall how many 9mm pistols I have ,,, 5 ? , 15 + semiautos .. But I carry revolvers.... usually a 44spl , 38 or a 40 S&W revolver... are they more powerful than my Glock 20 loaded with UW 200gr XTP’s ... no .. But I could carry a different handgun every day for a month and never carry the same one twice .. I remember when I had one .. just one .. a cheapo RG 38spl .. loaded with 158gr LRN .. I practiced with it ... and I feel I was verywell armed ... I could load up my Charter Police with 158gr LRN today and carry it .. same set up just a much better revolver... Im armed . Id be very comfortable with that setup ... Would I be better armed with my Glock 19 stuffed with 124gr HST .. maybe... but Im not leaving the farm today .. And I do have a few Mossbergs leaning in several corners of the house ...
So carry what you want .. nuthin wrong with a wheel gun to me..
But in all honesty.. Why would I carry my 19? I have a 23 ...