Anyone EDC a 44 mag?

[Styx]

Anyone else EDC a 44 mag with actual 44 mag ammo? I usually carry a 7 round 686+ with 125gr 357, but thinking about going with a 5 shot 44 mag on a L frame. Talk me out or into it...

 

[Hartkopf]

I carried a Ruger Alaskan for one day. It was doable but the huge grip (and cylinder) was a pain and hard to conceal. I had no need to continue carrying a 44 magnum so I didn’t continue the experiment.

 

[Styx]

I carried a Ruger Alaskan for one day. It was doable but the huge grip (and cylinder) was a pain and hard to conceal. I had no need to continue carrying a 44 magnum so I didn’t continue the experiment.

Would you have kept up with it if it was more concealable?

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Biggest revolver I've actually carried is a Taurus m431. K frame sized 5 shot 44 Spl. I can't imagine humping a larger revolver.

Back in the day I carried (concealed, shoulder holster) a Star 30M. That thing was big enough. Heavy as a pig too.

 

[Styx]

Biggest revolver I've actually carried is a Taurus m431. K frame sized 5 shot 44 Spl. I can't imagine humping a larger revolver.

Back in the day I carried (concealed, shoulder holster) a Star 30M. That thing was big enough. Heavy as a pig too.

How many oz is to heavy and out of the question for you?

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

How many oz is to heavy and out of the question for you?

I haven't weighed the Star 30m in years, but it's an all steel full sized military issued SA/DA 9mm with a 17 round mag. Probably close to 3 lbs loaded, so 48 ounces? Thing is a pig, I do know that. But, I was a lot younger then, it was in the late 1980s when I carried that.

A K-frame sized 3 inch barrel is no problem, whatever that weight is. I consider the Taurus 431 as optimal size, weight, and punch for me.

 

[WrongHanded]

I have not EDC'd a .44 Magnum, but I have conceal carried a 5.5" Redhawk on occasion. Not the most comfortable of my options, but it worked okay.

Here a question for you though...

I usually carry a 7 round 686+ with 125gr 357, but thinking about going with a 5 shot 44 mag on a L frame.

What ammo do you intend to carry that will have a significant performance increase over your .357 mag load? I'm not saying it can't be done, but you're reducing your capacity significantly, so it really needs to be worth the trade off.

 

[.38 Special]

I haven't - but I do carry a 4" .500 IWB on occasion.

Mostly, I'd say it depends on the purpose, and the two concerns I have are overpenetration and shot-to-shot split times. In the country, with big critters, sure. In a big city? I wouldn't.

 

[Styx]

I haven't - but I do carry a 4" .500 IWB on occasion.

Mostly, I'd say it depends on the purpose, and the two concerns I have are overpenetration and shot-to-shot split times. In the country, with big critters, sure. In a big city? I wouldn't.

Not a loaded or argumentive question. If you lived in a big city, would you feel out gunned or at a huge disadvantage with a 5 or 6 shot 44mag?

 

[Hartkopf]

Would you have kept up with it if it was more concealable?

No because I can draw a Glock 21 or 22 quicker and get 3 shots on target WAY quicker.
The one day I carried the Alaskan (and shot it at at the range) made me understand that it was not for me. It could have been better with different holsters, tuning the gun and tons of practice but I’m already there with the Glocks.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

No, but I have a buddy who carries a Smith Mdl 69 in an OWB high ride holster, under a cover garment.

 

[.38 Special]

Not a loaded or argumentive question. If you lived in a big city, would you feel out gunned or at a huge disadvantage with a 5 or 6 shot 44mag?

Well, I wouldn't exactly feel unarmed!

I'd have to make a study of defensive ammunition in the .44 Magnum. Something very light and fast, to minimize penetration, and hopefully cut down recoil - I'm not generally annoyed by handgun recoil, but physics is physics and my splits go seriously downhill at the .44 Magnum level. As Bill Jordan once wrote, the guy who gets hit with it is liable to stay down, but what if he has a friend?

 

[Bazoo]

I carry a Blackhawk in 44 special. That’s the mid size frame but still large. I carry normal power specials, so equivalent in power to a warmish 45 auto. I carry in a sinplyrugged sourdough pancake holster. OWB mostly, but I do carry IWB when I want to conceal better, say at a drs office or the like. I’m a big man though. The weight don’t bother me at all.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

Yup, sometimes in the Winter.
In a shoulder holster.
Not necessarily to confront unlikely two legged bad guys but four legs in the timber.

Plus, I don't lose the brass!

 

[captain awesome]

I recently bought a Smith 329, the 4" ultralight scandium alloy model, with the intention of adding it to my carry rotation. I have yet to experiment with it , but will most likely be carrying it IWB appendix in a custom rig of my own design. Planning on a high velocity hollow point load in the 180-190 grain range.

In an other different direction but along the same lines, I bought an extra barrel and I sent it and the slide for my FNX 45 Tactical off to 460Rowland.com for a conversion intending to do the same thing. 44 mag power anyway.

 

[wcwhitey]

Yea cold weather, 629 3” in a Desantis pancake holster on occasion. It’s heavy but I get used to it. Don’t see it concealing easy in light clothing though. Mostly a flannel shirt and Carhart work jacket situation.

 

[Hartkopf]

I loaded a bunch of 180gr XTPs with a full load of H110 (1400fps from Alaskan) and tried to run a drill like I would with my every day carry Glock. I did not run a shot timer but the 2nd and 3rd shots took a couple days! And accuracy was a joke. I’m not a flincher but 31grains of H110 in rapid fire, is a slap in the face. I could improve considerably with practice but it would be a long road.

 

[paul105]

My all day, every day carry gun for the better part of a decade was a S&W M329 loaded with 250/260gr CSWC and CWFN GCs over max dose of H110. I don't live in a major city nor one where crime is prevalent and the gun was mostly for "back country" use but it never left my side in town (where legal). It was always covered by clothing although probably not really considered "concealed".

As I've aged, my back country travels are limited to an hour or two, so I just drop my 2.75" S&W M69 (L Frame 5 shot 44 mag) in the back pocket of my carharts which is covered by shirt tails and loaded with 260gr WFNGCs over H110 (1,100 fps), or 240gr Cutting Edge monometal flat point also with H110 (1,200 fps)

M329 and early Simply Rugged Sourdough
.

.
M69 with hastily modified (removed finger groves and rounded butt) Hogue tamers
.

.
FWIW,

Paul

 

[Obturation]

Yeah, I've done it and guess what...i'll do it again!
Geeeez, big revolver carry is rough if you've got to conceal it or the carry rig is wrong.
I have concealed a 5" super redhawk but I'll wear heavy clothes and much less gun would be perfectly adequate typically. If I don't have to conceal that particular revolver i prefer chest carry. I have a Kenai holster from gunfighters Inc that is no problem to wear all day .
44 mag is more than you'll need for social work but I won't criticize anyone that wants to carry more than they need . if you can do it , have at it.

For the over penetration crowd: besides the few stories over the years, anyone have stats that show it actually happens regularly ? I know it does happen but any cartridge can over penetrate, any. But it's not like dozens of people are hit with over penetrating bullets every year even though I'm sure many are shot with fmj bullets that are sure to "over penetrate". Hole in, hole out- that's what I want .

Note- I dont regularly carry a large revolver and I don't think you should either, unless your nextdoor neighbors are grizzly bears. If they are actual grizzly bears (they don't just identify as grizzly bears) then carry the 44.

 

[Agsalaska]

I carried a S&W 629 Mountain gun in Alaska for three years. Only when I left Anchorage for the great outdoors, but that was a lot.

Never thought about concealing it. But I could easily conceal it in the winter if I had too, even in Texas where I live now. As long as a little printing is not an issue than it will work just fine.

As for using it in a traditional self defense rule, sure. .44 mag is devastating to anything it hits at short ranges outside of the biggest grizzlies. It is hard but the second follow up shot is very doable with a little practice and a good grip. Mine is loaded right now in my gun safe. It and my 12 gauge.

 

[MikeInOr]

There was a S&W 329 PD ultralight for sale locally at an incredible price a few years back. Only shot once.. according to the add if I remember correctly. I had a seriously hard time talking myself out of buying it as a trail/hiking gun. I was thinking of 3 x 44spc and 3 44mag in the chambers. Since I reload I could have also just download 44mag to as light as I want within practical limits. I did talk myself out of it.

For me .45acp is all I recon I will need for my area. Sometimes I carry a XDs in .45acp or a XD mod 2 in .45acp and they are really about as heavy as I want to carry.

 

[UncleEd]

Styx,

What exactly in your life and daily carry do
you think a .44 Mag might be better
than the .357 you now have? And are
or would you become as proficient in
handling the .44 over the .357?

 

[dickydalton]

In jacket weather. Model 69 now and my Mountain Revolver before. I've used the Mountain Revolver ( with 44 magnum ammunition) for qualification for my CCL since 1990.

69now

• dickydalton
• Feb 7, 2020

 

[Tallball]

I have several 44 magnum revolvers, but they're so large and heavy that I wouldn't want to carry them.

For me a 3" K-frame is doable OWB with a cover garment and doesn't bother me.

I have no problem with carrying a 44 special. Sometimes I do. 44 magnum is not ideal for SD, IMHO. I would be concerned about the noise and flash (especially at night), the slow follow-up shots, and the overpenetration.

Charter Bulldogs in 44 special have been around since 1973. They are small and light enough to carry, but give you good accuracy if you practice.

Charter Arms Bulldog 44 Special

• Tallball
• Apr 6, 2020

 

[Styx]

Styx,

What exactly in your life and daily carry do
you think a .44 Mag might be better
than the .357 you now have? And are
or would you become as proficient in
handling the .44 over the .357?

It's bigger, more powerful, I believe I can defend myself with it at realistic and probable self defense distances, and just because I like the idea. I carry both although I carry a 357 primarily. They are both on a L frame and fit the same holsters (S&W Model 686+ and 69 Combat Magnum). I figure if it's good and fast enough to use in life threatening situations against charging 4 legged creatures, it's good enough to use against much slower 2 legged ones.