Best 44 Special for Concealed Carry

My favorite “small” .44 Spl. is the GP 100 3”. It is not super compact with the full lug barrel and the standard grip, but with a GP compact grip it isn’t impossible to hide. It is a tad heavy, so a good belt or suspenders are a must if you waistband-area carry.

The 2-3/4" S&W Model 69 is about the same size as the 3" GP100 and would have similar difficulties with carrying concealed. It is also a dandy gun when shooting 44 Special level ammunition.
 
It's not a .44 Special, but it is a .44 and I think that makes it special. Would like it if Pietta and Uberti would get off their butts and make some smaller 5 shot versions of the Remington.

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I'm generally not a fan of .44 SPL or Mag, but I find the .44 Mag to be far more useful in that you aren't limited with ammo choices like in .44 Spl and when Taurus makes a 5 shot .44 Mag that's not much more than a Charter Bulldog and costs less than what the Ruger GP100 .44 does, it's dubious as to what benefit .44 Spl offers. My Public Defender is a .45/.410 and makes for a great choice in the woods or the hoods, but the size can be a turn off. If I had to go down in size but still wanted more lead than what .357 can realistically offer me (I don't care for 180gr .357 in a revolver), I'd just as soon get a .40 S&W Charter Pitbull.
 
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I used to carry my CA Bulldog some, 21 ounces, 240 Gr SWCs.
I still carry it for snakes loaded with rat shot, which is the main reason I bought it years ago.
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After trying them all , including the rare ones like S&W296 ti , I concur the Bulldog Stainless 3" original , maybe with factory bobbed hammer and with factory Pachy Compac knock off grips , is indeed the best .44 spl. one can carry with moderate loads. It does (barely) work in pocket holsters and is great IWB or outside carry or pack carry. . The stainless seem nicer finished after the original Brigeport Conn. ones. They are easier to "polish out" and I suspect stronger overall.
 
aaaaa,

Sorry to learn you expect meeting drug crazed
perps. Any chance of moving to a better
neighborhood? :(:(:(

And keep in mind, any .44 is going to be rather
bulky. If you don't encounter any drug crazed
perps in a year or two, bets are on you'll just
leave that kind of gun home.

So, I'll start the tread drift: Get a snubby
.357. Recoil won't be any worse than a .44
Special in a small revolver and you'll have
plenty of different rounds to choose from.

And remember, placement beats caliber
size. Of course, if you expect to meet
up with multiple drug crazed perps
regularly, get a hi-cap auto. :eek::eek::eek:
 
It's not a .44 Special, but it is a .44 and I think that makes it special. Would like it if Pietta and Uberti would get off their butts and make some smaller 5 shot versions of the Remington.

View attachment 1089295

I'm generally not a fan of .44 SPL or Mag, but I find the .44 Mag to be far more useful in that you aren't limited with ammo choices like in .44 Spl and when Taurus makes a 5 shot .44 Mag that's not much more than a Charter Bulldog and costs less than what the Ruger GP100 .44 does, it's dubious as to what benefit .44 Spl offers. My Public Defender is a .45/.410 and makes for a great choice in the woods or the hoods, but the size can be a turn off. If I had to go down in size but still wanted more lead than what .357 can realistically offer me (I don't care for 180gr .357 in a revolver), I'd just as soon get a .40 S&W Charter Pitbull.

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Any chance of moving to a better
neighborhood? :(:(:(

I live in a quaint little town .. nice neighborhood

Which is eaten up by Meth heads … always looking for a score … which they are always looking for a mark…
It is everywhere.. I couldn’t imagine how you could completely escape it …
My answer is “ Go heeled “
Protect yourself, loved ones and property..
 
Well, I guess @BobWright is about my favorite gun carrier in the group. How I would love to open carry an SAA in a fine holster!

In my situation, IWB is the only realistic option. I occasionally carry an N frame in .44 Special, but it's never really comfortable. The Model 69 is intriguing, but is still a lot of gun. So I throw in with the Charter Arms lot. The Bulldog is never going to be a candidate for engraving and ivory grips, but for EDC among the "It has to start with a '4'" crowd, I think it is exactly the right answer.
 
I live in a quaint little town .. nice neighborhood

Which is eaten up by Meth heads … always looking for a score … which they are always looking for a mark…
It is everywhere.. I couldn’t imagine how you could completely escape it …
My answer is “ Go heeled “
Protect yourself, loved ones and property..

Sad it is everywhere. My Sleepy town now has shootings and a decent amount of drug activity and thefts.

People online say how bad the town has gotten and that they want to move, but everywhere is like this now. It just depends on how many stories become public
 
Just curious has anyone had a problem with a Bulldog? Mine is a quality solid and very reliable revolver. Much better overall than my Professional. I just wonder if the recent Bulldogs are recommendable.
 
Anyone familiar with the Taurus Ultralight .44 special? I saw one at the gun shop used asking $350. Thinking to offer $300.
 
I had a 296. It’s kinda big. Nothing wrong with it. It just didn’t find a place with me. And, it wasn’t fun to shoot. Long out of production if I’m not mistaken.

I did keep the 696. Much more fun to shoot.
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I’d probably go for a Charter Arms as a carry gun.
 
Those are the 165 H Critical Defense in the Boomer. Glad I was able to find some. But, as I have a lot of Matt's Bullets on hand and reload I can make everything work.
The 165g C-Def were the only bullets I could get to expand in gelatin out of my Boomer. Expanded to .62", penetrated 4 layers denim and 13" gel. They're what I carry.

On another note, I found out a 220g LBT reload would not chamber in the Boomer. I don't have any other .44 Special handguns, so I shot the specials in my .44 magnums. I also loaded the bullets in magnum cases, and had no troubles, so it must be something about tight throats in the Boomer.

For a secondary round I have a 185g DBBWC reload that works great in the Boomer.
 
It is the 445 UL! And I grabbed it today! $315! Shoots great! I think more kick than my .45 Colt snubby, but this one has a really nicely buffered grip.
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The Ribber grip gets a lot of flack but I love it. I had a 44 mag version of what you have and it made 300gr loads easy to shoot
 
Son of Sam gun, BTW. If that makes a difference.
 
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