Choosing a new .44 magnum

[Barry the Bear]

Im in the market for a new .44 mag, I already have a smith and wesson model 29,ruger super backhawk,and a ruger redhawk. Ive been interested in the taurus tracker or raging bull series, I like the lines on the gun. Anyone have another .44 mag recommendation or some experience with the tauri?

 

[righteoushoot]

I love the SRH Alaskan. Fun to shoot and load for, If you like the snubbies.

 

[Barry the Bear]

I have seen the alaskans but if I went that route Id want one in .480 ruger

 

[buck460XVR]

What is the purpose of the new .44? The interest in a Tracker or Raging Bull seems to mean a hunting/range gun. The RBs have a good following. I have a few 629s, but my favorite in my P.C. Magnum Hunter. Scarey accurate and a trigger second to none. Easy to mount optics if one wants to.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Colt Anaconda

 

[PJSprog]

I like the 629. Beside just being visually appealing to me, that underlug puts a goodly amount of weight up front.

 

[RugRev]

How about a Colt Anaconda, as suggested above, or a Dan Wesson. To be really different, if you could find one, a rare High Standard Crusader.

 

[Barry the Bear]

The purpose of the new .44 is for range,hunting defense,handgun hunting, and home defense. I rely on all my guns for defense. I forgot to say my budget is in the 4-550 range so the anaconda is out.I have a 29 so the 629 is not appealing to me. Ive never messed with a dan wesson though.

 

[tomrkba]

http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/no_taurus_work.html

They may be improving, but why bother?

I like Ruger over S&W due to seeing too many issues on new guns. There is the 5" SRH and the Alaskan.

 

[Sam1911]

Anaconda, Dan Wesson, Mateba 6 Unica (a must have for any .44 Mag fan!).

I've played with the Raging Bull a little and it seemed serviceable, but not exactly solidly built.

 

[el Godfather]

In my opinion there are really 2 44 magnums worth buying.

Colt Anaconda for style and collection

Ruger SRH for durability and hot loads.

I had 629 and got rid of it as it served no utility after Anaconda and Ruger.

 

[moxie]

Regular SRH, not the Alaskan. Better trigger and overall grip than the Redhawk. Scope mounting is a snap. Indestructible!

 

[Barry the Bear]

I dont have the cash for either the super redhawk or the anaconda

 

[moxie]

Sell the Redhawk. You won't miss it. Look for a decent used SRH.

 

[Barry the Bear]

To me theres nothing to gain from the srh unless its the alaskan model which i wont buy yet due to monetary reasons. Im guessing Ill try to find either a taurus .44 or find a ruger blackhawk in 45 colt

 

[eldon519]

The SRH triggers on the two I've had were about 10x better than on the Redhawk I owned. They are also way more comfortable to shoot for me, but that is personal fit. If you already have a Super Blackhawk, maybe you should consider a Bisley model. They do make a Bisley Hunter also which would be an excellent dedicated hunting platform since it has integral scope mounts. To me the Bisley grip is the most comfortable available for big bore power.

http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSuperBlackhawkBisleyHunter/models.html

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Freedom Arms are also really worth a look. I think they are the finest revolvers made now.

 

[Barry the Bear]

on a budget guys

 

[mesinge2]

I agree, look for a Dan Wesson.

They can be had inexpensively and if you get a Palmer or Monson gun then your getting a good one.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Anaconda, Dan Wesson 445 Super Mag, or a S&W 629 Competitor

 

[ECVMatt]

I would say stay away from Taurus. I sold a lot of them and got a lot back. We eventually stopped selling them because of customer satisfaction. .45 Colt is a great round to play with if you like the .44 Mag.

 

[murf]

i suggest you find the blackhawk (new model, large frame, short barrel) in 45lc. that will send your buying habit in a new direction!

murf

 

[BCRider]

Given the budget I'd suggest laying off for a while and save.

Either that or sell then buy. You didn't mention the barrel lengths or uses so I can't suggest any options that I'd consider.

To play "pie in the sky" for a moment if it were my collection I'd have the classic 5 or 6 inch "Dirty Harry" model 29. Then I'd probably go for one of the shorter barrelled Redhawk models for woods carry where allowed and range giggles. Then the Super Blackhawk would be one with the long hunter barrel and a scope. Or you could flip flop the last two Ruger options and go for a more cowboy like SBH or even regular Blackhawk for wood carry and range giggles and the long hunter version of the SRH for use with the handgun scope. Either of these two trios would appear to fill in any and all use.

With either of those two trios I'd go find some other niche to fill. Like partnering the three .44's up with a .44Mag lever rifle. The lever gun would permit hunting where a handgun may not be allowed and it would really make for some fun range sessions. Especially if you can set up a 6 inch steel gong at 100 and 200 yards so you hear the hits.

And given the quality level of your collection so far I'd just turn away from the suggestions you named in your first post. Why would you buy something that isn't up to the quality level that you've set already? Granted there's lots of happy Taurus owners. And to be fair once the bugs are worked out they would appear to be just fine guns. But getting to that point can be a bit of a gamble. ECVMatt's story above isn't the first I've seen on this topic of gambling. A few too many for me to take the risk.

The only trouble with a lever option is that Rossi, the ONLY budget option, has a pretty nasty rep of their own at this point. My own Rossi and one a friend bought a little while back are great. But there's a lot of stories that say otherwise. So either wait and luck out on an older used Rossi or save a bit more money and find a used Marlin.

The Marlin would be nice in a way since with the way the receiver is you can fit a scope easily.

 

[RealGun]

The purpose of the new .44 is for range,hunting defense,handgun hunting, and home defense. I rely on all my guns for defense. I forgot to say my budget is in the 4-550 range so the anaconda is out.I have a 29 so the 629 is not appealing to me. Ive never messed with a dan wesson though.

The premise is yours to determine and not mine to challenge, but if this is going to make sense, you will need to explain barrel lengths and how this new gun is needed to fill a niche in your collection. The urgency suggested by the budget limitation isn't clear either.

For that list of applications, a barrel length of 5" seems implied to me. Hunting specifically pushes the barrel length requirement. Again, what do you already own and in more detail? A useful answer from us would be a lot easier to supply.

 

[CajunBass]

Out of your stated budget range, but I'm seriously considering the new five shot, "L" frame Smith & Wesson Model 69, 44 Magnum. I probably wouldn't shoot 44 mags out of it, I'll admit, but the example I looked at impressed me.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57767_757751_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

I said I wasn't going to buy one, but it's keeps nagging me.