Double-action .44 Mag. Recommendation?

[CDR_Glock]

Hey pals. So, I recently got back into pin shooting. I'm using a M1911 (.45 ACP) mainly, though use a .357 Magnum revolver too. I've been thinking about acquiring a good .44 Magnum revolver. Can anyone recommend a wheelgun that ....

• Is in .44 Magnum.
• Is double action.
• Six-shot cylinder
• At least a 6½" barrel is an option. Though I could see going as long as 8⅜".
• Stainless steel would be best, though other rust-resistant materials/finishes would work.
• Decent aftermarket grips and sights are available.
• Good speedloaders are available for it. I like the Speed Beez line the most, though others could work.
• The base gun isn't much more than $1,200. By that, I am not factoring in aftermarket modifications, gunsmithing, speedloaders, etc., and consider those a secondary cost.

Thanks all!

P.S. In the process of searching around, I came across the Desert Eagle autoloaders. While, obviously, not a wheelgun, it is intriguing. Anyone have one of these and, if so, how do you like it? Thanks.

P.P.S. Other than the aforementioned, is anyone else making a .44 Mag auto?

I really hope you're a reloader. It can be costly if you don't. I CAN go either way, but I chose to reload for accuracy. It's fun, and it can be used to tailor loads specific to your gun.

The Desert Eagle is fun, and it's a soft shooter to me. I only shot a friend's gun. It is massive, and it works like an AR-15 with a gas blowback system. I prefer my Coonan in 357 Magnum. If I got a Desert Eagle, it would be in 50 AE. I like recoil.

I love the S&W 629 in 7.5", Performance Center, Hunter.

I also love the 9.5" Ruger Super Redhawk 44 Magnum.

For a 44 Magnum, I think 7.5" is what I would max out for length. Any bigger is harder to find a holster for it.

You can't go wrong with either one.

 

[HB]

Smith's are more refined than Rugers... but you're shooting pins not splitting hairs. Handle a few and pick the best feeling one as with any handgun.

HB

 

[stchman]

Ruger Super Redhawk or Super Blackhawk, can't go wrong with either.

 

[Flatbush Harry]

I'm partial to my old 5" 629...it's my camping/hunting sidearm with Federal 240gr JHPs.

Harry

 

[Danoobie]

The DE44 is a single action. That said, if you can handle the weight, (@5 pounds, loaded)
the recoil isn't much more than a 45ACP. The 6" barrel is very accurate.

 

[GarrettJ]

I tried using a revolver for quite a while. I have a difficult time shooting them well or quickly. It's always interesting trying to find the balance of enough power to reliably push the pins all the way off the table, but to minimize recoil so that recovery time is as short as possible.

As noted, full-power .44 Mag loads are on the "too powerful" side of that scale. Something like a hot .44 Spl or a heavy .45 ACP is just about right. And if you reload, a .44 Mag can be tailored to just about any level you should need.

I run a Desert Eagle at local bowing pin matches. I don't know if it's the "ideal" gun, but it's not bad. It requires full-power loads to cycle reliably, but the gas operated system takes a lot of the felt recoil out of it.

It's also nice in that you can swap calibers.
I don't shoot the .44 barrel very often. I find it has more recoil than needed, and it really tears up the pins. The .357 works very well with either a 158 gr or 180 gr bullet. Recoil is soft, and it still has plenty of momentum to take the pins off the table.



I bought the ported L5 version a while ago. I think I'll put ila red dot on it and use it in Open Division, and run the other one for Iron Sights.

 

[Sam1911]

Wow, an indoor bowling pin shoot!

We did that at my old club for a few sessions, but those insanely hard maple pins send so much shrapnel in every direction that we had to replace too many ceiling tiles to keep it up.

 

[GarrettJ]

Hardwood pins tend to shatter. Most pins I've seen have the softer pine cores. They last quite a while. They can also soak up a lot of lead and keep going.

A set of "new" pins goes off the table a lot quicker than the pins that have put on a few extra pounds.

 

[If1HitU]

My choice would be a 629,even though I don't own one,people speak highly of it on all the forum i visit.