Fate of the .44 special

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Arcticfox

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Hi All!

I handled a beautiful 624 recently at the local gun store. I love this round, but it is getting hard to find, and expensive. Does anyone think the 44 special is not long for this world, or do you think it will linger? I doubt it will make a comeback (assuming it was ever popular to begin with.)

What do you think? Is it all over for this round? Should I buy that sweet 624 I saw at the local outpost? Or should I move on to more popular rounds?
 
I CANNOT IMAGINE LIVING WITHOUT MY M24 AND M624 SIXGUNS !!!

There are more 44SPL sixguns in use right now than ever before in the history of the cartridge since it's inception in 1908.
This does not even consider the 44SPL'S use in the myriad of 44MAG sixguns out there in gundom.
 
This is a timely thread. A nearby store has a new-old-stock Smith & Wesson 296 Centennial snubbie in .44 Special for sale. It's a little spendy, but they seem flexible with the price.

The 296 is not really my cup of tea, so PM me if you're interested in the gun.
 
Unless the 44 magnum is outlawed for some ungodly reason , there will always be components to reload the 44 special.
I've never found a factory made 44 special cartridge that I liked or couldn't do better then with my reloads cranked out on a Dillon or anything else.
 
The 296 will be worth it's weight in gold in a couple years! :cool:
I would buy cheap and sell it for much more in a couple years. I LOVE mine!:)
 
44 special will be around for a long time. I reckon 41 magnum can still be found in some places and there are a lot more calibers out there that are less popular than 44 special.

Stuff like the 45 gap round is what I would be more worried about.
 
get the 624! every one should have one good gun! i know i love mine carrys good and with hand loads its a great defense gun, and most 44 spec are realy accurate, i realy like the tappered barrel it just balances in the hand, i will say again get the 624!!!!!!!! *csa*:)
 
Currently own one, have been foolish enough to own two others in the past and sell them. am currently on the lookout for a 1980s M24 or 624 in 4" to shoot.

Last time I shot a .44 Magnum was about ten years ago and I feel no call to do any more of it. The .44 Special has everything I need and nothing I don't.
 
Yeah, I dispute the fact that 246gr projectiles of lead will have any noticible effect upon targets requiring immediate dispatching. Gee, 230 grains of lead from a 1911 at similar velocities works better than most any other loading, but that tired, old .44 special just doesn't cut it anymore.


:::please note, extreme sarcasm button is on:::
 
I think it is the opposite. the .44 special has more factory loads now than anytime in my memory, and I have been shooting for about 25 years. Guns like the 696, 296, 396 have caused a bit of a comeback, as have the cowboy shooters. I know the .45 Colt still rules that world but the .44 has it's fans. I hope it continues to grow in popularity. I would like to see more varity in factory loads, as right now the only way to get the most out of this wonderful cartridge is to handload.
 
the 329 gave the 44 special a small boost but it will hang on like 38 super and 10 mm as a gun crank's cartrige and in restrictive countrys. Every once in a wile a gun make will crank out a few in the above cartriges and after the 44/38/10 nuts have bought one the guns and ammo fall of the radar for a few years and then pop up again.
 
I usually shoot one .44 spl. round for each .44 mag thru my 29/629, and I'm probably not alone in that type of shooting (ala running .38's thru a .357)... so I'd opine the .44 spl is far from dead as a round, as others here have attested. You don't seem to see a whole lot of new revolvers chambered in that round, however, so grab 'em while ya can. And shoot 'em.

Now if we could just get the ammo mfgs to price their .44 spl. wares like .38 spls.... :rolleyes:
 
People are missing the mechanism that is keeping the 44 Special alive and well. It has been hinted at, but no explicitly stated. True, there are more 44 special guns and ammo now than before, but in this age of extreme shooting hobbyism, the commercial presence of 44 Special guns and ammo is extremely limited, more so in some locals than others, cowboy action shooting not withstanding.
However, 44 Special is VERY popular, particularly if you consider 44 Magnum cases downloaded to 44 Special ballistics, as 44 Special. The vast majority of people who own and shoot their 44 Magnum handguns on any regular basis, do so with 44 Special loads. They are not buying 44 Special guns, but they are shooting 44 Special loads from 44 Magnum guns. You have to basically consider 70 to 80% of 44 Magnun handguns as part-time to full-time 44 Special firearms. When you consider that, you begin to see that the 44 Special is not going any place any time soon! Regards.
 
I think the .44 special is more popular than ever.

I remember being offerred the chance to buy a blued (black) Ruger 5 shot .44 special with a 6 inch barrel back in the early 1980's - it must have been a limited production gun, it had a small frame similar to a J frame or maybe the SP101 but remember this was 1981, 82 (I believe). Reminds me a lot of the S&W model 60 with the 5 inch barrel except in .44 special. Hmmmm,.

The only gun I regret not buying. It shot so sweet, no recoil, very accurate. But at the time I thought wierd caliber, too expensive ammo., too long a barrel but what a nice shooter.

I wish I would have bought that one. Anyone else ever hear of such a Ruger pistol? It was 25 years ago but I'm almost positive it was a ruger.
 
Cowboy action shooting keeps it alive.

So does the internet. As time goes on, people buy more and more stuff over the interent, not just music, books, and porn.
What that mean on the local level is that stores will streamline inventory more. Dead inventory is a heavier weight than before and they need to be concerned about what moves. They have a storefront to pay for.
But suppliers who sell over the internet can keep inventory in low rent areas. After all, they ship. Because they have a national presence, they can supply niches and small markets more profitably than a store. Because they sell volume and don't have the same overhead, prices (without adding S&H) are lower.
 
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Good information guys! Thanks for the input.

The 'must have' for my collection is a 696. I had an opportunity, but bought a Taurus tracker instead. when I went to pick it up, I asked to see the 624 that was in the case, and compared to two side by side. The 624 was SOOOOO SMOOOOTH!!!!!! worked like a rolex! Even better than my 629!

And those 624's seem to command quite a price on the used market! Talk about an appreciating asset! "Honey ( said to the wife), its an investment! Really!!":D
 
@ vynx

The Ruger you saw was most likely built custom onto a GP-100 frame. I don't quite think that the Speed Six series was big enough for 5-shot .44Spl

Suffice to say, there are a few custom revolversmiths out there that still do those conversions. A few THR members have them, so either run a search or ask on this forum. If you can bring the cash to the table, a custom smith can set you up...

-MV
 
44

the 44 spl is a great cartridge the 624 is a rare bird. or buy a model 29 or 629 then you can shoot 44 spl or 44 magnum. your choice, the 44 magnum shell is less expensive.my .02
 
What most folks say above is true. I'll just add that the ammo ain't hard to find. Ordering online is easy and the .4 Spl. is often on sale. Try here for one example of several...www.midwayusa.com

It is also available in bulk at gun shows.

The cost is generally competitive with .44 magnum ammo and with quality .357.

tipoc
 
Croyance, thank you for so succinctly and clearly describing the market forces at work with internet commerce. I think people fail to realize how much the internet has changed retail.

About the .44 Special: great cartridge. I will most likely never own one. This is simply because another cult caliber, the .45 Colt, long ago stole my interest. There is nothing the .44 can do that the .45 can't, especially in a small gun. That said, as rare as you may think .44 specials are, they are far more common in "carry-sized" revolvers than .45 Colts are.

I say diversity is the spice of gun ownership, so have at the .44 and may its long and distinguished career continue.
 
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