The .44 S&W Special has never been a rip-roaring success. Even it's parent, S&W, has only the 'special' offerings of the TR21, plain 21, & Ni 21, all holster guns at a premium due to their 'retro' finishes, as they approach next year's centennial. They dropped the last catalog offerings, the L-frames 296, 396, & 696 for the same reason they did the 624, 24, etc... poor sales.
I had both a 6.5" 24-3 and a Heritage version, which I had bought new. I like SS... and had a 629MG, 296, and 696 for .44 Special and Russian use, as I had other .45 Colt & .454 Casull guns for use when I wanted/needed 'emphasis'. I finally sold/traded the blued 24's, I just didn't want to risk damage to their finish. I replaced them with a new 6" half lug 629, which I broke-in and installed Wolff reduced effort springs (I reload with Federal primers...). For me, it was ideal... I had traded away the .454 SRH, so I then had a .44 Magnum, if I needed it - and one heck of a stout .44 Special for other days. It is a cure I reccomend... don't pay the exuberant used 696/624 prices... just get a new 629, it'll be cheaper and a lot more stout. Compare the 35.5oz 696 to a 41.5oz 4" 629... that six oz buys you another chamber and another inch of barrel - and a .44 Magnum-capable revolver - with larger target hammer & trigger, too. Get some S&W .500 Magnum Hogue's ($35 only from S&W), and you'll be able to stand Magnums, too. Want a lighter version? Get a 629MG - at 39.5oz, it's only four oz more than the 696. For .44 Russian & Special use, proper wood stocks are sufficient.
I like the .44 Special, but my collection has more .44 Magnum chambers... the 296 & 696 now have both a 4" & 6" 629, along with a Ruger 4.6" SBH to which I fitted a Bird's Head Grip, to share .44 Special & Russians with. They function fine with the short-cased rounds, just brush the residue out of the chambers before going to longer cases. I guess as long as they still make .44 Magnum revolvers, folks will be loading Specials - and Russians, just like .357 Magnums and .38 Specials - or .32 H&R Magnum and .32 S&W Long and .32 S&W.
I really want a resurgence in interest for the first mass produced centerfire metallic cartridge - the .44 Russian. It preceded the infamous .45 Colt to the marketplace by 2 years. A 240gr LSWC over 3.6gr Titegroup makes 692 fps from my 696 - that's a mild plinker load - but it makes 'major' power factor for my IPSC competitor friends... a real shocker! Talk about hard to find... you really have to be a reloader to shoot it!
Stainz