only pic one, need advice.

[Arizonagunrunner]

I have a Speed Six. 2 3/4 bbl 357. I have two 44 Specials. Taurus 431 with 3in and a Rossi 720. I carry the 357 with 125 Rem sjhp. The two 44s are loaded with Blazer 200 Gold Dots. All three are excellent weapons. I prefer the 357 most of the time, but I sure like me a 44 Special also for self defense.
I rotate all these as my CCW. What and why would you choose.

 

[Dlowe167]

If the 44spl has less recoil than your .357. Id go with the .44spl,i have a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44spl very accurate & easy to carry being a 2 1/2in barrel. But im curios about the Rossi,i see them around.How u like it for carry & hows it shoot?

 

[skidder]

The Speed Six is a far better weapon. I wouldn't trade a Speed Six for 10 Rossi/Taurus revolvers.

 

[Radagast]

I'm in skidder's camp. If forced to downsize to one gun only for self defense, then the Ruger is my pick of the three. If this is more of a mid size .44 vs .357 argument, then I would be looking for a S&W 696. 3 inch L frame, 5 shot .44 special.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If it were me, I would first pick the revolver I trust the most not to break at the worst time. Then I would pick the revolver I shoot most accurately because the best revolver and ammo in the world will do you no good unless you make good hits.

Of the 3 revolver you mentioned I would trust the Ruger most but the one you are most accurate with can only be answered by you.

 

[TennJed]

ruger

 

[CPLofMARINES]

Ruger

 

[mnrivrat]

I'm very fond of my Rossi 720 . I've owned a lot of handguns in 357 mag and like them, and the cartridge, but there is something about that 44 Special that makes it my choice of the three you mention.

 

[bannockburn]

I would go with the Speed Six as well. Outstanding modular design, built like a tank, and every Security, Service, and Speed Six I ever had was 100% reliable.

 

[bikerdoc]

Ruger vote here. The six series in 3 inch is about a good as it gets.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I'd pick the Ruger based on the company alone. I will not own a Taurus or a Rossi based on bad experiences. JMO

The Ruger 6 guns are great too, so there is a better reason.

 

[the Black Spot]

44 special, less chance of pass thru with the gold dots. But I am a bigbore fan anyway. I carry an old school bulldog 44 special and on Sundays a single action 44 mag loaded with the 44 special gold dots

 

[Arizonagunrunner]

It seems as the Ruger is the hands down favorite. I agree, but the two 44s are pretty darn close. My Rossi 720 came as a concealed hammer version. I didn't like that so I put a hammer on it. It is super sweet. Best trigger of the three. And it carries better then the other two. Size and weight make it the best ccw out of the three. I really like the Taurus 431. I never have listened to all the Taurus bashers out there. I had a bad Taurus in PT-22. It was junk. But the 1993 Taurus 431 is a keeper for all times. I love the 44 Special. Great self defense caliber. I just am a little more fond of the 357 Magnum though.

 

[Old Fuff]

I pass the .357 Magnum in revolvers that have less then a 3" barrel, and 4-inches is prefered. In place of them I like my Taurus model 445 (5-shot/.44 Special/blued steel/2" barrel). Why?

The .44 has a bigger diameter bullet that's "expanded" before it leaves the bore.

The bullet is heavier.

Recoil and muzzle blast/flash are less (maybe) depending on the chosen load.

The little Taurus has given me absolutely no problems. I stay away from aluminum/titanium/barrel ported construction in this platform.

 

[Beach Nut]

I have a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special and it is a nice little gun. Whenever I carry it,
it is loaded with 180 grain HP with a muzzle velocity of about 1050 FPS. Even though
.44 Special is expensive compared to .357 Magnum and .38 Special, I like the idea
of having a gun that fires a round more powerful than the .38 Special and I can
maintain more control of than shooting .357 Magnum. In my opinion, .44 Special
is a great, often overlooked choice for personal self defense.

 

[CraigC]

While I agree that the Ruger is probably the better sixgun, I would choose a proven example of a lesser brand in the .44Spl before any .357.

 

[19-3Ben]

For caliber, it's probably a tossup as far as effectiveness. A bad guy wouldn't isn't going to get shot with either of calibers and say "well, if he'd used the other one I'd stop right here, but since he took the other one I'll keep attacking."
Both cartridges are proven and very effective.

Ultimately, I'd go with the Ruger because I'd just trust it more due to the rock-solid reliability of Rugers. As an owner of a 2 3/4" speed six, I can speak from experience when I say it's a fantastic wheelgun. I did have a Taurus for a little while (model 85) and it was excellent, so I'm not getting into a brand-war. I don't knock Taurus, I just give an edge to Ruger.

In the end it would really boil down to which one I would get more practice with. .38spl is cheaper than .44spl, so I'd pick the Ruger just because I could put more lead downrange and become more proficient with my chosen SD gun.

The ability to practice would be the deciding factor for me rather than brand, or effectiveness of that caliber.

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I'd pick the Ruger.