Plz help me decide which .44 mag to purchase

[HankB]

Back in the days of hi-performance cars you could order a TRUE racing engine from the factory. 0ne common trait w/ALL these engines was FORGED internal parts. Cranks rods pistons. Most all other engines had CAST parts. Pound for pound. Part for Part. Forged IS stronger than cast. Rugers are CAST. Smiths are FORGED.

I remember reading a report some years - ok, QUITE some years - back, written by the late Elmer Keith. He wrote of how some neophyte handloader had read about using 22 grains of 2400 under a 240 grain bullet . . . but, lacking any 2400 powder, he substituted Unique.

Bad move.

I don't recall the order, but the idiot Keith wrote about ruined two guns with that overload. A Super Blackhawk lost the top strap and top 3 chambers in the cylinder - the gun blew up.

When fired in an S&W M29, he managed three rounds before the bulged chambers (yes, all three chambers were bulged) tied up the gun.

Ruger uses good steel, but it's not the best steel available. Note that when they decided to make their Super Redhawk in .454 Casull, they changed to a more expensive material and added special heat treatment.