Taurus M44?

[Panzerschwein]

Hello all! Well sugar, I got that magnum fever if you know what I mean.

It's time to add a .44 magnum revolver to the chicken coup. After shooting .357 magnum revolvers for years, I've always went to grinnin' whenever I've shot .44 magnum revolvers. Sure, a .357 does anything I need a handgun to do out here in north eastern Kansas... but that hasn't stopped me from having that itch... you know, that .44 MAGNUM itch!!

So I'm not wanting to spend a mint on one, since it'll be mainly for range target practice use and plinking. I've got other, proven smaller caliber revolvers for social work and wilderness defense (a .357 is plenty for that in my area).

So I've been weighing the options, and the features of guns I like, that also fit into my budget. It seems the Taurus Model 44 seems to have a lot going for it:



It looks great, 6-shot, has a 6.5" barrel, good sights, comfortable grips, and is ported. Now I'm usually not a big fan of porting on handguns, but with plenty of barrel to get good velocity and with the recoil of .44 magnum it looks like a great asset on this type of gun.

I am making this thread to get some feedback on these revolvers before I "lay down that cheddar" if you will. Good, bad, ugly, I'd love to hear it from those who've dealt with these guns. Now I know Taurus has a spotty reputation with some of their products, but some preliminary research seemed to point that their .44 magnum revolvers generally get good reviews and are pretty well made for the price, but I'm still wondering myself.

If all you fine gentleman could give your thoughts on this gun, I'm all ears baby. Thanks so much, and catch you on the flipside!

Cooldill out.

 

[gotboostvr]

I had a 44 Magnum tracker, and it was a real nice pistol.
Very crisp single action, and the double action was heavy but very very smooth.

If you're worried about recoil, Taurus's "Ribber" grips actually do a great job of killing recoil.
Allbeit a bit funky to get used to.

Speaking of Kansas, I just spent the past few days enjoying your fine state. Cumberland Falls, fine barbecue and of course about 4 distillery tours!

 

[Panzerschwein]

I had a 44 Magnum tracker, and it was a real nice pistol.
Very crisp single action, and the double action was heavy but very very smooth.

If you're worried about recoil, Taurus's "Ribber" grips actually do a great job of killing recoil.
Allbeit a bit funky to get used to.

Speaking of Kansas, I just spent the past few days enjoying your fine state. Cumberland Falls, fine barbecue and of course about 4 distillery tours!

Glad to hear it! It is a nice little state.

 

[slapdead]

I've never had a single problem with my Taurus 44 magnum in all the years and ammo I've run though it. That one looks to have upgraded grips compared to the old Gripper style. I'd not hesitate to buy it all over again. Then if you like the 44 magnum and want one of those frilly expensive guns that sits in the safe you won't have wasted a cent. But I guarantee the Taurus is the one you'll take out to shoot. It is a blast.

Go for it.

 

[eldon519]

I am not that familiar with the M44, but I know they are very similar in size and weight to a Smith N frame. When I got my 29 I held about every variant in the 4-6.5" range that I could. For me, both the 5" full underlug and the 6" half-underlug both handled significantly better than the 6.5" full underlug. It was just too barrel-heavy/sluggish for me. I don't know if Taurus makes an M44 in either of those configurations, but if they do and you're able to hold them all, I'd recommend it. I was amazed how noticeable the extra 3oz on the muzzle was to me.