When 44 Mag was officially introduced to the American public ....

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So I was flipping through some stinky old American Riflemen issues out of my Grandpappy's collection - they're deteriorating too fast, no way to stop it from happening because of the acid used to make the glossy mag paper back then. I do-so from time-to-time, I go through these old mags as I have done hundreds of times before, over the course of the past 45 years. I do Handloaders' Digests of his the same way.

How did I miss this American Rifleman from the March 1956 Edition?

The issue in which they introduced the new 44 Mag cartridge vis-à-vis the new Smith & Wesson revolver chambered in 44 Mag. They did a combo-intro not knowing how groundbreaking and legendary the cartridge and platform would become.

This revolver eventually became known as the S&W Model 29 of course (although, in typical S&W fashion I see no mention of that nomenclature in this article ... S&W always had issues naming their pistols imho ... someone help me to understand that). Dirty Harry made it famous. Hope you enjoy this read straight from the horse's mouth as it appeared to our elders in March of 1956 ....

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Howdy

When Smith and Wesson introduced the 357 Magnum cartridge in 1935, the revolver was simply cataloged as The 357 Magnum. Period.

The same thing with the 44 Magnum. When S&W introduced it, it was simply called The 44 Magnum.

I'm gonna paraphrase pretty liberally now from Roy Jinks 1977 book History of Smith and Wesson.

In the early 1950s S&W president C.R. Hellstrom read about the heavy 44 Special loads famed pistoleer Elmer Keith had been experimenting with.

Keith urged Hellstrom to produce a revolver that could handle those loads.

Hellstrom discussed producing a heavy 44 caliber cartridge with R.H.Coleman of the Remington Arms Company.

In 1954 Remington sent S&W the case dimensions for the new cartridge. Basically a 44 Special but 1/8" longer, just as the 357 Magnum is a bit longer than the 38 Special, so it could not be chambered in a standard 44 Special revolver.

In July of 1954 S&W produced 4 specially heat treated 44 Hand Ejector 4th Models to fire the cartridges. One revolver was sent to Remington for testing with the new cartridge and S&W kept the other 3 for testing. Results were good, but it was decided to increase the diameter of the barrels slightly to make the revolvers a little bit heavier, increasing the weight from 39 1/2 ounces to 47 ounces. In February of 1955 tests were completed on the new revolver and the factory began tooling up to make them.

The first revolver was completed on December 29, 1955 and sent to Remington for testing. In January 1956 a second revolver was completed and sent to Major General Julian S. Hatcher of the NRA Technical Division for testing. On January 27, 1956 the third revolver was sent to Elmer Keith.

First catalogued in 1956 it was offered with 4" or 6 1/2" barrels.

On June 12, 1957 a factory directive was issued to begin stamping Model 29 on the yoke cut.

Jinks goes on to describe much more about The 44 Magnum, but I am not going to quote everything here.
 
The .44 mag was still in it's infancy when I was a kid. Remember reading about it in many of my dad's gun rags. One needs to remember that back then, handgun hunting was enjoyed by even fewer folks than archery hunting, which was almost no-one. The caliber and it's firearms got about the same feedback as the super magnums like the .460s and .500s today. You know, no need for the average person to need that much power and the guns are heavy and awkward(was still thought back then long barrels were needed for power and accuracy). Dirty Harry did to the .44 mag what Harley's 100th anniversary did to it's bikes. Ignited the motivation in the average person to own one.
 
I've been a handgun nut since the middle 60's and though I had several I never had a 44mag. I had looked and fondled them many times but fell in love with one in particular. My local gun shop had one of the just released the new Ruger Redhawks in 44mag. This one was stainless and to me a thing of beauty. This one had just arrived for the owners son and I wanted one for myself. I ordered the 7.5" with the integral scope ring mounts and was put on a waiting list. There were 22 people ahead of me, so the wait began. About a year later I got a call that my gun came in. I rushed down with cash in hand and when I arrived the owners son pulled out the yellow and black box and to say I was excited would be an understatement......but there was a problem. This box was marked .41 Remington Magnum, a caliber of which I had never heard. Needless to say the son and his dad, both good friends of mine were extremely apologetic. Somehow when the order was made a year ago, the documents check box, as things were not yet being ordered by computer, for the .41magnum had an X in it. It was right next to the box for the .44magnum. An offer was made for a significant discount for the gun and I declined since I knew nothing about the caliber. The owner handed me a magazine that had an article on that caliber, but for the Smith & Wesson Model 57. It was written by Larry L. Weishuhn who was known for handgun hunting and it really laid out the history and what the caliber was capable of. I read all 6 pages and was sold on the caliber. I went back to the counter and walked out with it and three boxes of ammunition. I've hunted with it for over three decades and have never bought the 44 magnum. 5 years after I bought it my wife surprised me with a Leupold 2X Handgun scope and rest is history. Two years ago I ran into Larry in the Ruger booth at the Hunters Extragavanza in Houston. I introduced myself and we sat there and talked handgun hunting for over an hour. He is one great guy. The largest animal I have taken with it is a book Spotted Fallow Deer in West Texas. Here is the gun and Fallow.
The gun is lying on the cape of the Spotted Fallow in the next picture
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A lot of people credit Keith for the development of the .44Mag but in reality, he had no idea it was even happening. He no doubt inspired it with his 1200fps, 26,000psi .44Spl load but what we got was 1450fps and 43,500CUP.


Dirty Harry did to the .44 mag what Harley's 100th anniversary did to it's bikes. Ignited the motivation in the average person to own one.
You have to admit, the 100th bikes were really nice.
 
Remember reading about it in many of my dad's gun rags.
That's me - I remember reading about the great 44 Magnum in one of my dad's magazines. I think it might have been "True" magazine as a matter of fact.
Dirty Harry did to the .44 mag what Harley's 100th anniversary did to it's bikes. Ignited the motivation in the average person to own one.
That's me too - while I knew the 44 Magnum existed from the time I was 8 or 9 years old, it wasn't until I was in my 20s that Dirty Harry "ignited the motivation" for me to own one.
My first 44 Mag was a Ruger Super Blackhawk though - not a Model 29 Smith. And I never did see one of those Model 29s for sale that only had 6 rounds through it before someone brought it back to the store where they bought it. I heard about them - just never saw one.;)
 
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Thanks for posting it's interesting to hear them talk about the recoil being so bad, I've had my kids shooting full house loads out of my 629 w 5" bbl. Maybe not everyone from my grandpa's generation was as tough as I thought. On the flip side my revolver has a nice set of grips without sharp edges I'm sure that helps.
 
I got one in my late teens or early twenties. Handgun hunting was not yet legal in Ohio so I loaded some 44 S&W Special loads in magnum cases and went after groundhogs. It did a fair job on them. The SWC cut a decent wound and with a good hit, they rarely moved.

When Ohio okayed handguns for white tailed deer, I was ready and harvested quite a few. Eventually though, I came to prefer the same N frame revolver in 45 long Colt. The 44 was sold to a college professor who hunted with it.

Kevin
 
I cut my teeth on the 44 magnum. 1st gun I got in 1983 was a 7 1/2 Ruger Super Blackhawk SS. I was an 18-year old kid that loved handguns. I loaded it up with 6 Winchester 240grn jhp's and was ready to shoot it. Hearing and reading how "powerful" and how much "recoil" it had, I gripped the gun like a vise grip. I cocked the hammer, turned my head looking away :rofl: and fired the 1st round. To my surprise, my arm didn't get ripped off, my hand was still intact. After that 1st round, All was good with my love affair and shooting of the "BIG" 44 magnum.
 
That's me too - while I knew the 44 Magnum existed from the time I was 8 or 9 years old, it wasn't until I was in my 20s that Dirty Harry "ignited the motivation" for me to own one.
My first 44 Mag was a Ruger Super Blackhawk though - not a Model 29 Smith.

Sounds very similar to my story. Bought my first handgun in the early 70s...a three screw Blackhawk. Basically because there were no S&W 629s to be found(Thanks Harry Callahan) and the Ruger was significantly cheaper. Quickly found that between the factory loadings at the time and the way the grip fit my hand, the web between my thumb and first finger took a beating. Because muffs and/or plugs were not common at the range at the time, the muzzle blast quickly turned me off and the gun quickly got traded for a SxS grouse gun. A dozen years later I got back into the handgun game with a S&W 686 and in a few months a 629. Haven't looked back since. I do wish I had never sold that old three screw tho.........
 
First, this is a quality 'The High Road' OP and is why I frequent this site daily even if I do not post much.

I have a 629 Mountain Gun that I carried in Alaska. It is currently loaded in my safe with some nasty 44 sp and is one of three guns that always stays loaded. I doubt that changes anytime soon.

I also have a Ruger Deerfield carbine that took a while to find the right ammo for. It would either be accurate and jam up or run flawlessly and be all over the paper. But it LOVES Federal American Eagle soft points so I bought

Both guns make it to the range every year, usually on a special day when I am taking friends who are not as 'into guns' as I am.
 
While Remington and Smith and Wesson tried to keep development of the .44 Magnum under wraps, Bill Ruger found out about the .44 Magnum before it was publicly announced. The story is told by Ruger himself in the book, "Ruger And His Guns" by R. L. Wilson, pages 43-49.

Mr. Ruger was given some empty .44 Remington Magnum cases that had been discarded somewhere. Ruger designed a .44 Magnum Blackhawk using those empty cases alone, without ever seeing a loaded round. He called a friend at Remington but got no information. Mr. Ruger then met with Remington's Marketing Director Dewey Godfrey in person to discuss things. Ruger made it plain that his company was going to proceed with making a .44 Magnum revolver, and requested some ammunition. Mr. Godfrey reportedly admitted nothing, but there was a paper bag of loaded .44 Magnum rounds on the table when he left the meeting.

The book also includes 1956 correspondence between Mr. Ruger and Elmer Keith, Col. Charles Askins, and 'The American Rifleman's' Technical Director M. D. "Bud" Waite about Ruger's .44 Magnum. It's great reading and proof that Bill Ruger was determined to get a .44 Magnum on the market as quickly as he could.

Remington and Smith and Wesson can rightfully claim priority, but they didn't beat Bill Ruger by much!
 
I too lusted after a Model 29 after seeing my first ""Dirty Harry'' movie and finally found one about a year later. There was a story going around and also printed in several gun mags at the time that Clint Eastwood didn't use a 44 Mag (model 29) in that first movie since the prop people couldn't find one available for sale. He actually used a 41 Mag in this first Dirty Harry movie. Who could tell the difference?
 
My brother in 1978 purchased a used Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 7.5 inch barrel… he still has it today.. has taken lots of Whitetail and a few Black bears and Hawgs with it over the years .. Remington 240gr JSP … is his load of choice.. but he has handloaded quite a bit using 240gr Noslers
 
In summer of 1976, a buddy and I were headed out to the gravel pit, on the edge of town, to do some shooting.

As we were leaving, his B-i-L showed up. Asked if he wanted to go with us. Had pulls a brief case out of this car and off we go.

We normally shot .22 rifles, with the occasional .30-30 or .30-06. The brief case was opened and there sat identical 6 1/2" Ruger Blackhawks. A .357 and a .44.

A cylinder full of each, my buddy was determined to have a .357. To me, .357 had a harsh crack, where the .44 had a boom. I wanted the .44.

Had just turned 21, them fall of '77, wandered through Mongomery Wards and there sat a
7 1/2" Super Blackhawk. I had to have it and did, until 2016. A year later, full of remorse, a SS 4.62" replaced my hogleg.
 
In summer of 1976, a buddy and I were headed out to the gravel pit, on the edge of town, to do some shooting.

As we were leaving, his B-i-L showed up. Asked if he wanted to go with us. Had pulls a brief case out of this car and off we go.

We normally shot .22 rifles, with the occasional .30-30 or .30-06. The brief case was opened and there sat identical 6 1/2" Ruger Blackhawks. A .357 and a .44.

A cylinder full of each, my buddy was determined to have a .357. To me, .357 had a harsh crack, where the .44 had a boom. I wanted the .44.

Had just turned 21, them fall of '77, wandered through Mongomery Wards and there sat a
7 1/2" Super Blackhawk. I had to have it and did, until 2016. A year later, full of remorse, a SS 4.62" replaced my hogleg.

That's always been my observation too. I've never cared for 357 and never had much use for one.
 
I dearly love the Model 29 and have had a few of them.

I bought this S&W 629-1 back in 1982.
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I’ve carried it on every hunting trip I’ve made in the last 40 years.

If I’m in the woods, this revolver is with me.

I could not begin to tell you how many rounds I’ve fired through it nor could I count the coyotes, armadillo’s and Javelina that it’s taken.

I’ve had this 4” 29-3 since 1984:
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It too has has had many a hard day on the range.

It went back to S&W in 2003 for a “refurb” and a S&W rep called me and shared it was almost too far gone to be rebuilt. They didn’t have any blued 4” barrels so he said he’d do what he could.

He talked me out of having it reblued as he said it (the gun) wasn’t worth the added cost.

He set the barrel back a thread and recut the forcing cone, put in new hammer and trigger as the old ones had developed a “push off” condition, sorted out the end shake and sent it back with a note saying if I didn’t beat on it too hard it ought to last another 20 years.

He said “condition wise” it was one of the worst 4” model 29’s he’d ever seen come back that hadn’t been blown up.

I’ll admit it was rattling like the handle on an outhouse door when I sent it back.

My load of choice for the 4” was a max charge of H110/W296 and a 180 grain JHP bullet.
 
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While the "Dirty Harry" movie started
the craze, it wasn't the first movie to
have a Model 29. Lee Marvin used
one in 1967's "Point Blank" but
no fuss was made about it. It was
just his "killing machine." And
"The President's Analyst" also had
a Model 29 in 1967.
 
I've hunted with it for over three decades and have never bought the 44 magnum.

In terms of raw ballistics, I think the .41 and .44 Magnums are equivalents in a practical sense. Unless you reload, however, the .44 Magnum can make for a better choice for many shooters because it's easier to find; is generally somewhat cheaper to buy when you do and there are way more bullet types, weights and configurations available. Too, it's nice to be able to "step down" to the .44 Special if needed or wanted.
 
In terms of raw ballistics, I think the .41 and .44 Magnums are equivalents in a practical sense. Unless you reload, however, the .44 Magnum can make for a better choice for many shooters because it's easier to find; is generally somewhat cheaper to buy when you do and there are way more bullet types, weights and configurations available. Too, it's nice to be able to "step down" to the .44 Special if needed or wanted.
SwampWolf,
Everything said is true. I do however reload and can create some ".41 special" loads of my own design that shoot very nicely. I have been very fortunate in my purchases of the components for reloading and have bought most less than I could have gotten the same in .44mag. Luckily everything I buy, I buy in bulk and that really saves money. The amount of components I have on hand will permit me to shoot and reload way past my ability to hit my targets. I also have roughly 3,000 rounds of factory loads in several different configurations. If the lead bullet supply would dry up, I have three different .41mag molds to be able to cast my own. I have more than sufficient cases but am always looking for other opportunities to purchase more, if the price is right.
 
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