[ARCHIVED THREAD] - .44 Magnum (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 10/15/2004 8:38:26 PM EDT
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This is an ode to the .44 magnum, a great cartridge. And nothing better to launch it with than a blued, Smith and Wesson model 29 (which I have). Mine has a 6" barrel. It is a beautiful gun. Evokes Dirty Harry and Taxi Driver. I traded a Glock 20 for it, and have not regretted it since. Who here has a .44 magnum gun? |
A couple of MODCC shoots ago I dressed up as Dirty Harry and made a fool of myself with this: S&W 29-3, 6 inch barrel, mirror finish blue, and I do have the original wood grips for it. They scrape my hand bad when firing full power loads. I'd post up the video I have of me shooting pepper poppers while yelling "do you feel lucky, punk" but its too embarrassing even for the usually shameless Duke Nukem. |
That's a beauty. I have the same gun except with aftermarket wood grips with finger grooves. Very comfortable and fun to shoot. |
i always thought they were about equal? what makes it weaker?
| I have two S&W 629's--a three-inch bbl "Trail Gun"--factory Magna-ported, to be used as a "truck gun." I also have a 7 1/2" bbl Performance Center model with an integral scope rail machined to the barrel. It too is factory Magna-Ported, and is topped with IOR Valdata detachable rings and a Leupold 2-7X pistol scope. It will shoot <2" at 100 yards with handloads and is to be used for deer hunting. I have not yet shot a deer with it. |
WTF? People actually go shooting just for fun? ohh yea now I remember why I bought my M44 
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First off it's .45 Colt, not .45 LC. Second .45 Colt can be loaded to very close to the same velocity as 44 Mag for Ruger, Freedom Arms & T/C firearms. www.hodgdon.com/data/pistol/index.php 45 COLT (Ruger, Freedom Arms & T/C Only) CASE: WINCHESTER BBL: 7.25" PR: WINCHESTER LP TWIST: 1:16" TRIM: 1.280" 240 GR. SIE JHC(Starting Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.600" LIL'GUN 27.0 1431 23,800 CUP 240 GR. SIE JHC(Maximum Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.600" LIL'GUN 27.8 1489 29,200 CUP 250 GR. HDY XTP(Starting Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.600" LIL'GUN 23.5 1331 25,800 CUP 250 GR. HDY XTP(Maximum Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.600" LIL'GUN 25.5 1410 29,800 CUP 260 GR. NOS PART(Starting Loads) DIA. .451 COL: 1.650" LIL'GUN 19.0 1196 24,500 CUP 260 GR. NOS PART(Maximum Loads) DIA. .451 COL: 1.650" LIL'GUN 21.0 1312 30,000 CUP 300 GR. SPR JFP(Starting Loads) DIA. .451 COL: 1.650" LIL'GUN 18.0 1140 24,500 CUP 300 GR. SPR JFP(Maximum Loads) DIA. .451 COL: 1.650" LIL'GUN 20.2 1203 29,800 CUP 325 GR. LFN PB (Starting Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.680" H4227 20.0 1053 22,300 CUP H110 21.0 1109 18,100 CUP LIL'GUN 17.0 1061 20,700 CUP 325 GR. LFN PB (Maximum Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.680" H4227 23.0 1189 28,000 CUP H110 24.0 1266 27,400 CUP LIL'GUN 20.5 1235 29,700 CUP 335 GR. WLN GC (Starting Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.680" H4227 20.0 1011 21,100 CUP H110 20.5 1109 19,200 CUP LIL'GUN 17.0 1052 20,100 CUP 335 GR. WLN GC(Maximum Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.680" H4227 22.5C 1155 28,300 CUP H110 23.5 1240 28,000 CUP LIL'GUN 20.0 1206 29,600 CUP 360 GR. WLN GC (Starting Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.680" H4227 19.5 1004 21,100 CUP H110 18.0 1012 20,200 CUP LIL'GUN 15.5 984 22,400 CUP 360 GR. WLN GC (Maximum Loads) DIA. .452 COL: 1.680" H4227 22.0C 1167 29,800 CUP H110 21.0 1151 28,300 CUP LIL'GUN 18.0 1131 29,700 CUP |
Have one just as you describe - although I personally find it quite scary to have anything similar to you . BTW, when does THIS thread turn wierd?
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Wanta bet? They use the Ruger Vaquero frame for the .500 cals for a reason. SGatr15 PS ANd yes..wheel guns kick ass! |
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7 1/2" Super Redhawk. Thing is so big it is stupid. Though a .500S&W makes it look small. I like shooting it a lot. My friend has a 629 that is ported that hurts like hell to shoot. Kills the palm of your hand. My SRH is an absolute pleasure even with +p loads. Very stout handgun. I also have a Vaquero in .45LC with a .45acp cylinder. Great gun. And in Rugers you can push .45lc loads as powerful as a .44mag. |
| I have a Blackhawk that I have only fired 12 times because the trigger guard smashes against my middle finger and I have significant pain after the 3rd shot. I also own a S&W (629 I believe) with a 4 in BBL that I have not fired - I recently acquired it from my father, but have not taken physical posession of it which is why I don't know the model and have not fired it. |
Don't take that lying down, 9mm sucks for self defense and it has been well documented. I would much rather have one 44mag round strike my attacker than five or six 9mm rounds. So which is a better self defense round????? (and if you think I'm the only one who thinks so look up what Jeff Cooper thought about this subject) 44mag! Zen "This is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one is mine" |
Fired within an hour 40 (+/- a few) full-house rounds through a Blackhawk years ago. The shock-and-awe, noise, recoil and percussion literally made me sick to my stomach. Get queasy just thinking about it.  ETA: Have a .41 Mag, with a Leupy scope on it, identical to -Duke-Nukem-'s .44. Trigger job, jeweled trigger and hammer, smooth as silk. Awesome cannon. |
No offense, y'all. 
Most of the custom large caliber guns are built on Bisley and Super Blackhawk frames. Regardless, a properly loaded .45 Colt will beat the pants off a .44 Magnum any day. Actually, if Elmer Keith had better brass, we wouldn't even have the .44 Magnum, we'd have the .45 Magnum! Here is my Super Redhawk .44...  
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If you take case capacity times pressure full house .44 and .45colt are identical. But once you load the same weight bullet into both the free case capacity in the .45 gives it an advantage of about 10%, because the larger diameter bullet is shorter. Buffalobore loads some pretty extreme stuff for .45, reportedly with lilgun. |
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Oh, yeah! 629, 4" bbl. Love that gun. Took it to an indoor range once and had a lane next to a group of chickie snacks with a little something in .380. Them: <bang> "Giggle, giggle". <bang> "Ooh! Giggle, giggle" Me: <BOOM!> Them: Let's just say they shrieked, dropped their gun on the tray, and hastily backed out of their lane. 
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Henry Big Boy, Ruger Super Blackhawk, Ruger Vaquero
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I've got two. A 629 Mountain gun which I immediately replaced the grips on. Those Hogue grips left the backstrap exposed, which is a less-than-brilliant plan when firing full-power loads. And I have this one--a Colt Kodiak. (Pictures shamelessly stolen off GunsAmerica, since I don't have any of my own).  
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I have a 629 with 6 1/2 which is a tackdriver,I find I shoot it best with Houge grips. I have allways wanted one of the early 28's with the high polish blue finish.I also have a Lew Horton 629 with 3" barrel.I seem to shoot this gun best with smooth wood with finger grove type grips.The short gun is still fairly heavy and although it kicks some it is useable. I have found that a good 240 lead bullet with a max load of 2400 worked fine on my one and only hunt for boar. I used a SWC bullet for the boar but also use a 240 round nose flat point as my marlin cowboy feeds that style bullet better.Years ago when I started reloading I would try all types of powders and bullet weights,now I try to start with the old standbys and am pleased when I find a combo which works fine in more than one gun I also have a Ruger super blackhawk which I think was about the second gun I ever bought.I could load it with hotter loads than the S&W but I am close to my comfort /flinching limit with my standard load and I don't much like the idea of haveing a hot ruger only load on my ammo shelf when I own S&W's. I also load the same 240 lead bullet over Unique to get about 900fps-sort of a 44sp+p.This is a lot easier for someone not used to a heavy pistol,and although it is a accurate load it isn't the tackdriver that the heavy load is.I think the commercial lead bullets are too hard for the lighter loads and don't seal as well. I can see no advantage to useing jacketed bullets in the 44mag,in fact I have found shooting lead in a barrel that has some light copper in it or shooting copper in a barrel with trace lead in it to be a nightmare to clean. Most of the S&W have a pretty smooth bore and lead only will brush right out. |
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Smith and Wesson 629, 5" BBL. I was going to get the Ruger, as it is more practical. But I figured why kid myself ? I am not going to hunt with it. I am just going to target shoot with it, and drool over it. I liked the looks of the Smith and Wesson better, after all it is an American classic. |