OT- Possible new handgun purchase.

[336A]

Today I was thinking about what my next handgun purchase will be. I was thinking about a .357 magnum but I really don't care for all of that dang muzzle blast. Yet I want something that will really lay the hammer down if need be but with readily available components. Then it dawned on me that the answer to my quest is the great ol' .44 S&W SPL. I already have dies as I load for my Marlin 1894 .44 Mag, and I have some Unique and W231 on hand as well.

I got to looking around to see who still makes .44 SPL revolvers. I crossed S&W off of the list right away as they are way to rich for my blood. So out of curiosity I checked Ruger's web site, I couldn't believe what I saw they are listing the NM Black Hawk in .44 SPL. I thought that these guns were only a special order deal through Lipseys' and weren't a standard production item. Does anyone here know if these .44 SPL BH are in fact going to be a standard production item?

[JB]

Yes, distributors other than Lipseys are showing the Blackhawk in 44 special now.

[Triggernosis]

+1 to what JB said.

And don't forget about the Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Spec. - the 4" version is called the "Target" model.

[Grizz]

'nother tack is to load 44 spcl velocities in 44 mag brass.

don't know what the benefit of buying the 44 spcl is unless the cylinder and frame are shorter. you can buy 44 mag and shoot spcl loads in it. and since you have the 44 mag rifle all of your ammo would fire in both guns.

my 44 mag carries 44 spcl in town.....

Grizz

[AJMD429]

Today I was thinking about what my next handgun purchase will be.

Don't you love it how no sooner have you just shot your first box of ammo out of your most recent aquisition, you start dreaming about the next one...

[Rusty]

Not to burst your bubble but I've had both the magnum and the special and I've found it way easier to find magnums in both loaded rounds and brass. My local Wally World seems to have .44 Mag in stock when they're out of everything else.

[Booger Bill]

Grizz and others, the advantage to .44 special over the mag is very real to me. I do have a s&w model 29-2 with the rare 5" barrel in .44 mag. Also these six .44 specials. Four are smiths and two colt single actions. With the one exception of a .44 mag S&W mountain gun that is hard to find, the specials are much more portable and handy because they weigh less due to the lighter pencil barrel and shorter clyinder. Besides, you can load a special up to about 1,200 fps with a 240 grain bullett. Thats about 95% of what most people buy a mag for and really use it as needed about 5% of the time. Belive me, you can tell the differance packing them! The .44 special ruger should be just fine. I had a .357 ruger chambered to .44 special almost 40 years ago. The lipsey would be the same thing. The .44 special is a sweetheart. The 29s and super blackhawk are kind of cluby in compareison.

[Booger Bill]

Heres that ruger I had made up to .44 special. Same as the lipseys.

[Booger Bill]

And here is one of my .44 mag S&W 29-2 with the 5" barrel. It is a fine gun, yet noticably heavier even with the 5" barrel moreso than the smith 24-3 4" with faux ivory service grips. For packing a .44 special, my top choice is the 24-3 followed by the 4 3/4" colt saa, and probley the lipseys ruger would really be the best for the money.

[336A]

Grizz and others, the advantage to .44 special over the mag is very real to me. I do have a s&w model 29-2 with the rare 5" barrel in .44 mag. Also these six .44 specials. Four are smiths and two colt single actions. With the one exception of a .44 mag S&W mountain gun that is hard to find, the specials are much more portable and handy because they weigh less due to the lighter pencil barrel and shorter clyinder. Besides, you can load a special up to about 1,200 fps with a 240 grain bullett. Thats about 95% of what most people buy a mag for and really use it as needed about 5% of the time. Belive me, you can tell the differance packing them! The .44 special ruger should be just fine. I had a .357 ruger chambered to .44 special almost 40 years ago. The lipsey would be the same thing. The .44 special is a sweetheart. The 29s and super blackhawk are kind of cluby in compareison.

Thanks Booger Bill your post confirmed my suspicions, and you said it better than I could. Aside from that I will never need the power the Magnum round offers. The Special will be able to handle anything that I will need a handgun to do and then some.

[COSteve]

Ruger's new 44spl flat top single action is a great choice because its made on the smaller and lighter 357mag frame size. Couple of friends at the range got them and think they are the ticket.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/951648347/Gu ... pl_New.htm

http://www.lipseys.com/itemfinder.aspx? ... %20Special

[J Miller]

Booger Bill, and others,

There is one difference between your custom 44 Spcl BH and those Ruger are making now. The current ones are Flattops.

Joe

[Grizz]

I can see how the size difference matters. The redhawk is a club compared to those others.

[medicdave]

Another option is one of the Smith 21's that came out a few years ago if you don't mine the fixed sights. Real world prices are $600 and under if you look around. Have to deal with the lawyer lock though....

[Charles]

So much about firearms is subjective and opinion, presented as fact. So here is my subjective opinion and that is all it is. I have had a dozen or more 44 Special handguns over the years and have never found them to be special in any way. I have sold them all down river save a good 1931 vintage 2nd. Model Hand Ejector Smith.

The 44 Magnum on the other hand is a very useful and accurate round up and down the power level and in every way that is important to me far superior than a straight 44 Special.

The above is just the experience and opinion of grey headed old fat man who messes around with hanguns.

[Booger Bill]

Now ya got two old fat gray headed guys opinions to confuse you!

[stretch]

FWIW, here's my opinion:

If you want the round for general plinkin', the occasional varmint,
a house gun, a truck gun, and packin' for self-defense, I think the 44
Special would do all you'd ever need. I can shoot the 44 Special
pleasantly all afternoon, too. It's underrated these days, but IMHO
it's a fine cartridge for most of what needs doin' with a handgun.

Lee lists 240 gr. bullets at between 900 and 1,000 FPS, so I do not
think you'd be undergunned in a self-defense scenario - unless you
were going up against a grizzly.

Unless you're going to use it on big game, it sounds like the 44
Special would suit ya fine.

-Stretch

[COSteve]

Truth be told, I'm not a real fan of Rugers. I've had a couple and they are built like tanks but they also are heavy and bulky to me, especially their 44mag versions (both Blackhawk and Redhawk). That said, their new 44spl flat top is the exception. Its is built on the smaller, lighter 357mag frame.

[336A]

I handled a couple of Ruger Black Hawks the other day and much to my dismay I didn't like the way they felt in my hand. For what ever reason I just couldn't get a warm and fuzzy about the feel of them in my hand, this sucks as I really like the svelt looks of a nice SA revolver.

So I will keep my eyes peeled for a nice S&W. Which sucks too because I know I will end up paying more for one.

[O.S.O.K.]

Get the Ruger flat top and don't look back.

I love mine.