Heavy 44 Special loads.

[Old Savage]

This article appears on Handloads.com by John Knutson.

The idea for this article was to use current powders to develop loads that duplicated Elmer Keith's famous heavy 44 Special load. Historically this load is a 250 gr Keith style LSWC at 1,200 fps from a 4" revolver.
You might be thinking, "Why develop loads like this when the 44 Magnum is so common and there's all the data you could possibly want for it?" There are a few reasons. Some people may have an old large frame 44 Special from S&W or Colt, but not a 44 Magnum and want to hunt medium size game with it. Others may have a new M97 from Freedom Arms and want to load it with hunting loads and don't like 2400. But my primary reason for working up these loads is Knowledge for Knowledge sake. I wanted to know what H110 and Lil'Gun could do in this caliber and as far as I know data such as this isn't available anywhere either online or offline.

Keep in mind the loads listed in this article are still well in excess of any standard 44 special load, and since there are no guidelines for what constitutes a "+P" load in this caliber these may generate more, or less, pressure than +P loads from another source. Being pragmatic, if you have a need for such loads you really should use a 44 magnum, not a 44 special.

I have read that when Speer tested Keith's load it measured 27,000 PSI. That is well above the 15,500 PSI specified by SAAMI for a standard 44 Special, but still only approximately 2/3 the pressure that maximum level magnum loads generate. With the slower powders such as H110 and Lil'Gun I expect pressures to be slightly below 27,000 at the same velocity as Keith's load.

To get a baseline for comparison I fired Keith's load through several guns, a 3" model 24 S&W 44 Special and two 44 Magnums, 4" and 6" model 29-2 S&W and recorded the results. Idealy this would be done with one gun and 3 barrels, or even better one gun where the same barrel was cut shorter and shorter. Unfortunately I can't afford to chop a gun for these tests and don't have a Dan Wesson to interchange barrels. So while not a perfect apples to apples comparison, it's as close as I could get.

Today there are two very close loads that are usually quoted as being Keith's heavy 44 Special load. They are: 17.0 gr and 17.5 gr of 2400 under a 250 gr LSWC. Some gunwriters claim that when solid head brass became available Keith dropped his load to 17.0 gr from the 18.5 he used in balloon head brass. However on page 243 of Sixguns Keith states:

"In the .44 Special we load 18.5 grains with my 235 grain hollow point, or 250 grain solid in the old web cases, or 17.5 grains in the new solid head cases..."
In my mind it's clear Keith used 17.5 gr of 2400, but since many consider 17.0 gr Keith's load I've included both in these tests.

The velocities I saw with Keith's load were lower than I expected. Suspecting that maybe the lot of 2400 I had was on the slow side; I ran the baseline tests again with another pound of 2400 from a different lot of powder purchased at least one year after the first pound. The results from those tests, fired approximately two weeks after the first set, saw the same results with Keith's load within a few FPS. In my guns Keith's load does at best 1,140 fps from my 6" 29-2 and 1,100 fps from my 4" 29-2.

My original goal was to use Hodgdon's H110 and Lil'Gun to duplicate these loads; I included one load with Blue Dot just to see how a faster powder would compare. Considering that H110 generally works best with high pressure loads I did not expect it to be well suited for this task, but had high hopes for Lil'Gun based on my experiences with it in other calibers.

All loads were assembled on a Dillon RL 550b press using once and twice fired Starline brass, Winchester large pistol primers and Leadhead's 250 gr LSWC sized .430" and 20-22 BHN. OAL was set at 1.59" for all loads.

Nearly 500 rounds, 16 loads, 4 powders and 3 guns and over a pound of burnt gunpowder later, here are the results:

Powder 3" M24 4" M29-2 6" M29-2
Gr FPS Std Dev Ext Spread FPS Std Dev Ext Spread FPS Std Dev Ext Spread
2400 17.0 985 25 60 1076 4 10 1115 57 127
17.5 1045 24 61 1101 41 107 1140 15 38
H110 17.0 796 37 99 884 20 52 922 22 57
17.5 864 19 43 950 17 41 988 25 64
18.0 918 47 92 983 14 34 1000 40 108
19.0 971 53 127 1060 25 56 1078 31 69
19.5 1010 16 43 1079 27 65 1119 21 53
20.0* 1029 27 68 1086 15 31 1148 41 99
Lil'Gun 16.0 910 10 23 972 7 17 1032 9 25
16.5 959 21 50 1049 14 35 1083 22 54
17.0 1002 18 48 1075 8 16 1133 18 35
17.5 1032 19 48 1103 16 33 1158 14 33
18.0 1040 17 21 1108 7 21 1168 8 15
18.5 1044 21 43 1123 24 58 1182 11 25
19.0* 1077 27 70 1146 19 49 1200 39 90
Blue Dot 13.5** 1058 14 36 1119 18 50 1162 18 45
* The primers on these loads showed slightly more flattening than the 17.5 gr of 2400 load in the same guns. Not to the extant that full magnum loads flatten the primers in these guns, but noticable.

** The single Blue Dot load showed the most flattening of the primers.

As might be expected the Blue Dot load had the most felt recoil. In all three guns recoil felt much sharper than with the slower powders. Also mirroring what I've seen with the 357 Magnum and 45 Colt Lil'Gun had less felt recoil than H110. Make no mistake, when you touch off a 250 gr load @ 1,000+ fps in a 3" gun you know it, but the recoil feels sharper with H110 than with comparable loads using Lil'Gun.

Contrary to what is considered common knowledge it appears that even the slow handgun powders do most of their work in the first few inches of barrel. In the 4" gun the average fps / inch is only 80% of the 3" gun, and 56% of the 3" in the 6" revolver. What this means is that even at 4" the rate the bullet is accelerating is already slowing down significantly.

Average fps / inch Average Velocity Difference (fps)
3" M24 4" M29 6" M29 3" - 4" barrel 4" - 6" barrel
328 264 184 73 45
Of course a longer barrel generates more velocity than a shorter one, but it's obvious that with these powders an extremely long barrel is not required to get reasonable velocity. These tests indicate that even in as little as 18" of barrel you may reach the point beyond which a longer barrel wouldn't gain you any velocity.

These loads should only be used in large frame 44 Specials, or 44 Magnum revolvers, or other revolvers of sufficient strength such as the Freedom Arms model 97 44 Special. Firing these loads in small frame 44's such as the Charter Arms Bulldog, Taurus 44 specials or Smith and Wesson L frame 44 specials may be extremely hazardous. I have not fired these in anything smaller than an N frame Smith and Wesson and don't know if they would be safe in any lesser revolver.

The loads listed here were safe in these particular revolvers with these lots of powder and primers there is no guarantee that they will be safe in your guns. This load data is provided for informational purposes only with no warranty or guarantee as to their safety or effectiveness in your firearms.


Email author: John Knutson

[Centennial]

I'm surprised no reference using the loads in frame size of Colt SAA revolvers or copies.
Also with 2400 extreme spread of 60 FPS doesn't seem like it wold be the long range choice. But Elmer Keith's day didn't have the testing electronics we have today. He and his friends stretched or blew up more guns then we may ever know about. He accomplished quite a bit because it still stands today and still in use.

[Bullard4075]

Thanks OS!

[Old Savage]

My favorite cartridge. Have loaded one grain increments of 2400 from 11.0 to 17.0 in a 6 1/2" Model 24 with 240 gr Keith bullet. On a hunch some at 12.5 which proved to be the most accurate.

[Blaine]

In my exuberant youth, I wanted the ClintEastWoodKickButt .44, not the little one I could easily sell the Mags, and get a couple nice Specials, or, just another 625 for use with AutoRim....I never load my .44mags much over 1100fps no matter the bullet weight....lot's of extra size to carry around.

[Malamute]

Those pressures for Keiths loads (the Speer rumor) sound pretty high from what I've seen in the past. An old NRA reloading manual with the last year in the copyright being 1960 had some load and pressure data (I believe pressure data was from HP White laboratories). They showed the difference between the old balloon head and new solid head cases. The original load of 18.5 grs 2400 with the Lyman 429421 bullet in balloon head case showed 20,870 psi (which I believe should be CUP but was always termed PSI in the military data and some old manuals). The solid head cases with 17.5 grs 2400 with the Lyman 431244 gas checked bullet (254 gr) showed 22,960 psi.

They commented that using the same load (18.5 grs) in new cases raised the pressure on average over 7000 psi. They reduced the charge and felt that 16 grs was a reasonable load for new cases, comparable to the old load. That 16 gr load gave 18,860 psi with the 429421 bullet.

[Griff]

I've never been much interested in any of the .44s. Not thru any real malice or ill-will... just a complete lack of interest. I was first introduced to a handgun by my uncle thru his 1st Gen 45 Colt and snake loads... Then the military reinforced the belief that a .45 is the end-all, be-all with the 45ACP. And this was reinforced by shooting a friend's .44mag revolver.

Although I'd had a .44Mag Winchester 94, and loved shooting it... the cartridge in a revolver proved too much... and after that mdl 94 was stolen... the .30-30 carbine I got to replace it and my early 3rd gen .45Colt SAA were enough. Never looked back.

But, thanks for the article. I still enjoy reading about what others are doin' with whatever cartridge is their particular interest.

[Sixgun]

Along with OS, the 44 Spl. is my favorite handgun cartridge and have been shooting that cartridge extensively since 1975 in all sorts of Smith & Wessons, including Triplelocks, original and later production 1950 Targets, double action target Colts and single action Colts.

There's a million loads out there and I've tried most of them, always settling back into the ones I started with, 5 gr. of Bullseye, 7.5 Grains of Unique and 17.5 grains of 2400, all with the Lyman 429421 and the 260 Saeco.

Killed the biggest buck I ever got with a 4" 1950 Target with 17.5 grains of 2400 and the 260 Saeco SWC. That load chronos right at 1100.----6

[Old Savage]

They are close in my mind. The .44 SPL has powder capacity that is better suited to smokeless powder and the guns like the Colt Model P are stronger in 44 Spl due to more meat around the cartridge in the cylinder. When loaded to the 1,000 fps for 240/250 gr bullets I doubt there is much difference in effectiveness. Either can be made to easily work just fine. There is the issue of strong 45 Colt loads for one gun that will blow up another, Paco had it happen. Still I see I have more 45 Colts than 44 Spls. And I have 45 Colt loads that would blow up a clone or Model P. Labeled of course.

[Griff]

The .44 SPL has powder capacity that is better suited to smokeless powder...

Very true. But that .02"...?

[JohndeFresno]

Thanks, OS. Great post. The changing spread and deviation groupings, in different barrel lengths, sure tell a story about those powders.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I may have to check QuickLoad and see if this would be a candidate for the late, great, Norma R123.