All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Available bullet weights range from a relatively meager 180 grains to a super weighty 300 grains. A few years later I got a 7.5 Super Blackhawk. No purchase necessary. The larger one accepted the case, the smaller one at the front of the chamber accepted the bullet. bullet at a similar velocity of about 750 fps. However, the opposite isnt true. Deployed military should use stateside address. M. Ayoob had a .44 Magnum converted to .44 Automag. The 44 Special fired a 246gr bullet at 755fps. I watched a fellow cowboy shoot the wrong undersized cartridge in his pistols, they all went bang but he didn't hit any steel. 3 revolvers during the late 1800s. Best all around is a four inch light weight .44 mag, using loads toward the lighter side. The .44 Russian still provides much pleasurable shooting. Associated taxes and fees will be the responsibility of the winner. Hoping for army contracts S&W submitted the new Model #3 to the U.S. Government for testing. It is also easy to find fresh brass for both cartridges. Taurus - 44SS8 8.375in 44 Magnum Stainless 6RD. S&W chambered the Model #3 Russian and the New Model #3, both single action top-breaks, in .44 Russian. First introduced in 1907, the .44 Special was notedlike its predecessorfor being controllable, accurate and potent enough for most purposes including law enforcement and sport shooting. Theres your answer. No powdah. of energyabout equal to its . Out of curiosity, I tried chambering some .44 Spl. Cowboy load for .44 Magnum I started shooting with a local Cowboy Action Shooting club several months ago. Just FYI, I've had alot of trigger time behind a .44 mag (Smith 6.5" 629-4 Classic Hunter all different loads, from 180s to DoubleTap's 320s) and a respectable amount behind the 460XVR (8 3/8" and a little time with a 2.5" -ouch!- shooting primarily the Hornady LevRev 200gr load), and a tiny bit with a Smith 500 Mag.if anyone wondered about . However, bullets changed from 246-gr. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Starline produces ready to load brass and of course any .429/.430 inch lead bullet between about 180 to 250 grains is usable. With the same 225-grain cast bullet, the .45 Schofield's velocity ranges were clearly improved compared to the .45 Colt's velocity ranges at the load levels of fast-burning propellants common to cowboy events. Delf Jelly Bryce carried a .44 Special for much of his career, though switched to a 3.5-inch S&W Magnum when he went to work for the FBI. Hefty recoil requires a little extra recovery effort. While that might not seem like a lot, that additional powder produces faster velocities, flatter trajectories, and heftier downrange energy. The .44 Russian was not only important for what it was but also for what it became. DocAitch Registered Joined Dec 17, 2008 931 Posts Neither arrived on the revolver scene as full-blown innovations. to right: .44 S&W Russian, .44 S&W Special and .44 Remington Magnum. Without a doubt this is the finest brass on the market. In a self-defense situation, where your children are sleeping on the other side of the wall behind the bad guy, too much penetration can have fatal consequences. The heavy recoil and high ammo costs have resulted in a constant supply of lightly used .44 Magnum revolvers since the 1950s. [ARCHIVED THREAD] - 44 Russian in a 44 Mag. Smith & Wesson's popular .44 Russian cartridge had established a reputation for superb accuracy and was a renowned target load, and they decided to use an improved smokeless powder version as the basis for the new round. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. First - The 44 Russian case is considerably smaller in diameter than the 44-40 at the base and throughout the entire case dimension. 44-40 or 44WCF are larger diameter cases like 45 Colt cases then bottle necked to a .427 bullet. So, yes, the Special is definitely a viable defensive cartridge. The actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. These cartridges had one thing in common, they all used bullets with two diameters. A Russian general serving as a diplomat in America took note of the Model #3 and thought it would be an excellent sidearm for the Czars cavalry. Options range from traditional hard cast to streamlined modern polymer tipped bullets. Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. It was named .44 S&W Special. (II) Limit one entry per household. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Whether youre a serious big-game hunter or just a serious recoil junkie, shooting .44 Mag can deliver a major adrenaline rush. Cartridge Specs: .44 Magnum vs .44 Special. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. The .44 Magnum was the end result of decades of hot .44 Spl hand loads. (I) Giveaway ends March 31, 2023. Because the .44 Mag cruises about 1.5 times faster than the .44 Special, it spends less time getting to the target. I like 'em a lot. 44 Special vs 44 Magnum: Caliber Comparison by Ammo.com. The shorter case of .44 Special can cause feeding issues in some .44 Magnum carbines (Winchesters are said to be the most prone) and not all loads will shoot to the sights. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. You can also shoot a mini shotgun shell in it sometimes called snake shot. The .44 Special was the preferred cartridge for this task, as there were more varied projectiles made for it, and the revolvers of the daysuch as the S&W Triple Lock, Colt New Service and SAAhad thicker cylinder walls in .44 than in .45 Colt. 180 Grain TCFP Hi-Tek Coated Cowboy Action~100% Hand-Loaded!! Great article! I can load them to full pressure might get a few more in the magazine, BUT will the lifter, etc work? Ruger offers a couple of 5-shot GP100 models as well as the Blackhawk Bisley in .44 Special, the latter being a subtle nod to Elmer Keith's Revolver No. While there's no doubt the .44 Rem Mag puts a ton more speed and energy downrange, that performance comes with a price. So: The Russian Case is not going to load concentrically. 3 revolver had to be changed from the straight bored .44 American configuration to a stepped arrangement which was .457 in at the rear of the cylinder to accept the case, and narrower from the case shoulder forward to give a tight fit for the smaller bore .44 Russian bullet. . In the 1980s they reintroduced Model 24s (Hand Ejector, Fourth Model) and Model 624s (stainless steel) and in the 21st century there have been some .44 Special limited editions. As matters progressed, the Russians wanted changes in the Model #3 and the allure of gold was incentive for S&W to make them. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Add that to its limited penetration potential, and the Special isnt exactly a stellar hunting cartridge. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. VTI might have some and could use 44R. (II) Limit one entry per household. Bill Jordan said as much in his book No Second Place Winner; as did fellow Border Patrolman Skeeter Skelton. Several here do what you describe. FIOCCHI HERITAGE 44 S&W RUSSIAN 247 gr. With improved firearm metallurgy available, Smith & Wesson increased the bullet weight of the new cartridge to 246 grains while retaining a heavy 23-grain black-powder propellant charge, which almost equaled that of the .44 American and produced a muzzle velocity of roughly 750ft/s. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Purchase A PDF Download Of The American Handgunner July/August 2018 Issue Now! How are you going to get that load to feed in a rifle ? RN bullets over 3.8 grs. While Special cases are usually more expensive than Magnum brass, you can always save your spent brass to save a few bucks. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Lever actions and semi-autos chambered in 44 magnum may not (most likely won't) cycle correctly do to the differences in C.O.L. The .44 Remington Magnum (better known as simply .44 Mag) and .44 Smith & Wesson Special (also called .44 S&W Special, .44 Special, and .44 Spl) actually have more similarities than differences. Both pistol and rifle. Early version Amadeo-Rossi R92 SS, 1/4 cock safety. (I) Giveaway ends May 31, 2023. My comment is that .44 mag cartridges dont have to be loaded to maximum. Both the Mag and the Special are used by serious bullseye competitors, which proves both are capable of consistent accuracy. Those factory loads leaded like the dickens! Too much penetration in a densely populated area, or when loved ones may be on the other side of a door, can cause catastrophic collateral damage. Successfully stopping a threat depends on shot placement, penetration, number of shots on target, and sometimes the proper alignment of the stars. In time it set many records, eventually becoming known as an established target round,[1] enabling skilled shooters to achieve 3-inch (76mm) groups at 50 yards (46m); notable for the time and still impressive today. The load pushed that hefty projectile out the muzzle at 780 feet per second. Nice article. The American gun maker made him the gift of an engraved presentation Model 3 valued at more than $400 (equivalent to $9,000 in 2021). (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. That means theres plenty more .44 Magnum ammo and firearm variety. May 23, 2013 North country gal said: Different cartridge length. YES every one should have at one .44 special, I had an early Charters Arms Target Bulldog, it was stolen and now I carry a Taurus 431. I've been loading the 240gr over 5.5grs TiteGroup for my buddy for over 15yrs. Some people use a .428 bullet in 44-40 and that same bullet can be used in 44 Russian and .44 Spl-Mag. However, that extra of an inch makes for a roomier casing. Deep penetration can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on the scenario. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Contest open to U.S. residents only. 6 More answers below Diktator Alexander So instead of offering hotter .44 Specials, the .44 Magnum was born. Both are good for bowling pin shoots, though you'll get faster splits using .44 Special. They lengthened .44 Russian's case to 1.16, using the exact same 246-gr. According to physics, the extra propellant packed into that slightly longer .44 Magnum case should generate more recoil. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Midsouth Shooters can supply you with your pistol and rifle ammunition, as well as all of your shooting and reloading supplies. The .44 Magnum is more popular for metallic silhouette shooting (such as IMSSU events) given the flatter trajectory and greater power. Thankfully, manufacturers understand this. Your load my be alright for ''tinking" those GIGANTIC STEEL PLATES at 20ft. .44 Magnum ammo was designed by firearm enthusiast Elmer Keith. Velocity spreads with Titegroup shrank from 65 fps with RNFP bullets to 20 fps with wadcutters. Another might decide to rethink his life after a grazing superficial wound. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. At ignition, the projectile is going to rattle around in the chamber until it engages the rifling and won't be real accurate. Truthfully the .44 Special was nothing special at it's inception. Its also a favorite of cowboy action shooters and makes a fun plinking tool. In fact, if you want some low recoil practice with your magnum revolver, this is a good way to do it. I know 18 such rounds came with my first S&W .44 Magnum in 1968. Case length was 0.97 and velocity was likely a bit over 700 fps. (In fact, they'll chamber the .44 Special cartridges.) Colt chambered the Single Action Army in .44 Russian and after the .44 Special arrived they chambered for it too, marking the barrel: Russian and S&W Special .44. Colt also chambered a very few of their Model 1878 Double Action sixguns in .44 Russian and S&W, even though the Triple-Lock debuted in .44 Special, apparently had to take care of some diehards and thus a few Triple-Locks are also found chambered in .44 Russian. The .44 Mag remains one of the most popular big-bore cartridges. Velocity affects penetration, especially when shooting non-expanding projectiles like jacketed hollow points. So, basically stopping power is difficult to quantify. GO BACK. [4], The .44 Russian was the parent cartridge for the .44 Special introduced in 1907, which in turn was the parent to the .44 Magnum in 1956.[2]. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. You can load the .44 mag cartridge to milder loads than the wrist wrenching .44 mag screamers. Based on the black-powder .44 Smith & Wesson Russian, the Special featured the newest, state-of-the-art smokeless powder. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM May/June 2023, P.O. (I) Giveaway ends May 31, 2023. A 5-shot Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44Spl is much easier to carry than a 4in S&W N frame. As to bullseye accuracy, here we get into the weeds. Velocity also affects bullets designed to deform on impact (think soft points and hollow points). A 45-70 has comparable bullet mass, but doubling the speed makes the recoil 35-38 ft-lbs! Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). This can be an expensive proposition when you consider the expense of the necessary firearms. Elmer Keith had pushed the envelope for years with ever heavier bullets sent downrange at faster and faster velocities. of Trail Boss for right around 685 fps. WARTHOG, Dirty Rat #600, BOLD #1056, CGCS,GCSAA, NMLRA, NRA, AF&AM, CBBRC. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Contest void where prohibited by law. All the major bullet manufacturers, including Sierra, Nosler, and Hornady, have multiple options for .429-inch bullets. I Have been present twice when 44-40 rds were unintentionally fired in .45 revolvers. I've met people who wanted to shoot everything from a 38 S&W (because he could force them in the chambers) to a 38 Super (because most of them went off) in their 357 Mag revolvers. Dubbed the S&W Model 29, it was specially designed to handle the new high-pressure loads. much lighter than my 1911 in either 38 super or 45acp. 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