BTW, before the Magnum was even thought of the .44 S&W Special was the Bullseye Competition Cartridge of Choice for many years. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. When you look at numbers like velocity and kinetic energy, it is apparent that the .44 Mag is a powerful performer. The .44 Russian's development dates back to 1870, when Russian General Alexander Gorloff, stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Washington D.C., approached Smith & Wesson regarding the possibility of purchasing a large quantity of its Model 3 revolvers for the Imperial Russian Army. At ignition, the projectile is going to rattle around in the chamber until it engages the rifling and won't be real accurate. Heres the early .44 Smith & Wesson cartridges, (left to right) .44 American, Russian and Special. Note: This information comes from the manufacturer and is for informational purposes only. been EDCing a Charter Arms 4 Bulldog for years. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load. The .44mag was made in 1975 and the little .357 is an early eighties model. But as I loaded them into the tube I ran into trouble. Is it absolutely necessary to have a .44 Russian chambered cylinder or will the .44 Special work just fine with Russian brass? These cartridges had one thing in common, they all used bullets with two diameters. 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. 44-40 or 44WCF are larger diameter cases like 45 Colt cases then bottle necked to a .427 bullet. Or is .44 Magnum the best cartridge in .44? No purchase necessary. 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. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. 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. Truthfully the .44 Special was nothing special at it's inception. It is a particular favorite of handgun hunters because it produces faster velocities and harder-hitting energy than other cartridges with similarly-sized bullets. Great Brass by a company with top notch customer . The vast majority of .44 Spl loads are marketed for cowboy action shooting. Designed in 1870, the cartridge quickly grew in popularity due to its reputation for having good enough power and accuracy to be suitable for most purposes. While there's no doubt the .44 Rem Mag puts a ton more speed and energy downrange, that performance comes with a price. With Lymans RN bullets 4.2 grs. The cartridge reached its prime in the 1950s, when the father of big-bore hand gunning, Keith Elmer, experimented with hotter loads and wadcutter projectiles. [3][4], Smith & Wesson did so by reducing the diameter of the .44 bullet to .429 and adding lubrication grooves to its base. Loading the 44 russian may need a new die or two. That said, if .44 Special appeals to you as a defensive cartridge, there are still plenty of relatively small revolver options out there to choose from (even if most will be second-hand). And easy to carry too. 44 Rem. And yes indeed it works very well with Hornady LeverEvolution ammunition. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. 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. bullet at a similar velocity of about 750 fps. 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. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. As to bullseye accuracy, here we get into the weeds. Ammo: Elk, Deer And Everything Else, 10 Best Long-Range Cartridges of All Time (2023), 8 On-Target Concealed Carry Insurance Options (2022), 10 Affordable Double-Barrel Shotgun Options (2022), Best AR-15 Options For Any Budget And Buyers Guide (2022), Best Concealed Carry Handguns For Women (2022). Winchesters 1899 catalog listed them at 255 gr., still roundnose. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. In late 1907 the .44 Russian sired its son, the .44 Special, and was around in late 1955 to see its grandson, the .44 Magnum arrive. I don't paint bullets. There is, however, a known phenomenon of shorter cases sometimes degrading accuracy most likely due to gas inefficiency and/or a longer jump to the leade. ", "The .44 Special Cartridge of the Century? The extra space allows loaders to pack 4.4 more grains of propellant into the .44 Mag. Velocity also affects bullets designed to deform on impact (think soft points and hollow points). We should also point out that there are plenty of lever rifles that pack .44 Mag, and the longer barrels definitely support a flatter trajectory and better long-range accuracy. .44 Russian is .429 same as .44 spl, .44 Mag. Stand these two cartridges side by side, and the differences in dimensions seem insignificant. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. The .44 Smith & Wesson Special is well over a century old. What are you going to do if there's a knockdown target ? Colt and everyone else that makes single actions frequently offer dual cylinder models in .44/40 and .44 Special. Later all lube grooves were covered as would be right and proper with lead alloy bullets. (I) Giveaway ends March 20, 2022. I like 'em a lot. But in 1956 Keith's efforts culminated in the introduction of the .44 Magnum. The .44 Mag uses a stretched-out .44 Spl case. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. Anybody have any info and/or experience as to using 44 Russian in 44/40 revolversAside from the argument as to whyLooks like it would work finebut I like my face like it is..not full of cylinder pieces.. Won't work and very dangerous. Smith & Wesson Centerfire Revolvers. He warped around at the speed of heat, immediately striking and striking again while I desperately crab-walked backward, one-handing shots at him while he, Rival Arms expands its offerings with the X1 Red Dot, a 3 MOA red dot ideally suited for use on defensive pistols, target pistols, rifles, hunting and Quite possibly, for the very first time, all three Gun Cranks agree on something open carry is stupid! On 44 WCF its .471. In short, there are pros and cons to both .44 Special and .44 Magnum. I can load them to full pressure might get a few more in the magazine, BUT will the lifter, etc work? Dash Caliber All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). The spread was reduced to 14 fps using wadcutters with Clays. The first pairings of smokeless powder with the .44 Russian fell flat due to the lower energy density of early smokeless powder. If recoil is a turn-off, the .44 Spl is probably the better option. The black powder charge was 23 grains. On the left is a Navy Arms replica of a 3rd Model S&W .44 Russian. 5. and .44 Magnum and refer to the Russian as the .44 Short. then discontinued it again. Using a .44 special case the 800fps load requires 5.5 gr of Bullseye. Even though it isn't called a 44, it does shoot a 44-caliber bullet. 30 Super Carry; 429 DE Magnum; 8mm Lebel; 9x21mm IMI; 9x23 Win . Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Smith & Wesson - 69 Combat Magnum .44 Mag 2.75 SS. Keith eventually approached both Smith & Wesson and Remington with his idea of factory loading a hot .44-caliber for big game hunting. And yet for some reason folks just can't resist trying something just because it will fit, or because it's close enough. Youll find revolvers and semi-auto pistols chambered in .44 Mag. This revolver was chambered in a .44 centerfire, however to accommodate those who had Winchesters and wanted a companion revolver, S&W also chambered the American in .44 Rimfire, used in the Henry and Winchester 1866 Yellowboy leverguns. Then there was a Third Model .44 Russian with 6.5 barrel. Shooters in a life-or-death self-defense situation dont have the luxury of waiting for an armed aggressor to bleed out. It was named .44 S&W Special. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. The bear, during the attack, moved from one hunter to the other, giving Doug the chance to access Reed's .44 magnum, that had been hung in a tree. Below, from left to right: .44 S&W Russian, .44 S&W Special and .44 Remington Magnum. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. I drop-down to 3.5 grs. Early version Amadeo-Rossi R92 SS, 1/4 cock safety. The S&W Model 29 was so popular that it quickly sold out, leaving customers to flock to other .44 Magnum revolvers like the Ruger Redhawk. No purchase necessary. What is the Difference Between .44 Mag and .44 Special? . Barrel lengths were reduced from 8 with the First Model Russians to 7 on the Second Model Russians. Bullseye shooters of the day flocked to this gun like flies to honey. The short round probably will not go into the loading die far enough to crimp the bullet in place. He turned what had been almost exclusively a target cartridge into a viable big game hunting cartridge. The Flying Ashtray was, is and will always be the sadly discontinued #4477 Speer 200g JHP. To me it is just about the perfect carry gun with the old Skeeter Skelton load. When a hunter shoots an animal, it may not drop dead in its tracks. How are you going to get that load to feed in a rifle ? They satisfied different requirements: the 44-40 was a rifle cartridge, the 44 Russian a revolver cartridge. The .44 Spl has been mostly kept alive by custom handloaders and cowboy action shooters. . Contest open to U.S. residents only. Nothing spectacular happened, but you wouldn't want to reload the cases. You can get away with a much lighter firearm with .44 sp. Thus was born the S&W .44 Russian, and henceforth the .44/100 was called .44 American. 6 More answers below Diktator Alexander While .44 Special is more than serviceable for medium to smaller game at modest distances, the reality is .44 Magnum has such a good track record that you might as well not bother. I use the M29, but I handload for in between load (20gr 2400 Keith lead bullet)! The original .44 Special load introduced by Smith & Wesson featured a 246-grain round-nose lead bullet backed by a smokeless powder charge equivalent to 26 grains of black powder. Way back in the in my youth I was told to only shoot the proper and appropriate ammunition in any firearm. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). Another advantage of the .44 Mag is that it is a straight-walled cartridge. And both are fine options for hunting and home defense. (II) Limit one entry per household. However, Uberti offers an excellent replica of the Model #3 Russian chambered in .44 Russian which is safe with reasonable smokeless loads. .44 Russians can be fired in a .44 Spl.cylinder. Taming its recoil takes some serious effort. The key is good shot placement at close range. Cowboy life, Ballistic Research, Gunsmithing ,Shooting , Fishing, Hunting,Photography,etc. If you have a .44 Mag, it can safely handle .44 Spl cartridges. 44 Special vs 44 Magnum: Caliber Comparison by Ammo.com. 300 Win Mag vs 338 Win Mag vs 338 Lapua Mag, 450 Bushmaster vs 458 SOCOM vs 50 Beowulf. Comfortable shoes. The first .44 Magnum I had was a 4 Model 29 in the late 1970s. Dubbed the S&W Model 29, it was specially designed to handle the new high-pressure loads. For those with their hearts set on a .44-caliber handgun, the choice between special or magnum ultimately boils down to how you plan on using it. [3] In addition to the S&W-made revolvers, Belgian-, Spanish- and German-made copies were adopted by several European countries and were used until the 1920s. Not only is the break-open design simple and safe, but the 44 magnum has very low recoil for the mass of the bullet with about 10-11 ft-lbs being about average. It is usually a 44 casing loaded with lead shot. Basically, the faster a bullet is traveling when it contacts the target, the deeper it will penetrate. SWC with a gas check. The non-necked design makes it a viable option for areas that restrict hunting with necked-down cartridges. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. As matters progressed, the Russians wanted changes in the Model #3 and the allure of gold was incentive for S&W to make them. .44 Special is somewhat popular for SASS/CAS (Single Action Shooting Society/Cowboy Action Shooting) events due to its wide availability of factory-loaded ammunition for this purpose. In late 1907 the .44 Russian sired its son, the .44 Special, and was around in late 1955 to see its grandson, the .44 Magnum arrive. Factory loads carried either smokeless or black powder. Personally speaking, Ive owned and handloaded for a multitude of revolvers for all three of these .44s. While plenty of gun guys (and gals) scoff at shooters who complain about recoil, it can have a major effect on accuracy. GUNS Magazine The .44 Russian - GUNS Magazine The .44 Russian Born in the USA, perfected by The Bear Written By John Taffin Experts Campfire Tales Handguns Revolvers 2020 84 In 1870 the United States Military purchased 1,000 Smith & Wesson .44 American revolvers. 38 Colt Short, 38 Colt Long, 38 Special in a .357 Magnum. The .44 Magnum is more popular for metallic silhouette shooting (such as IMSSU events) given the flatter trajectory and greater power. .45 Schofield brass works better. lbs). You can load the .44 mag cartridge to milder loads than the wrist wrenching .44 mag screamers. Some of these early factory loads had lube grooves exposed. When combining these two with a .44 Magnum Carbide sizing die Im not only reliving a major part of sixgun history Im also able to turn out first-class .44 Russian handloads. I can shoot them all, except for the extra-long Russian's. You have entered an incorrect email address! Single point sling is handy for the bush. Several here do what you describe. The case head is the problem. As for four-legged threats, a .44 Magnum with a non-expanding, deep-penetrating projectile is unquestionably the better pick for a backup gun in grizzly country. DocAitch Registered Joined Dec 17, 2008 931 Posts However, we can easily track a cartridges kinetic energy through the powers of math. Great article! Copyright 2019 sassnet.com The all steel Pug has been my EDC for years. Successfully stopping a threat depends on shot placement, penetration, number of shots on target, and sometimes the proper alignment of the stars. SASS has degenerated into a game of dress up for old baby boomers. A 246 grain round nose lead bullet was never referred to nor does it in anyway resemble a flying ashtray. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Even the old gunfightin' gun writers of the time often acknowledged that .44 Magnum had too much kick. Mag. Contest void where prohibited by law. (I) Giveaway ends March 31, 2023. Deployed military should use stateside address. Since the Russians promised to pay for their S&W Model #3 in gold, the company was happy to accept their idea. Logged I've been shooting a 44 Mag for over 50 years and have used all manufactures of brass. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. The biggest difference I see between a .44 special revolver and a .44 mag is the weight of the firearm. Both fire heavyweight .429-inch (10.9 mm) bullets. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. is a Navy Arms replica of a 3rd Model S&W .44 Russian. wild bunch GREED & the gamers from IPSC killed the fun. just wish yall had a share feature with these articles. Smith & Wesson engineers addressed the failings by stretching the .44 Russian case by .2 inches to increase its powder capacity. Deep penetration can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on the scenario. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. While Special cases are usually more expensive than Magnum brass, you can always save your spent brass to save a few bucks. A number of ammunition companies still manufacture .44 Russian ammunition: Additionally, Starline Brass makes new, unprimed cartridge cases in .44 Russian for handloaders. As we said, the .44 Mag has a slightly longer case than the .44 Spl. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Associated taxes and fees will be the responsibility of the winner. The result was the same velocity with the same 246-grain round-nose lead bullet, affectionately known as a Flying Ashtray due to being large and slow. Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited. Many shooters find the Magnums recoil difficult to control. The actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. My first time shooting a Smith .44 Mag revolver was actually the stainless steel version, the Model 629, at the now-defunct Santa Anita Firing Range in Monrovia, California; 'twas September 1990 . Out of curiosity, I tried chambering some .44 Spl. If you need to bust through the tough hide, bone, and muscle of a charging bear, penetration is a good thing. Likewise, .44 Magnum can still make for an excellent hunting revolver if you can handle the recoil. I use an old .44 Special expanding die and purchased a .44 Russian seating die. Recreational Shooting. [2] As a result of these changes, the .44 Russian generated a much higher chamber pressure of 12,000 copper units of pressure (CUP) compared to the older .44 American round, which generated only 6,0008,000 CUP. Its amazing what a mere 4.4 grains of extra case capacity can achieve. I use it in, 25-20 (resized from 32-20) , 9MM, 38 Spl, 357 Mag, 40 S&W, 10MM, 44 Russian, 44 Spl, 44 Mag, 45 LC, 454 Casull, 460 S&W and 45-70. In fact, if you want some low recoil practice with your magnum revolver, this is a good way to do it. I miss shooting them but still have a box and a half sitting on my loading bench. Remington engineered the cartridge for the new big-bore wheel gun by lengthening the .44 Spl case. Yup and yup. S&W carried the .44 Special through four remodels stopping in 1966. But a .44 pistol to go with it is a good thing too:thumb: I've built much of my preps around the .44 caliber. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Cartridge Specs: .44 Magnum vs .44 Special. I may eventually risk a few cases to see what happens, but it's not a priority. No purchase necessary. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Some .44 Magnum sixguns will shoot the shorter .44 Special loads well while others give mediocre performance. I miss shooting them but still have a box and a half sitting on my loading bench. At typical self-defense ranges, there isnt time to see serious bullet drop or wind drift. Vintage Boxes - Gear, Shell, Case, Primer, Group Buys Design, Active , Waiting and Archives, Closed Buys/Waiting for delivery/in shipment, If this is your first visit, be sure to And all of them can be used to load both .44 Spl and .44 Mag. A little-known fact is S&W sold about a quarter million .44s to the Russian Government. I look at the .44 Russian compared to the .44 Spl. Got a few other issues to deal with .. My wife uses LFC dies in both of her 550's as well as other Lee dies, the only Dillon dies we use are the powder thru funnels so they are compatible with the powder hopper. Contest void where prohibited by law. The .44 Remington Magnum, also known as .44 Magnum or 10.9x33mmR (as it is known in unofficial metric designation), is a rimmed, large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers and quickly adopted for carbines and rifles.Despite the ".44" designation, guns chambered for the .44 Magnum round, and its parent, the .44 Special, use 0.429 in (10.9 mm) diameter bullets. The new magnum case was the .44 Special stretched to 1.29. Contest open to U.S. residents only. My comment is that .44 mag cartridges dont have to be loaded to maximum. M. Ayoob had a .44 Magnum converted to .44 Automag. that way. I like them both and carry the stainless in the winter. No purchase necessary. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. Available by Appointment for Lectures on Any Topic, Quote from: PJ Hardtack on January 16, 2018, 02:48:30 PM, Quote from: Professor Marvel on January 17, 2018, 01:53:14 AM, Quote from: PJ Hardtack on January 17, 2018, 03:47:27 PM, learn from the past, or be doomed to repeat it. Using A .44 magnum case a 240gr lead bullet uses 5.1 gr Bullseye to get 800fps for a .44 Russian load. 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. 44 S&W Russian. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. View as Grid . A heavier handgun will produce less felt recoil, because the mass of the gun absorbs some of that rearward force. FIOCCHI HERITAGE 44 S&W RUSSIAN 247 gr. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. Elmer Keith had pushed the envelope for years with ever heavier bullets sent downrange at faster and faster velocities. Ergo, they could tolerate more pressure. Yes. The R92 is a clone of the Winchester Model 1892, one of the earliest and greatest lever-action .44 Magnum rifles ever produced. If you wanted to find a really cool vintage .44 Special, look for a Smith & Wesson Model 21 or Model 24, though some Triple Locks and Colt New Service guns survive as well. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM Concealed Carry 2023, P.O. Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics 22LR 40gr HV Copper Plated RN - 50 Rounds. However, when a heavyweight bullet rips through the air at Magnum velocities, over-penetration can be a serious concern. Purchase A PDF Download Of The American Handgunner July/August 2018 Issue Now! Freelance double-nought spy Even for someone of that skill level, his competition handguns are usually chambered for .38/.357 or 9mm. [1] The .44 Russian design marked the first use of an internally lubricated bullet in modern firearm ammunition. The Magnums substantial recoil also makes getting multiple shots on target quickly a real challenge. If these three rounds were interchangeable do you think all the manufacturers would be making dual cylinder guns? and .44 Russian rds in a 44-40 revolver. The Russian is a bit shorter, but I wouldn't mess with it anyway; as 44 Special brass is harder to find than 44 Mag, and the Russian even harder to find. VTI has Uberti 44 special cylinders for $110 each. Some people use a .428 bullet in 44-40 and that same bullet can be used in 44 Russian and .44 Spl-Mag. Mechanical accuracy has an enormous number of variables. The great thing about this caliber is that you can also shoot .44 S&W Special and . Colt introduced its solid-frame, single-action Model P in 1873. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. The choice is simple: Buy the .44 Magnum..Hand load to .22 Special specs. Then in 1956 S&W knocked the gun world on its ear by introducing the .44 Remington Magnum with its introductory vehicle being a strengthened N-Frame. Thankfully, manufacturers understand this. The .44 Russian chambering became a hit in the domestic market as well, gaining a reputation as the first American revolver cartridge offering inherent accuracy. check out the. of Universal is right at 720 fps, while 5.0 grs. Not me ! 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. Where .44 Special shines the most in comparison to its bigger brother is having drastically less recoil. Grizzly Bear Charge Stopped with a .44 Magnum Arizona - ( Ammoland.com )- The video was filmed by Leon Lorenz on 14 June, 2010. View all 44 Russian Auto ammunition and bulk 44 Russian ammo for sale! First introduced in 1907, the .44 S&W Special cartridge was developed specifically as a revolver cartridge for the companys new Triple Lock wheel gun. For example, Hornady has a single Special self-defense load compared to four different options for .44 Mag.
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