.44 Special

Truckerman79 · 12-28-2008

Does anyone carry or own a .44 special revolver? If so, please share your opinions. Would you recommend this as a CCW? Thanks you in advance.

Drail · 12-29-2008

I have carried an older Charter Bulldog Pug since about 1987 daily. In 1996 when the S&W 696 was introduced I found one of the first models released and bought one. The 696 has to be the best idea S&W ever had evenn though it was a poor seller. .44 Spl. is pretty much a handloaders cartridge since very few ammo sellers will stock it due to lack of interest, with the exception of the cowboy loads which are usually pure lead roundnose that don't really qualify as an ideal self defense cartridge. A .44 Spl. wiith a 200 gr. bullet is just about equal to the original specs set by the Army Ordnance Board back when the 1911 was first tested and accepted. I believe they asked for 200 gr@900 fps and Browning gave them 230gr.@850 fps. There are currntly some very good factory loads available, the Speer Gold Dot 200 gr. Blazer and the Corbon hollow points are two favorites. But if you handload you can find the perfect load for your gun. Recoil is mild and accuracy is very good. As much as I love the 1911 platform for self defense use I will always favor the .44 Spl in a 3 in. revolver.

Truckerman79 · 12-29-2008

Thank you for the reply. I was looking into Charter because of the medium size frame and light weight.

Drail · 12-29-2008

A couple of things to know about Charter Arms products. The older ones that are stamped "Charter Arms - Stratford Conn." are the best ones. When Charter went bankrupt and was came back as Charter 2000 the quality control was terrible. Avoid those models. The current companies production seems to be an improvement but they're still having problems with quality. The info I am hearing is that any defective products currently manufactured will be warranteed and repaired although the turnaround time can be fairly long. If at all possible have any Charter you are contemplating purchasing checked out by someone who knows revolvers. Also be aware that if you find one of the older original models there is a possibility that it may have been abused by someone handloading very hot loads for it. They will give good service life if used with standard loads but will shoot themselves loose and out of time quickly if pushed. Jeff Cooper called it a "shoot a little - carry a lot" gun and I would have to agree. I have never had any problems with my origianl production model but it has been carried much more than it has been shot. Taurus also produced a snub chambered in .44 Spl. and if you find one consider it.

Truckerman79 · 12-29-2008

Yeah, I did a search on Charter after you first replied and realized that the current company is actually the 3rd company under the same name. I also found out that the city of Toledo, OH (where I happen to be frequently) outlawed the Bulldog models after passing "junk gun" legislation.

I have been looking at Taurus .357 M65. Beech Grove FA quoted me a price $40 lower than the next lowest place. Does Taurus currently manufacture a .44 special revolver? Or would you be better off with a .44 magnum that can shoot the .44 special rounds?

Drail · 12-29-2008

A number of cities have declared certain firearms to be "Saturday Night Specials-junk handguns, etc." and some of them probably are junk, although these people don't really have any knowledge of firearms, it's simply a desperate attempt to ban guns. That would be the first I have heard of a Charter making the "junk" list though. The Charter uses an aluminum grip frame and barrel shroud with a steel barrel, cylinder and main frame. This is how they got it down to 19 oz. which makes it a joy to carry all day. I am not certain if Taurus is still producing any .44 Spl revolvers, check their website. If you find one in good shape I would jump on it. Unless it has been really abused anything wrong can be fixed by a good smith. A lot of people trash the Taurus line but when I was in the business we sold a lot of them and never had anyone bring one back with a problem. Maybe we were just lucky. I did a lot of trigger jobs on them and I can say they not as refined as a S&W or as bulletproof as a Ruger but they are a fairly nice gun for the price. Rossi also produced some .44 Spl models in the late 80s to 90s. If you are willing to carry the weight that most 44 Mag revolvers have then by all means go for it. They a little bulky and heavy for most but some folks can deal with it and are physically large enough to conceal one. Once you get into revolvers of that size you might also look at .45 ACP wheelguns. S&W made a lot of 625s that are very good defensive guns. I would choose a .44 or .45 over a .357.

12-28-2008	#1 (permalink)
Truckerman79 Marksman Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: McCordsville, IN Posts: 318	.44 Special Does anyone carry or own a .44 special revolver? If so, please share your opinions. Would you recommend this as a CCW? Thanks you in advance.

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12-29-2008	#2 (permalink)
Drail Plinker Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bloomington Posts: 166	I have carried an older Charter Bulldog Pug since about 1987 daily. In 1996 when the S&W 696 was introduced I found one of the first models released and bought one. The 696 has to be the best idea S&W ever had evenn though it was a poor seller. .44 Spl. is pretty much a handloaders cartridge since very few ammo sellers will stock it due to lack of interest, with the exception of the cowboy loads which are usually pure lead roundnose that don't really qualify as an ideal self defense cartridge. A .44 Spl. wiith a 200 gr. bullet is just about equal to the original specs set by the Army Ordnance Board back when the 1911 was first tested and accepted. I believe they asked for 200 gr@900 fps and Browning gave them 230gr.@850 fps. There are currntly some very good factory loads available, the Speer Gold Dot 200 gr. Blazer and the Corbon hollow points are two favorites. But if you handload you can find the perfect load for your gun. Recoil is mild and accuracy is very good. As much as I love the 1911 platform for self defense use I will always favor the .44 Spl in a 3 in. revolver.

12-29-2008	#3 (permalink)
Truckerman79 Marksman Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: McCordsville, IN Posts: 318	Thank you for the reply. I was looking into Charter because of the medium size frame and light weight.

12-29-2008	#4 (permalink)
Drail Plinker Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bloomington Posts: 166	A couple of things to know about Charter Arms products. The older ones that are stamped "Charter Arms - Stratford Conn." are the best ones. When Charter went bankrupt and was came back as Charter 2000 the quality control was terrible. Avoid those models. The current companies production seems to be an improvement but they're still having problems with quality. The info I am hearing is that any defective products currently manufactured will be warranteed and repaired although the turnaround time can be fairly long. If at all possible have any Charter you are contemplating purchasing checked out by someone who knows revolvers. Also be aware that if you find one of the older original models there is a possibility that it may have been abused by someone handloading very hot loads for it. They will give good service life if used with standard loads but will shoot themselves loose and out of time quickly if pushed. Jeff Cooper called it a "shoot a little - carry a lot" gun and I would have to agree. I have never had any problems with my origianl production model but it has been carried much more than it has been shot. Taurus also produced a snub chambered in .44 Spl. and if you find one consider it.

12-29-2008	#5 (permalink)
Truckerman79 Marksman Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: McCordsville, IN Posts: 318	Yeah, I did a search on Charter after you first replied and realized that the current company is actually the 3rd company under the same name. I also found out that the city of Toledo, OH (where I happen to be frequently) outlawed the Bulldog models after passing "junk gun" legislation. I have been looking at Taurus .357 M65. Beech Grove FA quoted me a price $40 lower than the next lowest place. Does Taurus currently manufacture a .44 special revolver? Or would you be better off with a .44 magnum that can shoot the .44 special rounds?

12-29-2008	#6 (permalink)
Drail Plinker Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bloomington Posts: 166	A number of cities have declared certain firearms to be "Saturday Night Specials-junk handguns, etc." and some of them probably are junk, although these people don't really have any knowledge of firearms, it's simply a desperate attempt to ban guns. That would be the first I have heard of a Charter making the "junk" list though. The Charter uses an aluminum grip frame and barrel shroud with a steel barrel, cylinder and main frame. This is how they got it down to 19 oz. which makes it a joy to carry all day. I am not certain if Taurus is still producing any .44 Spl revolvers, check their website. If you find one in good shape I would jump on it. Unless it has been really abused anything wrong can be fixed by a good smith. A lot of people trash the Taurus line but when I was in the business we sold a lot of them and never had anyone bring one back with a problem. Maybe we were just lucky. I did a lot of trigger jobs on them and I can say they not as refined as a S&W or as bulletproof as a Ruger but they are a fairly nice gun for the price. Rossi also produced some .44 Spl models in the late 80s to 90s. If you are willing to carry the weight that most 44 Mag revolvers have then by all means go for it. They a little bulky and heavy for most but some folks can deal with it and are physically large enough to conceal one. Once you get into revolvers of that size you might also look at .45 ACP wheelguns. S&W made a lot of 625s that are very good defensive guns. I would choose a .44 or .45 over a .357.