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. 44-40 or 44WCF are larger diameter cases like 45 Colt cases then bottle necked to a .427 bullet. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). Mechanical accuracy has an enormous number of variables. S&W chambered the Model #3 Russian and the New Model #3, both single action top-breaks, in .44 Russian. Loading the 44 russian may need a new die or two. I guess there wasnt enough interest for Ruger to keep them in their lineup. So: The Russian Case is not going to load concentrically. Kinetic energy is equal to half the mass of the bullet times its velocity squared. For without their work, we might not have magnums.. .44 special is an adequate man-stopperpeople still fear itremember son of sam? In the mid-1950s, Keith partnered with the Remington cartridge company to create the .44 Remington Magnum, which sat a 260-grain bullet in a longer case and propelled it to 1,200 fps or higher. However, with a well-placed shot, the animal will eventually succumb to blood loss. The load pushed that hefty projectile out the muzzle at 780 feet per second. just wish yall had a share feature with these articles. That way, you have the best of all worlds. (II) Limit one entry per household. So instead of offering hotter .44 Specials, the .44 Magnum was born. This fact gives .44 Magnum an edge when it comes to revolver selection, but keep in mind that after buying one you may soon find yourself joining the ranks of the many shooters whove traded theirs in after experiencing the recoil firsthand. I'm not set up for reloading .44 Russian, but I would expect that if they were flat-nosed bullets of some type the forward pressure would be more stable and the bullets wouldn't bind up. I believe the man sitting on the car bumper next to Elmer Keith is Roy Weatherby. They lengthened .44 Russian's case to 1.16, using the exact same 246-gr. No purchase necessary. Keith pestered the ammo companies to bring out heavier .44 Special loads, but there was a fear that such powerful loads would blow up an older, weaker revolver. When he got to the unloading table he realized what he'd done we all got a good laugh. Those factory loads leaded like the dickens! Their 180 JHP clocked at 1,202 fps with a 1-3/8 group and the 255 Hard Cast Keith Gas Check Outdoorsman was at 1,058 fps and a 1 group. Attachments 44 Remington Magnum reduced target loads.doc 57.5 KB Views: 458 For info purposes only, use it at your own risk. Personally speaking, Ive owned and handloaded for a multitude of revolvers for all three of these .44s. Where .44 Special shines the most in comparison to its bigger brother is having drastically less recoil. Deployed military should use stateside address. Some .44 Magnum sixguns will shoot the shorter .44 Special loads well while others give mediocre performance. Contest void where prohibited by law. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. It was almost immediately rejected because .44 Henry was rimfire the government wanted only centerfires. Save my name and email to use for future comments. Either way, HSM has you covered. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. The extra length not only accommodated more propellant but also prevented the high-pressure rounds from fitting in older .44 Spl handguns, eliminating the concern that the traditional wheel guns might not hold up to the new magnum load. More selection. That means theres plenty more .44 Magnum ammo and firearm variety. The .44 Spls ballistics arent too far off from the .45 ACP, which remains a popular option for both law enforcement and civilian personal defense. (In fact, they'll chamber the .44 Special cartridges.) Login with username, password and session length. 416 Rem Mag; 44-40 Win; 416 Rigby; 416 Ruger; 444 Marlin; 45-60 WCF; 45-70 Government; 450 Bushmaster; . One large group purchaser of S&W Americans made two important changes after their additional order. Using a 71/2 Colt Bisley Model chambered in .44 Special, 50 of these were fired at 25 yards. First - The 44 Russian case is considerably smaller in diameter than the 44-40 at the base and throughout the entire case dimension. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. These cartridges had one thing in common, they all used bullets with two diameters. Great Brass by a company with top notch customer . It typically produced a velocity of 750 feet per second with 310 foot-pounds of energy. Although the .44 Magnum was originally developed for revolvers, shooters quickly embraced it for rifle shooting. It features a .429-inch lead bullet that sits in a straight-walled case that is 1.285 inches long. Associated taxes and fees will be the responsibility of the winner. lead round-nose bullet at a sleepy 750 f.p.s. I like them both and carry the stainless in the winter. . By Contest open to U.S. residents only. 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. Out of curiosity, I tried chambering some .44 Spl. No purchase necessary. The biggest difference I see between a .44 special revolver and a .44 mag is the weight of the firearm. 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). If you have a .44 Mag, it can safely handle .44 Spl cartridges. 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. of energyabout equal to its . [5], In 1872, while in the US, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich visited the Smith & Wesson factory to review the progress of the Russian order. . The great thing about this caliber is that you can also shoot .44 S&W Special and . While there's no doubt the .44 Rem Mag puts a ton more speed and energy downrange, that performance comes with a price. While some shooters might dismiss the .44 Spl as outdated, this mild-recoiling big-bore cartridge has more to offer than feelings of nostalgia. According to physics, the extra propellant packed into that slightly longer .44 Magnum case should generate more recoil. As a cartridge for the Hand Ejector, First Model .44 (nicknamed triplelock) they introduced a wild and crazy idea. I watched a fellow cowboy shoot the wrong undersized cartridge in his pistols, they all went bang but he didn't hit any steel. View all 44 Russian Auto ammunition and bulk 44 Russian ammo for sale! I like 'em a lot. Since the Russians promised to pay for their S&W Model #3 in gold, the company was happy to accept their idea. In our SDB we cannot use Lee dies OR regular Dillon dies. Can a 44 magnum shoot 44 Special? Options range from traditional hard cast to streamlined modern polymer tipped bullets. .44 Russians can be fired in a .44 Spl.cylinder. Another might decide to rethink his life after a grazing superficial wound. Clays is my favorite powder for light-recoil loads for the .44 Magnum, and it continued to work well during this . Great article, thanks! If they feed, go for it. Using A .44 magnum case a 240gr lead bullet uses 5.1 gr Bullseye to get 800fps for a .44 Russian load. Hi, I have a .44 magnum carbine and I love it! SWC with a gas check. Yes, the 44 Special can be applied in the 44 Magnum barrel with no . No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. 38 Colt Short, 38 Colt Long, 38 Special in a .357 Magnum. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. lbs). As a cartridge for the Hand Ejector, First Model .44 (nicknamed triplelock) they introduced a wild and crazy idea. 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. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. HANDGUN. Now jump to 1907. Comedian and Student of Life | Ep 029 JP Sears. Deployed military should use stateside address. 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. The .44 Spl has been mostly kept alive by custom handloaders and cowboy action shooters. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. Maybe you just like to go out on a weekend and shoot the "Guns that Won the West" or that your favorite TV and movie cowboy heroes toted. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. . Could I? They figured out that .44 Special had generous case capacity relative to its performance. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. A popular ammunition for recreational shooters and hunting rifle aficionados, .44 Magnum ammo combines velocity, energy and great performance. 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. Choice is yours. The .44 Russian still provides much pleasurable shooting. It amazes me how many shooters young and old talk about their .44 [] AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own. Their story started in 1872 in what might be called an instance of Russian collusion. If you need to stretch the effective range of your pistol or wheel gun, youll want to have the .44 Mag on your side. I know 18 such rounds came with my first S&W .44 Magnum in 1968. 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. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. A 246 grain round nose lead bullet was never referred to nor does it in anyway resemble a flying ashtray. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. In short, there are pros and cons to both .44 Special and .44 Magnum. SWC with a gas check. Bottom line is you need to have 2 cylinders for this. If you need to bust through the tough hide, bone, and muscle of a charging bear, penetration is a good thing. They lengthened the .44 Russian case -.19",. He offered his hot .44 Special loads through mail order with plenty of success. As matters progressed, the Russians wanted changes in the Model #3 and the allure of gold was incentive for S&W to make them. Copyright 2019 sassnet.com The .44Spl is a wonderful cartridge in the GP-100 and a bit of a handful in the Charter Arms Bulldog Pug when loading jacketed bullets although big, heavy, slow lead bullets work just fine. Some initial problems were presented with propellants, so they lengthened the case to fit a little more powder but changed little else. Our Big Boy models will push a 240-grain projectile up to 1600 feet per second, more than enough energy to take any North American . I bought a box of .44 Russian about a year ago to answer this question regarding my Marlin 1894. Taming its recoil takes some serious effort. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. I couldnt hit much with it and it had huge recoil, making it uncontrollable for me. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. However, like most pistol cartridges, the .44 Magnum "wakes up" out of a carbine length rifle barrel. 5. Smith & Wesson, Colt, Ruger, Korth, Taurusthe list goes on. Without a doubt this is the finest brass on the market. It is a particular favorite of handgun hunters because it produces faster velocities and harder-hitting energy than other cartridges with similarly-sized bullets. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. Contest open to U.S. residents only. S&W carried the .44 Special through four remodels stopping in 1966. JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit . Is it absolutely necessary to have a .44 Russian chambered cylinder or will the .44 Special work just fine with Russian brass? (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Single point sling is handy for the bush. The humble Special got a bad rap throughout the years, overshadowed by its bigger brother, but that doesnt necessarily mean its without its uses. .44 Magnum ammo was designed by firearm enthusiast Elmer Keith. M. Ayoob had a .44 Magnum converted to .44 Automag. Compared to the hotrod .44 Magnum, the Special delivers fairly sluggish speeds. 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 . Colt introduced its solid-frame, single-action Model P in 1873. 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. I have a pair of Uberti 44WCF revos and purchased two 44 Special cylinders and fitted to these revolvers and to shoot 44 Russian. The Russian Army ended up ordering over 100,000 of these guns, chambered for the new "inside lubricated" .44 Russian cartridge. Grizzly Bear Charge Stopped with a .44 Magnum Arizona - ( Ammoland.com )- The video was filmed by Leon Lorenz on 14 June, 2010. (I) Giveaway ends March 20, 2022. Velocity affects penetration, especially when shooting non-expanding projectiles like jacketed hollow points. If you can reload them, put a hollowpoint or a wad cutter in there and let me know how it works. But youre correct, you can get the same performance with both. 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). Contest void where prohibited by law. Great article! Believe it or not, .44 Special is better than .44 Magnum at some thingsbut the reverse is true as well. .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. Theres very little difference in overall length, although the .44 Spl case is about an of an inch shorter. Less powder (you'll notice in in the posder bills too). Midsouth Shooters can supply you with your pistol and rifle ammunition, as well as all of your shooting and reloading supplies. What is the Difference Between .44 Mag and .44 Special? Its amazing what a mere 4.4 grains of extra case capacity can achieve. Something's got to give. However, it may be necessary to shorten a .44 Magnum/.44 Special expanding die as well as a seater/crimper die to be able to reach the relatively short .44 Russian case. And the equation leans heavily on shooter skills. (I) Giveaway ends March 31, 2023. I don't recall him saying if he was able to reload those cases or not. 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. However, we can easily track a cartridges kinetic energy through the powers of math. Can You Shoot .44 Special in a .44 Magnum Handgun? Pistol & Revolver Ammunition. Velocity spreads were nearly even shooting both bullets with IMR Red. You can load the .44 mag cartridge to milder loads than the wrist wrenching .44 mag screamers. 44 S&W Russian; 44 S&W Russian. 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. They were ballistic twins. Mag. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. been EDCing a Charter Arms 4 Bulldog for years. check out the. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Photo: Wikipedia. (I) Giveaway ends March 20, 2022. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM DIY 2022, P.O. The first .44 Magnum I had was a 4 Model 29 in the late 1970s. The .44 Smith & Wesson Special is well over a century old. Deployed military should use stateside address. Keith partnered with Smith & Wesson and Remington Arms and the cartridge was introduced onto the market in 1956. You need to seriously look at shooting .44 spl in those revolvers. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. Both are good for bowling pin shoots, though you'll get faster splits using .44 Special. There are a few reproduction single-action revolvers in .44 Special as well, typically Bisley SAA clones. In fact, if you want some low recoil practice with your magnum revolver, this is a good way to do it. Those factory loads leaded like the dickens! The .44 Mag. View as Grid . Comparing the accuracy of two different cartridges is a tricky affair. I was hoping not to have to go the "try and see" route You can safely shoot .44 Russian ammunition in any .44 Magnum or .44 Special revolver. Stand these two cartridges side by side, and the differences in dimensions seem insignificant. 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.