Single point sling is handy for the bush. Freelance double-nought spy Velocity affects penetration, especially when shooting non-expanding projectiles like jacketed hollow points. I miss shooting them but still have a box and a half sitting on my loading bench. The .44mag was made in 1975 and the little .357 is an early eighties model. According to physics, the extra propellant packed into that slightly longer .44 Magnum case should generate more recoil. However, when a heavyweight bullet rips through the air at Magnum velocities, over-penetration can be a serious concern. Logged If they feed and chamber, should be safe. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. RN to 240-gr. I use an old .44 Special expanding die and purchased a .44 Russian seating die. Doug shot the bear and stopped the attack. The short round probably will not go into the loading die far enough to crimp the bullet in place. There are a few reproduction single-action revolvers in .44 Special as well, typically Bisley SAA clones. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. 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. If they feed, go for it. Some .44 Magnum sixguns will shoot the shorter .44 Special loads well while others give mediocre performance. In short, because of .44 Magnums unwieldy recoil, .44 Special is the better choice for two-legged threats. It can increase the muzzle velocity of a 200-grain JHP by 150%. The choice is simple: Buy the .44 Magnum..Hand load to .22 Special specs. As a cartridge for the Hand Ejector, First Model .44 (nicknamed triplelock) they introduced a wild and crazy idea. The .44 Spl has been mostly kept alive by custom handloaders and cowboy action shooters. The .44 Mag uses a stretched-out .44 Spl case. 44 russian, 44 special, 44mag all work in a 44 mag chambered revolver. (II) Limit one entry per household. 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. round-nosed lead bullet. The Magnums substantial recoil also makes getting multiple shots on target quickly a real challenge. However, like most pistol cartridges, the .44 Magnum "wakes up" out of a carbine length rifle barrel. Many shooters find the Magnums recoil difficult to control. 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. [5], In 1872, while in the US, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich visited the Smith & Wesson factory to review the progress of the Russian order. 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. Stopping the attacker is the goal here, and that doesnt necessarily mean death (although that is often the end result). Thankfully, manufacturers understand this. Pro: Very fast reloads Con: $200 to machine, $8 per clip; and you need a lot. Many shooters find the Magnum's recoil difficult to control. Current loadings. 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. While some shooters might dismiss the .44 Spl as outdated, this mild-recoiling big-bore cartridge has more to offer than feelings of nostalgia. However, Uberti offers an excellent replica of the Model #3 Russian chambered in .44 Russian which is safe with reasonable smokeless loads. The Flying Ashtray was, is and will always be the sadly discontinued #4477 Speer 200g JHP. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. When choosing a round for hunting, it is important to make sure the cartridge can effectively and ethically harvest whatever game animal youre pursuing. Accurate, Powerful and Reliable, the .44 Special Really Is Special", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=.44_Russian&oldid=1140458460, Ten-X ammunition 200 grain lead round nose and flat point, JMJ Smith Ammo Inc. ammunition 200 grain lead round nose, flat point, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:29. Because of intense interest from his family and friends, Doug wrote a detailed account of the attack and the aftermath. Likewise, .44 Magnum can still make for an excellent hunting revolver if you can handle the recoil. For example, Hornady has a single Special self-defense load compared to four different options for .44 Mag. Learn how your comment data is processed. But as I loaded them into the tube I ran into trouble. lead round-nose bullet at a sleepy 750 f.p.s. Note: This information comes from the manufacturer and is for informational purposes only. JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit . Black Powder and the Cowboy Way. Most notable were humps at the top of Model #3s grips and odd-looking spurs extending from trigger guards. and .44 Russian rds in a 44-40 revolver. You can get away with a much lighter firearm with .44 sp. Hoping for army contracts S&W submitted the new Model #3 to the U.S. Government for testing. (I) Giveaway ends March 31, 2023. Way back in the in my youth I was told to only shoot the proper and appropriate ammunition in any firearm. Their Double Action top-breaks were mostly chambered in .44 Russian too. However, Ive known a few old-timers who claim to have tagged a few whitetails with their Special. It typically produced a velocity of 750 feet per second with 310 foot-pounds of energy. One new winner* is announced every week! that way. One large group purchaser of S&W Americans made two important changes after their additional order. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Smith & Wesson developed a .44 frame to contain a power-house cartridge, yet retain the level of accuracy demanded by competitive target shooters. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. It amazes me how many shooters young and old talk about their .44 [] (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. The 44 Special fired a 246gr bullet at 755fps. Ergo, they could tolerate more pressure. 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. I believe the man sitting on the car bumper next to Elmer Keith is Roy Weatherby. That way, you have the best of all worlds. 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. Reloading the .44 Russian is made easier today with the availability of .44 Magnum Carbide sizing dies. I have a model 329 PD 44 magnum that I put a S&W stainless steel fluted cylinder on and removed the titanium one it came with. Its also a favorite of cowboy action shooters and makes a fun plinking tool. Home; Categories. But you can shoot 44 Special ammo in it making it enjoyable to shoot. Great article! 300 Win Mag vs 338 Win Mag vs 338 Lapua Mag, 450 Bushmaster vs 458 SOCOM vs 50 Beowulf. The shank of the bullet fitting inside the brass case was smaller in diameter than the portion of the bullet in front of the case. An average 240-grain load of .44 Special has a maximum point blank range of around 80 yards on a six-inch target, while the same projectile loaded for .44 Magnum can extend that to 120 yards. It was almost immediately rejected because .44 Henry was rimfire the government wanted only centerfires. The biggest difference I see between a .44 special revolver and a .44 mag is the weight of the firearm. While that might not seem like a lot, that additional powder produces faster velocities, flatter trajectories, and heftier downrange energy. These cartridges had one thing in common, they all used bullets with two diameters. 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. Both are good for bowling pin shoots, though you'll get faster splits using .44 Special. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. All the major bullet manufacturers, including Sierra, Nosler, and Hornady, have multiple options for .429-inch bullets. 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 All of the original S&W .44 Russian chambered top-breaks, whether they be single or double action, should only be used with black powder. The cartridge debuted in 1955 and was followed by the release of the first two guns chambered for it: the S&W .44 Magnum (later rechristened as the Model 29) and the Ruger Blackhawk. Nice article. 44-40 or 44WCF are larger diameter cases like 45 Colt cases then bottle necked to a .427 bullet. and the case is the same outside diameter. much lighter than my 1911 in either 38 super or 45acp. Mine currently are the RCBS "cowboy" style with carbide sizing die and case mouth belling die with plug diameter of .426 inch. In a high-adrenaline situation, taming that wild recoil takes serious muscle and concentration. It is also easy to find fresh brass for both cartridges. Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more. 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. The .44 Special is a lengthened version of the .44 Russian cartridge, which was chambered in top-break S&W Model No. It is usually a 44 casing loaded with lead shot. Or is .44 Magnum the best cartridge in .44? I can load them to full pressure might get a few more in the magazine, BUT will the lifter, etc work? 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. The original load of .44 Russian was a 246-grain, .426-inch bullet seated on 23 grains of black powder. And both are fine options for hunting and home defense. 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