RELOADING THE 20TH CENTURY
.44s
BY JOHN TAFFIN
Five .44s arrived in factory chambering in the 20th century; the .445 SuperMag, the .444 Marlin, and the .44 AutoMag as well as the other two, have been covered in previous chapters, however we now look in greater depth at two of the greatest sixgun cartridges of all, the .44 Special and the .44 Magnum. The .44 Special was my first love, and though I have wandered away from it from time to time due to the siren call of bigger and more powerful cartridges, now that I am in my seventh decade I find myself going back to the .44 Special more and more; and when my editor, Roy Huntington, at American Handgunner wrestled me two out of three falls and pinned me to the ground forcing me to pick my one most favorite sixgun I chose a .44 Magnum, the original Ruger Flat-Top.
We are indeed fortunate to actually have so many great big bore sixgun cartridges, the .44-40, the .45 Colt, the .454, and the really big bores, the .475 and .500 Linebaugh, the .480 Ruger, and just recently, the .500 Wyoming Express. Then there are the stretch framed maximum cartridges, the .445 SuperMag, and the Smith & Wesson 21st century Magnums, the .460 and the .500. They all have their place, however for a general, all-purpose, every day, go anywhere, easy to pack, highly reliable, traditional six-shot revolver, it is virtually impossible to find anything better than a .44 Special or a .44 Magnum. If the .44 Special can’t do it, the .44 Magnum can; if the .44 Magnum can’t do it, nothing can. For 30 years the .44 Special was the #1 Packin’ Pistol and hunting handgun; the .44 Magnum took over the title in 1956. The .44 Magnum has been used to cleanly take the big bears, African lions, elephants, and Cape buffalo; short out of whales, what else is there?
As this is written we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the .44 Magnum and as we have seen both Ruger and Smith & Wesson did the most appropriate thing by bringing out 50th Anniversary Models of the Flat-Top Blackhawk and the original .44 Magnum respectively. We are now poised, excited, and ready to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the .44 Special next year. I hope Smith & Wesson acts accordingly and appropriately with a 100th Anniversary Model of the original .44 Special of 1907/1908. It is hard to pin down the anniversary years for both the .44 Special and .44 Magnum as they both arrived in the same month, December, in 1907 and 1955 respectively, however they were not generally available until 1908 and 1956, again respectively.
As this is written, the only traditional .44 Specials available are the Freedom Arms Model 97, which could easily be argued as the finest .44 Special ever built, the S&W Model 21-4, built along the same lines as the 1950 Military, and the USFA Single Action which is a beautifully built single action rivaling 1st Generation Colts; and one can occasionally find replica .44 Special single actions as the two AWA octagon barreled Ultimates mentioned in previous chapters. On the used market one can still find 2nd and 3rd Generation Colt Single Actions and New Frontiers along with S&W Models 24 and 624 fairly regularly, while both Great Western and Texas Longhorn Arms sixguns are extremely rare. The easiest way to come up with a modern .44 Special is still Skeeter's way. Several gunsmiths, such as Hamilton Bowen, David Clements, Brian Cosby, Ben Forkin, Andy Horvath, and Jim Stroh to name a few, can turn a Smith & Wesson Highway Patrolman or Old Model Ruger .357 Blackhawk into a .44 Special.
If you have been reading this book chronologically you know the .44 Special has been a favorite of mine for several reasons. First, and foremost, I discovered Elmer Keith while I was in high school, which meant reading a lot about the .44 Special. Since that time I have managed to accumulate magazines with all of his old articles dealing with the .44 Special from the first one, The Last Word, in the April 1929 issue of the American Rifleman right up until the arrival of the .44 Magnum as well as the devouring his books Sixgun Cartridges and Loads (1936) and Sixguns (1955). My first .44 Special was not acquired until 1959 when my wife presented me with a 6 ½” Model 1950 Target on the occasion of our first Christmas together. By this time I already had a Ruger .44 Magnum Blackhawk, however I still felt the only way to shoot the 1950 Target was with full house Keith loads. That, as Burt Lancaster’s character Bob Valdez said in that excellent movie, Valdez Is Coming, was “Before I know better.” Now I know better.
Skeeter Skelton is responsible for my favorite load for the .44 Special discovered in his writings in the early 1960s. Keith’s 17.0 gr. load is a powerful one, from 1200 fps and approaching just under 1,300 fps in a 7 ½” barreled sixgun. In the relatively lightweight .44 Specials this load exhibits as much felt recoil to me as full house .44 Magnums from an original Smith & Wesson or Ruger Blackhawk. I appreciate having the power, however it is not always needed. Skeeter’s load consisting of the same bullet Keith used, Lyman’s #429421 over 7.5 gr. of Unique is so much more pleasant to shoot and at 900 to 950 fps, depending upon barrel length, will adequately handle most of the chores we expect from a big bore sixgun. Skeeter’s load was not original to him but was actually given to him by Keith. Skeeter did as much for 7.5 Unique as Keith did for 17.0 #2400.
For the .44 Special I have been carefully molding my own bullets since 1960s starting with Lyman’s #429421 mold, and progressing to the RCBS #44-250KT, and a four cavity NEI 429.260KT in the early 1980s. Later used molds from Hensley & Gibbs and Saeco were added to my working collection of .44 bullet makers. All of these cast a bullet that is very true to Keith's original design. Today with my time at a premium I have found I can also acquire excellent bullets from both BRP and Dry Creek Bullet Works. Jay Sanders’ BRP version is right at 250 grain while Lynn Halstead’s slightly heavier Keith bullet weighs out at 262 grains. Both of these gentlemen supply extremely high quality cast bullets. Keith did not like, nor use gas checked bullets. However, it is a simple fact some sixguns will shoot GC bullets better than they will plain-based bullets. Lyman has two excellent gas checked bullet molds designed by Ray Thompson originally for use in the .44 Special; they are both semi-wadcutters, #431244 and #429215. With my alloy, lubed, sized, and gas checked they weigh 254 and 221 grains respectively.
When a load is desired somewhere in
between the Skelton loading of a 250 at 950 fps and Elmer’s 1200 fps, I will
most often choose 18.5 grs. of Hodgdon's H4227 for around 1050 to 1150 fps
again depending upon barrel length. For loading and shooting in large
quantities I use RCBS’s Model 2000 progressive press, Starline brass, and
One of the accompanying charts
shows Everyday Workin’ Loads for the .44 Special fired through a 6 ½” Model 24
from 1983. This is a very picky .44 Special that goes against the myth that
every .44 Special sixgun and every .44 Special load will drive tacks. In fact
with extensive testing using my home cast hard bullets the only tack-driving
load I could find was the original Keith load which is capable of one-hole
groups. The same can be said of
For a hunting bullet or load for the .44 Special, one must choose carefully. The Keith load is still an excellent load when the penetration is required on deer-sized or larger game, however I also take a different path. My hunting load for the .44 Special uses the Speer short-jacketed design 225 grain hollow point consisting of a copper cup with a soft lead core loaded over 16.5 gr. of #2400 for between 1100 and 1200 fps. I use this only for deer-sized and deer-type game weighing under 200 pounds and only for taking broadside shots which give explosive and final results. For larger animals, such as wild hogs where penetration is essential, I go with the Keith bullet and the Keith load. If one of these two loads won't do it, is time to reach for the .44 Magnum.
When I first started shooting the .44 Special it was very easy to find heavy load data, much heavier than what I have included. The older loading manuals and Handloader magazine had a wealth of information, however most of this disappeared with the 1960s. I am including a great deal of data concerning heavy loading of the .44 Special with several warnings. First and foremost, I am only responsible for loads I personally assemble and shoot in my personal sixguns. All loads listed work and work well, however those who choose to use these heavier loads should be aware of several things. They should only be used in heavy-framed, six-shot revolvers from Smith & Wesson, Colt, Great Western, or Texas Longhorn Arms; or in Freedom Arms new five-shot Model 97. All loads, of course, are safe in large framed .44 Magnum sixguns.
Another caution is all sixguns are not equal. I have a 3rd Generation Colt Single Action in .44 Special. Five of the chambers easily digest the Keith load and literally beg for more; the sixth chamber didn't and doesn't. The first round of this load from that particular chamber extracted with difficulty and the outline of the bolt slot cut could be seen on the brass. From this I assumed that one particular chamber had a bolt slot cut deeper than either necessary or specifications called for. Whatever happened, that chamber is now marked and is never used with any loads. With any use of these loads the reader is cautioned to start with the lowest loads first, move up slowly, and always remember the responsibility is entirely yours.
Can these loads be used in a replica Single Action .44 Special? I do not recommend it. A local fellow thought he was using Keith’s full house load in an Italian replica. The first shot took off the top half of the cylinder and the top strap. When we tore down a few of his loads we found he had not loaded 17.0 grains but rather 18.5 grains of #2400 and when I fired these in a Ruger .44 Magnum they clocked at over 1,400 fps. Again, anyone that shoots such loads in Italian replicas is strictly on his own and assumes personal responsibility.
What about pre-War .44 Specials? Again I strongly recommend against heavy loads in these. My standard load for a pair of first-year production Triple-Locks is the Keith bullet over 6.0 gr. of Unique, which closely duplicates the original factory load. It is my understanding these sixguns were not heat-treated as were the subsequent .44 Specials from S&W beginning in 1916. Original Triple-Locks and 2nd Model Hand Ejectors came with very small grips, which do not fill in to the top of the frame as the later Magna grips. Even with standard .44 Special loads it doesn't take long for my comfort level to be affected. Keith said he shot his heavy loads in Triple-Locks with the small grips proving once again he was a lot tougher than I am. For the 1926 Models I go up to 7.5 gr. of Unique. Large-framed sixguns built since 1950 should be sufficiently strong, however remember those Smith & Wesson and Colt .44 Specials have not been built since the 1980s; they cannot be easily replaced. Once again Caution is the byword.
In my early days of loading the .44 Special, specific dies for the Special were available. Now all dies seemed to be marked .44 Mag/.44 Spl. With the latest Colt and Smith & Wesson .44 six-shot revolvers from the 1980s I use both RCBS and Redding dies so marked with no problem simply because these revolvers use the same .429”-.431” bullets as appropriate for the .44 Magnum. Earlier .44 Specials can be found having both cylinder mouths and barrels that are much tighter. Early Colt barrels can be found with a groove diameter of .426” and relatively tight chambers. For these I size bullets to .428” and use older .44 Special dies.
A check of two Colt New Frontier .44 Specials on hand, a 2nd and a 3rd Generation, shows respective chamber mouths of .428” and .431”, while barrel groove diameters, also respectively, measure .427” and .428”. So loads for the 2nd Generation Colt are best assembled with my older .44 Special dies, while .44 Magnum dies are fine with the tolerances used in the 3rd Generation Colt. With the newer .44 Specials I am more concerned about the size of chamber mouths than I am about groove diameter using the largest bullet that will fit the chamber. In most cases this is the same .430” bullet used in .44 Magnums so everything works out quite easily.
With so many excellent .44 Magnums available why would anyone spend more money to get the .44 Special? Normally .44 Specials are lighter, smaller, and easier to pack comfortably than comparable .44 Magnums, however with the introduction of the Smith & Wesson 329PD, it is now possible to have a .44 Magnum that weighs 11 ounces less than its counterpart Model 24. So that argument is now shot full of holes and were I a betting man, I would place my money on the fact the 329PD will see more .44 Specials and .44 Magnums loaded to .44 Special level than it ever will full house .44 Magnums.
Other reasons I can put forth are the fact some of the finest sixguns ever built are found chambered in .44 Special and these sixguns were particular favorites of Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton. That is certainly good enough for me.
Every Day Workin’ Loads For The .44 Special
Smith & Wesson Model 24 .44
Special x 6 ½”;
Load MV Group/5 Shots, 25 yds
6.5 gr. WW231 875 fps 1 3/4"
5.5 gr. WW452AA 850 fps 3/4"
8.0 gr. 800X 886 fps 2 1/4"
7.5 gr. Unique 975 fps 2 1/4"
7.5 gr. Herco 882 fps 1 3/8"
5.5 gr. Bullseye 854 fps 1 3/4"
16.5 gr. H4227 1046 fps 1 3/4"
11.0 gr. AA#7 808 fps 1 1/2"
10.0 GR. HS7 850 fps 1 1/2"
9.0 gr. WW540 790 fps 1 3/4"
6.0 gr. Hp38 813 fps 2 3/8"
6.0 gr. AA#2 856 fps 2"
A Comparison of the Keith Bullets: Lyman (#429421), Dry Creek (#44-262KT), and BRP (#44-250KT) Keith Bullets Sized .430”
.44 Special
Bullet/Load Sixgun MV Five Shots at 50 Ft.
#44-262KT/7.5 gr. Unique TLA 7 ½” Flat-Top 976 fps 1 5/8”
#429421/7.5 gr. Unique TLA 7 ½” Flat-Top 984 fps 1 3/8”
#44-250KT/7.5 gr. Unique TLA 7 ½” Flat-Top 1011 fps 1 ½”
#44-262KT/17.0 gr. #2400 TLA 7 ½” Flat-Top 1222 fps 2 ¼”
#429421/17.0 gr. #2400 TLA 7 ½” Flat-Top 1226 fps 1 ¼”
#44-250KT/17.0 gr. #2400 TLA 7 ½” Flat-Top 1295 fps 2”
#44-262KT/7.5 gr. Unique
#429421/7.5 gr. Unique
#44-250KT/7.5 gr. Unique
#44-250KT/17.0 gr. #2400
#44-250KT/7.5 gr. Unique Colt NF 7 ½” 1067 fps 1 7/8”
#44-250KT/17.0 gr. #2400
#44-262KT/7.5 gr. Unique S&W 1950 4” 884 fps 1 ¾”
#429421/7.5 gr. Unique S&W 1950 4” 964 fps 1 ¼”
#44-250KT/7.5 gr. Unique S&W M624 4” 943 fps 1 ¾”
#44-250KT/17.0 gr. #2400 S&
#44-250KT/7.5 gr. Unique S&
#44-250KT/17.0 gr. #2400 S&
EXTREME CAUTION!! HEAVY DUTY LOADS FOR THE .44 SPECIAL. MANY OF THESE ARE IN THE MAGNUM CATEGORY. USE SPARINGLY!! START WITH LOWEST LOAD AND WORK UP SLOWLY. THESE LOADS ARE FOR USE ONLY IN HEAVY-FRAMED .44 SPECIALS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.THEY WORK IN MY SIXGUNS; THEY MAY NOT WORK IN YOURS.
Bullet: Lyman #429421 Keith, 250 gr., Sized to .428”
Colt
SAA/4 ¾” S&W M24/6 ½”
Load MV MV MV
15.5 gr. #2400 1054 fps 1042 fps 1155 fps
16.0 gr. #2400 1064 fps 1120 fps 1169 fps
16.5 gr. #2400 1107 fps 1190 fps 1194 fps
17.0 gr. #2400 1139 fps 1192 fps 1210 fps
17.5 gr. #2400 1160 fps 1219 fps 1270 fps
18.0 gr. #2400 1198 fps 1267 fps 1279 fps
18.0 gr. H4227 1032 fps 1070 fps 1101 fps
18.5 gr. H4227 1053 fps 1115 fps 1149 fps
19.0 gr. H4227 1083 fps 1157 fps 1163 fps
19.5 gr. H4227 1129 fps 1148 fps 1196 fps
20.0 gr. H4227 1157 fps 1209 fps 1237 fps
16.0 gr. AA#9 1067 fps 1090 fps 1157 fps
16.5 gr. AA#9 1072 fps 1118 fps 1167 fps
17.0 gr. AA#9 1074 fps 1161 fps 1195 fps
17.5 gr. AA#9 1115 fps 1185 fps 1214 fps
13.0 gr. HS7 1038 fps 1131 fps 1123 fps
13.5 gr. HS7 1088 fps 1146 fps 1145 fps
14.0 gr. HS7 1107 fps 1206 fps 1207 fps
14.5 gr. HS7 1163 fps 1241 fps 1243 fps
7.5 gr. Unique 912 fps 913 fps 947 fps
8.0 gr. Unique 919 fps 949 fps 1000 fps
8.5 gr. Unique 940 fps 983 fps 1018 fps
9.0 gr. Unique 970 fps 997 fps 1044 fps
9.5 gr. Unique 1031 fps 1061 fps 1109 fps
10.0 gr. Herco 1058 fps 1161 fps 1172 fps
10.5 gr. Herco 1101 fps 1154 fps 1176 fps
11.0 gr. Herco 1119 fps 1221 fps 1222 fps
12.0 gr. Blue Dot 1106 fps 1193 fps 1193 fps
12.5 gr. Blue Dot 1156 fps 1240 fps 1250 fps
The .44 Magnum has been outgunned so to speak by the .454 Casull, the .475 Linebaugh, the .480 Ruger, the .500 Linebaugh, the .500 Wyoming Express, the .445 SuperMag, and the .460 and .500 S&W Magnums. Even factory heavy loads for the .45 Colt are available having greater muzzle energy than the .44 Magnum; but if anything at all I have gained more respect for it over the years both as to its capabilities and especially its accuracy. Some of my most precious memories hunting and shooting memories are associated with the .44 Magnum.
The .44 Magnum has done it all, and as mentioned it has been used to take every type of big game on the planet including Alaskan brown bear, Polar bear, African elephants, and Cape buffalo. More often than not this has been done with one carefully placed shot. The .44 Magnum can be loaded at 1300-1400 fps with a heavy hard cast bullet and penetrate five feet from stem to stern in a Cape buffalo; loaded down to 850 to 950 feet per second with a 240 grain cast bullet it becomes a superb target cartridge. In between, a 240 to 265 grain bullet at 1300 fps is an excellent long-range silhouette load; and with some of the new bullet designs such as the Speer Gold Dot JHP we even finally have defensive loads for the .44 Magnum that will do the job without excessive penetration.
Every knowledgeable .44 Magnum shooter knows the standard .44 Magnum load since 1956 has been a 250 grain hard cast Keith bullet over 22.0 grains of #2400. Keith’s .44 Special bullet designed in the 1920s made the transition to the .44 Magnum admirably well. When gas check bullets arrived in the 1950s Keith said the use of gas checks on sixguns would cause gas cutting and leading, however I have found that gas-checked .44 bullets normally shoot better than plain-based bullets. No better gas-checked bullet has been found that that designed by Ray Thompson for Lyman nearly forty years ago. This bullet was first cataloged as #429244, however Lyman now lists it as #431244GC; it is a 255 grain semi-wadcutter bullet with two shallow grease grooves as well as a gas check.
This bullet shoots superbly with the standard #2400 load of 22.0 grains for just under 1500 fps; 25.0 grains of WW296 or H110 or 24.0 grains of H4227 for around 1400 fps; or 21.5 grains of AA#9 for a slightly milder shooting 1365 fps. All of these loads will do less than one-inch at 25 yards with a good sixgun in good hands backed up by good eyes.
The arrival of suitable 300 grain
bullets really turned the .44 Magnum into a superb hunting pistol as well as an
extremely accurate long-range sixgun. Since we covered 300 grain bullets in
chapter 41 we will just mention a few here. One of my favorite heavyweight
bullets is NEI's #295.429GC. As the number indicates, this bullet weighs just
under 300 grains, wears a gas check, and I have yet to find a .44 Magnum sixgun
that won't perform well with this load. My favorite loads for this bullet are
21.5 grains of WW296 or H110 for 1300 to 1400 fps, superb accuracy, and maximum
penetration, or 10.0 grains of Unique for a more sedate and easier to shoot
1150 fps. The latter makes an excellent load for deer-sized game without giving
excessive felt recoil.
Since my early experiments with 300 grain bullets, a new powder for the .44 Magnum has arrived on the scene. VihtaVuori's N110 powder with a charge of 19.3 grains under the 295 grain Keith bullet from NEI, clocks out at 1430 fps from a 7 1/2” barrel with an extreme spread of only seven fps; that is real consistency The same powder with a charge of 21.0 grains under the Hornady 240 XTP gives 1525 fps muzzle velocity and an extreme spread of only 30 fps.
An excellent heavyweight bullet design is RCBS’s #44-300FN; this 310 grain bullet with a flat nose and a gas check is superbly accurate. Loaded over 21.5 grains of WW296 or H110 it is a 1400 fps load from long-barreled sixguns and has not only delivered sub one-inch groups at 25 yards but groups very close to one-inch at 50 yards. Someone did it right when they designed this one.
Forty-four Magnum sixguns do not
have to be run at full bore to afford great pleasure. Some of my favorite loads
are in the moderate to mild category. The above mentioned 295 grain bullet at
1150 fps is a sweet shootin' load to say the least, but there are instances
when we don't even need this much power and muzzle velocity. I have done
considerable experimenting with the
Load MV Groups
8.0 gr. Unique 972 fps 1 7/8”
9.0 gr. Unique 1065 fps 1 7/8”
8.0 gr. HS-6 790 fps 1 1/8”
9.0 gr. HS-6 892 fps 2 1/2”
10.0 gr. HS-6 952 fps 1 ¾”
7.0 gr. Universal 888 fps 1 ¾”
8.0 gr. Univeral 981 fps 1 3/4”
9.0 gr. Universal 1077 fps 17/8”
6.0 gr. WW231 781 fps 1 ½”
7.0 gr. WW231 894 fps 2”
8.0 gr. WW231 979 fps 1 ½”
6.0 gr. N-100 858 fps 2”
7.0 gr. N-100 929 fps 1 7/8”
8.0 gr. N-100 1044 fps 2 3/8”
6.0 gr. Red Dot 862 fps 1 ¾”
7.0 gr. Red Dot 929 fps 1 7/8”
8.0 gr. Red Dot 1020 fps 1 3/8”
6.0 gr. Bullseye 864 fps 1 3/8”
7.0 gr. Bullseye 981 fps 1 ¾”
Staying with this comfortably shooting scenario Oregon Trail’s 240 grain SWC bullet is used for, call them pleasure loads, mild loads, every day workin' loads, whatever is chosen they are simply enjoyable shooting .44 Magnum loads which will not pound us into next weekend. Some examples are 12.0 grains of Blue Dot for 970 fps, 8.5 grains of Unique for 1065 fps, and 19.5 grains of H4227 for 1100 fps. All of these loads are well above any standard level factory .45 Colt loads which shows their potential as workin' loads and they can be shot all day without pain or strain which shows their pleasure.
Bullet:
Load MV Groups
7.5 gr. WW231 914 fps 1 5/8”
6.0 gr. WW452AA 860 fps 1 1/4”
7.0 gr. WW452AA 972 fps 1 3/4”
8.5 gr. 800X 872 fps 1 7/8”
8.5 gr. Unique 991 fps 1 1/4”
7.0 gr. Bullseye 971 fps 1 5/8”
13.0 gr. AA#7 917 fps 1 1/2”
6.5 gr. HP38 851 fps 1 5/8”
12.0 gr. Blue Dot 992 fps 1 5/8”
One of the newer powders available is Hodgdon’s Lil’ Gun. This powder was made to order for the .44 Magnum and may even be a little better than H110; time will tell as it seems to offer a little more muzzle velocity with a little less pressure. The following loads were test-fired in a 7 1/2” Ruger Bisley Model .44 Magnum. Groups are five shots at 25 yards:
Load MV Groups
BRP 255KT GC/23.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1422 fps 1 7/8"
BRP 255KT GC/24.0 gr. Lil'Gun 1443 fps 1 1/8”
BRP 295KT GC/19.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1307 fps 1 5/8"
BRP 295KT GC/20.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1335 fps 1"
CPBC 275 LBT PB/21.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1335 fps 1 1/4”
CPBC 275 LBT PB/22.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1356 fps 1 1/2”
CPBC 275 LBT/23.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1396 fps 1 1/2”
CPBC 300 LBT GC/18.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1224 fps 1 7/8"
CPBC 300 LBT GC/19.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1313 fps 2"
CPBC 300 LBT GC/20.0 gr. Lil' Gun 1330 fps 1 1/4"
With all loading for the .44 Magnum two things are essential; a tight full length sizing die for maximum bullet pull and a crimping die that allows a heavy crimp. Both are necessary for proper ignition and powder burning with heavy loads. What the .44 Special began the .44 Magnum carried on to make handgun hunting possible. The .44 Magnum also serves well as a long-range sixgun cartridge and can be loaded down to midrange levels that still deliver superb accuracy. It would be hard to not consider it the all around sixgun cartridge.
43-1) Ruger's latest .44, the 50th Anniversary Model Flat-Top, is a
natural for
shooting heavy .44 Special loads.
43-2) The .44 Special was originally loaded with a round-nosed bullet
in 1907,
however Elmer Keith found a better way, his #429421 shown in both
warning
44 Special and .44 Magnum.
43-3) Smith & Wesson's .44 cartridges from 1869 to 1956: American,
Russian,
Special all with round-nosed bullets; Special and Magnum with the Keith
bullet.
43-4) The .44 Special and .44 Magnum does fine for plinking with Oregon
Trail’s 240 RNFP bullets; switch to the Keith bullet for serious
applications.
43-5) The .44 Special may be 100 years old however the standard load
still works!
Sixgun is a USFA’s .44 Special with ram’s horn stocks by Roy Fishpaw.
43-6) The Keith bullet with .44 Special loads shown with typical groups
through an S&W Elmer Keith Commemorative 4” and Model 624 6 1/2”.
Stocks are by Bob Leskovec and Eagle Grips.
43-7) Heavy .44 Special loads with typical groups
through four .44 Specials,
2nd and 3rd Generation Colt New Frontiers and the Gary Reeder #5 Improved
43-8) A medium .44 Special load using the RCBS Keith makes for
satisfying
shooting through a 5 1/2” Colt New Frontier.
3-9) Heavy .44 Special loads using the NEI 260 Keith bullet show why
.44 Special
conversions on Three-Screw Ruger .357 Blackhawks are so popular; this
pair was done by Hamilton Bowen.
43-10) Whether shooting Skeeter’s load or the standard .44 Special
load,
this 3rd Generation Colt Single Action does all anyone could
expect.
Stocks are one-piece walnut by Tom Sargis.
43-11) Two of Taffin favorite powders for loading the .44 Special and
.44 Magnum
over the last 50 years have been Unique and #2400.
43-12) This hollowpoint Keith bullet #429421 loaded over 17.0 grains of
#2400
in the .44 Special was found perfectly mushroomed under the hide on the
offside
of a 650 pound feral pig.
43-13) It pays to experiment! The sixgun is a Smith & Wesson Model
24-3
.44 Special with stocks by BearHug; the load is 5.5 grains of WW452AA
over a 240 grain SWC bullet.
43-14) BRP offers high-quality, hard-cast .44 Keith bullets here shown
loaded
in both Special and Magnum.
43-15) They are not only quite attractive sixguns they also shoot heavy
.44 Special loads exceptionally well; revolver on left is a Smith &
Wesson
Model 29 nickel-plated 6 1/2” while the other is a 6” Model 629.
Stocks are maple and ivory micarta by BearHug.
43-16) Ivory stocked 2nd and 3rd Generation New
Frontier .44 Specials perform
equally well with medium .44 Special loads.
43-17) Alas they are no more as Colt has not offered a .44 Special for
nearly 25 years. These are 3rd Generation New Frontiers and a Single
Action Army.
43-18) They are now .7 1/2” 44 Specials, however the 1st
Generation Colt
started life as a .32-20 and the 2nd Generation Single
Action was originally a
.38 Special. Silver snake is by Ron Martinez.
43-19) Both the standard and Skeeter Skelton .44 Special loads are
pleasant
shooting and accurate through 2nd and 3rd
Generation Colt Single Actions.
43-20) Ruger Super Blackhawks, a standard model and a customized
version
by Mag-Na-Port, handle heavy .44 Special loads both easily and
accurately.
43-21) To shoot or not to shoot heavy .44 Special loads? The Smith
& Wesson
1950 Target/Model 24 has not been made for 50 years and is not easily
replaced.
Photo courtesy of Scott Williams.
43-22 & 43-23) Three generations of Colt Single Action .44 Specials
are normally
used with the standard and Skeeter Skelton .44 Special loads.
43-24) These pre-World War II Smith & Wesson .44
Specials are True Classics
and should be treated as such. From the top left
clockwise we have the
Triple-Lock, the 2nd Model Hand Ejector in
both standard and target versions,
and the Model 1926
43-25) The .44 Special Smith & Wessons of the 1980s are strong
revolvers
capable of handling the Keith load. The Models 24-3 and 624 were both
offered
in 6 1/2” and 4” versions.
43-25) The .44 Special Smith & Wessons of the 1980s are strong
revolvers
capable of handling the Keith load. The Models 24-3 and 624 were both
offered in 6 1/2” and 4” versions.
43-27) All .44s are not created equal; these are both 1st
Generation Colt .44-40 cylinders.
The chamber mouth on one measures .424”, while the other is at .428”;
the wise reloader loads accordingly.
43-28) These beautiful octagon barreled Ultimate .44s by AWA/USA allow
a
lot of experimentation with barrel lengths of 10” and 7 1/2” and both
fitted
with .44 Special and .44-40 cylinders.
The one-piece mesquite stocks are by Jim Martin.
43-29) Taffin shooting the AWA 10” octagon barreled .44 Ultimate finds
it to
be an accurate and easy shooting long barreled sixgun.