44 special over 357

fishface5 said:
What's an example of a good grip that allows a high hold? Custom grips?
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I'm no expert, so please don't think I am saying what's right or wrong, or that others can't do as well or better with whatever. I'm just expressing my opinion here. Simply, I like grips that have increased comfort under magnum recoil when holding the revolver high.

Personally, I look for how well the grips create a smooth and wide transition at the hump on the backstrap (web of hand area). The older factory target grips for Smith were pretty good with this. Some of the older style or even some target grips will surround the entire backstrap with wood or rubber (e.g. Jordan Trooper style grips) or some (not all) of the Pachmayr grips. Many of the newer, popular custom grips are jagged/not flush with the grip at this point, don't add to the width at this point, and/or neglect this area entirely. Additionally, wide grips are harder to conceal, and are currently out of vogue.

Actually handling the grips will give you a better idea. For example, taking a high hold on my factory 66-8 grips made my hands ache just holding it in the showroom, although they look to have reasonable design around that hump. If I had a lower grip, they felt fine ... so I replaced them with the Pachmayr Compac grips.
 
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Last fall I picked up a Taurus Tracker in 44mag. I love the gun. Ported on the end, 3" barrel, etc etc. It is my new stump shooting gun and winter carry gun. Frankly don't use mag loads in it but put 50 through it just to make sure it worked with them and it does. After putting half a box of the full power loads through it I changed the grips out for the Hogue mono grip. It is stoked with 200gr. Winchester Silver Tip hp's. Its accurate, controllabe especially with the special loads and I like it! keepem sharp
 
FN in MT said:
A pair of S&W 696's, in .44 Special. Five shooters on the medium, L Frame. Three inch barrels and adjustable sights.

Only issue; they suffer from a thin barrel at the forcing cone, so one can't get too crazy with hotter handloads. But standard loads are pretty competent for most anything any of us will ever run into.




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One for each hand, I like it!!!
 
315 said:
One for each hand, I like it!!!
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Yeah. I'm big on dual welding. LOL.
It IS funny though how when I find something I REALLY like, I will buy a spare. I bought the first 696 and really was impressed. Another LNIB came up at $450 so I snagged that one too.

Several years back FINALLY found a three inch M-66-2 in the box so spent $600 and bought it. It was a good price as they were all north of $800 at the time, some bumping a grand. Few years later found a beat up 3" and bought it for $300. Had it gone through then I bead blasted it. I carry that one a lot.

And I could dual, triple and quadruple wield a few other models too' 60's, 66's, K-38's, M-29's, M-41's and a few more.
 
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FN in MT said:
Yeah. I'm big on dual welding. LOL.
It IS funny though how when I find something I REALLY like, I will buy a spare. I bought the first 696 and really was impressed. Another LNIB came up at $450 so I snagged that one too.

Several years back FINALLY found a three inch M-66-2 in the box so spent $600 and bought it. It was a good price as they were all north of $800 at the time, some bumping a grand. Few years later found a beat up 3" and bought it for $300. Had it gone through then I bead blasted it. I carry that one a lot.

And I could dual, triple and quadruple wield a few other models too' 60's, 66's, K-38's, M-29's, M-41's and a few more.
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If you got a 696 for $450 you stole it and should turn yourself in:D I picked up a 686 3 inch and really like it but my grail gun was always a 3 inch 65 with the heavy barrel and fixed sights. A buddy had one and said he’d give me first shot if he ever sold it. He sold it to someone else:mad: I had a shot at a brand new 66 3 inch many years ago but with two little girls it wasn’t in the cards right then. My ex brother in law has a 696 but if he ever sold it I’m sure he’d ask a premium for it.
 
My cheap 3" 66 was listed as a 2 1/2" gun , yet it was a three incher. I know two other Smith nuts who found 3" guns the same way...listed wrong.
Keep looking at shops and shows.

Frankly all revolvers have dropped in the past few years. Simply not the demand there as most buyers want autos/plastics. Many sellers still clinging to older prices these should drop as they realize the market has dropped out. So keep looking.
 
FN in MT said:
My cheap 3" 66 was listed as a 2 1/2" gun , yet it was a three incher. I know two other Smith nuts who found 3" guns the same way...listed wrong.
Keep looking at shops and shows.

Frankly all revolvers have dropped in the past few years. Simply not the demand there as most buyers want autos/plastics. Many sellers still clinging to older prices these should drop as they realize the market has dropped out. So keep looking.
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Demand may have dropped but prices haven't for quality revolvers.

I paid more for my S&W model 60 3 inch than I did for my wife's H&K P2000.
 
FN in MT said:
A pair of S&W 696's, in .44 Special. Five shooters on the medium, L Frame. Three inch barrels and adjustable sights.
Only issue; they suffer from a thin barrel at the forcing cone, so one can't get too crazy with hotter handloads.
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Now they make the L-frame in .44mag so those might be better with hot .44special handloads. I don't know if they changed the barrel thickness at that end. The ones that I've seen were 4" skinny barrels vs. 3" underlug barrels, I don't know if they have made any other variations since.
 
The S&W 69 Combat Magnums are very pleasant with Specials and accurate. If you prefer .357, the 66’s are fine revolvers as well.
 
Bad Ninja said:
Demand may have dropped but prices haven't for quality revolvers.

I paid more for my S&W model 60 3 inch than I did for my wife's H&K P2000.
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Prices can stay high. They probably will stay high, until sellers/dealers get tired of taking them to shows or having them on their shelves. SALES at recent gun shows have been very low. The market HAS changed. Look at SOLD prices on Gunbroker....revolvers are down in value.
 
FN in MT said:
Prices can stay high. They probably will stay high, until sellers/dealers get tired of taking them to shows or having them on their shelves. SALES at recent gun shows have been very low. The market HAS changed. Look at SOLD prices on Gunbroker....revolvers are down in value.
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Those sold on gun broker are used guns. Condition matters too.

New revolvers of quality ain't cheap.
Check out Freedom arms, any stainless SW, or even a Colt SAA cowboy revolver.
In fact, price a few new .22 revolvers from a reputable manufacturer.
A Ruger single six cost as much as a Glock.

High prices are part of the reason sales are down, and that's due to production cost.
Steel cost more to tool than polymer.
Plastic is cheap.
I own, love, and shoot both revolvers and autoloaders.

That said, Monday I'm buying my wife a new .38 bodyguard with laser. ;)
 
ARGHHHH! So much bad info in one thread.

First off, if you are afflicted with magnumitis, don't bother to read my post. You won't like anything that doesn't have "Magnum" in the name no matter what.

Here goes: Why I chose 44 Special over 357 Magnum for home defense
The short answer: Pressure.

The long answer:
To understand the difference, we have to level the playing field by using approximately the same weight bullet with the same powder. Let's look at a 185 grain bullet in 44 Special with a max load of 5.5 grains of Titegroup, vs a 180 grain bullet in 357 Magnum, also with a max load of 5.5 grains of Titegroup. That is about as close as you can get to a fair head-to-head comparison.

44 Special, 8" barrel, 185 grain bullet, 5.5 grains Titegroup (max load): 1025 fps
357 Mag, 10" barrel, 180 grain bullet, 5.5 grains Titegroup (max load): 1020 fps

OK, so far, not enough difference to even notice, right.

But now let's add the pressure

44 Special, 8" barrel, 185 grain bullet, 5.5 grains Titegroup (max load): 1025 fps, 11,600 CUP pressure
357 Mag, 10" barrel, 180 grain bullet, 5.5 grains Titegroup (max load): 1020 fps, 40,300 CUP pressure

So even though the pressure was about a fourth that of the 357 Mag, it got the same performance with approximately the same weight bullet and the same powder charge, even with a shorter barrel. That's because of the greater cross sectional area.

That greatly increased pressure of the 357 mag is going to have a helluva muzzle blast. The 44 Special, not so much.

Which would you rather fire inside your house???
 
I like the 44 Special. Have the Charter Arms Bulldog in that caliber. Big, heavy, slow moving bullet, but I think it would put a large caliber hurt on a bad guy! It’s true that a Charter Arms isn’t a Ruger..in terms of quality and finish..but never the less, a well made revolver with a great warranty. The five round capacity is not the greatest, but I think there would likely be no over penetration problems to worry about. The revolver is light, but the soft rubber grips (Hogue ?), make the felt recoil quite manageable! And since I don’t shoot any 44 Magnum..this works fine for me. After all, this cartridge was the precursor and inspiration for the 44 Magnum.
Cheers,
Citizen
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