old .44 carbine ??

[351 power]

i saw an old .44 semi for sale. the kind that has a tube magazine i think. are they reliable? can you handload heavy bullets for them? are they like the 10/22 to take apart? thanks

[nrb]

I've used a Ruger 44 carbine since the 1980's with complete satisfaction. These rifles are very well made and were costly to manufacture because of the extensive machining involved. As far as using heavy bullets, my handloads revealed that the heavier bullets, 240-300gr, were the most accurate for this rifle. These do not resemble the 10/22 in any way. They have a rigid construction with solid steel receiver and do not disassemble in the same way as the 10/22. They sell for a premium but are worth every penny.

best,          nrb

[BlkHawk73]

  What he said!  Actually I gotta add that they won't feed the really heavy bullets if they're seated to far out.  The OAL of the cartridge with these bullets won't let them feed reliably.  Also, there's the ones marked "Deerstalker" and those that are simply the .44 carbine.  Same gun but different markings.  The later are more affordable and good condition ones can be had for $350.  On the other hand an early one "Deerstalker" marked one will be a couple hundred more or better depending on condition.

[OLDHandgunner]

I have two 44 Carbines. One is made in 1963 that I use most of the time & the other is a Fingergrove Sporter w/ factory checkering ( don't use this much because of it's value now. ) All my boys have at least 1 Ruger Carbine. We shoot mostly Hornady 240 HP ( now XTP's ).  We hunt cottontails & jackrabbits with dogs using Ruger 10/22's. This is great practice for deer hunting. The two guns a very simular in size, weight & feel. Have never had a feeding problem with my handloads. GREAT DEER GUN!!

Now I'm looking for an original 44 International ( mannlicher stock ) to complete my 44 collection. Have all the 10/22's ( carbine, fingergrove & mannlicher ) from the 60's. These are great guns.

[351 power]

i checked it over today. 4 digit ser. no. 75% bluing, action seems solid. it was abit loose in stock. $450 is that alot? i need to save up to buy it

[OLDHandgunner]

351power

If it's only 75% blueing & the action seems loose I would hold off on buying it for $450. Up here in the Northeast the 44 Carbine is still a pretty popular deer gun. The prices average from $375 - $ 450 for one in really good shape. The 4 digit s/n you looked at probably made in 1961 or 1962. Was it marked " Deerstalker " ? The only problem I've ever heard of with the early 44 Carbines, was that sometimes the stock would split by the rear of the receiver ( only seen 1 that did ). These are a very solid & reliable gun.  GOOD LUCK!!

[Boxhead]

My early gun just loves the Speer 270 gr Gold Dot. Agree that price is high given the condition.

[351 power]

thanks guys. i was hoping to get the rifle in the 300$ range. there is a spot on the stock at the rear of the reciever that may have had a crack repaired.

[Rogue Ram]

Yall are going to HATE me.......  I bagged an old one, what do they call it......"Deer Stalker"? out of an estate sale of several guns.  The dummies shipped the guns to another state to an FFL holder so the son could get them and sell them off.......but they put all these guns in ONE box NO padding. Christ what a mess....  anyway, I bagged a 4 digit serial number literally MINT (don't ask me how that happened given the shipping mess) for $75.   Problem is, I am afraid to use it. Ruger supposedly won't work on the old ones anymore, if it breaks what does a guy do???

Nice little rifle, looks like a 10-22 with a MUCH bigger hole in the end of the barrel.........

Any problems with these guns???

Thanks,

RR

[OLDHandgunner]

Rogue Ram

You got one hell-of-a-deal. You shouldn't have any problems with it, just keep it clean & keep loads reasonable. The Deerstalker is the same gun as the 44 Carbine, but Ruger had to take off the name Deerstalker because Ithaca Gun Co. already was using the name Deerslayer on their shotgun. Even though the name wasn't exactly the same, Ruger changed it to avoid any bad feelings (according to Ruger).
If you really feel that bad about that deal ,I'd be glad to refund your money for the gun.

[targshooter]

351 power,
If you want a collectible I would get one of these if I was under 40, and it MAY get some collector value that will give you a return on your investment. The rifle you are looking at is very over priced, $450 buying a mint version of this rifle around here (MN). You can get a new 99/44 for $50 more and have a much better firearm for shooting.  As a shooter, these older 44 carbines are poor rifles. This is why Ruger quit making them and no longer services them. They had durability issues (especially the cartridge feed mechanism), were finicky over ammo and very limited in what would work in them. The original User's Manuals spelled out the ammo limitations very clearly. The new Deerfield has a length limitation, but with mine, if it goes in the magazine it goes through the gun. Accuracy? It shoots 3 inch groups at 100 yards all day, far better than any of the two older Ruger carbines I owned in the 1970s and dumped. One shot 8 inch patterns at 100 yards and the other made two trips back to the factory for its untrustworthy cartridge feeding. I know several people who have owned and shot these older carbines with no problem, but they do not shoot them a lot. I also know several people that had them and dumped them for the above accuracy and dependability issues. My 2 cents, but in the forum I would feel I had been remiss if I did not steer you away from this $450 blunder, especially since you are saving to buy. Good luck.

[OLDHandgunner]

I hate to disagree with" targshooter" but I've owned and shot my old Carbine alot over the past 25yrs without a single problem. I shoot only reloads with 21.0 grs of IMR-4227 under 240 Hornady JHP ( now XTP ). The gun will keep a 1" to 1 1/4" group at 50yrd with my 2 1/2 power Lyman scope w/post. Not bad for a semi-auto deer rifle. It brings home the meat. We have 6 of these 44 Carbines in the family. My boys or myself had never had a problem or we wouldn't still have them for deer hunting. Nothing any worse than a deer gun that won't shoot or that jams.
The main problem with accuracy in the 44 Carbine is using an under sized bullet. That's why we use the Hornady bullets because they are .430 dia. We slugged our bores and all of them required at least a .429+ bullet. And most of the 44 bullets are .428 & .429.
Maybe I shouldn't be telling people this because this is how we bought 4 of these guns. The people were dissatisfied with the gun for this same problem and we got them cheap. OH WELL 

P.S  If anyone has an original International 44 Carbine with this problem, I'll take this problem gun of your hands.

[targshooter]

OLDHandgunner,
So what was cheap? I have seen them for sale here in the condition 351power described for around $300. The price on them here dropped when the Deerfield came to market. This may help 351 power in determining what the value of such would be in the present day market. Thanks.

[OLDHandgunner]

targshooter

I probably shouldn't have used the word cheap. Should have said a good buy. (Nothings cheap any more.)

Here in the northeast at gun shows & gun shops you will pay $ 375 to $ 450 for a carbine in very good condition. If you're lucky enough to find private sales you can usually get them $ 100 or so less. One like 351power saw sounds like it was in not so good condition, I wouldn't pay more than $ 250-$ 275 for one in that condition. A good buy now for a carbine in 95-98% would be around $ 300 here in the northeast. Because they are still a popular deer gun. One I picked up for $ 200 because the guy didn't want it any more cause it was jamming with his handloads. My sporter ( fingergroove ) I paid $ 325 for at a gun shop, it had a painted stock (car undercoating) to make it look composite. The gun itself was 99%, no blue wear, no dings, or no scratches just UGLY. Low and behold under the sprayed undercoat was a beautiful factory checked stock. What was the original owner thinking?
These older ruger carbines are becoming harder to find and more expensive. Most of the problems that people are having with these guns are caused by careless handloads & not cleaning them properly.
Ruger gun's have different values in different parts of the country. The Deerfield never was a big hit up here, that's why the old carbine prices are higher in the northeast.
          Have a good day

[stuffit]

Several of my old deer-hunting associates used a 44 Mag Ruger carbine of this sort with success and liked them.  I had the occasion to shoot one of these that was giving feeding problems with some  200 gr factory (MagTec, I think) loads.  With heavier (read 240 gr ) bullets, reloads or factory, it never showed any problems at all so my conclusion was that it didn't like the 200 gr loads.   
 
stuffit

[Doc T]

I have the International Mannlicher version.  It is a great rifle for hunting in the woods.  Mine likes the standard 240gr ammo, factory or reloads.  I have never had to trail a deer that I shot with this combo.  I have always been able to stand where the deer was when I shot and see him piled up on the ground a few yards away, dead as a hammer.

Doc T

[BNoz01]

So you guys like the Ruger 44 Carbine?

I tried to buy one in 1986 after they closed out the production in 1985.  They made 25,000 / year for 24 years, then made 1500 "YR-25" models in the 25th year to close out production.   My gun dealer told me they were all gone.  Then a couple months later he calls me and tells me he found one somewhere.  I told him to grab it.  This is identical to the regular carbines, except it has a medalian in the stock and some words stamped on the barrel ("25th Anniversary" or something like that).

I still have this rifle to this day, including the box (and even the UPS wrapping around the box showing I paid $385 in 1986).  About 10 years ago it got a scratch in the varnish, so I had it professionally revarnished, which turned out to be shinier than the original finish. 

I used to shoot a deer a year with it.  I used 180 grain bullets because they'd be lodged under the skin on the far side of the deer.  That way all the other hunter's couldn't claim they hit the deer with their 30-06, etc. 

I tried to shoot 300 grain bullets years ago, and they shot terrible.  I assumed the twist wasn't fast enough to stablize anything heavier than 240 grain bullets because it shot 180 - 240 grainers' just fine (sub 3 inches at 100 yards).

Mine is in great condition, except it has bluing wear on the loading gate.  I've also added a stock extension to the rifle, but still have the original buttplate as well.

Too bad that we can't offer up rifles for sale or trade anymore, otherwise I'd be tempted to trade it away.

B. Noz.
Colorado Springs, CO

BNoz01@yahoo.com