Author Topic: Possible .44 Spec. for CCW (Read 3256 times)

streak · « **on:** April 02, 2011, 11:20:36 AM »

Just wondering if anyone has tried to configure a .44 Spec. for concealed carry situation?
I think that would be the "cat`s meow" for good CCW round in a revolver!
I know many years ago it was a favorite round for "Skeeter" Skelton when he was a Border Patrol agent!

williamlayton · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2011, 12:58:12 PM »

That is what the rig I got from Black Hills is for.
It will wear good even under the shirt I have on in the pic.
Blessings

Bigeasy · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2011, 02:28:42 PM »

Lots of guys swear by the compact Charter Arms .44 spl. A 240 grain soft lead hollowpoint at about 800 fps will do the trick.

Larry

streak · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2011, 02:40:06 PM »

William and Bigeasy,
Thanks for the info!
I will have to take a look at the Charter Arms, and also William is that a Model 28 with a 4" barrel?

williamlayton · « **Reply #4 on:** April 02, 2011, 04:34:09 PM »

One is a Model 28 and the other is a model 22.
Blessings

32 Magnum · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2011, 06:28:58 AM »

Look for a 1st Generation (1965-91) Charter Bulldog .44, there's a fair number of different ones available on the used market in v.good to excellent shape. I have 5 different versions, didn't pay over $300 for any of them. I routinely carry a s.s. with 2 1/2" bull barrel - easy to pack and shoots dead on at 25 feet. I've recently tried out some of the Federal Champion 200 gr. Semi-wadcutter hollow point ammo. Box shows a muzzle velocity (3" barrel) of 870 fps and 335 ft/lbs of muzzle energy. About the same as a standard .45 Auto 230 gr. round.

coyotejoe · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2011, 06:41:59 AM »

I have one of the early bulldogs, 3" barrel and walnut grips, and for carry I load a 180 grain full wadcutter hard cast bullet at 1051 fps actual chronographed velocity, that calculates to 442 ft.lb. It's a stout load but not high pressure, fired cases fall freely from the chambers, but if I fire more than five of those loads in one day I'll lose skin from the knuckle of my trigger finger where the guard slaps it in recoil. For practice and plinking I back the same bullet down to about 800 fps and that is quite comfortable. I have more confidence in the huge meplate of a wadcutter than in the expansion of a hollowpoint at low velocity.

Mohawk · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2011, 05:45:52 PM »

My grandfather carried a .44 spl Smith and Wesson Hand Ejector as a Dallas cop decades ago. My father and myself are alive today because it worked.

williamlayton · « **Reply #8 on:** April 04, 2011, 03:09:03 AM »

I wore the rig yesterday with the 28---it worked good and was easy on me.
I don't wear 24/7 but it was 80 degerees and I wore a light jacket/windbreaker over the rig.
Blessings

drdougrx · « **Reply #9 on:** April 04, 2011, 05:18:14 AM »

I'm hearing you about a compact 44sp. The M28 is a BIG gun, though you can conceal it if you try. A friend of mine who is a full time hog guide at mu favorite preserve uses a 3" charter bulldog with 200gr factory sp. Seems to do the trick for him and the hundred or so hogs per year that he has to assist with (they shoot a couple thousand I suspect over the course of a year). He went to the Charter because he could carry it comfortably all day in some really awful weather and still have some punch.

Anyway....question...what are the issues with the NEW generation of Charter Bulldogs???

streak · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2011, 08:50:56 AM »

In the newer versions do they come in a 3" with a bull barrel?
Also like drdougrx are there any issues with the newer versions?

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2011, 09:09:19 AM »

At one point I wrote to S&W and though a K or L frame with a 5 shot 44 Special 3" or 4" and night sights would be a great gun.
S&W made the 696 for as little while, shortly after.
They now have the night guard series that has glowing sights.
Tauras had a similar gun for a while as well.
I thought that bringing out a new S&W 44 Special would have the ammo companies produce more self defensive loads for it.
At the time there was basically the 200 Grain Silver tip load, and Remington had just dropped the 200 Semi Wad cutter hollow point that was a little ambitious in the data but a great load to shoot. I think Hornady custom had a 180 Jacket hollow point.
But I figured that Federal would come out with a Hydroshock, Remington would produce a golden saber, and Winchester would augment the silver tip offering with a SXT.
No matter how much we like the 44 Special, I think the lack of gun sales are going to keep the ammo makers from producing new loads for it and the lack of new loads are going to keep the gun makers from making new guns to shoot it.

drdougrx · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2011, 11:29:12 AM »

Too bad...I wonder if there's enough room in a J frame cyl window for a 5 shot, 44sp cyl?

Now that would be kinda cool!

BTW....Hey MOD...what's with the (banned site) in my last response?

?

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #13 on:** April 04, 2011, 12:07:50 PM »

Maybe as a 3 shot
I do not have a J frame to look at and hold a 44 special to it and see if there is room.

mechanic · « **Reply #14 on:** April 04, 2011, 12:28:49 PM »

There is just something about a big old chunk of lead moving subsonic that does a lot more than expected. The 44 fits that bill. Like the 45 ACP it is a close range stopper. I would feel a little undergunned on a griz, but for self defense, it beats a 9mm all day. JMO.

Ben

coyotejoe · « **Reply #15 on:** April 04, 2011, 01:10:23 PM »

Quote from: streak on April 04, 2011, 08:50:56 AM

In the newer versions do they come in a 3" with a bull barrel?
Also like drdougrx are there any issues with the newer versions?

The old Bulldogs were good guns and I hear but cannot attest, that the current production is pretty good as well. In between there were a couple of different owners, "Charco" and "Charter 2000" with whom quality was not a high priority. I had one of those by Charter 2000. It was a nice looking stainless gun with 2 1/2" barrel and shot some pretty fair groups. After about a year I noticed it had developed lots of end shake and on examination discovered the barrel had actually crept about 1/16" forward out of the frame. I found it hadn't even been threaded, just heavily knurled and pressed into a hole in the frame!
The old versions with 3" barrel were not "bull barreled" but were a slim tapered barrel, mine weighs 19.1 ounces. Even the best Charter Arms revolvers are not S&W quality, but they work.
As for a "J frame" .44 special, no way. The S&W 696 is a five shooter and that is on the "L frame" and a much heavier gun than the Bulldog.

jimster · « **Reply #16 on:** April 04, 2011, 02:01:46 PM »

I've been wearing a Blackhawk flat top 44 spl pretty steady for the past two weeks breaking in a Simply rugged pancake holster, even wore it IWB all day this last Saturday. It can be done. When the weather gets warm I'll switch to something else, but I had no trouble concealing this Ruger single action with what I'm wearing these days. Pancake type holsters work best for me for heavier guns, it spreads the weight out on the belt.

schuetzen · « **Reply #17 on:** April 04, 2011, 06:21:51 PM »

Bond Arms derringer in .44 Special? Just had to throw this one in there. Never owned one, never shot one. But it's a possibility for CCW. (There is even a 357 Maximum available!)

http://www.bondarms.com/ifirearms.php

OLDHandgunner · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2011, 02:49:24 AM »

As I've said before my S&W 696 in 44 Spl is my go with me everywhere gun. It may not be the smallest CCW but it works for me.

williamlayton · « **Reply #19 on:** April 05, 2011, 04:53:42 AM »

I think my comment was that it does not have to be a "J" frame to be carried with ease.
The "N" frame is large and can be carried with ease and concealment if the rig is good.
Blessings

Savage · « **Reply #20 on:** April 05, 2011, 05:44:56 AM »

Quote from: schuetzen on April 04, 2011, 06:21:51 PM

Bond Arms derringer in .44 Special? Just had to throw this one in there. Never owned one, never shot one. But it's a possibility for CCW. (There is even a 357 Maximum available!)

http://www.bondarms.com/ifirearms.php

Shucks, you could get a real usable revolver for the price of the Bond.
Savage

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #21 on:** April 05, 2011, 06:44:27 AM »

Quote from: Savage on April 05, 2011, 05:44:56 AM

Quote from: schuetzen on April 04, 2011, 06:21:51 PM
Bond Arms derringer in .44 Special? Just had to throw this one in there. Never owned one, never shot one. But it's a possibility for CCW. (There is even a 357 Maximum available!)

http://www.bondarms.com/ifirearms.php

Shucks, you could get a real usable revolver for the price of the Bond.
Savage

Savage,
I'm with you.
Having had a derringer and shooting it was more novelty than anything else.
And I could see the appeal in the late 1800's when your chioce was either a mouse gun or a single shot small gun in a large caliber and the Remington in 41 was a great chioce for the time.
But if you look at the size of them now and the calibers and the capacity. Not to mention the awkward way to load them. I think I would rather have a small auto over a 2 Shot Derringer. Heck they are making some of the small autos in some potent calibers. the Sig P245 and the 220 Compact in 45 ACP are not much larger than my P230 in 380.

streak · « **Reply #22 on:** April 05, 2011, 09:20:56 AM »

Quote from: OLDHandgunner on April 05, 2011, 02:49:24 AM

As I've said before my S&W 696 in 44 Spl is my go with me everywhere gun. It may not be the smallest CCW but it works for me.

I looked at the S&W 629-4 in a 3"' barrel and it looks like it could work too!

Old Fart · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2011, 09:33:07 AM »

Something I stumbled across a couple years back was a Taurus Titanium in 44spl.
It is extremely lite and easy to carry.

32 Magnum · « **Reply #24 on:** April 07, 2011, 05:06:31 AM »

I've owned and carried one of those Taurus Total Titanium revolvers - no problems and it weighs in at 19 oz. empty. Mine's chambered in .45 Colt, but the .44 S&W Spec. is the same size. Nice carry gun if you can find one.

Jim n Iowa · « **Reply #25 on:** May 13, 2011, 02:58:50 PM »

I carry the .44sp, one is a 2" Taurus that rides in the door panel of my truck, its also very easy to slip in your back pocket of jeans. I load it with 200g Win sthp for most times, in cold weather we do 200g swc as the bandits here in the winter wear heavy clothes and slows the hp down. The other .44sp is carried in the field hunting a .44Mag SBH 4.5" loaded with 240 swc. Reloading is a real plus to this round.
Jim

Higene · « **Reply #26 on:** May 13, 2011, 04:47:30 PM »

I have had a 3" Taurus, and currently have a 4" S&W model 22 Thunder ranch special. I have seen 4" Sheriff's model built from a Ruger new model flat top. Clements will build you a 4 5/8" Jeff Quinn 44 special or sheriff's model on a 3 screw frame. Or find a triple lock and cough up all your savings and your first born child.

streak · « **Reply #27 on:** May 13, 2011, 06:03:01 PM »

Well as I mentioned in my earlier post I took a look at the S&W629 and ended up buying two of them. One for me and one for my oldest son in Alaska. purchased a Sourdough holster from Simply rugged and it is doable as a CCW. I decided on the S&W because I do find myself in Alaska on occassion archery hunting. Therefore thought the .44Mag was a little better security.

Higene · « **Reply #28 on:** May 14, 2011, 12:16:26 AM »

7 to 9 grains of Unique are excellent in a 44 special or 44 mag ahead of a 240 or 250 grain bullet..

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #29 on:** May 14, 2011, 02:21:04 AM »

ive owned a 396 and a 696 smith which are L frame 5 shot 44 specials and make excellent ccw guns. There new nightgurard would probably be the best of the three for ccw.