Why is .44 Spl so uncommon?

[Don Quixote]

I shot some 44 Spl out of a my 629 today for the first time. I can't figure out why ths is not a more popular round. It's very pleasant to shoot out of that revolver, and seems like a good practice round for the 44 mag. The rounds were hitting in the same place as the 240 Gr 44 mag rounds.

Interestingly, the 180 gr 44 mag was hitting about 2 inches lower at 15 yds than both the 240 gr 44mag and the 44 special.

If they were cheaper, I would shoot them more. I guess it's a catch-22. If people shot them more, they would probably be cheaper

[SHEPHERD321]

Because real men shoot magnums
38 spcs are more concealable.
your 629 weights as much as a 38 snub, a houlster and extra ammo.
most people switched to semi auto pistols.

[hornady]

Personally I don’t shoot the 44Spl because in my case there is no need to have extra brass taking up room on my reloading bench. 44 Mag and SPL are both rounds that are much cheaper to reload than buy. I also cast the Lyman 245-grain bullet for my Ruger SBH. I can down load these cast bullets with Red-Dot or Unique to a very pleasant to shoot 44 Mag round with no more felt recoil than a standard 44 SPL round, or jump up to a very hot jacketed load.

[pennlineman]

The revolvers in chamberings like .44 Spl, .45 Colt and .45 ACP come in a larger package than other defense rounds. In the case of the .44 Spl, most often the revolver is built on the same frame as the .44 magnum. So more people are inclined to buy virtually the same revolver that is chambered in the more powerful magnum version. Compare the S&W models 24 and 29. Pretty much the same gun whereas the 24 is a .44 Spl and the 29 is a .44 Mag which of course can also shoot the .44 Spl.

Another reason is that reloaders can duplicate .44 Spl loads in the larger .44 magnum cases. So again, no real need to have a dedicated .44 Spl revolver.

I do agree though, chamberings like the .44 Spl and .45 Colt are great defensive rounds. The .45 ACP gets a little more of a following since the ammo is used in moon clips allowing faster reloads.

[Don Quixote]

I was actually wondering about the lack of ammo availability not the lack of guns in that chambering.

I doubt I would ever buy a 44 spl if for the same size you can get a 44mag, but I would think that there would be more 44 ammo available on store shelves just as a practice round. May have to ask my friends that reload to make me up some 44 spl, or even load down some 44 mag brass to 44spl equivalent

[Dave_n]

Basically the 44 Special is a target shooter's dream load. Extremely accurate and was used as the basis for Elmer Keith's loads that led finally to the 44 Magnum.

What became known as N frame S&Ws were chambered for 44 Special, 45 Colt and then in WWI, the UK ordered the 0.455 (same diameter bullet as the original 45 Colt) so S&W altered the cylinder slightly.

I have two of these, one still in 0.455, the other bored straight through for the 45 Colt. Using Cowboy Action loads for 45 Colt, accurate and easy recoil as I do not want to stress a 100 year old revolver. The 0.455 has slightly less recoil as the normal round is 625-640 fps, but still goes where pointed. Dave_n

[Don Quixote]

They were really accurate. I think they shot more accurately than the 44 mag. I used Underwood 44 spl both Ball and JHP.

[Noah_Zark]

Many of the above threads touched on the lack of 44 Special popularity, and having been somewhat "present at the creation" I'd like to add a bit:

The 44 S&W Special was introduced by S&W with their swing-out cylinder revolver line around 1908. It was essentially a lengthened 44 Russian, and quickly earned a reputation for accuracy, something the rival 45 Colt did not, chiefly because of the variation in bore diameters and cylinder throats amongst the various manufacturers of revolvers chambered in 45 Colt.

The 44 Special became a favorite with lawmen and outdoorsmen alike, and as handloaders do, the 44 Special was often "stoked" above factory ammo loadings in order to give greater terminal ballistics, yet retain its famous accuracy.

When Elmer Keith convinced S&W and Remington to introduce the 44 Magnum in the mid-1950s, that was the beginning of the end for the 44 Special. Handgunners wanted the "biggest and baddest" then as they do now, and the thinking was that "I can always shoot 44 Spl in my 44 Magnum anyway." The thing is, in reality many people didn't do that. They bought 44 Magnum ammo or cases and handloaded the magnum case as they say fit for intended use -- up or down in power. There never really developed the same "Special in the Magnum" practice like so many do with the 38 Spl in the 357 Magnum.

Handguns chambered in 44 Magnum outsold the 44 Special, and handgunners who preferred the accuracy and moderate punch of the Special stayed with the Special because the 44 Special didn't hold up to its accuracy potential when fired in the 44 Magnum, because the bullets jumped so far before entering the forcing cone. The cylinders in 44 Special revolvers are shorter, and the barrel shank longer, and the bullets don't have to jump as far to enter the rifling.

But 44 Special shooters were still very much in the minority, and sales of the S&W Model 24 skidded to a halt, resulting in the factory discontinuing the model. After that, prices for used Model 24s in either 4" or 6" went through the roof as 44 Special fans realized the supply of their beloved revolvers was limited. For a time, it was a regular practice to take a Model 28 Highway Patrolman in 357 Magnum and rechamber the cylinder to 44 Special and fit a factory spare 44 Special barrel to the frame. Winchester, Remington, Federal and for a while Super-Vel still provided 44 Special ammo, but it was never a hot-selling understudy of the 44 Magnum the way the 38 Special is to the 357 Magnum.

Charter Arms kept the 44 Special torch alive with their 5-shot 44 Special Bulldog, and for a time in the 1990s S&W again offered their Model 24, and a stainless Model 624 in the 6-shot N frame in response to renewed demand in the 44 Special as a new generation of handgunners "rediscovered" the accurate, moderately powerful, and easy-handling 44 Special. S&W also introduced the Model 696, a 5-shot stainless 44 Special with a 3" barrel on the L frame, which IMO is about the handiest 44 Special carry revolver ever made. But it didn't sell that well, and was discontinued after a short run and a few engineering changes. As is the case with many discontinued products, once the word got around that they were no longer made, prices on the 696 began a steep climb. I bought two of them used for less than $400 each, and today the 696 brings around $1000, depending on the condition, "dash number" and the "gotta have it!" desire on the part of the buyer. Many of these are being snapped up as non-shooter collector safe queens, which reduces supply and raises cost for those that do shoot the 696.

Still, despite the vagaries of revolver sales, the demand for 44 Special ammo lags far behind that of the 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, 357 Magnum, 45 ACP, 40 S&W, 9x19, and other more popular cartridges. The 44 Special is on a par with the 41 Magnum; both have a solid following of rabid fans who would shoot nothing else, but those shooters tend to already have lots of cases, bullets, and powder and RARELY buy loaded ammo. Stores simply do not stock what doesn't sell, and we are now back to why Don can't find loaded 44 Special ammo.

Noah

[Don Quixote]

Many of the above threads touched on the lack of 44 Special popularity, and having been somewhat "present at the creation" I'd like to add a bit:

The 44 S&W Special was introduced by S&W with their swing-out cylinder revolver line around 1908. It was essentially a lengthened 44 Russian, and quickly earned a reputation for accuracy, something the rival 45 Colt did not, chiefly because of the variation in bore diameters and cylinder throats amongst the various manufacturers of revolvers chambered in 45 Colt.

The 44 Special became a favorite with lawmen and outdoorsmen alike, and as handloaders do, the 44 Special was often "stoked" above factory ammo loadings in order to give greater terminal ballistics, yet retain its famous accuracy.

When Elmer Keith convinced S&W and Remington to introduce the 44 Magnum in the mid-1950s, that was the beginning of the end for the 44 Special. Handgunners wanted the "biggest and baddest" then as they do now, and the thinking was that "I can always shoot 44 Spl in my 44 Magnum anyway." The thing is, in reality many people didn't do that. They bought 44 Magnum ammo or cases and handloaded the magnum case as they say fit for intended use -- up or down in power. There never really developed the same "Special in the Magnum" practice like so many do with the 38 Spl in the 357 Magnum.

Handguns chambered in 44 Magnum outsold the 44 Special, and handgunners who preferred the accuracy and moderate punch of the Special stayed with the Special because the 44 Special didn't hold up to its accuracy potential when fired in the 44 Magnum, because the bullets jumped so far before entering the forcing cone. The cylinders in 44 Special revolvers are shorter, and the barrel shank longer, and the bullets don't have to jump as far to enter the rifling.

But 44 Special shooters were still very much in the minority, and sales of the S&W Model 24 skidded to a halt, resulting in the factory discontinuing the model. After that, prices for used Model 24s in either 4" or 6" went through the roof as 44 Special fans realized the supply of their beloved revolvers was limited. For a time, it was a regular practice to take a Model 28 Highway Patrolman in 357 Magnum and rechamber the cylinder to 44 Special and fit a factory spare 44 Special barrel to the frame. Winchester, Remington, Federal and for a while Super-Vel still provided 44 Special ammo, but it was never a hot-selling understudy of the 44 Magnum the way the 38 Special is to the 357 Magnum.

Charter Arms kept the 44 Special torch alive with their 5-shot 44 Special Bulldog, and for a time in the 1990s S&W again offered their Model 24, and a stainless Model 624 in the 6-shot N frame in response to renewed demand in the 44 Special as a new generation of handgunners "rediscovered" the accurate, moderately powerful, and easy-handling 44 Special. S&W also introduced the Model 696, a 5-shot stainless 44 Special with a 3" barrel on the L frame, which IMO is about the handiest 44 Special carry revolver ever made. But it didn't sell that well, and was discontinued after a short run and a few engineering changes. As is the case with many discontinued products, once the word got around that they were no longer made, prices on the 696 began a steep climb. I bought two of them used for less than $400 each, and today the 696 brings around $1000, depending on the condition, "dash number" and the "gotta have it!" desire on the part of the buyer. Many of these are being snapped up as non-shooter collector safe queens, which reduces supply and raises cost for those that do shoot the 696.

Still, despite the vagaries of revolver sales, the demand for 44 Special ammo lags far behind that of the 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, 357 Magnum, 45 ACP, 40 S&W, 9x19, and other more popular cartridges. The 44 Special is on a par with the 41 Magnum; both have a solid following of rabid fans who would shoot nothing else, but those shooters tend to already have lots of cases, bullets, and powder and RARELY buy loaded ammo. Stores simply do not stock what doesn't sell, and we are now back to why Don can't find loaded 44 Special ammo.

Noah

You can take over for Joe Mantegna when he retires from "Gun Stories" on outdoor channel

[twency]

Many of the above threads touched on the lack of 44 Special popularity, and having been somewhat "present at the creation" I'd like to add a bit:

The 44 S&W Special was introduced by S&W with their swing-out cylinder revolver line around 1908. …

Just how old are you, man?


Seriously though, very interesting post. Thanks. Can't rep you at the moment.