44 special revolvers

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What's available for 44 special not full size revolvers these days? Years back I wanted a taurus 445 but it looks like they are gone. I'm not too high on Charter Arms stuff since you are apparently not supposed to fire heavy 44 special loads in them and I'd like the option to have a heavy woods load.

Rossi 720s? I've read some bad stuff about Rossi recently.

The GP100 is far too big for my usage.

Anything else?
If the GP100 is "too big", then there is nothing to discuss here. The guns, like the 720 were never rated for "bear" loads.
 
As Tallball referenced, if you can find a Taurus 431 (3" bbl, fixed sights) or a 441 (4" bbl, adjustable sights) grab it. They come blued or stainless, and I'm not aware of any difference in model #s between the two.

I have a blued 431. Manufactured early 1990. I have various S&W of the same era, and the fit and finish us very comparable between the two companies.
My 431 is an accurate revolver, and I do carry it in a Mernickle holster.

Hi...
I have a very accurate Taurus 441 stainless revolver and shoot it regularly. I don't think it is quite up to handling a steady diet of Skeeter's load(7.5gr Unique with a 240gr LSWC), so I reserve that load for my Lipsey Ruger flat top. The Taurus gets the same bullet with a lighter powder charge for range use but when I carry it hiking I still use the Skeeter load.
 
You are not wrong, but my usage would be if I was carrying it as a truck gun and my job took me to the woods. I would want to just have the option of firing a bear worthy round . More than likely it would get a few cylinders to test it and that's it.

I have bigger magnums to shoot if I want to, it wouldn't get much hot loads

Just a thought. If you're carrying it as a truck gun gun why a smaller gun? If bears are that much of a concern I'd carry more gun.
 
Yes, a 38 ounce 8.5 inch long revolver is too big for carry imo
Not sure where you are going here. Ruger's 44 Special GP100 is 3", plus a 5" gun as a Lipsey's exclusive. Yes, the 5" is 38 ounces, which I expect would be about right for a gun like that (steel half lug). They hold 5 rounds.

My 41 Special is built on a GP100 3" and is, while a bit of a paperweight, quite concealable OWB.

You mentioned the purpose is to be a "truck gun". To now cite conceal-ability is moving the goal posts of the thread.

updated to correct brain/typing disconnect. It is 41 Special, not Magnum.
 
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Not sure where you are going here. Ruger's 44 Special GP100 is 3", plus a 5" gun as a Lipsey's exclusive. Yes, the 5" is 38 ounces, which I expect would be about right for a gun like that (steel half lug). They hold 5 rounds.

My 41 Magnum is built on a GP100 3" and is, while a bit of a paperweight, quite concealable OWB.

You mentioned the purpose is to be a "truck gun". To now cite conceal-ability is moving the goal posts of the thread.

That's the specs from Ruger for the 3 inch.

CCW was the originally usage, and also it's usage as a truck gun as well. If it was just a truck gun it could be full size
 
That's the specs from Ruger for the 3 inch.

CCW was the originally usage, and also it's usage as a truck gun as well. If it was just a truck gun it could be full size
No, I had already looked it up. The 3" can't be 8.5", and the weight is 36 ounces, not 38 like the 5".
 
Hi...
I have a very accurate Taurus 441 stainless revolver and shoot it regularly. I don't think it is quite up to handling a steady diet of Skeeter's load(7.5gr Unique with a 240gr LSWC), so I reserve that load for my Lipsey Ruger flat top. The Taurus gets the same bullet with a lighter powder charge for range use but when I carry it hiking I still use the Skeeter load.

Yeah, I don't load the Taurus heavy. My 431 is used for regular carry, I load a 200gr lead RFN to 850 fps from that 3" barrel. Good enough.

For field carry I use a Ruger Bisley Flattop 4 5/8" barrel. I load it with 240 gr at 1000 fps. That'll knock down anything around here.
 
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I have a real dark horse, a .41mag snub nose double action Astra.

.41mag is a helluva cartridge, probably good for anything south of Canada.
(moot point north of the border where they are banned. BTW if you are going to Canada with long guns don't make the mistake of taking a rifle that is chambered in a pistol caliber like a Marlin 44, or they will tear your car apart looking for your matching handgun)
 
I own a Rossi 720. Bought it new. It came as the "Covert" model. No hammer. I didnt like that so I put a hammer on mine. Gun is slick as a whistle. 28oz empty. K frame with a J frame grip. Super concealable. Great trigger and super accurate for combat distance. I shoot 200 LRN for practice. I roll my own. Carry Blazer 200 Gold Dots for defense.
There are no flies on this gun. If you can get one. Get it!
 

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I have the 720. I concur with all that's been said about it. I would only add that if you like to shoot a lot and want to shoot .44 special you either load your own or are in the financial position to send me a sizeable cash gift this Christmas.

If I did it over again I'd probably have gone the Ruger sp101 in 38/357 because ammo cost. Even though I load my 44s it's sometimes nice to buy a box of factory stuff and not spend a buck a shot for dang pistol ammo. But a 44 special snub is much nicer shooting than a .357 snub, as someone already remarked. Especially indoors with concrete floors/walls.
 
I know you specified .44 Special, but you really might be better served by a 3" SP101 .357 Magnum. With a hot, heavy-bullet load for woods use it will likely get the job done. Just a thought; feel free to disregard and carry on.
 
The S&W 69 sounds like it would be perfect for your purposes.
He has already said that a 3" medium frame would be "too big to carry". There is no winning here, because a smaller gun really up to firing a serious 44 Special load doesn't exist. Just a couple hours ago I was firing a mid level load in my Flat Top Blackhawk 4" and don't think I would call that fun in a smaller gun. I have had other 44 Specials, including a couple DA/SA that were displaced by my 41 Special custom six shooter GP100, and the Blackhawk is the 44 Special I chose to keep.
 
He has already said that a 3" medium frame would be "too big to carry". There is no winning here, because a smaller gun really up to firing a serious 44 Special load doesn't exist. Just a couple hours ago I was firing a mid level load in my Flat Top Blackhawk 4" and don't think I would call that fun in a smaller gun. I have had other 44 Specials, including a couple DA/SA that were displaced by my 41 Special custom six shooter GP100, and the Blackhawk is the 44 Special I chose to keep.


I own a 6 inch gp100, sure it's a medium frame but its still a big heavy pistol.

I also owned a 44 mag snubby, a m44c taurus, at one time. It hated 44 special loads for whatever reason but wasn't bad at all to fire with full power 300 great magnums. This amount of recoil you are talking about is fine for me.

Seriously RealGun......I'm not talking about firing many of the heavy buffalo bore ammo, if it gets 10 rounds thru it in its entire life I would be stunned. I want a gun....that can fire a super limited amount of heavier rounds thru it that isn't full sized, I just want the option if I need it. For some reason I cannot fathom you can't wrap your head around the " not full sized" that I mentioned in my original post. A gp100 is a full sized revolver. A 640 is not full sized, do you understand what I'm saying here? I literally mentioned a taurus 445 snubby and a charter arms bulldog in my post. These are not huge guns. I understand that you don't like recoil, I don't have the same problem. This isn't a personal attack on you, leave your opinion elsewhere.
 
I know you specified .44 Special, but you really might be better served by a 3" SP101 .357 Magnum. With a hot, heavy-bullet load for woods use it will likely get the job done. Just a thought; feel free to disregard and carry on.

It was my original idea, say a Taurus 617 on the biggest side or one of a handful of smaller 5 shot magnums.

To me the 357 is the best of a lot of worlds, it can do a lot. It's why my wife has a taurus 357 tracker, it can do bear and four legged and human defence very well.

It's a good point and I appreciate you mentioning it, I was hoping the 44 special would be better or different but apparently , according to some, it's impossible unless you get into bigger guns lol
 
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It was my original idea, say a Taurus 617 on the biggest side or one of a handful of smaller 5 shot magnums.

To me the 357 is the best of a lot of worlds, it can do a lot. It's why my wife has a taurus 357 tracker, it can do bear and four legged and human defence very well.

It's a good point and I appreciate you mentioning it, I was hoping the 44 special would be better or different but apparently , according to some, it's impossible unless you get into bigger guns lol

@Antihero I've always labored under the impression that .357 Magnum (even handloaded and hotrodded) was not suited for bear. Just not enough bullet there. And every dedicated .44 Spl I know of today (Charter Bulldog, Ruger GP100) the Bulldog is too light weight for heavy loads, and the GP100 is too large for your stated want. From where I'm sitting, only option I see for you to do is change your preferred caliber or accept the GP100 as inevitably large.
 
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