44 mag 1.41"?

[Cree k Henry]

So, I've been considering a project gun... Basically getting an oversized 6 or 5 shot cylinder Bisley in 44 mag but with case length of 1.4 or so. Also, it should be capable of 48k psi ala the 480 and 327.

Has this ever been tried before. We have the 360 DW already so this is in that vain.

 

[silvermane_1]

Well the 480 Ruger uses Carpenter steel for the 6 shot cylinders.

 

[.38 Special]

There have been a few. Mostly designed by silhouette shooters. 445 Super Mag, 44 Ultramag, 444 Shafer Mag, .44 Mad Max, .44 Linebaugh Long, .44 Rhino. And I can pretty much guarantee I'm missing some. Parent cases can be .444 Marlin, .356 Winchester, .30-40 Krag, .303 Brit, and again, I'm sure I'm missing some.

It seems to me that most folks decided that driving a 240 grain .429 bullet a few hundred fps faster than the .44 Magnum can manage stopped making much sense after the development of hot .45 Colt loads, let alone things like the .460 Magnum. There's a lot I don't understand about handgunners, though. Don't forget to post pics!

 

[DWFan]

Get a BFR and make your ammo the same length as the cylinder by seating the bullets further out. Does pretty much the same thing as you are proposing.

 

[Cree k Henry]

That does sound like a much easier route to go down... TY. If we ever get out of lock down mode I may just do that.

 

[CraigC]

I had one built a couple years ago with a linebored, oversized six shot cylinder. Depending on what bullets you use, it's not really necessary to have a 1.4" case. I wanted to be able to use the lower crimp groove on some of the cast bullets I was using, along with Brian Pearce's 50,000psi +P+ Redhawk/Super Redhawk data. I also wanted to be able to just stuff the case full of H110 and let it fly. Using the lower crimp groove and H110 at 100% density, I was able to get the Beartooth 330gr to 1440fps, the 355gr to 1350fps and their 405gr to 1160fps. Which is about 100-150fps over standard loads. If using jacketed bullets, you can also just roll a lower cannelure in them. You can do all the same stuff in a Redhawk, Super Redhawk, Dan Wesson or BFR. Although I'm not convinced the DW is as strong as the other options.

I wrote about the sixgun here:

http://www.sixgunner.org/ultimate44-01.html

 

[silvermane_1]

There have been a few. Mostly designed by silhouette shooters. 445 Super Mag, 44 Ultramag, 444 Shafer Mag, .44 Mad Max, .44 Linebaugh Long, .44 Rhino. And I can pretty much guarantee I'm missing some. Parent cases can be .444 Marlin, .356 Winchester, .30-40 Krag, .303 Brit, and again, I'm sure I'm missing some.

It seems to me that most folks decided that driving a 240 grain .429 bullet a few hundred fps faster than the .44 Magnum can manage stopped making much sense after the development of hot .45 Colt loads, let alone things like the .460 Magnum. There's a lot I don't understand about handgunners, though. Don't forget to post pics!

The problem with the 44 "Ultra Mags" is you start to get diminishing returns in a revolver unless your talking a very long bbl. revolver, now in a longgun it's a different story.

 

[.38 Special]

The problem with the 44 "Ultra Mags" is you start to get diminishing returns in a revolver unless your talking a very long bbl. revolver, now in a longgun it's a different story.

Well, I am one of those who doesn't see the point in trying to drive handgun bullets to maximum velocities. When I run out of horsepower, I'd rather move to a wider bullet - I think things like the .480 Ruger and .50 Special make more sense than .44 Max, .460 Mag, etc.

Each to his own, of course. We all need something to do over the next few weeks or months!

 

[MaxP]

Well, I am one of those who doesn't see the point in trying to drive handgun bullets to maximum velocities. When I run out of horsepower, I'd rather move to a wider bullet - I think things like the .480 Ruger and .50 Special make more sense than .44 Max, .460 Mag, etc.

Each to his own, of course. We all need something to do over the next few weeks or months!

Except for the fact that faster moving projectiles (all else being equal and assuming the bullet is up to the task) producer more damage. I too like "wider," but I prefer bigger and faster. That's a winning/killing combination.

 

[.38 Special]

Except for the fact that faster moving projectiles (all else being equal and assuming the bullet is up to the task) producer more damage. I too like "wider," but I prefer bigger and faster. That's a winning/killing combination.

Well, you are wrong. Probably due to your lack of experience.

 

[CraigC]

At least playing with this stuff keeps us off the streets.

 

[.38 Special]

One of the troubles with turning into an old man is that I cling to outdated knowledge. When I was serious about handgun hunting there weren't very many handgun bullets which performed well at really high velocities. A "standard" weight JHP driven to 1500+ FPS could sometimes result in instantaneous kills, and sometimes in nasty surface wounds. The "serious" revolver hunter tended to gravitate toward hardcast bullets, especially LBT designs, which really don't need to be driven that fast to be effective.

The funny thing is that I no longer can legally hunt with cast bullets, so really need to get with the times and learn more about the monolithic copper bullets that Max and others are using to such great effect. Perhaps my old .44 Magnum is now more gun than it used to be...

 

[silvermane_1]

Well, I am one of those who doesn't see the point in trying to drive handgun bullets to maximum velocities. When I run out of horsepower, I'd rather move to a wider bullet - I think things like the .480 Ruger and .50 Special make more sense than .44 Max, .460 Mag, etc.

Each to his own, of course. We all need something to do over the next few weeks or months!

Hence why I own a 480 Ruger.

 

[.38 Special]

I honestly don't understand why the .480 isn't a huge hit. I also don't understand why revolver buyers aren't clamoring for a mass-produced .50 Special. C'est la vie.

 

[MaxP]

I honestly don't understand why the .480 isn't a huge hit. I also don't understand why revolver buyers aren't clamoring for a mass-produced .50 Special. C'est la vie.

The .480 has gained in popularity and acceptance, particularly when Ruger released the SBH in .480. The .500 JRH will do everything a .50 Special will and so much more as it can be loaded quite warmly.

As a side note, I've been pimping the .480 since I bought my first in 2001. I have shot a lot of game ranging from wild hogs up through water buffalo and beyond (I took a .480 with me to Argentina in 2014 or so). It's a great round when loaded correctly.

 

[.38 Special]

The .480 has gained in popularity and acceptance, particularly when Ruger released the SBH in .480.

Sure, there used to be four guys who were into it and now there are five or six.

The .500 JRH will do everything a .50 Special will and so much more as it can be loaded quite warmly.

Ah, but the same thing can be said of the .357 Magnum, and yet I still take great pleasure in handling and shooting a fine .38 Special!

What I really have in mind is a true .50 Special with a case length of 1.160". Fitted into five shot Blackhawks and Redhawks at the usual price point, with standard loads of 350 grain bullets at about 800 FPS. To me, this sort of thing is absolutely delightful. What real revolver man would not enjoy this Bowen Blackhawk?

 

[MaxP]

What revolver MAN (emphasis on man) would not enjoy this Huntington built .500 JRH Blackhawk?? This one can do 350s at 800 and 440s at 1,400 +!



Hahahahahaha!

The .480 is pretty popular in handgun hunting circles, so there may be more than 6 guys into it -- maybe even up to 10...

 

[BCRider]

There's nothing at all wrong with projects for personal fun. A couple of buddies really enjoy big boomers loaded to the max. And one of them isn't satisfied with "just" .454 Casull and "enjoys" some of the bigger stuff already mentioned above.

I've learned to politely say "no thanks" when either of them offer me a shot or two from their guns.... especially when the offer is made with a hint of a suspicious grin on their lips.....

For hunting though I would go back to a thread from a few years ago when someone wanted information on a moderate power .44 Mag load that wouldn't beat them up. At the time I'd made up a couple of hundred rounds with both 240gn and 200gn cast lead that were shooting at around 1000 and 1050 fps respectively from 6.6gns of Titegroup. They were fun but not at all punishing and I suggested the load on the thread. One of the regulars here pointed out "Hey, BC, you do realize that your "light loads" would easily pass front to back through a horse, right?". I don't know if this would in fact be the case or not. But it does indicate that it would easily pass through from side to side and likely do the same to a lot of other stuff out there…. If I were a hunter and if hand gun hunting up this way was allowed at all....

 

[Cree k Henry]

There is an allure to the 480... In fact I wrote some of the original verbiage about it on Wikipedia decades ago. A sentence or two of mine is still there. I might just get a 480 instead

 

[silvermane_1]

I honestly don't understand why the .480 isn't a huge hit. I also don't understand why revolver buyers aren't clamoring for a mass-produced .50 Special. C'est la vie.

Well from what I heard, it was the 460 and 500 S&W "stole" the 480 Ruger's "thunder", but the 480's was never meant to be round that would offer rifle like energy out of a handgun/revolver, it was meant as a "bigger wrench" to the 44 mag.

 

[silvermane_1]

What revolver MAN (emphasis on man) would not enjoy this Huntington built .500 JRH Blackhawk?? This one can do 350s at 800 and 440s at 1,400 +!

View attachment 902465

Hahahahahaha!

The .480 is pretty popular in handgun hunting circles, so there may be more than 6 guys into it -- maybe even up to 10...

Well when they start making custom 6 shot 50 Special revolvers(preferably DA/SA ones) let me know.

 

[.38 Special]

Well from what I heard, it was the 460 and 500 S&W "stole" the 480 Ruger's "thunder", but the 480's was never meant to be round that would offer rifle like energy out of a handgun/revolver, it was meant as a "bigger wrench" to the 44 mag.

The .480, as far as I am concerned, is a sensible cartridge. The .500 S&W, while I thoroughly enjoy it, is a ridiculous cartridge in a ridiculous gun. Pine cones and paper targets would die just as effectively with 800 fps as they do at 1300.

I guess I just need to order a gun. As soon as I can afford food again, anyway.

 

[Cree k Henry]

Yeah... I have some guns to sell off so I thought I'd sort of trade out instead. I'm waiting for this weirdness to end though. But I like the BFR 44 idea. I could pass that gun onto my son and he to his eventually as it is like a bank vault by all accounts.

 

[MaxP]

Well when they start making custom 6 shot 50 Special revolvers(preferably DA/SA ones) let me know.

I don’t follow. You can have a .50 Special (or a .500 Linebaugh or .500 JRH) built on a Redhawk or Super Redhawk if that is your wish. I can tell you this, though, with full tilt loads you won’t be shooting them double-action. I’ve had custom DA revolvers in .475 and .500 Linebaugh.

 

[MaxP]

The .480, as far as I am concerned, is a sensible cartridge. The .500 S&W, while I thoroughly enjoy it, is a ridiculous cartridge in a ridiculous gun. Pine cones and paper targets would die just as effectively with 800 fps as they do at 1300.

I guess I just need to order a gun. As soon as I can afford food again, anyway.

I’m not a big fan of the X-frame. They just feel unwieldy to me. That said, I have a .460 and a .500 BFR and both cartridges are the hammer of Thor on all game I’ve used them on from small hogs to water buffalo. With the right bullets, these calibers are on a different level entirely.