Also, I do not reload and wonder how cost/availability of ammo is an issue for the .44 special.
Howdy again
I can tell you that because of the recent popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting, you are much more likely to find factory 45 Colt ammo in your local gunstore than 44 Special. The simple fact is, although 44 Special is a terrific round, most stores just do not stock it. 44 Mag, yes, 44 Special, no. Not so many cowboys are interested in shooting 44 Special, perhaps because it is not an authentic round that was used in the Old West.
Even before the present drought of ammunition, I always saw 45 Colt ammo on the shelves, not so much 44 Special. If this dry spell ever lets up I expect that situation will reoccur.
Let me tell you a little story. I bought my first revolver chambered for 45 Colt, a Ruger BLackhawk, way back in 1975. I did not reload, so I used to buy relatively inexpensive reloads about 100 at a time. Fast forward to ten years ago when I decided to get involved in Cowboy Action Shooting. I already had experience with 45 Colt, so it was just natural that my revolvers would be chambered for that round. Back then a box of 50 45 Colts was running between $18.50 - $22 for a box of 50. I would easily go through a box and a half of ammo just with my pistols at a match. So right then and there I decided that if I wasn't going to live at the poorhouse, I better learn to reload. 45 Colt was the first round I learned to reload, 44-40 was the second.
I have not bought a box of factory 45 Colt (or 44-40 or 44 Special) since then. If I did, I would probably go broke. If you are going to shoot Big Bores, you either better learn to reload, or have deep pockets.
Regarding which recoils more, 44 Special or 45 Colt, all other things being equal, the same weight of bullet, the same velocity, and the same model of revolver, 44 Special will recoil ever so slightly less. That is because 44 caliber holes are slightly smaller than 45 caliber holes, so given the same make, model, and barrel length, the 44 Special revolver will weigh a tiny bit more. Maybe not enough that you can feel the difference of recoil, but more mass will make perceived recoil appear to be slightly less.
