Merits of .44 Spl. over .357 for Carry?

[wcwhitey]

+1 for the .44 Specials out of the .44 Mag revolvers. Although not a carry gun my SBH 5" with my 255 SWCGC's special loads are thumping tack drivers. I have always like the concept of the S&W Mountain guns being used with .44 Specials. They make for a relatively light package for the .44 Magnum but should dampen the recoil for all but the hottest .44 Specials.

P.S. I don't even own a .357 Revolver presently. The last one I owned was a Colt Trooper. Great gun but it just sat in the safe and didn't get used once I bought a .44 Mag. I prefer the accuracy and the slow push of the .44's as opposed to the sharp blast of the .357.

 

[FoMoGo]

My .44s, the 629 isnt bad... to me... with factory magnums, but it is a dream to shoot with my special handloads.
Smaller .44 magnums make great Special launch platforms...



Jim

 

[babarracing]

Simple Plane geometry;

A 44 special has about a 20% bigger diameter which gives a 40% increase in area. Pretty good chance of hitting or nicking something that will help the terminal results.

 

[markallen]

Way back in time I used to own a Ruger Security Six. ( Wish I still had it some times).
But I never really warmed to the .357. Once I shot the .44 Mag, I sold the Security six. And bought a Ruger Super Blackhawk.I know dumb move, selling the Security Six. But like I said, I never warmed up to the .357.
when I started to CCW, I naturally leaned towards the small revolver, hence the SP101. Don't get me wrong I love my SP101, just not fond of .357.
The first of the year I bought a Ruger Alaskan, Heaven at last. It is my primary CCW now. I put the GP100 compact grip on it, bobbed the hammer, and load it with downloaded .44 mag. Hornady 200 gr.430 JHP/XTP bullets, in front of 9.1 grs of Unique. Don't have a chrono but by the math puts me in about the 950 to 1000 fps. Easy on the hand. But no slouch as a self defense load, just a rough estimate in the mid 500 foot lbs on muzzle energy.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Some folks have mentioned shooting a snubbie in .357 vs the .44. Either will do the job up close no doubt, and often gunfights are done at very close range, say at under 10 feet. I'm not sure you get as much out of full .357 loads from a 2" barrel as you would a larger handgun (reload data is often 4" or 6" barrels eh?) We're also NOT talking handloads, in any state where the civil lawyers run the courts.

If we are talking SD then recoil management is a factor, and magnums are tough to control for some people. If I was asking the question it would be a five shot 240 gr .44 spl vs. a 158 g lead +P .38 special load. The .44 out of a snubbie agains .38 +P's from a .357 snubbie. Both 5 shot. Up close, I think it's a wash, and since practice is important, the .357 is cheaper to train with...,

BUT..., if I was in situations where I might have to reach beyond 50 feet, to say 20 yards and maybe a bit beyond for SD, I'd opt for 125g jhp's in .357 from a minimum 3" barrel, and 6+ shots. (I have had very good results from .357 for accuracy.)

I think the .357 gives you more umph at distance, and gives it a good advantage over the .44 special.

(I like .44 spl and .45 Colt, and would like a compact five shot in either, but that's just personal preference, not really quantitative)

LD

 

[saltydog452]

Within reason, whatever that is, I'm convinced that platform trumps caliber.

salty

 

[SwampWolf]

Agreed, as you say, within reason.