jerkface11
Member
Why doesn't anyone make a small frame big bore revolver anymore? The closest thing i can find is a taurus in 45 acp. I wanted a 45 colt. No one even makes a .44 special anymore. What happened?
Where did all the bigbores go?
- Thread starter jerkface11
- Start date
- Status
R.W.Dale
Member
Jerkface is correct I just scoped out taurus'es website and they no longer list anything in 45lc other than single actions, and everything 44sp shows to be discontuined.
Just read all the posts on these forums and you will see all the talk is about the .357 magnum and to a lesser degree the .38 spl. The industry is going to provide to the largest segment of the buying public. If there is not a profit then the model will be dropped ( a very big rule in business).
SouthpawShootr
Member
Well, limited runs might be the ticket. Make a bunch of a certain model every other year or every two years. You keep a segment of the gun buying population happy and demand will build in the intervening years. I wanted a .44 special Taurus 445. Haven seen one in ages. When they were in production, a high volume dealer I know had at least one every gunshow (never the same one, I might add, so SOMEBODY bought it in the intervening couple of months). I never bought one b/c it was a fairly new item and thought it would be around for a while. Now they've been discontinued for something like 2 years and not one is to be found. If they were unpopular, it would seem to me that it would be fairly easy to come up with a NIB one. They pop up sporadically used on gunbroker, always used. I'm somewhat weary of buying big bore, relatively small framed guns that are used. Never know what has been run through them. I still remember there were some S&W 696s that could chamber short .44 magnum loads and some owners were admitting to actually using this as a carry load.
As rule of thumb is shoot what you carry, I'd hate to get one of those guns.
I ended up buying a Taurus .45ACP snub nose right around the time they were in closeout. Don't see those laying around anymore either. These guns don't have to blowout in a week to be profitable for the company.
As rule of thumb is shoot what you carry, I'd hate to get one of those guns.I ended up buying a Taurus .45ACP snub nose right around the time they were in closeout. Don't see those laying around anymore either. These guns don't have to blowout in a week to be profitable for the company.
jerkface11
Member
I guess it doesn't matter anymore. I "settled" for a witness compact in 10mm 
SouthpawShootr
Member
Not a bad choice at all. Was it all steel or did it have a polymer frame.
Jeff Timm
Member
S&W Model 21 .44 Special, does have 4" barrel.
Geoff
Who doubts concealability is more difficult with the longer barrel.
Geoff
Who doubts concealability is more difficult with the longer barrel.
bearandoldman
Member
SouthpawShootr said:Well, limited runs might be the ticket. Make a bunch of a certain model every other year or every two years. You keep a segment of the gun buying population happy and demand will build in the intervening years. I wanted a .44 special Taurus 445. Haven seen one in ages. When they were in production, a high volume dealer I know had at least one every gunshow (never the same one, I might add, so SOMEBODY bought it in the intervening couple of months). I never bought one b/c it was a fairly new item and thought it would be around for a while. Now they've been discontinued for something like 2 years and not one is to be found. If they were unpopular, it would seem to me that it would be fairly easy to come up with a NIB one. They pop up sporadically used on gunbroker, always used. I'm somewhat weary of buying big bore, relatively small framed guns that are used. Never know what has been run through them. I still remember there were some S&W 696s that could chamber short .44 magnum loads and some owners were admitting to actually using this as a carry load.
I ended up buying a Taurus .45ACP snub nose right around the time they were in closeout. Don't see those laying around anymore either. These guns don't have to blowout in a week to be profitable for the company.
I got one, for those days when you just have to carry a wheelgun, a real handful to shoot at 23 ounces empty.
Because they are unpopular is why you don't see them. They are produced in lower numbers and those who buy them are looking for exactly that type of revolver so they don't often turn back up on the used market. If they were popular then they would be in all the new gun cases at the shops and with the greater numbers means they will also be in the used cases.
jerkface11
Member
The only smith&wesson listed on their website is the thunderranch. And it's far from compact. As for my witness it's steel with the wonder finish.
wickedsprint
Member
Ruger Alaskan fires .45LC or you could et it in .480 ruger.
MCgunner
Member
wickedsprint said:
Now, there's your pocket gun!
LOL One of the knocks on both .45 colt and .44 special is the lack of decent self defense loads for those calibers, or almost any loads for that matter. .45 colt has gained popularity in the last several decades, but .44 special ammo variety is lack luster at best. But, I'm a .38/.357 guy. The BIG cylinders make for more bulk and don't offer much advantage over the smaller calibers in actual gun fights. It does seem like enough folks like big bullets to make for sales of some guns like the Bulldog. I'd like to have a really compact 5 shot gun in .45 acp just for the moon clip thing.
But, most big bullet guys are also 1911 guys, I reckon.SouthpawShootr
Member
Ah, you give a guy hope.
gunfan
Member
Charter 2000 is releasing an "all steel" Bulldog in February 2006 at the SHOT show! Stay tuned! (BTW, I got this from the CEO of Charter 2000 about a month-and-a-half ago!)
Scott
Scott
P. Plainsman
Member
It could be better. There's still some good stuff out there, like the .44 Speer 200 gr Gold Dot JHP bullet specially designed for .44 Special velocities (big wide hollowpoint cavity). It's loaded in factory .44 Spl ammo by Speer, CCI/Blazer, and Georgia Arms. All of these rounds operate in the 800-900 fps range.
The big lacuna in .44 Special defense ammo is at the level a bit hotter than the above -- similar to leading 200 gr .45 ACP offerings. Give me a good factory .44 JHP that will push 200 gr @ 1000 fps from my 4" N-frame and I'd be a happy man.
However, even if there's a lack of factory .44 Spl ammo that duplicates .45 ACP, there is a choice that turns your .44 Spl sixgun into a 10mm: Cor-Bon's 165 gr JHP @ 1200+ fps from a 4" barrel. Way less recoil than you'd expect. Accurate. Impressive round.
Last edited:
Camp David
member
Agreed!wickedsprint said:
The Alaskan is the classic and up-to-date big bore snubby!
jerkface11: If you need anything bigger than Ruger's Alaskan in .454 or .480, recommend you call in an airstrike!!!
As for 44spl beinmg "lackluster" so are many other calibers out there like 45LC, 32S&Wlong, 8mm Mauser in domestic loadings, ect.
I'm actually kind of glad factory 44spl is downloaded some as if I need 44mag performance I use a 44mag and I would not want to shoot anything too hot out of the guns I need to shoot 44spl out of, Charter Arms bulldogs.
38spl can be a bit on the weak side, even in +P loadings and no matter what, a 44spl round, even if it does not expand, starts out bigger than a 38spl round. I never really understood why some people who carry 38spl snubs do not consider going to the bulldog. Not really that much bigger or heavier or that much morem recoil in most loadings.
I'm actually kind of glad factory 44spl is downloaded some as if I need 44mag performance I use a 44mag and I would not want to shoot anything too hot out of the guns I need to shoot 44spl out of, Charter Arms bulldogs.
38spl can be a bit on the weak side, even in +P loadings and no matter what, a 44spl round, even if it does not expand, starts out bigger than a 38spl round. I never really understood why some people who carry 38spl snubs do not consider going to the bulldog. Not really that much bigger or heavier or that much morem recoil in most loadings.
gunfan
Member
Moonclip said:
I'll agree with you on that one, Brother! My Stainless Charter Arms Bulldog (1991 vintage) can keep up right along with the best of the S&W .38 Specials and launches a 200+-grain bullet at the same speed to boot! It isn't at all abusive to shoot, and can "take out the trash" in a heartbeat!
Scott
rockstar.esq
Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2004
- Messages
- 1,475
I bought a 445ch with a ported 2" bbl with nickel plate. Not that many folks really care but they are about 5% larger than a .357Mag 5shot. The recoil is more of a "shove" than a snap and I'd say it's really close to that of the .357mag. Cowboy loads 200gr at 745fps aren't burning up the charts but at the intended ranges, I'd say that's plenty. I personally use lead bullets having no inclination to utilize hollow points given the large bore and soft projectile. As for a carry piece, it's form is more "organic" and so even if a slight print is evident the curves aren't as decisive as a slab sided auto would be. I find it to be a pleasure and nearly my perfect carry piece. Seems to me that if this frame size were utilized with a moon clip design perhaps the 10mm, that would be very interesting. Frankly I think the reason these guns aren't more popular is that few CCW shooters want a heavier gun with five shots. I enjoy the heft as my marksmanship is greatly improved with the added weight. Additionally, the five shot capacity isn't much of a concern for me as I'm not a LEO nor do I think I'll be involved in something requiring more than two shots. Sad to say, most consumers of current revo's are all interested in high pressure rounds not suitable for the majority of auto designs. Hence we see all kinds of magnums chambered despite the quiet authority of snubbies like the bulldog.
gunfan
Member
S&W is still producing the 625PD. There is even one with the one-inch barrel!
Where have all the big-bores gone? (sing) long time passing, where have all the big-bores gone, long time ago? LOL!
Scott
Where have all the big-bores gone? (sing) long time passing, where have all the big-bores gone, long time ago?
LOL!Scott
- Status
