I was chambering .44 Russian in a 44-40 chamber, not .44 magnum or .44 Spl. Bullseye shooters of the day flocked to this gun like flies to honey. to right: .44 S&W Russian, .44 S&W Special and .44 Remington Magnum. Early on factory .44 Russian loads contained roundnose bullets as heavy as 275 grains. "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use. Get a magnum if you're going to do magnum things, dont if youre not. Contest open to U.S. residents only. I bought a box of .44 Russian about a year ago to answer this question regarding my Marlin 1894. Of course, Russian and Special .44s can be safely fired in .44 Magnum revolvers, but I freely admit nowadays Im far fonder of shooting the Russian version from Navy Arms replica 3rd Model No. It was not a bad cartridge at all but nothing really new, yet. And because the Mag can be loaded into both handguns and rifles, it can serve as a handy, dual-purpose cartridge. Order a Henry Single Shot online at Sportsman's Warehouse. Hefty recoil requires a little extra recovery effort. Both are good for bowling pin shoots, though you'll get faster splits using .44 Special. As a cartridge for the Hand Ejector, First Model .44 (nicknamed triplelock) they introduced a wild and crazy idea. Personally speaking, Ive owned and handloaded for a multitude of revolvers for all three of these .44s. Two of those revolvers ended up in this camp, a Richards Type II conversion with a 5" barrel and the Richards-Mason conversion with an 8" barrel. Deployed military should use stateside address. 44 russian, 44 special, 44mag all work in a 44 mag chambered revolver. Contest void where prohibited by law. He warped around at the speed of heat, immediately striking and striking again while I desperately crab-walked backward, one-handing shots at him while he, Rival Arms expands its offerings with the X1 Red Dot, a 3 MOA red dot ideally suited for use on defensive pistols, target pistols, rifles, hunting and Quite possibly, for the very first time, all three Gun Cranks agree on something open carry is stupid! (II) Limit one entry per household. It is also easy to find fresh brass for both cartridges. .44 Russian is .429 same as .44 spl, .44 Mag. You may be thinking of the 44 Magnum or the 44 Special, they will both chamber the 44 Russian, as it is the parent round of both. and .44 Russian rds in a 44-40 revolver. At typical self-defense ranges, there isnt time to see serious bullet drop or wind drift. Black Powder and the Cowboy Way. As far as ballistics, when fired from a 6-inch barrel revolver, a heavy 240-grain .44 Magnum bullet can reach speeds of up to 1,380 feet per second, generating kinetic energy at themuzzle of 1,015 . Recreational Shooting. No purchase necessary. just wish yall had a share feature with these articles. I use it in, 25-20 (resized from 32-20) , 9MM, 38 Spl, 357 Mag, 40 S&W, 10MM, 44 Russian, 44 Spl, 44 Mag, 45 LC, 454 Casull, 460 S&W and 45-70. (II) Limit one entry per household. The black powder charge was 23 grains. With Lymans RN bullets 4.2 grs. Developed as a big-bore revolver cartridge in the 1950s, the .44 Magnum quickly grew to widespread adoption. Best 7mm Rem. But a .44 pistol to go with it is a good thing too:thumb: I've built much of my preps around the .44 caliber. Thankfully, manufacturers understand this. The latter is an excellent hunting round thats capable of dropping even elephants, but depending on what kind of handgun hunting you expect to do, .44 Magnum may still be a suboptimal choice. Yes, the 44 Special can be applied in the 44 Magnum barrel with no . To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Purchase A PDF Download Of The American Handgunner July/August 2018 Issue Now! (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. The Magnums substantial recoil also makes getting multiple shots on target quickly a real challenge. Stand these two cartridges side by side, and the differences in dimensions seem insignificant. The 44-40 chamber is too large(about the same diameter as a 45 Colt case) and bottle necked. Now, almost 70 years later, .44 Magnum is still going strong. He turned what had been almost exclusively a target cartridge into a viable big game hunting cartridge. The cartridge remains popular in the United States and many rounds like the 44 Special and 44 Magnum were directly influenced by it. wild bunch GREED & the gamers from IPSC killed the fun. As a cartridge for the Hand Ejector, First Model .44 (nicknamed triplelock) they introduced a wild and crazy idea. Your load my be alright for ''tinking" those GIGANTIC STEEL PLATES at 20ft. Must specify Starline or Hornady/Speer/some other. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). Above: Samples of revolvers chambered for all three .44s. However, that extra of an inch makes for a roomier casing. It can increase the muzzle velocity of a 200-grain JHP by 150%. .44 Russians (Flat Nose) will not function in my Browning B-92 .44 Magnum. When it comes to the debate of .44 Special versus .44 Magnum, are there any good reasons to choose the former? Contest void where prohibited by law. Using a .44 special case the 800fps load requires 5.5 gr of Bullseye. The .44mag was made in 1975 and the little .357 is an early eighties model. According to physics, the extra propellant packed into that slightly longer .44 Magnum case should generate more recoil. BTW, before the Magnum was even thought of the .44 S&W Special was the Bullseye Competition Cartridge of Choice for many years. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Smith & Wesson developed a .44 frame to contain a power-house cartridge, yet retain the level of accuracy demanded by competitive target shooters. Some will get on here and say its fine to shoot .44 Special/Russian in a .44-40 cylinder and they do it all the time. Mag. You need to seriously look at shooting .44 spl in those revolvers. First - The 44 Russian case is considerably smaller in diameter than the 44-40 at the base and throughout the entire case dimension. Great Brass by a company with top notch customer . Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM May/June 2023, P.O. As we mentioned earlier, the effects of recoil on shooter accuracy shouldnt be denied. Grizzly Bear Charge Stopped with a .44 Magnum Arizona - ( Ammoland.com )- The video was filmed by Leon Lorenz on 14 June, 2010. The bear, during the attack, moved from one hunter to the other, giving Doug the chance to access Reed's .44 magnum, that had been hung in a tree. [2], In the early 1870s, General Alexander Gorloff, the military attach assigned to the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., approached Smith & Wesson about the possibility of negotiating a military sales contract for the purchase of a large number of Smith & Wesson Model 3 revolvers for the Imperial Russian Army. They chambered just fine. This can be an expensive proposition when you consider the expense of the necessary firearms. This evolutionary improvement became an archetype, influencing future cartridge designs. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. That means theres less time for wind and gravity to pull the bullet off course. Pro: Very fast reloads Con: $200 to machine, $8 per clip; and you need a lot. GUNS Magazine The .44 Russian - GUNS Magazine The .44 Russian Born in the USA, perfected by The Bear Written By John Taffin Experts Campfire Tales Handguns Revolvers 2020 84 In 1870 the United States Military purchased 1,000 Smith & Wesson .44 American revolvers. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. . Sign-up now to get more revolver content every Wednesday! You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers. Smith & Wesson, Colt, Ruger, Korth, Taurusthe list goes on. I also shoot with a USPSA club and own many modern pistols and long arms, but acquiring the cowboy firearms could be a financial challenge. (I) Giveaway ends September 30, 2022. However, you wont want to stretch your shooting range too far. No purchase necessary. The woods are tight around me and generally its tough to see more than a 100 yards around here and that would be considered open country: of Universal is right at 720 fps, while 5.0 grs. Ruger discontinued their 44 spl. The American gun maker made him the gift of an engraved presentation Model 3 valued at more than $400 (equivalent to $9,000 in 2021). Case length was 0.97 and velocity was likely a bit over 700 fps. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. of Trail Boss for right around 685 fps. Pull on your boots, because were about to dive deep into the world of .44-caliber cartridges. Both pistol and rifle. Another might decide to rethink his life after a grazing superficial wound. Deployed military should use stateside address. It is usually a 44 casing loaded with lead shot. bullet at a similar velocity of about 750 fps. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. The R92 is a clone of the Winchester Model 1892, one of the earliest and greatest lever-action .44 Magnum rifles ever produced. Reloading the .44 Russian is made easier today with the availability of .44 Magnum Carbide sizing dies. Older black-powder ammunition was in the process of being converted to smokeless. The .44 Spl has been mostly kept alive by custom handloaders and cowboy action shooters. of Universal for just under 760 fps and 1 groups. and operating pressures between itself and it's predecessors. Its amazing what a mere 4.4 grains of extra case capacity can achieve. Contest void where prohibited by law. And the equation leans heavily on shooter skills. Smith & Wesson Centerfire Revolvers. The .44 Special is a lengthened version of the .44 Russian cartridge, which was chambered in top-break S&W Model No. Can a 44 magnum shoot 44 Special? Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. Gorloff correctly recognized that such ammunition tends to pick up debris and contaminants which erode the bore when fired, so a qualification of the purchase contract was that Smith & Wesson develop an internally lubricated version of their .44 round. Velocity changed also to nominal 1,470 fps. All Rights Reserved. Charter Arms still manufactures the Bulldog in .44 Special, including 2.5-inch and 4-inch modelsbut Charter Arms guns are, as Jeff Cooper put it, to be carried often and shot little. The .44 Russian still provides much pleasurable shooting. And easy to carry too. 180 Grain TCFP Hi-Tek Coated Cowboy Action~100% Hand-Loaded!! To ensure we had as close to an apples-to-apples comparison as possible, we looked at Noslers load data. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM Concealed Carry 2023, P.O. S&W .44 American, top, arrived in 1869 and it didnt take long for the Russians Contest open to U.S. residents only. Its recognizable by a large thumb screw on the topstrap. Stopping a human threat and humanely harvesting an animal are two very different things. .44 Russians can be fired in a .44 Spl.cylinder. If you wanted to find a really cool vintage .44 Special, look for a Smith & Wesson Model 21 or Model 24, though some Triple Locks and Colt New Service guns survive as well. I may eventually risk a few cases to see what happens, but it's not a priority. Some people use a .428 bullet in 44-40 and that same bullet can be used in 44 Russian and .44 Spl-Mag. Sure, some people handle recoil better than others. The actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. The result was the same velocity with the same 246-grain round-nose lead bullet, affectionately known as a Flying Ashtray due to being large and slow. Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). (II) Limit one entry per household. The spread was reduced to 14 fps using wadcutters with Clays. with 310 ft.-lbs. Sort By. No powdah. Posted: 12/9/2011 3:27:38 PM EST [#5] No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. Heres the early .44 Smith & Wesson cartridges, (left to right) .44 American, Russian and Special. Based on the black-powder .44 Smith & Wesson Russian, the Special featured the newest, state-of-the-art smokeless powder. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. Handloading .44 Russian is a joy. Great article, thanks! If its strong enough to take down a black bear, it can certainly stop two-legged predators. Ruger offers a couple of 5-shot GP100 models as well as the Blackhawk Bisley in .44 Special, the latter being a subtle nod to Elmer Keith's Revolver No. Contest void where prohibited by law. Anybody have any info and/or experience as to using 44 Russian in 44/40 revolversAside from the argument as to whyLooks like it would work finebut I like my face like it is..not full of cylinder pieces.. Won't work and very dangerous. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. However, with a well-placed shot, the animal will eventually succumb to blood loss. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Using A .44 magnum case a 240gr lead bullet uses 5.1 gr Bullseye to get 800fps for a .44 Russian load. Less case volume. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Dash Caliber Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. Bottom line is you need to have 2 cylinders for this. Again, the new cartridge was a wonder of innovation (sarcasm intended). Because the .44 Mag cruises about 1.5 times faster than the .44 Special, it spends less time getting to the target. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. Not only is the break-open design simple and safe, but the 44 magnum has very low recoil for the mass of the bullet with about 10-11 ft-lbs being about average. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). I do believe that this was due to the Russians having a round-nosed bullet design causing them to "tip" a bit from one to another as the spring pressure increased. On the left To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. *Must have a registered ARFCOM account to win. However, Ive known a few old-timers who claim to have tagged a few whitetails with their Special. Many shooters find the Magnums recoil difficult to control. And yes indeed it works very well with Hornady LeverEvolution ammunition. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. However, it may be necessary to shorten a .44 Magnum/.44 Special expanding die as well as a seater/crimper die to be able to reach the relatively short .44 Russian case. A number of ammunition companies still manufacture .44 Russian ammunition: Black Hills Cowboy action ammunition 210 grain lead flat point; Fiocchi ammunition 247 grain lead round nose In late 1907 the .44 Russian sired its son, the .44 Special, and was around in late 1955 to see its grandson, the .44 Magnum arrive. The .44 Magnum is more popular for metallic silhouette shooting (such as IMSSU events) given the flatter trajectory and greater power. bullet at a similar velocity of about 750 fps. The humble Special got a bad rap throughout the years, overshadowed by its bigger brother, but that doesnt necessarily mean its without its uses. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead.