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Thread: What length barrel would you consider for self defense in 44 Magnum?

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    What length barrel would you consider for self defense in 44 Magnum?

    I'm just curious. I don't know if I'd ever carry a 44 Magnum for defense against 2 legged critters. But I'd like to hear some input and pics would be a bonus. I'm thinking 3-5" for a barrel.

    Brand and models would be helpful, too.


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  2. #2
    Boolit Master

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    4" S&W 629 in standard or Mountain Gun format, loaded with .44 Special level ammo.

    Ruger's got a couple Redhawk options in those barrel lengths as well. They've got a 4.2" flavor that will shoot .45 Colts or ACP's with proprietary moon clips. That gets my vote. . .or more correctly "got" my vote.
    WWJMBD?

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    ive carried 3 and 4 inch n frames and a 3.5 custom redhawk. Problem to me isn't consealing them its the weight. A fully loaded 44 mag is a tank to carry all day.

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    4" but weight is still there. One more thing, the .44 mag is not as good as the .357 or .44 special on BG's. It can have too much power and poke a hole. Forget Dirty Harry stuff. When Callahan shot live ammo, he used specials. BG's blown off their feet is a movie thing.
    If I carried I would go .357 or .45 ACP. Maybe a .40. But a .45 Colt has to be included.
    To see me with a .25, .380 or nine even though ammo is better--NOT.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Dirty Harry???

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    Quote Originally Posted by str8wal View Post
    Dirty Harry???
    WHAT? You did not watch movies? Clint Eastwood made the 29 the gun to have until you could not find one. Watch cowboy movies and you HAD to have a .45 Colt and watch Dirty Harry and you HAD to have a 29.

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    As mentioned weight is the issue. A good stiff leather belt 1 3/4" + wide is best with a "pancake" style holster that holds the revolver tight so it doesn't flop/move around is what I've found to be best. My 4" Colt Anaconda is big and it is "heavy" yet carried as mentioned it isn't all that uncomfortable.

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    Boolit Master Dan Cash's Avatar
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    Against 2 legged vermin, Bigslug hits it if you want to carrry a .44. .44 Special will give more range and penetration but in my experience, a .45 ACP seems a better killer and a 1911 gets my vote. Hunting where big carnivores are the #1 hazzard, a 4 or 6 inch .41 or .44 loaded as hot as I can handle it (240 ball over 18 gr 2400 in the .44) is my choice.
    To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the trouble with many shooting experts is not that they're ignorant; its just that they know so much that isn't so.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Cash View Post
    Against 2 legged vermin, Bigslug hits it if you want to carrry a .44. .44 Special will give more range and penetration but in my experience, a .45 ACP seems a better killer and a 1911 gets my vote. Hunting where big carnivores are the #1 hazzard, a 4 or 6 inch .41 or .44 loaded as hot as I can handle it (240 ball over 18 gr 2400 in the .44) is my choice.
    Yes animals are different. Anatomy is different. Shoot a man in the chest, get one lung so you better center to get the spine too. Shoot a deer and get both lungs but they still run. A heart shot deer can make over 100 yards.
    It comes to where energy is placed. Or the CNS is hit. More police died when they had the .38.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by 44man View Post
    More police died when they had the .38.
    I doubt the caliber carried was the reason, if that statement is reliable. It has been reported in the past that some small firefights resulted in over 50 shots being fired from responding officers with no rounds striking the bad guy. Some days, nothing goes according to plan.

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    With every conceivable combination of boolit/bullet and brass made available, I still do not know why we don't have a 44 ACP!

    They made the 10mm and it was as dangerous for LEO use as any 44 mag ever was, so they made the 40 Short & Weak to compensate, there have been YEARS of arguments and ballistics tests and autopsies from shootings, on and on and on..

    So a 210gr RF boolit or JHP leaving the muzzle of a 4" barrel at 950fps ought to be a great platform right? Brass to be 1.00" with a COA of 1.250" should feed like a dream right? Can use 45 ACP magazines interchangeably, pressure no greater than 19,500psi what's not to like about this?
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    Isn't that what Elmer and Skeeter had in mind for the .41 mag. police load Doug?
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thumbcocker View Post
    Isn't that what Elmer and Skeeter had in mind for the .41 mag. police load Doug?
    Yeah but I'm talking an autoloader..
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

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    I don't know if I totally agree that to much power is a bad thing. If I'm only going to get a chance to poke one hole in a bg id rather it be a 180hp out of a 44mag then a 180 grain hp out of a 45acp at 500 fps less. My big complaint with a 44mag or is its uncomfortable to carry. Harder to conceal and recoil and muzzle blast are intense enough to prevent a fast second shot if needed and like you said the movie scenes of people getting blow off there feet are just that movie scenes. that and most people can get two good accurate shots off with something mild like a 9mm as quick as one inaccurate shot with a 44mag. I know good shooters who under field conditions can hit the vitals of a deer at 50 yards with a 44 mag. Now put someone out there in front of them that can shoot back, amp up the stress and then tell them to put two quick shots on a target at 10 yards with there 44 and they might as well throw rocks. Especially with the second shot. The 44 mag is a hunting round. that's what it was designed for. Its not a self defense round. If its all you have by all means pack it. But I don't know of to many that own a 4 inch 44mag that have it as an only handgun. The arguments about ideal calibers for defense always seem to drag me in. Bottom line is theres little difference in effectiveness between a 38 special, 9, 40 357 45acp ect. when a capable shooter is using any of those choices and using loads designed for self defense. Now my 4 inch 500 linebaugh is definitely more powerful but in my opinion not as good of a self defense gun as a glock 43 and this guy isn't going to pack it on a day to day basis..
    Quote Originally Posted by 44man View Post
    4" but weight is still there. One more thing, the .44 mag is not as good as the .357 or .44 special on BG's. It can have too much power and poke a hole. Forget Dirty Harry stuff. When Callahan shot live ammo, he used specials. BG's blown off their feet is a movie thing.
    If I carried I would go .357 or .45 ACP. Maybe a .40. But a .45 Colt has to be included.
    To see me with a .25, .380 or nine even though ammo is better--NOT.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I never understood why the .40 was called "short and weak". The problem with many of the "better" calibers has been recoil and muzzle blast, and as Doug, pointed out, being revolver cartridges. The autoloader has many attractions as a carry gun....easier to carry, shot capacity and faster reloads.

    The .40 seems like a decent round when paired with good bullets but I find Doug's suggestion intriguing. A 44 Spl autoloader. The issue would be brass. Unless it was adopted by the LEO community, the cost of brass would be unattractive as there is no rimless parent case.

    Sorry for the thread drift.
    Don Verna


  16. #16
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    .44 auto mag was based on .30-06 head IIRC
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    The scrapes I've been in with 2 legged critters had me wishing I'd had my SBH in every situation instead of what I had. Problem is the SBH isn't carried. Nowadays I do carry my SBH in a case designed for computers and no one notices. It's heavy even in a case. Still the SBH is a great gun for SD. Full factory loads are not necessary in SD, but the venerable.44 mags can be loaded down to the users choice of warmth for the task at hand.

    Even the short barrelled Rugers are heavy for carry. I'm not a DA man but what about the Smith 69? I've heard it doesn't like cast boolits, but is smaller than an N frame, lighter that a Ruger SA and stainless. I often wear a handgun close to the skin which is hard on the finish in sweaty weather. How about a downloaded Model 69?

    Ive been looking for grips for an N frame that provide an arch at the top of the blackstrap.

  18. #18
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    Yes, the right bullet from any gun will work, darn even a .380. But bullets must be different then for hunting. My .500 JRH will turn a BG to mush but will ruin my house and a car in the drive. The .41 was made for BG shooting but most could not control it and bullets were not made for hunting so I never bought one since the .44 was better for deer.
    Cops are not known for good hits. So you need many rounds to spray. What about those behind? Where do missed shots go. Or a pass through?

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    In law enforcement we have the often mentioned problem of over penitration however we lack the actual examples of over penitration. What we have time after time is failure due to lack of penitration. The full house .44 mag is too much, the .380 is not enough.

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    Mmmmmmm
    Last edited by Three-Fifty-Seven; 04-28-2020 at 12:46 PM.
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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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