I think highly of the 44 Special

[Chill Wills]

I’ve spent a lifetime fishing, backpacking and hunting in the Rocky Mountains. Living right in the middle of it made even an afternoon trip easy and often, especially before kids and marriage. Now that the kids are grown, I find myself back at it again.
Except for Big Game season when I am already carrying a powerful rifle, I like to have a worthy sidearm with me. When I was very young, it was a Colt 22 Peacemaker and a Ruger Singlesix and soon I moved to larger calibers to include everything else as the years went on. Even a young strong guy quickly learns, really big heavy guns don’t get to go often.
Both Smith and Wesson and Ruger make 5 shot double action wheel guns chambered in 44 Special and both are no longer in production. Smith made the 696 and Ruger the GP-100. If you have had some experience with either or both, which do you think would be the better choice of the back-country handgun?

[Paul105]

You might want to consider the S&W M69. It's a 5 shot L Frame 44 Mag (basically an updated 696). It comes in both 2.75" and 4.25" versions. I have a pair and a spare of both and have shot them extensively. You can carry with your choice of 44 specials or 44 mags.

Here's my 2.75" shown with some hastily modified (belt sander) hogue tamers.
.

.

[Winger Ed.]

Either is a fine choice, but I've always been a S&W guy.

There's nothing wrong with a Charter Arms bulldog either,
at least once you get past the fact they'll never win any beauty contests.

[FergusonTO35]

I wonder about the Charter Arms Target Bulldog. I know it's not the choice for King Kong loads, but seems like it would be a good low cost/weight choice for factory spec loads. My woods wheelgun is an S&W 10-5 with the Lee 358-158-RF pushed to respectable velocity.

[Rockindaddy]

ChillyWills: A dear friend gave me a present of a like new S&W696 with the 3" barrel. I had to gather up a set of 44 Special dies and brass. The gun is fun with 200 gr and 240gr Keith style cast boolits. Can't imagine how my wrist would feel shooting the M69 with full house 44 Mag loads! My 696 shoots terrific !! I like to shoot a 30 cal ammo box full of 44 mag out of my 6" Annaconda. We fill my back yard range up with a lot of cast boolits. Don't know but you would be happy with a Ruger GP-100 a S&W696, or the S&W M69.

[HWooldridge]

I have an older CA Bulldog and a 3rd gen Colt SAA in .44 Special. I probably kill more varmints with the Bulldog than anything else because it's either in a pocket or in easy reach. I built some heavier shot loads from 5 in 1 blank cases and sized in 38-40 dies. Those or a 200 gr. lead bullet over 7.0 gr WW231 work well on most everything I encounter in our neck of the woods.

[david s]

The S&W 696 predates the Ruger some. Afraid that I'm another S&W fan so no Ruger GP-100 here. The 696 isn't a pocket gun but needs a holster in my opinion. The L framed 44 is supposedly stronger than you would think but I haven't pressed my luck with it. I seem to remember Handloader magazine doing a reloading article about these S&W 44 Specials 6 or 7 years ago. Mines often loaded with the RCBS 44-250-K or the NOE clone version. I can't imagine you wouldn't be well served by either the S&W or the Ruger pistol with the Ruger possibly a bit more available now.

[david s]

Had a bit of an odd thought and hope it's not too far off target here. Have you considered the S&W 329 Airweight revolver? It's a joy to carry and frankly makes a better 44 Special than a 44 Magnum. Another option anyways.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Just for what it's worth-- I have a Taurus Mod. 441 .44 Spec. 5-shot, stainless. It has a 4" barrel, RR/WO adjustable sights, one of those for which I haven't take a photo. Very accurate. They quit making them in '97, but you might find one if you looked around. It's roughly "K" frame size. Their Tracker models are also worth a look.

DG

[Chill Wills]

I thought about the Taurus but the Ruger GP-100 is really the one I am hoping to learn more about. The Smith 696 is a known quantity but the Ruger products have a reputation of being built like a tank. I have no real experience with Ruger revolvers except for the 22rf I still have from the early 1970's.
I have a Smith 696 I got in 1999 but now I am shopping for a woods gun for my 20 year old son. He is spending a lot of time on his own fishing the remote creeks that are full of brush, willow and currant bushes. I think I would like to see him with something more than a fishing rod to fend off danger. He is getting better and trying hard but he could break and anvil. I would like to see him get the Ruger if it is the more durable handgun. (I will be doing the loading)

I have owned two Charter Bulldogs and for sure they are compact and light to carry but they are not the revolver I wish to go to in the woods in a pinch. That S&W 329 Airweight revolver is interesting loaded with specials, light to carry, being a magnum, I guess you could always load a little hotter than the special. But, I think I am sticking with the 44 Special. I have a 5.5" SSA 44 Special I shoot a lot and I handle warmer loads with the plow handle guns better, but double action for woods is the smarter choice.

What do you think of the Ruger? Is it the better revolver than the Smith?

BTW - I don't think I have shot a full power 44 Magnum in ten or twenty years.

[Lloyd Smale]

i love my 696. its in my jacket pocket every day in the woods bow hunting. ive killed a number of deer and hogs with it and one 280lb black bear. problem is finding one and what you will have to pay for it. i think if i was shopping today it would be a M69

[brokeasajoke]

I have a Ruger GP100 44spl 5" blued. I have honestly not shot it enough to be able to say much about it. For me the 5" just seems to balance well. When I first got it the trigger would sometimes not reset but after cycling the gun while watching TV one day I have not experienced that. My 357 gp100 7shot was fine out of the box. I have never hot rodded the 44spl. Mostly a diet of trailboss and 240gr SNS casting coated

[rkrcpa]

i love my 696. its in my jacket pocket every day in the woods bow hunting. ive killed a number of deer and hogs with it and one 280lb black bear. problem is finding one and what you will have to pay for it. i think if i was shopping today it would be a M69

I agree, as much as I love my 696, the M69 is the logical choice.

[georgerkahn]

I’ve spent a lifetime fishing, backpacking and hunting in the Rocky Mountains. Living right in the middle of it made even an afternoon trip easy and often, especially before kids and marriage. Now that the kids are grown, I find myself back at it again.
Except for Big Game season when I am already carrying a powerful rifle, I like to have a worthy sidearm with me. When I was very young, it was a Colt 22 Peacemaker and a Ruger Singlesix and soon I moved to larger calibers to include everything else as the years went on. Even a young strong guy quickly learns, really big heavy guns don’t get to go often.
Both Smith and Wesson and Ruger make 5 shot double action wheel guns chambered in 44 Special and both are no longer in production. Smith made the 696 and Ruger the GP-100. If you have had some experience with either or both, which do you think would be the better choice of the back-country handgun?

I am soooo happy to read you're "back at it again"! I have a 696-1 (serial CEA8xxx) which I adore, and it surely would be at the top of MY list for a back-country handgun! Some suggest the 3" barrel is a tad on the "short size", and its 5-shot capacity minimizes its effectiveness -- but I do not feel as such. I put a custom grip on mine, and I'd find it hard to improve upon. In younger days I carried a Ruger Security Six .357 (made in 1976) stainless 2 3/4" barrel revolver -- and the upgrade to the 696-1 was really appreciated by me!
An option that has been readily available in most markets is the Charter Arms Bull Dog. I, too, have one of these and, well, it may be hard to find a revolver to do better. Two of my huntin' buddies (sadly, one now deceased) carried this arm.
Re the Ruger, I have an SP-101 -- which, size-wise (also but 5-shot revolver) may also be worth your looking into. Mine is Model 5771 in .357 Magnum.
Good luck -- and again -- I'm most happy for you!
geo

[fordwannabe]

I love the 44 special buuuut I carry them in a 4 inch 29 and a 4 5/8 blackhawk. Had a Taurus tracker 5 shot but it consistently would not eject all 5 empties AND had a mystery trigger. Sometimes the trigger was 2 pounds and sometimes it was 13! It went down the road but if it had worked as expected that was a pretty good combination of weight and power. I mostly shot specials in it but when elk hunting in known bear country it got 300 grain HARD cast boolits at magnum velocities,

[contender1]

Well, I own both S&W handguns and Ruger handguns.
And I feel the .44 Spl is a FINE caliber.
If given the choice, I'd choose the Ruger over the S&W. You've already said; "it's built like a tank," so you understand the fact that it'll outlive you.
The S&W vs Ruger debate is as old as it can be from when Bill Ruger started building DA handguns. Both are good guns,, and yet,, they have different mechanisms on how the action operates. Out of the box,, usually the S&W has a smoother feeling action. Yet,, the Ruger is built to handle more than it needs to. Fewer parts and stronger parts that are less prone to breakage or failure.
I enjoy my S&W's,, but for serious work,, I pull out a Ruger everytime. As you said, "they are built like tanks!" (And I was Army,, and a tank was a desired item on the battlefield.)

[eastbank]

i think highly of this S&W 624.

[Chill Wills]

I agree, as much as I love my 696, the M69 is the logical choice.

Isn't the M69 a larger, heavier handgun? I am thinking I want to hit the happy medium between small and light 357 mag and heavy full sized 44 magnum.

[Chill Wills]

i love my 696. its in my jacket pocket every day in the woods bow hunting. ive killed a number of deer and hogs with it and one 280lb black bear. problem is finding one and what you will have to pay for it. i think if i was shopping today it would be a M69

Yes, the 696's are going for $1000 or more. The Ruger is $500 to $700. They are out there but not many and pricey! I have had a 5" 629 25 years ago and sold it as just too large and clunky to carry while putting in long days on my feet in the woods.

[rintinglen]

I had poor luck with my choices of 44 Specials back in the 70's and 80's. Looking back, I think part of the Problem was the false expectations I had. Skelton and Keith had extolled the caliber and the guns so much that when they failed to live up to my exaggerated hopes, I wrote off the caliber. I still believe that the older guns were not all they were cracked up to be.

However, with the new century came new guns. Starting with my S&W 21-4, I found that it was much more accurate than my recollections of the older guns and the flattop Ruger I got was amazing. It is one of the most accurate guns I have ever owned. About 5 years ago I got the 3 inch GP 100 and after much work, the action is nearly as nice as my Speed Six. All 3 shoot very well.