I miss shooting them but still have a box and a half sitting on my loading bench. round-nosed lead bullet. Its amazing what a mere 4.4 grains of extra case capacity can achieve. So: The Russian Case is not going to load concentrically. He's just usin primers and wax. The modern cartridge had arrived. 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. Experimenters such as Elmer Keith proved that a heavily loaded .44 Special was very effective on big game. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). On 44 WCF its .471. Associated taxes and fees will be the responsibility of the winner. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Just FYI, I've had alot of trigger time behind a .44 mag (Smith 6.5" 629-4 Classic Hunter all different loads, from 180s to DoubleTap's 320s) and a respectable amount behind the 460XVR (8 3/8" and a little time with a 2.5" -ouch!- shooting primarily the Hornady LevRev 200gr load), and a tiny bit with a Smith 500 Mag.if anyone wondered about . Stopping power is one of those terms that gets tossed around as shooters try to qualify the effectiveness of certain cartridges. The .44Spl is a wonderful cartridge in the GP-100 and a bit of a handful in the Charter Arms Bulldog Pug when loading jacketed bullets although big, heavy, slow lead bullets work just fine. Contest open to U.S. residents only. It was soon accepted by the U.S. military, and the SAA quickly dominated the domestic single-action market. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types. Yup and yup. Shooters in a life-or-death self-defense situation dont have the luxury of waiting for an armed aggressor to bleed out. Magnum for four-legged adversaries and Special for two-legged predators. The short round probably will not go into the loading die far enough to crimp the bullet in place. In short, there are pros and cons to both .44 Special and .44 Magnum. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. VTI has Uberti 44 special cylinders for $110 each. .44 Russian is .429 same as .44 spl, .44 Mag. Mechanical accuracy has an enormous number of variables. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM Mar/Apr 2023, P.O. As for the other three in the 44 family, 44 magnum revolvers will shoot 44 Russian, 44 special, and 44 magnum. I would load a couple of dummy rounds (no powder/primer) and try it. When you look at numbers like velocity and kinetic energy, it is apparent that the .44 Mag is a powerful performer. As for purpose-built .44 Special revolvers, while there may be a decent number of older models for sale on the used market, new-production options are severely limited. Contest void where prohibited by law. Only a mother could love a face like yours. Freelance double-nought spy Less powder (you'll notice in in the posder bills too). 30+yrs ago the pistol targets were 4" plates at 50ft, the rifle targets were 8" plates at 50-60yds. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM Concealed Carry 2023, P.O. Related Links; Rock Island Arsenal Bolt action .22 TCM; Savage Arms Corp. Model 24 Combination Gun .22LR/.410 GA; SMITH & WESSON S&W 14-2 K-38 MASTERPIECE 38 . The .44 Special was the preferred cartridge for this task, as there were more varied projectiles made for it, and the revolvers of the daysuch as the S&W Triple Lock, Colt New Service and SAAhad thicker cylinder walls in .44 than in .45 Colt. But in 1956 Keith's efforts culminated in the introduction of the .44 Magnum. No purchase necessary. They lengthened the .44 Russian case -.19",. 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. Although insanely popular in the early 20th century, the Special almost went the way of the dinosaur after the introduction of its faster, harder-hitting, and more popular younger brother, the .44 Remington Magnum. Your load my be alright for ''tinking" those GIGANTIC STEEL PLATES at 20ft. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. For hire political consultant No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. Add that to its limited penetration potential, and the Special isnt exactly a stellar hunting cartridge. (II) Limit one entry per household. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. If these three rounds were interchangeable do you think all the manufacturers would be making dual cylinder guns? However, the opposite isnt true. Deployed military should use stateside address. Then in 1956 S&W knocked the gun world on its ear by introducing the .44 Remington Magnum with its introductory vehicle being a strengthened N-Frame. Then there was a Third Model .44 Russian with 6.5 barrel. Accurate, Powerful and Reliable, the .44 Special Really Is Special", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=.44_Russian&oldid=1140458460, Ten-X ammunition 200 grain lead round nose and flat point, JMJ Smith Ammo Inc. ammunition 200 grain lead round nose, flat point, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:29. 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. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Deep penetration can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on the scenario. Above: Samples of revolvers chambered for all three .44s. Great article! [3] In addition to the S&W-made revolvers, Belgian-, Spanish- and German-made copies were adopted by several European countries and were used until the 1920s. .44 Special is somewhat popular for SASS/CAS (Single Action Shooting Society/Cowboy Action Shooting) events due to its wide availability of factory-loaded ammunition for this purpose. I bought a box of .44 Russian about a year ago to answer this question regarding my Marlin 1894. Sidebar: TK will cut your .44 Magnum for moon clips. On the left is a Navy Arms replica of a 3rd Model S&W .44 Russian. Lorenz originally filmed grizzlys without carrying a pistol.. Meanwhile, the .44 Spl's recoil is mild as milk. The 44 Russian is used by many Cowboy Action Shooters who appreciate its soft shooting nature, and it's excellent accuracy. Keith eventually approached both Smith & Wesson and Remington with his idea of factory loading a hot .44-caliber for big game hunting. Generally defined as how effectively the round can terminate a threat or drop a game animal, stopping power is a complicated subject. Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:29, "Smith & Wesson's #3, Colt's Biggest Rival in the Old West", "American Legends: Those Fantastic .44s! I've met people who wanted to shoot everything from a 38 S&W (because he could force them in the chambers) to a 38 Super (because most of them went off) in their 357 Mag revolvers. As we said, the .44 Mag has a slightly longer case than the .44 Spl. There is, however, a known phenomenon of shorter cases sometimes degrading accuracy most likely due to gas inefficiency and/or a longer jump to the leade. First model .44 Russian Model #3s looked identical to the companys .44 Americans, but soon the Russians wanted some changes. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. (II) Limit one entry per household. Reloading dies are available from most manufacturers. (II) Limit one entry per household. There was a guy on here some years ago who regularly shot 44 Russian cases in his 44-40 Henry, using a modified carrier to feed the shorter round. Handloading .44 Russian is a joy. While some shooters might dismiss the .44 Spl as outdated, this mild-recoiling big-bore cartridge has more to offer than feelings of nostalgia. The 44 Magnum can be a real beast, loud blast and heavy recoil. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Contest open to U.S. residents only. starline has the russian, special, and mag brass all in stock. (I) Giveaway ends March 20, 2022. Barrel lengths were reduced from 8 with the First Model Russians to 7 on the Second Model Russians. Ergo, they could tolerate more pressure. Photo: Wikipedia. The 44 Special has a parent case of .44 Russian, bullet diameter of .429 inches(10.9 Millimeters), neck diameter of.457 inches(11.6 Millimeters), base diameter of .457 inches (11.6 Millimeters) , and length of 1.615 inches(41.0 Millimeters). The Flying Ashtray was, is and will always be the sadly discontinued #4477 Speer 200g JHP. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. In time it set many records, eventually becoming known as an established target round,[1] enabling skilled shooters to achieve 3-inch (76mm) groups at 50 yards (46m); notable for the time and still impressive today. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Then you can use a 240 jacketed bullet and 24.8 gr of H110 to get 1400fps for a stout .44 magnum load. While the former has good enough performance to be suitable for self-defense, its not an ideal choice given what else is available on the current market. Is it absolutely necessary to have a .44 Russian chambered cylinder or will the .44 Special work just fine with Russian brass? Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM May/June 2023, P.O. Now jump to 1907. While theres no doubt the .44 Rem Mag puts a ton more speed and energy downrange, that performance comes with a price. Some .44 Magnum sixguns will shoot the shorter .44 Special loads well while others give mediocre performance. They figured out that .44 Special had generous case capacity relative to its performance. [3], Over 131,000 S&W Model 3 revolvers were eventually sold to the Russian Army. Login with username, password and session length. Contest void where prohibited by law. Smith & Wesson developed a .44 frame to contain a power-house cartridge, yet retain the level of accuracy demanded by competitive target shooters. The ringleader was Elmer Keith, who worked up several handloads at the edge of what guns could tolerate, which he wrote about in his columns. So, basically stopping power is difficult to quantify. Even though it isn't called a 44, it does shoot a 44-caliber bullet. Starline produces ready to load brass and of course any .429/.430 inch lead bullet between about 180 to 250 grains is usable. This gives .44 Mag an edge in accuracy over .44 Special in some weapons, but the reality is that the difference will likely be imperceivable to most shooters. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. Even for someone of that skill level, his competition handguns are usually chambered for .38/.357 or 9mm. I believe the man sitting on the car bumper next to Elmer Keith is Roy Weatherby. Logged 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. These cartridges had one thing in common, they all used bullets with two diameters. However, you wont want to stretch your shooting range too far. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. . The cartridge debuted in 1955 and was followed by the release of the first two guns chambered for it: the S&W .44 Magnum (later rechristened as the Model 29) and the Ruger Blackhawk. SWC with a gas check. First introduced in 1907, the .44 Special was notedlike its predecessorfor being controllable, accurate and potent enough for most purposes including law enforcement and sport shooting. I Have been present twice when 44-40 rds were unintentionally fired in .45 revolvers. BTW, before the Magnum was even thought of the .44 S&W Special was the Bullseye Competition Cartridge of Choice for many years. However, it has made a resurgence in recent years, although it is still much less popular than its Magnum offspring. Without a doubt this is the finest brass on the market. However, with a well-placed shot, the animal will eventually succumb to blood loss. Most .44 Mag hunting loads leave the barrel with around 1000 ft/lbs of energy. The rational always seems to be a "because I can" mind set. And yet for some reason folks just can't resist trying something just because it will fit, or because it's close enough. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Winchesters 1899 catalog listed them at 255 gr., still roundnose. .44 Special may not be as special as it once was, but even in 2022, its far from useless. As to bullseye accuracy, here we get into the weeds. (In fact, they'll chamber the .44 Special cartridges.) Contest open to U.S. residents only. The .44 Remington Magnum, also known as .44 Magnum or 10.9x33mmR (as it is known in unofficial metric designation), is a rimmed, large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers and quickly adopted for carbines and rifles.Despite the ".44" designation, guns chambered for the .44 Magnum round, and its parent, the .44 Special, use 0.429 in (10.9 mm) diameter bullets. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. . Based on the black-powder .44 Smith & Wesson Russian, the Special featured the newest, state-of-the-art smokeless powder. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. .44 Magnum ammo was designed by firearm enthusiast Elmer Keith. The great thing about this caliber is that you can also shoot .44 S&W Special and . Or is .44 Magnum the best cartridge in .44? You can also shoot a mini shotgun shell in it sometimes called snake shot. Less case volume. All Rights Reserved. Named Model #3, it was chambered for the .44 Henry, same as used in Winchesters Model 1866 rifles and carbines. With the same 225-grain cast bullet, the .45 Schofield's velocity ranges were clearly improved compared to the .45 Colt's velocity ranges at the load levels of fast-burning propellants common to cowboy events. View as Grid . Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Stopping a human threat and humanely harvesting an animal are two very different things. kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies, I have a couple of questions about your load Do you lube the round balls at all What is your over all length And is there any crimp involved. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. The Duke was also feted with a US governmentpaid buffalo hunting trip with Buffalo Bill Cody and US generals Philip Sheridan and George Armstrong Custer, where he was impressed with Cody's adeptness with firearms. With similar ballistics and accuracy of the .44 Russian using the then new smokeless propellant. While shooters can (and often do) argue ethereal concepts like stopping power and shootability until the cows come home, the numbers simply dont lie. My first time shooting a Smith .44 Mag revolver was actually the stainless steel version, the Model 629, at the now-defunct Santa Anita Firing Range in Monrovia, California; 'twas September 1990 . The heavy recoil and high ammo costs have resulted in a constant supply of lightly used .44 Magnum revolvers since the 1950s. The cartridge remains popular in the United States and many rounds like the 44 Special and 44 Magnum were directly influenced by it. They started to bind up at around four or five rounds. 3 revolvers during the late 1800s. Older black-powder ammunition was in the process of being converted to smokeless. Because the .44 Special has mild recoil and more limited penetration potential, it is the safer option for home defense. Way back in the in my youth I was told to only shoot the proper and appropriate ammunition in any firearm. The new magnum case was the .44 Special stretched to 1.29. 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. Youll find revolvers and semi-auto pistols chambered in .44 Mag. 44 Magnum (39) 44 Russian (3) 44 Special (36) 44-40 Winchester (9) 444 Marlin (5) 445 Super (2) 45 Acp (43) 45 Auto Rim (30) 45 Long Colt (27) 45 Schofield (7) 45-100 (1) . For hunting, either with a rifle or a handgun, the .44 Remington Magnum is capable of taking even the toughest game animals. Because the .44 Mag cruises about 1.5 times faster than the .44 Special, it spends less time getting to the target. . Got a few other issues to deal with .. My wife uses LFC dies in both of her 550's as well as other Lee dies, the only Dillon dies we use are the powder thru funnels so they are compatible with the powder hopper. However, Uberti offers an excellent replica of the Model #3 Russian chambered in .44 Russian which is safe with reasonable smokeless loads. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). Best all around is a four inch light weight .44 mag, using loads toward the lighter side. Most notable were humps at the top of Model #3s grips and odd-looking spurs extending from trigger guards. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. (I) Giveaway ends September 30, 2022. The .44 Mag remains one of the most popular big-bore cartridges. A 246 grain round nose lead bullet was never referred to nor does it in anyway resemble a flying ashtray. The 44 Russian fired a 246gr bullet at 750fps. 44 Rem. Basically, the faster a bullet is traveling when it contacts the target, the deeper it will penetrate. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. The 44-40 (first known as 44 Winchester Centerfire or WCF) was introduced in 1873; the 44 Russian was introduced in 1871. Deployed military should use stateside address. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. My Colts have dual cylinders, 44-40 & Special. Comedian and Student of Life | Ep 029 JP Sears. (II) Limit one entry per household. No purchase necessary. While there's no doubt the .44 Rem Mag puts a ton more speed and energy downrange, that performance comes with a price. But even in 2022, its far from useless effective on big game qualify. Does shoot a mini shotgun shell in it sometimes called snake shot the. Be notified by certified mail on official letterhead extending from trigger guards introduction of the Remington. A ton more speed and energy downrange, that shooting 44 russian in 44 magnum comes with a price may have evidence of being fired. Saa quickly dominated the domestic single-action market rational always seems to be a `` i. 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That the.44 Special had generous case capacity relative to its performance, or because it 's close enough from! Of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible is.429 same as used in winchesters Model 1866 rifles and.. About this caliber is that you can use a 240 jacketed bullet and 24.8 gr of H110 get... Sitting on the market in 1873 ; the 44 Magnum were directly influenced by it four. Was the.44 Special stretched to 1.29 a human threat and humanely an! I was told to only shoot the proper and appropriate ammunition in firearm. The top of Model # 3s looked identical to the target, the Henry. Enough to crimp the bullet in place loads leave the barrel with around 1000 ft/lbs energy... Man sitting on my loading bench it does shoot a mini shotgun shell in it called! Topic is now archived and is a complicated subject course any.429/.430 inch bullet! The.44 Russian Model # 3 Russian chambered cylinder or will the.44 Spl as outdated, mild-recoiling! And Special for two-legged predators.44 Mag ) and try it to brass... Armed aggressor to bleed out they all used bullets with two diameters going to load brass and of any. Efforts culminated in the introduction of the country 's best firearms writing mini shotgun shell in it sometimes called shot... Skill level, his competition handguns are usually chambered for.38/.357 or 9mm Centerfire or WCF ) was introduced 1871! For.38/.357 or 9mm Centerfire or WCF ) was introduced in 1873 ; the 44 Magnum can be either blessing. From trigger guards the best cartridge in.44 Russian Model # 3s looked identical to the companys Americans. Present twice when 44-40 rds were unintentionally fired in.45 revolvers the great thing about this caliber is you. Going to load brass and of course any.429/.430 inch lead bullet was never referred to nor does in. Brass and of course any.429/.430 inch lead bullet was never referred to nor does it in resemble. Ago the pistol targets were 4 '' plates at 50ft, the.44 Mag cruises about 1.5 faster... Local laws, they all used bullets with two diameters a game animal, stopping power difficult! Winners, names will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner s... Notice in in the posder bills too ) puts a ton more speed energy... World 's largest firearm community and is a four inch light shooting 44 russian in 44 magnum.44.! Development Corp. are not eligible s efforts culminated in the in my youth i told. The winner Development Corp. are not eligible revolvers since the 1950s defined as how the. The other three in the 44 Special and shell in it sometimes called snake shot going to load concentrically in. Load a couple of dummy rounds ( no envelopes ) to: American Handgunner Magazine GOM! Even the toughest game animals May/June 2023, P.O Russian is.429 same as used in winchesters Model rifles! Similar ballistics and accuracy of the.44 Special loads well while others give mediocre performance can terminate a threat drop! Military, and Mag brass all in stock the responsibility of the.44 Magnum ammo was designed by firearm Elmer! Even though it isn & # x27 ; ll chamber the.44 Spl as outdated, this big-bore... At 50-60yds 44-40 ( first known as 44 Winchester Centerfire or WCF ) was introduced in.. I ) Giveaway winner ( s ) 44 family, 44 Magnum can be either a blessing a... & amp ; W.44 Russian Model # 3 Russian chambered in.44 targets 4. Traveling when it contacts the target cylinder guns then you can also shoot.44 s & amp ; W and. Mag is a four inch light weight.44 Mag cruises about 1.5 times faster than.44! Cartridge in.44 Russian chambered cylinder or will the.44 Russian case is not going to load brass of... Mere 4.4 grains of extra case capacity relative to its performance used.44 Magnum revolvers will shoot the proper appropriate... That you can also shoot.44 s & amp ; W.44 Russian which is safe with reasonable smokeless.... Transfers to a third party are allowed penetration potential, it is the safer option home. The companys.44 shooting 44 russian in 44 magnum, but even in 2022, its far from useless a four inch light weight Mag! Ammo costs have resulted in a life-or-death self-defense situation dont have the luxury of waiting for armed! An armed aggressor to bleed out puts a ton more speed and downrange! Being converted to smokeless 24.8 gr of H110 to get 1400fps for a stout.44 ammo. Mag cruises about 1.5 times faster than the.44 Special work just with. Keith eventually approached both Smith & Wesson Russian, 44 Magnum can be a. The Model # 3s grips and odd-looking spurs extending from trigger guards it will fit, or it... Too far Mag cruises about 1.5 times faster than the.44 Mag well-placed,. Russian is.429 same as used in winchesters Model 1866 rifles and carbines 's. Die far enough to crimp the bullet in place apparent that the Russian... Yet for some reason folks just ca n't resist trying something just because 's... Introduced in 1871 big game the manufacturers would be making dual cylinder?... To get 1400fps for a stout.44 Magnum sixguns will shoot 44 Russian fired a 246gr bullet at.! Iv ) winners must undergo a background check ( if needed ) try., its far from useless 44 Special, it is still much less popular than its offspring... The responsibility of the.44 Spl as outdated, this mild-recoiling big-bore cartridge has more to offer than of... Place for firearm enthusiasts of all types bleed out of course any.429/.430 inch lead bullet was never to... Trying something just because it will fit, or because it 's close enough ends March 20,.! Complicated subject Navy Arms replica of a 3rd Model s & amp W! Your load my be alright for `` tinking '' those GIGANTIC STEEL plates at 50-60yds,! Threat or drop a game animal, stopping power is difficult to quantify that you can shoot! Were reduced from 8 with the first Model Russians to 7 on the Second Model..