History of .44 special ammo availablity?

[patrick_ford]

So I really like the .44 special cartridge. I think it is a good balance of power and versatility. I like the few available guns that still chamber the round, my current favorite is my Ruger Blackhawk, I'd love a S&W Model 24 4". The problem for me is that I have to reload everything I shoot. The factory stuff is very hard to find in my area and when found is very expensive. I don't mind reloading my own as I also roll just about every other caliber I shoot, but it made me wonder something.

Over time, has .44 special been more readily available or has it always been a sort of connoisseur's cartridge?

Thanks for any insight,

Patrick

 

[DGW1949]

I've seen more .44 Spl "stuff" in the last 5 years than I saw over the previous 40 years, but be that as it may...as far as I can tell, it's still remains more of a "connoisseur's cartridge" than a "main stream" cartridge, and probably always will. By that I mean that in spite of how much we all may have loved Skeeter's writtings on the subject, the .44 Spl simply aint ever going to replace either of it's main competitors, the .357 and the 45LC....or even catch up to them.
I think that the reason for that is two fold;
1) They both had too far of a head start on the all but dead .44 Spl.
2) Between the two, neither was ever lacking anything which could not be provided by the other.

Not sayin' the .44 Spl aint a dandy cartridge...because it is.

DGW

 

[WIL TERRY]

FOR MANY YEARS 44SPL ammunition was a drug on the market and you could hardly give the stuff away. NOW, there are more 44SPL shooters shooting more 44SPL guns than anytime in it's history. There were probably more new 44SPL pistols sold in the past ten years than in all the previous years previously combined since it's introduction. As far as calling it a connysewer cartridge, that is as silly as my spelling of it !!!
And so it goes...

 

[m657]

seen more of it the last 10 years on the shelf than previous 30.....

it's always been spendy in these parts

The only 6 shot 1-hole group from a SSA I've ever managed was from a 44 special....

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I think in the first half of the 20th century it was quite popular.

 

[Rclark]

Agree with Jimbo here. The introduction of the .44Mag in '56 really put a damper on the .44Special. Ruger was going to introduce the .44Spec and .45 Colt on their midframe at the time but scrapped that option due to the .44Mag... until now... I still consider the .44Special a 'reloaders' cartridge even with the more interest in the caliber today. I don't see it on the shelf much around here. Of course I don't actively look for the cartridges as I reload it. The .44Special and the .45 Colt are my two favorite cartridges.

 

[308 Scout]

So I really like the .44 special cartridge. I think it is a good balance of power and versatility. I like the few available guns that still chamber the round, my current favorite is my Ruger Blackhawk, I'd love a S&W Model 24 4". The problem for me is that I have to reload everything I shoot. The factory stuff is very hard to find in my area and when found is very expensive. I don't mind reloading my own as I also roll just about every other caliber I shoot, but it made me wonder something.

Over time, has .44 special been more readily available or has it always been a sort of connoisseur's cartridge?

Thanks for any insight,

Patrick

Awe damn...I JUST sold a 4" 24-3!! Well, I say I sold it, I don't have the money yet...

Anyhow, I seriously think may be I'm the biggest .44 Special fan in the world (at least in my mind)because I currently have seven revolvers so chambered.

I think it is a connoisseur's or at least a handloaders cartridge and as a life long shooter I don't recall .44 Special ammo ever being readily available.

To my way of thinking, the .44 Special pretty much negates the need for a .44 Magnum for 99% of shooters/hunters. I personally can't quite understand the logic of buying a big frame, heavy .44 Magnum and loading it down to .44 Special levels, when most of the 99% mentioned would be just as well served buying something like a Flat Top Blackhawk .44 Special and loading it up to .44 Magnum factory load levels when required (~250 gr. SWC @ 1200 fps).

 

[Rclark]

308 Scout, Logic? The reason I have always loaded 'down' to .44Spec in .44Mag is for two reasons. 1) In a .44Mag, I use .44Mag cartridges, not .44Special cartriges, yet I like the .44Special velocities for general shooting. 2) There were no .44Spec flattops or Vaqueros back when. There was only a handful of .44Spec guns available and so I never owned one. Still is only a few revolvers, but Ruger has made it affordable with offerings on the Single Action platform. Wonderful! I never 'owned' a .44Spec until the flattops came out and now I own three .44Spec Rugers. Love 'em. My .44Mags are gathering dust....

And I agree with your assessment that the .44Spec handles most of what ever needs doing, loading up to the very 'bottom' of .44Mag territory at 1200fps in the flattops and Vaqueros when needed. I like the Skeeter load which handles all my general shooting. Of course in this house, the cartridge has to compete with the .45 Colt but like 'em both.

 

[stevemb]

When it came out, it had to compete with entrenched favorites. Magnum-itus came next. This left us with the long uphill battle we just got thru. The 44spec never had it easy !

 

[308 Scout]

308 Scout, Logic? The reason I have always loaded 'down' to .44Spec in .44Mag is for two reasons. 1) In a .44Mag, I use .44Mag cartridges, not .44Special cartriges, yet I like the .44Special velocities for general shooting. 2) There were no .44Spec flattops or Vaqueros back when. There was only a handful of .44Spec guns available and so I never owned one. Still is only a few revolvers, but Ruger has made it affordable with offerings on the Single Action platform. Wonderful! I never 'owned' a .44Spec until the flattops came out and now I own three .44Spec Rugers. Love 'em. My .44Mags are gathering dust....

And I agree with your assessment that the .44Spec handles most of what ever needs doing, loading up to the very 'bottom' of .44Mag territory at 1200fps in the flattops and Vaqueros when needed. I like the Skeeter load which handles all my general shooting. Of course in this house, the cartridge has to compete with the .45 Colt but like 'em both.

I completely understand the "back when" problem when .44 Special's weren't nearly as prevalent as they are now, but today .44 Specials are really quite common.

I'm trying like the devil to like the 45 Colt, or rather MY 45 Colt. It just doesn't shoot as good as my .44's. But, within 60 seconds of clicking Submit I'll be headed to the shop to load some more .45's to try again.

 

[Jim Puke]

In my lifetime. 44special ammo has never been readily available in my area. There is more on the shelf in my country today than there ever has been...and that ain't saying much. The 44special is my favorite cartridge and I load all of my ammo...as a matter of fact..of the 4 44special's that I have, there is only one that MAY have had a factory round fired in it...and it was given to me and I have no idea of it's history. The cost, scarcity and dismal performance of factory ammo makes it a reloader's only affair if one is going to get a lot of shooting satisfaction from it.

 

[Rclark]

The cost, scarcity and dismal performance of factory ammo makes it a reloader's only affair if one is going to get a lot of shooting satisfaction from it.

I hear ya. I've never bought any .44Spec ammo myself, but I picked up some .32 H&R catridges just to see if my Vaquero would go bang. Sticker shock. 20 (not even sold as a box of 50???) really dinky cartridges for ~$20. Horrible. Needless to say, I bought dies right there and shell holders and ready to reload... I reload a box (100) of .45 Colt for under that! Can't image what factory .44Spec would cost.

I'm trying like the devil to like the 45 Colt, or rather MY 45 Colt. It just doesn't shoot as good as my .44's

For an out of the box experience I have to agree. The .44Spec 'seems' come from the factory with better tolerances... But, my .45s, once I got the throats reamed (the big problem), and fire-lapped another, and forcing cone to 11 degrees, why I can't tell much if any difference between the two calibers accuracy wise now.

 

[308 Scout]

For an out of the box experience I have to agree. The .44Spec 'seems' come from the factory with better tolerances... But, my .45s, once I got the throats reamed (the big problem), and fire-lapped another, and forcing cone to 11 degrees, why I can't tell much if any difference between the two calibers accuracy wise now.

Oh, it's hardly out of the box. Cylinder throats reamed, barrel fire-lapped, trigger worked over, fitted a Bisley hammer, fitted new grips to it the other day...the only thing I haven't done is the forcing cone and that's next on the list as soon as I take time to order the tools.

It's odd...it actually shoots my 283 gr. SWCHP pretty darn good grouping as small as 3 1/2" at 50 yds. from sitting, ditto with a 265 gr. SWC out of an RCBS 44-255 mould. But for some reason it refuses to shoot a 454424 out of my NOE mould. It's maddening.

Didn't mean to get off subject...

 

[gramps]

44 spcl when found are like $40/50. 45 colt I haven't seen, but at a specialty gun shop. Reloading is the way to go to unlock the potential of the various calibers. Good luck.
gramps

 

[dougader]

I rarely see 44 Special or 45 Colt ammo on the shelves around here, but what they have runs $57 for a box of 50 rounds. This is the Remington load with soft lead roundnose bullets; nothing fancy.

Handloading is definitely the preferred practice here.