I,ve been looking at a Smith 629 44 snubby. Pretty close to the Lew Horton, slightly shorter barrel, stainless. Short grips, 2 5/8 barrel. Just over 39 and a half ounces.
Reasoning behind that one, primarily short and handy, not so much the weight. Around 3 ounces lighter than a 5" Smith, which seems to be about the right weight for a very nicely balanced gun. Would guess the Lew Horton to be just a smidgeon heavier..
Basically, something short and handy enough to keep on my hip if I,m skinning a critter. Drop in the pocket of carhartts if out for a stroll, or easily stashed if carrying a backpack and a rifle. Mostly break glass in case of bear kinda gun.
Along the lines of some of the points brought up by BFR, I have wondered about reality versus theory with bullet weight. With a full size Smith normally use 310s in front of #9 for a carry round.Cast bullets. For a plinkin, foolin around,easy on the gun and the guy behind it round, slightly warm .44 special load, 240 XTPs in a mag case.

The question I,ve had, concerning the snubby 44 idea, is would the 310 grain load be practical in the shorter barrel, lighter gun? I,m usually looking for around 1100 fps with the load I use. Giving up a bit over 2" of barrel, would I be able to get the extra powder in the case, still have a controllable gun, or would I just end up with a lot more muzzle flash, concussion, and recoil for very little gain?

If so, do I then drop down to 280s or 250s, trade some weight, try and get some manageability and speed back?

Have,nt quite figured this one out yet...
Would,nt mind hearing what the guys that are carrying short barreled, close to regular weight, 44s have come up with as a solution.
Course I do suspect I,m over thinking the whole thing, but don,t think it hurts to ask..

quote:

Posted 11 April 2012 12:35 Hide Post
bfrshooter brings up a very valid point.

With a very light revolver, and heavy loads there have been problems with bullets jumping crimp, and sticking out the front of the cylinder and binding the gun up.

You MUST test any loads you are using in the gun you will be shooting them in.

I carry a handgun 100% OF THE TIME.

My thoughts are IF I am going to suffer the trials and tribulations of carrying a handgun 100% of the time, I am going to carry one that will do the job that needs to be done.

For a Primary carry handgun I have never carried anything less than a 1911 in 45 ACP or a 4" 44 Mag [except when I was required to carry a Glock 17].


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Posts: 13890 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002

That was my point. I do not care what you choose to carry. Just make sure it works every time. Use enough gun, you have seconds to live and the biggest, baddest gun can be a rain drop in a bucket.
I never want to be 10' from a big bear but my gun better go bang every time. I can not quick draw and prefer the gun in my hand. Bob Munden I am not!
A bear attack would scare hell out of me and I am not going to sit at this keyboard and tell you how tough I am or how great a quick draw artist I am because I would be a liar.
Use a big gun, use one that works and if it is too heavy, stay out of danger zones. Toy guns need the front sights removed so they don't hurt when the bear sticks it in that spot.
A 14 shot nine??? get real.

dw

Back to your original post. A lightweight Desert handgun.

There is nothing wrong with a 44 cal 240gr bullet at @900 to 1000fps.

I personally just cannot carry a single action revolver as my only carry gun. Too many years on the job...

My Sister in Law has one of the 5 shot Taurus revolvers in 44 Mag. I have shot it a fair amount and I load ammo for her. The gun shoots good and is accurate and controlable.

I have been using S&W revolvers for so long that I just cannot see myself using anything else.
Since a N frame in 44 Special, or 45 Colt is the same size and weight as a 44 Mag I always recommend the 44 Mag. I have been using one for so long, and it has never let me down I see no reason to carry or recommend any other revolver.
However in the desert a S&W revolver in 45 ACP/Auto Rim would work great as well. I carried a S&W Mod 25-2 in 45 ACP for a Duty gun for several years.

Same goes for the 1911 in 45 ACP. IF I want/need something lighter/smaller than a 4" N frame I go to the Colt Lightweight Commander in 45 ACP. I NEVER go any smaller for a Primary carry gun.

My thoughts are, if I am out in the desert, and run into a bunch of pissheads, I want the ability to use speed loaders, full moon clips, or 1911 magazines.

Tony, you beat me to it.

Back to the OP, lightweight DESERT handgun, presumably for bumming around?

How did this get so sidetracked? The North American Desert Grizzly hasn't been seen in years...

Again, good luck with whatever you choose.

john113wyo, I like that Smith revolver with the 4" heavy contour I don't see where that much weight difference could change much. In fact the heavier barrel would probably make the gun a little more stable on target.
Does anyone know what the revolver is that the man killed that big brown bear with at the beggining of this catagorie? Looks like a 4 inch or 3 inch something. DW

Ruger .454 is what I read.

And a 4" Model 29 Smith is a terrific woods/desert/mountain handgun. SO many loads to choose from. Mine has digested several thousand Lyman 429421 cast with 9 grains of Unique.

Ruger Alaskan in .454.

I would give my left nut for a S&W Mountain Revolver in 45LC.I would load a 265 gr.hard cast at 900FPS and call it good for anything in North America.

Most of my woods/desert/outback guns are .41s... For light it is hard to beat the S&W 357PD or the Taurus Titanium Tracker. Both are discontinued however and hunting one down takes some time...



The 357PD has the 500 Grips and tritium night sights...makes it very easy to find in a dark tent...





I have also replaced the IL with "The Plug" to make sure the gun doesn't go into the "storage mode" when one needs it the most...





The TiTracker is no slouch when it comes to accuracy and with the ported barrel there is less barrel rise than with the 357PD... This is a 4" and 6" Ti and a 4" stainless...the 6" is a real good shooter...15 yards one slow fire DA target and one rapid fire...







The 3" N-frames are nice but for one inch more barrel you can have a Mountain Gun that balances better and is just as fast from the holster....

A 3" 657 that someone sent to Mag-Na-Port..





But my favorite is the 657 Mountain Guns...or any MG for that matter. Best belt guns S&W ever made....

Pair of 657s...





I've never shot one of the Trackers in .44 Magnum or Special but yesterday I shot a friend's .45 ACP...this was 10 shots at 10 yards DA at a 6" paper desert plate...





But the .44 Special is really a perfect round for what the original poster is looking for... Look at the Freedom Arms 97 with the 4.25" barrel and round butt...it is smaller than a Blackhawk and nicely balanced. This gun had to be designed around the .44 Special round... This is the same gun in .41 Magnum...







Have fun deciding...Bob

Very nice .41s!

Nice guns Bob, even if they are 41 Mags.

How do you like those smooth grips on the Mountain Guns?

dwheels, check out the thread on Taurus.44. It is economical and a pleasure to shoot, although you will read about the problem I had. I have also looked longingly at the Smith and Wesson .357 in Model 627 (their stainless 8-shot revolver). Unfortunately they want over $1000 and the Taurus packs more punch for $500.

The smooth grips don't remove my finger and palm prints like the checkered ones to.... I really wish I liked the smooth N-frame Presentation grips but for some reason they feel too big and slippery for my hand. The Cokes fit my hands the best of the stock N-frame grips....but at $300+ a copy the collectors can keep them.

I would have bought .44s back when I was in Texas but there was some "hog" who kept squirrelling away every .44 in the Dallas area...kept them in a big ex-PO mailbox as I recall....you ever meet the guy??? So I had to settle on "second best"...the .41.

Bob

I might have heard of that guy.

Seems like he was good friends with Mary Betts...

I will also add, your memory is scary...

I just hope IAD can never find you.

...statute of limitations is over for most of your "crimes and indiscretions"....

Bob

Hi all. I carry a Glock 36 around my place and in town. It is with me all the time. It shoots well and is easy to carry. When I go to the woods I carry my 629 with a 4" barrel. It will stop any thing I run into in Kentucky. In fact I think it will take care of any thing in the lower 48. I load it with 240 gr JHP. It is my under standing that if you use any thing less than a 4" barrel in 44mag you loose much of the velocity that you carry a mag for. The best I can get out of my 4"629 is around 1200FPS. In my 8 3/8 I can get over 1400. If you want to carry a light weight and small gun in the 3" range I would carry the Ruger SP 101 in 327mag. It is easy to shoot and carry. It will take care of any thing you run into in the desert. It is on par with a 357 with less recoil. Just my 2cents.

You guys and your 41's I think they have to be near perfect but I have a revolver and lever gun in 44 or I would be very easily converted. I am going to keep my Ruger Redhawk 4 inch for now. I am also going to keep looking for the S&W 4 inch heavy barrel. Thats not to say I wouldn't pick up a mountain gun in 44 in a heartbeat. I like the idea of 6 shots over five but I would also pick up the little 5 shot S&W's that were discussed earlier. A friend has a Ruger Blackhawk Hunter he wants to trade me for my Redhawk. That's what started this whole thing. Keep The Blackhawk for hunting and carry a smaller version. Too many fine revolvers, not enough money. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. Those who like their heavyweights and sort of called the rest of us pussys needed to present their viewpoints also. So Thanks to all, DW

My light weight packing guns are both old model 357 Rugers that have been converted to 41's. One is a little 4" 41 Special and the other is a 4 5/8" 41 Mag. Both are nice and light and can do whatever I need done here in the NW.
No the 41 isn't a wonder gun but it works for me.

Very nice!

Wow what a nice pair of single actions. I can't find anything that I don't like on either of them. I have also seen a couple of handguns that attract me just as much. On Gary Reeder's website there are two. The first is a 44 special or 41 mag 5 shot GP 100 called the Scorpion. The second is the Alaskan Survivalist built on the Redhawk in 44 mag or 45 Colt and are six shot. There are a couple more on the Redhawk that are also very interesting if you shortened the barrel to 3-4 inches. As far as creative custom ideas go Gary has some fine stuff. DW

rb...those are NICE guns.... Could you tell us who did the work.....

DW...Reeder does very nice work....this is a stainless .41 he did for me back in 2001....



Great shooter but no light weight like the FA 97 of the custom Blackhawks...

Bob

Thank you gentlemen for the kind words. The gun on the left started as an old model Ruger 357 that John Gallagher converted to 41 Mag. I installed the Clements old model bisley spurred trigger and the brass birdshead with the ivories. The gun on the right also started as on old model 357 blackhawk that I sent to Andy Horvath in OH for his L'il Gun treatment. I sent him the gun, the sambar stag grips, the Smith & Wesson Model 57 ribbed 41 barrel and another bisley spurred hammer from David Clements. He put it all together then rechamber the cylinder to 41 Special and had Turnbull to the coloring. Both a neat little packing guns and one of these two can be found in a Barranti holster whenever I go riding in the hills.

quote:

Originally posted by WV2WY:
A Ruger balckhawk 41 mag has worked well for me the last few years.

I loved mine,but after 56000+ full house rnd.s it (and my wrists!!)had to be retired...but I been itchin' for a new one lately but for a carry gun,......my HD Smith with Keith loads is my huntin' hand gun these days...but for prtectin' my bacon...always big bore

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is leather. A good holster and proper belt holding the revolver high on the hip will make the weight a moot point. Even a heavy revolver that is held tight to the body feels light compared to when it is flopping around on a flimsy belt.