I Was going for a 44 Spl for carry, BUT

28 March 2010, 22:33

can't find a small gun like a Bulldog or Taurus 445 like I was looking for, so . . .

NO, I'm not worried about bears, rather uncommon here. IF I were I have the solution for that.

44 spl is also what you carry when the social occasion arises where one might just need a gun.

Should I just lower my sights to something in the SS 357/38 spl range?
.
Seems like a different world from the 44 Spl.

30 March 2010, 01:33

0X0

I think you'll find a J-Frame, 5 round revolver in .357 mag. 158 gr. JHP is sufficient stopping power for the full spectrum of belligerent humans.

44 Spl. is the sort of caliber you carry "in the field" for defense against wild animals -- but it's not big enough for bear.

So you come up with the "bear gun" . . . 44 mag. or larger. The frame is large and capacity is usually six rounds. That makes it not very practical for "concealed carry."

There's a reason you can't find a compact revolver in 44 Spl. There's not much of a market for them.

18 April 2010, 06:46

Rusty Marlin

The .45 ACP has very similar ballistics to the .44 special, and compact revolvers available.

18 April 2010, 07:19

buckeyeshooter

How about a smith and wesson 21? 4 inch barrel, fixed sights and a 6 shot design.

18 April 2010, 18:21

TCLouis

OXO

I am fully aware of capability of 357 J frames, and am pretty danged unlikely to come across any bears where I will carry this, but it was something I wanted.

Buckeyeshooter, Thank you, but I will need SS where I will carry this a lot of the time.

18 April 2010, 20:43

daniel77

By the grace of DRG, OXO has been banned, again...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=164290169

http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=165072500

http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=165205075

http://www.auctionarms.com/sea...um=9627809&oh=216543

Hope that helps.

19 April 2010, 04:23

jimatcat

ive got 1 of the tarus bobbed hammer .44 sp's... i like it, it's easy to carry and the bobbed hammer doesn't hang on anything... first round under the hammer is a shot capsule with #9 shot, the rest are corbon....

19 April 2010, 07:32

N E 450 No2

LouisB

Take a look at the S&W 5 shot 44 Specials.

If you could carry a gun that is a little bigger around, look at the S&W 44 Mags.

You can always carry 44 Special powerlevel loads in them.

Another option;
My sister in law has a Taurus 5 shot 44 Mag.

I load ammo for her. I have shot her gun and it shoots pretty good.

19 April 2010, 07:40

N E 450 No2

Here is another line of thinking...

Take a look at a S&W 325 Night Guard.

Six shots in 45 ACP/Auto Rim.

With full moon clips it is the fastest revolver reload on the Planet.

Many more choices of great 2 legged protection loads vs the 44 Special, and with Buffalo Bore Auto Rim loads it is effective in the field as the 44 Special.

Also it is much easier to find 45 ACP ammo vs. 44 Special when on a road trip.

20 April 2010, 06:04

TCLouis

d77
Thanx for the posts, I thought I looked the other day and there was only the 4' barrel.
Then again maybe I was queasy about the DAO feature. Might be an advantage the way I plan to carry this.

I wonder if one can substitute a hammer with a spur as needed, desired.

Why were you celebrating OXO's banning. I missed the deal on that one.

I have Mags if I need more oomph, just like the Bulldog's size some may argue that it barely starts with a .4.

I'm sticking to 44 rather 45 because I have all kinds of 44 fixins and have little or NO 45 stuff. One of the few handgun owners whom have never owned any sort of 45 short of the 45-70.

20 April 2010, 07:35

N E 450 No2

I have always been a S&W revolver kind of guy...

I did get a 44 Special Bulldog when they first came out in the early 1970's...

I shot mine a fair amount, but after the cylinder retaining "button" on the cylinder came off... Well I just did not feel safe having my life depend on it.

Again take a look at the 5 shot S&W 44 Specials.

22 April 2010, 04:37

TCLouis

NE 450 No2
How "waterproof" is the scandium?

Normal freshwater with distilled after rinse after any exposure.

22 April 2010, 11:56

N E 450 No2

There is some carbon steel in the scandium revolvers, that can rust...

I have SCUBA dived with 1911's, mostly a Light Weight Commander, and I have done a few whitewater canoe trips, where I went under water, with a stainless 1911 [I have seen Deliverence SEVERAL TIMES

]...

The thing to do,after total immersion, if you cannot totally break down your gun, is to hose it down with WD 40.[ WD 40 was designed to displace moisture on Missle componets, not as a lube]

After you hose down the gun totally with WD 40, you shake it dry as best you can, and then spray it good with Hornady cleaner/dry lube.

Any Mil Spec ammo that has been under less than 15 feet or so is probably ok for practice, but if you have taken it down on SCUBA, I throw it away...

Just so you know a 1911 will function under water, fire, eject, feed, fire, and repeat...

Revolvers will too, of course.

22 April 2010, 16:39

jwp475

quote:
Originally posted by 0X0:
I think you'll find a J-Frame, 5 round revolver in .357 mag. 158 gr. JHP is sufficient stopping power for the full spectrum of belligerent humans.

44 Spl. is the sort of caliber you carry "in the field" for defense against wild animals -- but it's not big enough for bear.

So you come up with the "bear gun" . . . 44 mag. or larger. The frame is large and capacity is usually six rounds. That makes it not very practical for "concealed carry."

There's a reason you can't find a compact revolver in 44 Spl. There's not much of a market for them.

Wrong again as usual....

_____________________________________________________

A 9mm may expand to a larger diameter, but a 45 ain't going to shrink

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.
- Winston Churchill

22 April 2010, 16:41

jwp475

quote:
Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
There is some carbon steel in the scandium revolvers, that can rust...

I have SCUBA dived with 1911's, mostly a Light Weight Commander, and I have done a few whitewater canoe trips, where I went under water, with a stainless 1911 [I have seen Deliverence SEVERAL TIMES ]...

The thing to do,after total immersion, if you cannot totally break down your gun, is to hose it down with WD 40.[ WD 40 was designed to displace moisture on Missle componets, not as a lube]

After you hose down the gun totally with WD 40, you shake it dry as best you can, and then spray it good with Hornady cleaner/dry lube.

Any Mil Spec ammo that has been under less than 15 feet or so is probably ok for practice, but if you have taken it down on SCUBA, I throw it away...

Just so you know a 1911 will function under water, fire, eject, feed, fire, and repeat...

Revolvers will too, of course.

Correct as usual

23 April 2010, 04:19

namibiahunter

I went out today looking in gunshops for a Summer CCW, preferably a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special. I use to carry that lightweight but potent revolver but don't have one now. Instead, I found and bought an H&K P7M8 which I'll carry until I find a Bulldog.

24 April 2010, 01:54

buckeyeshooter

I've got this 3 inch 44 mag. they did make these in stainless

31 May 2010, 19:38

john113wyo

quote:
[I have seen Deliverence SEVERAL TIMES ]...

Tony,
Stop it. You're scaring me.
At least scuba diving with your LW Commander, you should be safe from stingrays, no "crocodile hunter" barbs to the heart for you.

"It ain't lion hunting unless you get stitches." - John in WYO

"It became aquatic, briefly." Ann ~ Aspen Hill Adventures

The bear has to touch you to hurt you. Don’t let the bear touch you.

01 June 2010, 03:59

msp

I used to have a pair of taurus 44 specials. Could not get after market stocks or holster and I was not happy with the factory 44 special carry ammo at the time. Now that we have buffalo bore and others that would have been one problem solved.

As far as a bulldog there are in production currently they should only be a phone call away.