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.44 Ammo...

swaggerstick1947swaggerstick1947 Member Posts: 17 ✭✭
edited November 2013 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Which ammo is easiest to obtain - and safest - for a .44 caliber Italian cowboy clone revolver: .44/.40, .44, .44 Spl, .44 Mag, etc?

Also, can such a revolver - Pre-War or Old Model - only safely fire a .44 cowboy load or ANY .44 load?!


Thanks!

Swaggerstick1947 :)
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Comments

  • MG1890MG1890 Member Posts: 4,649
    edited November -1
    Be careful. 44/40 IS NOT interchangeable with .44 Special / .44 Magnum!

    What does your barrel say, exactly????
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  • 62fuelie62fuelie Member Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    +1 on that! The pre-war Colts were either 44-40 or 44 Special. Colt never made a SAA in 44 Mag. The Italian revolvers can be had in 44-40 or 44 mag. The .44 Russian, .44 Special and .44 Mag will all fire safely in a revolver chambered for the .44 Mag.
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  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,357 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There are few Italian single action .44 Magnums, not zero but very few.
    There is no ".44" without modifier.

    There is a fair selection of .44 Special and .44 WCF(.44-40.) revolvers. You may can get a convertible or have a cylinder for one fitted to a gun that came with the other. The ammunition is not interchangeable. Neither is particularly easy to obtain and not cheap when you find it.

    Guns and ammunition are more common in .45 Colt and much more common in .38/.357. You can even get .45 Colt/.45 ACP convertibles.
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  • swaggerstick1947swaggerstick1947 Member Posts: 17 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by MG1890
    Be careful. 44/40 IS NOT interchangeable with .44 Special / .44 Magnum!

    What does your barrel say, exactly????


    Actually I was thinking of purchasing a .44 but the replies to my questions seem to make the caliber unappealing...the .357 Mag/.38 Spl seems to be the most flexible caliber.
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  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,541 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a new Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag. I haven't even shot it yet but my intention is to use only 44 SP unless in dire emergency. It weighs less than a standard 44 mag gun but will easily handle the magnums if needed. I would suggest buying a revolver chambered for the magnum even if your main use will be with the lighter loaded ammo(if you can tolerate the extra weight/size of the magnum).
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  • rsnyder55rsnyder55 Member Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As far as safest, the 44Russian and 44spl will stress the gun the least. Even S&W 629's will work loose under full 44mag loads after time.

    Easiest to get depends on how you plan to acquire it. In local stores, I find 44mags easier to get than either of the others.

    From internet sites, all are usually available. SASS shooters use 44Russian and 44specials so there is some demand for the cartridge there.
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  • swaggerstick1947swaggerstick1947 Member Posts: 17 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Mobuck
    I have a new Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag. I haven't even shot it yet but my intention is to use only 44 SP unless in dire emergency. It weighs less than a standard 44 mag gun but will easily handle the magnums if needed. I would suggest buying a revolver chambered for the magnum even if your main use will be with the lighter loaded ammo(if you can tolerate the extra weight/size of the magnum).



    Great info; thanks!
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  • swaggerstick1947swaggerstick1947 Member Posts: 17 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Mobuck
    I have a new Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag. I haven't even shot it yet but my intention is to use only 44 SP unless in dire emergency. It weighs less than a standard 44 mag gun but will easily handle the magnums if needed. I would suggest buying a revolver chambered for the magnum even if your main use will be with the lighter loaded ammo(if you can tolerate the extra weight/size of the magnum).



    I'd take your advice...excellent!
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  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    One of my 29's has 40,000+ rounds of full tilt and is still a excellent nice shooting tight handgun. 245 Keith with BlueDot, 5744 or 2400.
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  • machine gun moranmachine gun moran Member Posts: 5,198
    edited November -1
    A gun chambered for .44 mag, is the most versatile. As has been said, they will also take .44 Specials, and the .44 Russian cowboy ammo which is available again. They will also take the newly-manufactured .44 Colt, which is .050 shorter than the .44 Special and .075 longer than the .44 Russian, but which has a slightly smaller rim.
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Buy the 44 Mag because you can load it down to 44-40 or 44 Spl levels and it will shoot 44 spls without loss of accuracy. It is way more available than 44-40.
    Additionally 44-40 brass is very thin and falls apart after only a few reloads.
    As far as shooting goes, loading and ejecting 38-40 and 44-40 goes faster than straight cases of any caliber.
    If you have to have it buy a spare 44-40 cylinder and try to find ammo and brass for it.
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  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member, Moderator Posts: 9,929 ******
    edited November -1
    just to note; there are a few colt copies out there in .44 colt cal., this is not interchangable with any other .44
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