.44 Magnum 3 Inch Berrel

azguy · 04-12-2004, 10:44 PM

Is a .44 Magnum with a 3" berrel a waist of time? Is the berrel too short. I like the round, and I have a Ruger Redhawk with a 51/2'' berrel. I would like a .44 to carry CCW but it would have to be a small berrel. Is 3'' ok or does the berrel need to be longer than 4". I have been looking at a real nice one by S&W. It has a 3" berrel. I am tempted, I will probibly get it anyway.

Shaun · 04-12-2004, 11:20 PM

how do you like recoil -- personal choice for carry if I went with the 44 would be the 3" magnum using special loads. It was a choice round for the FBI at one point in fact it was what Liddy Chose to carry while working as an FBI agent.

BattleRifleG3 · 04-12-2004, 11:39 PM

The shorter the barrel, the more difference each inch makes. I personally think as short a barrel as that that uses as slow burning powder as a 44 Mag in such a long shell, I think you'd find it easier to carry a 45ACP auto pistol and get a comparable amount of power at lower ammo cost, less recoil, longer site radius, and basically everything a better tradeoff.

Doglips · 04-13-2004, 07:24 PM

Taures makes/made a 2/3 inch 45 colt....was ported to help with recoil...never read much about how they shoot. Seems like a 44mag would lose too much with that short of a barrel....and of course recoil would slow follow up shots.

04-13-2004, 07:51 PM

I'd like to have one myself..if you're not concerned with recoil and muzzle blast go for it :target:
btw I love 3 inch barreled revolvers..most popular are the 4 and 6 inch barrels though

jerry · 04-13-2004, 07:54 PM

A great psycological weapon. One round of muzzle blast and flash may end the fight w/o a hit?

alan c. · 04-14-2004, 10:32 AM

If you are concerned about accuracy the barrel length at self defense range won't make a difference. It will however affect the velocity.

azguy · 04-14-2004, 06:51 PM

Way back several months ago I read an article on a website, I forget which one of course so I cannot go back and resurch it further but.

The writter was talking about short berrel revolvers. In his article he published results of some tests he conducted at a range. The tests were not sientific at all. What he did was attach a small plane brown lunch bag to the end of each berrel, and then checked to see if there was still any unburned powder left over after firing one round. (Is this even possible?? Woulden't the papper bags explode or catch fire?)

He claimed that any berrel down to 3 inches would be ok. Shorter than that you start to find unburned powder in the papper bags. All that said I think it would be fun to try it out.

tommy · 04-14-2004, 10:39 PM

why not just go with a .44 special with a 3 inch barrel. not as much recoil but still a big chunk of lead. and plebty of knock down power.

tommy · 04-14-2004, 10:47 PM

here's my little baby. .44 special rossi.

04-15-2004, 06:23 AM

nice thing about Blazer ammo is it's cheap and nobody is going to argue with Speer hollowpoints :target:

azguy · 04-15-2004, 06:34 PM

Nice gun that is about what I was looking for.

I currently use either my S&W .357, or Sig .380, depending on what I am wearing. Latley I have been carrying my PA-63. I believe that revolvers are the way to go for CCW, but I think that the .44 Magnum would be too big for CCW. The .44 Special sounds like a good way to go. Is it a problem finding ammo?

I was also thinking about a .41 Magnum.

05-29-2004, 10:29 PM

Why would you want the .44? That's too much insanity to aim well. I'd go with a .45 compact and enjoy.
What about those S&W hammerless jobs?

BattleRifleG3 · 05-29-2004, 10:37 PM

I acree on the 45 Auto as a much more effective gun for CCW. For the space you'd take up just accomodating the 44 round, and for how much velocity you'd lose, you could get a far better 45 Auto pistol that fit in the same space, even if it had a longer barrel.

whirlwind · 06-04-2004, 03:20 AM

i just never liked the shorter barrels.a friend of mine had a 44 with a 3 inch barrel (i believe?) and i shot it once at dusk and the fire ball was impressive to say the least! but it also would burn the hair off your hands. lol i have never shot any revolver that left so much powder residue on my hands though! and shortly after that my wife at the time bought a 357 with a two inch barrel it was a steel frame rossi and light as a feather so naturally with the recoil ya couldnt hit anything smaller than a 55 gallon drum at more than 10 yards! lol

tommy · 06-04-2004, 08:51 AM

i get my ammo from my local gun shop. from what they tell me the .44 special is a popular target and range gun too!!. as for ccw i think the .44 special would be alot better then the .45 . the .44 special hes alot less recoil then the .45 and it won't over penetrate.and you can hide it better than a .45.

remember it only takes one round to get the job done.i would rather have a gun in my hand that i know i can get on target with and hit the target with.

i went shoot at the range with my brother n law he had just gottin his .45 glock. it was a nice gun but it wasn't as acurate as my .44 on the multiple shot thing.to much recoil.

Dennis · 06-09-2004, 03:47 AM

I gotta a 2"DAO taurus mod 617 that I can hit pumpkins at 30 feet everytime.
ya just gotta practice

whirlwind · 06-09-2004, 11:24 AM

that is one gun i did not enjoy shooting enough to practice with. now my 41 magnum is fun shooting! and i can take a paper plate at 80 yards bout every shot and can hit it at 100 yards just not consistantly with full loads. the 41 mag is about the funnest caliber ive ever shot in a handgun.

04-12-2004, 10:44 PM	#1
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136 Trader Rating: (0)	.44 Magnum 3 Inch Berrel Is a .44 Magnum with a 3" berrel a waist of time? Is the berrel too short. I like the round, and I have a Ruger Redhawk with a 51/2'' berrel. I would like a .44 to carry CCW but it would have to be a small berrel. Is 3'' ok or does the berrel need to be longer than 4". I have been looking at a real nice one by S&W. It has a 3" berrel. I am tempted, I will probibly get it anyway.

04-12-2004, 11:20 PM	#2
Shaun Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 8,585 Trader Rating: (0)	how do you like recoil -- personal choice for carry if I went with the 44 would be the 3" magnum using special loads. It was a choice round for the FBI at one point in fact it was what Liddy Chose to carry while working as an FBI agent. __________________ "Homeland Security is the responsibility of an armed citizen" ME http://webpages.charter.net/s.s.v/

04-12-2004, 11:39 PM	#3
BattleRifleG3 Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Western PA Posts: 11,401 Trader Rating: (0)	The shorter the barrel, the more difference each inch makes. I personally think as short a barrel as that that uses as slow burning powder as a 44 Mag in such a long shell, I think you'd find it easier to carry a 45ACP auto pistol and get a comparable amount of power at lower ammo cost, less recoil, longer site radius, and basically everything a better tradeoff. __________________ Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf

04-13-2004, 07:54 PM	#6
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,760 Trader Rating: (0)	A great psycological weapon. One round of muzzle blast and flash may end the fight w/o a hit? __________________

04-14-2004, 10:32 AM	#7
alan c. Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pasadena,Tejas - also known as Texas Posts: 3,757 Trader Rating: (0)	If you are concerned about accuracy the barrel length at self defense range won't make a difference. It will however affect the velocity. __________________ God Bless. From Tejas -- formerly known as Texas.

04-13-2004, 07:24 PM	#4
Doglips Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cocoa Florida Posts: 9,090 Trader Rating: (0)	Taures makes/made a 2/3 inch 45 colt....was ported to help with recoil...never read much about how they shoot. Seems like a 44mag would lose too much with that short of a barrel....and of course recoil would slow follow up shots.

04-13-2004, 07:51 PM	#5
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	I'd like to have one myself..if you're not concerned with recoil and muzzle blast go for it :target: btw I love 3 inch barreled revolvers..most popular are the 4 and 6 inch barrels though

04-14-2004, 06:51 PM	#8
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136 Trader Rating: (0)	Way back several months ago I read an article on a website, I forget which one of course so I cannot go back and resurch it further but. The writter was talking about short berrel revolvers. In his article he published results of some tests he conducted at a range. The tests were not sientific at all. What he did was attach a small plane brown lunch bag to the end of each berrel, and then checked to see if there was still any unburned powder left over after firing one round. (Is this even possible?? Woulden't the papper bags explode or catch fire?) He claimed that any berrel down to 3 inches would be ok. Shorter than that you start to find unburned powder in the papper bags. All that said I think it would be fun to try it out.

04-14-2004, 10:39 PM	#9
tommy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: schriever la Posts: 3,893 Trader Rating: (0)	why not just go with a .44 special with a 3 inch barrel. not as much recoil but still a big chunk of lead. and plebty of knock down power.

04-15-2004, 06:23 AM	#11
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	nice thing about Blazer ammo is it's cheap and nobody is going to argue with Speer hollowpoints :target:

04-15-2004, 06:34 PM	#12
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136 Trader Rating: (0)	Nice gun that is about what I was looking for. I currently use either my S&W .357, or Sig .380, depending on what I am wearing. Latley I have been carrying my PA-63. I believe that revolvers are the way to go for CCW, but I think that the .44 Magnum would be too big for CCW. The .44 Special sounds like a good way to go. Is it a problem finding ammo? I was also thinking about a .41 Magnum.

05-29-2004, 10:29 PM	#13
Mr. Kaneko Guest Posts: n/a	Why would you want the .44? That's too much insanity to aim well. I'd go with a .45 compact and enjoy. What about those S&W hammerless jobs?

05-29-2004, 10:37 PM	#14
BattleRifleG3 Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Western PA Posts: 11,401 Trader Rating: (0)	I acree on the 45 Auto as a much more effective gun for CCW. For the space you'd take up just accomodating the 44 round, and for how much velocity you'd lose, you could get a far better 45 Auto pistol that fit in the same space, even if it had a longer barrel. __________________ Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf

06-04-2004, 03:20 AM	#15
whirlwind Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 3,730 Trader Rating: (0)	i just never liked the shorter barrels.a friend of mine had a 44 with a 3 inch barrel (i believe?) and i shot it once at dusk and the fire ball was impressive to say the least! but it also would burn the hair off your hands. lol i have never shot any revolver that left so much powder residue on my hands though! and shortly after that my wife at the time bought a 357 with a two inch barrel it was a steel frame rossi and light as a feather so naturally with the recoil ya couldnt hit anything smaller than a 55 gallon drum at more than 10 yards! lol __________________ De oppresso liber !

06-04-2004, 08:51 AM	#16
tommy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: schriever la Posts: 3,893 Trader Rating: (0)	i get my ammo from my local gun shop. from what they tell me the .44 special is a popular target and range gun too!!. as for ccw i think the .44 special would be alot better then the .45 . the .44 special hes alot less recoil then the .45 and it won't over penetrate.and you can hide it better than a .45. remember it only takes one round to get the job done.i would rather have a gun in my hand that i know i can get on target with and hit the target with. i went shoot at the range with my brother n law he had just gottin his .45 glock. it was a nice gun but it wasn't as acurate as my .44 on the multiple shot thing.to much recoil.

06-09-2004, 03:47 AM	#17
Dennis Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 1,876 Trader Rating: (0)	I gotta a 2"DAO taurus mod 617 that I can hit pumpkins at 30 feet everytime. ya just gotta practice __________________ Submitted with respect to all

06-09-2004, 11:24 AM	#18
whirlwind Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 3,730 Trader Rating: (0)	that is one gun i did not enjoy shooting enough to practice with. now my 41 magnum is fun shooting! and i can take a paper plate at 80 yards bout every shot and can hit it at 100 yards just not consistantly with full loads. the 41 mag is about the funnest caliber ive ever shot in a handgun. __________________ De oppresso liber !