Primer test for .44 Spl

fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
7.5 is really pushing the 44 special IMO.
7ish is a lot more pleasant, and 6 of green-dot is pretty nice.

like mentioned above I also equate the 44 special to the 45 acp, it just has better penetration abilities.
as such my loads [pressure and recoil] tend to mirror the 45's.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
It is a damn fine revolver. I treat it well and appreciate it. I have not yet fired it double action....
I tried a few of the 7.5 Unique load and found it recoiled more than I needed. The 4.5 of Titegroup shoots well and does all I need.
I call it my 44 cal shovel when looking for range scrap as it doe a good job of turning over the berm.
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
wait.. you can operate a revolver in more than one way?
I thought you had 2 thumbs so one could cock the hammer while the other helped maintain your grip.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
That is essentially how I do it Lamar.

Works well enough to not change
 
Pistolero

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
So, Brad says he is $850 away from retirement? Gee, that's great news. :rofl:

I wish Brad was that close....but unless pill peddlers make more than I guess, or
Brad has been a really impressive investor, I'm guessing it might take just a bit more
than that. :embarrassed:

I will be backing down to 6.5 and 7.0 of Unique. The problem is that 7.5 shoots really
close to the sights and I have shot about 4 groups with it that are in the 1.5-2" range or under.
And I agree, with the skimpy stock sized, but very cool old Sanbar stag grips, it is more
recoil than is desired. I'd use it if I was going elk or pig hunting with the old girl, but probably
shouldn't shoot many of them day to day.

And when I shoot groups, I cock the hammer with my left thumb to keep my grip consistent.

Bill
 
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Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I have a good decade to go. Sadly.
And $850? Why would I sell at a $50 profit?
 
CZ93X62

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
fiver said:
7.5 is really pushing the 44 special IMO.
Click to expand...

I agree--to a point. Charter Arms? No way on earth. My friend's Triple Lock? Not on your life! But a post-war SAA/Pasta Colta clone? Yeah. Post-war N-frame? Yep. The later-series 600-number 44s? Yes. The Ruger S/As of recent make? All day long.
 
Pistolero

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Referring to an old Brian Pearce report on loading for the .44 Spl in Handloader, he says 6.9 max
with Unique under a 250 Keith in the early guns like my 1920s 2nd Model Hand Ejector. He sets their
pressure limits to 15000 psi. He does say that up to 8 gr of PP will be within that pressure limits and make
978 fps with 250 Keith. I will be testing 7.0 gr of PP tomorrow, if the sun will shine, to see how it shoots.

Bill
 
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CZ93X62

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Pistolero said:
Referring to an old Brian Pearce report on loading for the .44 Spl in Handloader, he says 6.9 max
with Unique under a 250 Keith in the early guns like my 1920s 2nd Model Hand Ejector. He sets their
pressure limits to 15000 psi. He does say the up to 8 gr of PP will be within that pressure limits and make
978 fps with 250 Keith. I will be testing 7.0 gr of PP tomorrow, if the sun will shine, to see how it shoots.

Bill
Click to expand...

I would keep any pre-war 44 Special with 240-250 grain bullets in the 700-725 FPS realm. Even at that sedate pace, 1/2 oz. of metal of 43 caliber certainly won't do anything it connects with any good at all. 2-1/3 football fields per second is no joke.
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Rick said:
Ssshhh . . . . You know John reads these posts, wouldn't want him to have a stroke or something. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

:headscratch:Been a long time since I bought a handgun with an exposed hammer. The Bulldog has a shrouded hammer but I haven't tried it in single action mode.
 
CZ93X62

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Uh, yeah. The trigger finger. That's the point of D/A revolvers, I thought. I almost never shoot my D/A revolvers via hammer-cocking.
 
Pistolero

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
I agree totally, Al, for 'social purposes" and training for social encounters with revolvers. But,
first one needs to decide on a decently accurate load which shoots somewhere (usefully) near
the sights. So, I am at the ammo testing phase, and single action is the testing method.
And since this is likely to be more of a plinker with the possibility of a bit of hunting, it will
probably be used mostly SA in those, too.

But, for serious social work, where speed is essential, no question DA is the way to go. And if
this .44 ever is used in a close in hog hunt, would be DA then, too.

My Smith J frame is always DA, hammer is entirely interior. My Cobras have the hammer, but
are essentially never used SA.

Bill
 
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