Thinking about a .44 Magnum for CCW

[Geister]

Using light .44 Magnum loads and .44 Special loads of course.

I've been looking into getting another gun for CCW for a few months. I originally planned on getting a 1911 in .45 ACP, but for some reason the 1911s just don't do anything for me. I guess because everyone already has one or something. That and I don't want to spend $425+ for a decent 1911. I do like the ballistics of the .45 ACP though.

Then I thought about getting a 10mm and practice using reloads but for some reason I'm not quite that interested in autos like I should be. So, I started to lean back towards revolvers.

I already have a Dan Wesson .357 with a 6" barrel but the gun is too big for carry and it now has sentimental value to me anyway. So I thought about getting a .357 Magnum revolver, such as the seven shot Taurus 627. However, I think a .357 Magnum might be too loud, since you have to shoot faster than the speed of sound (1,130 fps) to get decent ballistics.

So, I looked into Taurus' .41 and .44 Magnums as a pipe dream, but the more and more I look into it seems plausable. The .44 Magnum CAN be loaded with a subsonic round and have performance that mimics the .45 ACP. I think that's very desirable for a self-defense weapon. Also, since the round is subsonic, I can load cheaper lead and plated bullets for pratice in it. My problem with the .357 right now is finding inexpensive, decent bullets for reloading.

Here's the size specs of the Taurus Tracker 44:

4" Barrel
9" Total Length
5.4" High
1.53" Wide

The six shot cylinder in my .357 measures almost 1.47" wide, so barely 1/16" of an inch difference. The Taurus Tracker 44 is only a quarter-inch longer than the Taurus 627, the seven shot .357 model.

Another cool thing is that I can load it with hotter .44 ammo and go deer hunting.

Here's my complaints with the Taurus Tracker:

1) It's only a five shot. The six shot .44s that Taurus makes are large frame and the cylinders on them are 1.76" wide, which might be too wide for IWB, I don't know. I'd love to just install the six shot cylinder on the Tracker but I'm not sure if that would be possible.

But I got to thinking about, in a self-defense situation, five shots should be plenty. I would never put myself in a shootout situation. That and I can always get a Kel-Tec P11 for a backup.

2) It has a ported barrel. I really do not want a ported barrel due to the possibility of low light self-defense situations. I like the reduced muzzle flip with the ported barrel but as a CCW piece I'd prefer an unported barrel.

Taurus doesn't really offer anything that I want unported so I might just have to live with it. I'm really leaning towards the Taurus because they're a really good value for revolvers.

I'm still also considering a .41 Magnum but I don't know if there's enough loads for it as far as reloading goes.

Any comments or suggestions?

[Houston1944]

I have Tarus 5 shot snub nose 44mag ( I think it's called a Tracker) that I use as a backup gun, spare truck gun and anything else I need it for when I am not wearing a 1911. I think it is a very good all purpose gun. Mine is loaded with 44 spl 185 gr Corbon. Originally I was going to load up some light 44mag but I just did not want to spend time developing a load that I would not shoot very often.

[fm2]

I don't like that Taurus now ports almost all of their guns. Porting on a defensive pistol is a very bad idea. In addition to your point about low light shooting, if you have to fire from retention or inside a vehicle it's probably going to damage you.

How about a 625 or 696? What do you have for a ccw piece now?

[Geister]

I thought about getting the snub as well but I'm probably going to hunt with it more than anything else.

[Geister]

fm2,

I don't want a Smith & Wesson. I like the ballistics of the .45 ACP but I don't think I can reload for it any cheaper than some .44 Magnum loads.

The #1 reason that I'm seriously thinking about a .44 Magnum is because of the versatility. I can load cheap rounds that have the power of a .45 ACP and I can also load hotter rounds for deer. I can't do that with the .45 ACP, as the round has a real narrow power band. I don't want a .44 Special only revolver for the same reason.

For situations like shooting from a vehicle or even low light conditions, I can eventually buy a Kel-Tec P11 as a back-up and load it up with 9mm +P. It's small enough that I can carry the revolver as well.

[Venus Pax]

Um, I hate to sound stupid, but what's "porting"?

[9mmGuy]

However, I think a .357 Magnum might be too loud, since you have to shoot faster than the speed of sound (1,130 fps) to get decent ballistics.

Too LOUD? Not quiet sure i understand that?

[Mithras61]

Um, I hate to sound stupid, but what's "porting"?

"Porting" is when they put holes or slots in the top of the end of the barrel near the muzzle to help reduce muzzle climb when a pistol is fired. Some folks claim it helps reduce felt recoil as well. I don't have any opinion one way or the other on it, as I've never fired a ported weapon.

[Geister]

9mmguy, the .357 Magnum is the loudest handgun round I've heard. It has a really sharp crack to it. I'd imagine that a full load .44 or a .454 would be louder, though. For defensive purposes I'd prefer to keep the bullet subsonic.

[9mmGuy]

Um, I hate to sound stupid, but what's "porting"?

Porting is where they port (put holes) in the top of the barrel and slide to redirect some of the energy from going out the end of the barrel instead it goes up. some think it makes the gun easier to control. i have shot a ported glock and felt no difference really...





edited: dang Mithras61 beat me to it

[9mmGuy]

9mmguy, the .357 Magnum is the loudest handgun round I've heard. It has a really sharp crack to it. I'd imagine that a full load .44 or a .454 would be louder, though. For defensive purposes I'd prefer to keep the bullet subsonic.

I am not challenging that. I just dont see why?

[Geister]

I am not challenging that. I just dont see why?

It's going faster than the speed of sound and a .357 Magnum is usually loaded with more power than most of your rimless rounds. That's my theory.

It's louder than my friend's 9mm, that's for sure.

[txinvestigator]

At sea level, at a temperature of 70 °F and under normal atmospheric conditions, the speed of sound is 770 mph or 1130 feet per second (FPS).

The crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier is not what makes the bulk of the sound, it is the explosion of the gunpowder. Most defensive Subsonic ammo cannot be shot without muffs safely or comfortably. The crack of the mini sonic boom is not that loud. I shot a suppressed AR with non-subsonic ammo, and the crack was sharp, but not very loud or painful.

My Kimber .45 shooting 230 grain JHP is well subsonic at 890 FPS, but it is LOUD and painful without ear protection.

I shoot 1240 fps .22 long rifle in my Walther P22, and it is not very loud at all, despite being supersonic.

[txinvestigator]

I am not challenging that. I just dont see why?

It's going faster than the speed of sound and a .357 Magnum is usually loaded with more power than most of your rimless rounds. That's my theory.

It's louder than my friend's 9mm, that's for sure.

Here is why;

9mm and .357/.38 are basically the same sized bullet. The .357 has a longer case and is loaded with more powder.

Reloaders can probably tell you about pressures more than I.

[Geister]

Yes, it's a combination of reasons, txinvestigator. High pressure, supersonic speeds, and more powder.

But getting back to the topic, I'd like to talk about the possiblity of a .44 Magnum as a CCW.

Contrary to popular belief, I believe with the right loads, a .44 Magnum would not be a bad choice for defense. I want a gun that I can load powerful enough for hunting but I can also reasonably carry and load light enough for common defense situations. I wasn't expecting it, but it almost seems like a .44 Magnum would actually fit the bill, especially the smaller sized Taurus.

Does anyone on here carry a 4" revolver IWB? I know that Tucker makes a holster for them, does anyone else?