Which 4" 44 Mag. should I get?

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JackDRipper

New member
Looking for a 4" 44 mag. for plinking and maybe home defense. Only one I've looked at so far is the 4" Ruger Redhawk. Seemed big and heavy, should do the job. What about the 2 1/2" Super Redhawk? Or Taurus 4 inchers?
Thanks!
JR
 
C

CarbineCaleb

New member
Don't overlook the Smith 629, and if you want a lighter gun, it's available as the sweet looking "Mountain Gun" (about 39-40oz).

They also make the 329PD which is *really* light, but that is getting extreme, IMO - too much of a good thing with the lightness.
 
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Mark B

New member
I get a Super Blackhawk 4 5/8
The new 4" Redhawk is nice but a MSRP of 700.00 for a gun that hasn't changed much in 20+ years is rediculous IMO.
 
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John D

New member
I own the Mountain Gun, a fairly ideal combination of power, "pointability", and size in a great looking package. Recoil is manageable, accuracy is good, and the trigger is very smooth.
 
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john in jax

New member
I've owned and enjoyed 1 Colt Anaconda, 6 S&W's and 2 Ruger .44mags . . . IMO you can't go wrong with any of them.

I've owned 2 Taurus .44mags and, IMO, each one wore out (got too lose) long before they should have. IIRC neither one made it to 1,000 rounds before (again IMO) they were dangerously loose and needed to be sent back to Taurus. I really like, trust and recommend Taurus semi-autos, but I despise their .44mags.
 
A

azredhawk44

Moderator
I've got the Ruger 4" Redhawk... I really like it alot. I was trying to decide on either it or a Smith 29/629. My criteria were longevity of gun in relation to number of practice sessions, grip angle/comfort, ability to handle 300gr and heavier loads, and reliability.

Sounds like your criteria would be more along the lines of comfortable plinking rounds, lighter-loaded self defense rounds, and grip angle/comfort. If I were in your shoes, I might give the Smith a bit more credence over the Ruger...maybe...grudgingly.

I am really very happy with my Redhawk though.
 
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john1911

New member
Another vote for the 4" Redhawk. I bought one and really like it. It's heavy but will last forever. Saved a couple hundred dollars over the price of a S&W.
 
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DonR101395

New member
I've got both a 4" and a 5 1/2" Redhawk. I have to give my vote to the 4" Redhawk. Nothing wrong with the 629, I just like the heft of the Redhawk. It also has the best trigger I've ever felt on an out of the box Ruger or S&W. The first one I've owned that didn't need a trigger job or Wolf springs or both.
 
1

100W_Warlock

New member
Ruger Redhawk... accept no others...

The Ruger RH/SRH and SBH revolvers are w/o a doubt my favorite 44mag guns.

I think the 5.5" Blue with a set of aftermarket wood grips is my first choice.

But, since you want a stainless 4", get it with Hogue monogrips.
 
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DarylBruce

New member
Smith & Wesson 629 gets my vote. It is a very nice smooth handling firearm. For plinking 44 specials or 44 mags in a cowboy loads make for nice fun shooting.. As for self-defence, it should stop most anything that come in the door. IMHO a Smith & Wesson holds its resale value better than other brands.
 
P

Playboypenguin

Moderator
My favorite .44mags are...

4.6" Barrel Ruger Blackhawk
RugerBH.jpg



3" Barrel S&W m629
SWm629.jpg
 
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Webleymkv

New member
For plinking and home defence (you didn't say anything about hunting), a .44 Spl may fit your needs. S&W is currently making both M21's and M24's in this caliber. I have a Nickle M21 and am very happy with it.
 
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CarbineCaleb

New member
Defense with a .44 magnum?

As an aside, Speer recently came out with a defense load for moderate sized .44 Magnums - the .44 Mag Short Barrel - it's 200gr@1075fps,513ft-lb. That is about half a full .44 Magnum load's energy, but still beats the .44 Special by a good margin too.
 
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Hal

New member
Ditto to what azredhawk44 said.

If you plan on or want to shoot heavyweight bullets like the 300 gr., then Ruger.
If you have no desire to or see no need to use anything heavier than a 250 gr. bullet, then Smith.

I'm very partial to the S&W model 29.
I have an older P&R 29-2 4" barrel that shoots well.
 
S

Stainz

New member
I had a 629MG for years - replaced it with a standard 4" 629 last year. The benefits include a larger hammer & trigger, red ramp front and white outline rear sight, and a bit more mass in that still partially lugged barrel. The 629MG is 2 oz lighter, at 39.5 oz vs the 41.5 oz of the regular. I did put the .500 Magnum Hogues, which fit K, L, N, and X frames, on the new 629 for recoil help. They pad the backstrap quite well, yet only add ~3/16" to the trigger reach. The MG pictured is actually one of my pair of 625MG's in .45 Colt.

I had a .45 Colt SS 5.5" RH for years - they cannot compare with a S&W for trigger smoothness or accuracy - even with the 625MG's 4" barrel. As said, I now have two MG's in .45 Colt - and no more RH. I looked at the new KRH-444 4" RH (MSRP $780) - I am happy with my new (Literally 2 days old when I got it 4/06!) 4" 629 (SKU #163603 MSRP $869). The grip is an S&W Accessories-only deal - but the best $35 you'll ever spend if you care to shoot real .44 Magnums. As to ammo - anything SAAMI-spec'd will work in a 629, although the RH's cylinder is a bit longer, permitting a longer bullet to be loaded. Don't let the MSRP difference fool you - a big $89 - the actual store price will be closer - that 4" RH is still 'new' and in high demand. Heck, you can't go wrong with either!

Stainz

IMG_0230.jpg
 
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