What is the best .44 magnum out there "?

[Gold Bar Guns]

carried and shot a 624 for years, 44 special can be loaded to near 44 mag specs and it was nice to have something a little different. Would not hesitate to get a 29/629 if I had a use for it, S&W makes a great gun.

That being said I'm getting pretty sick of the "what's the best....?" threads

I have 629's,Red Hawks,a brace of Super and Bisley Black Hawks,Llammas,Taurus ,and a couple others,not to proud to say I liked them all for different reasons,but my fav. shooter was a Llamma Super Comanche,not sure as to why but there you have it.

 

[twowheels]

Yup, good advice try a few and pick the one you like the best. I LOVE my 629 but I also have a super redhawk with some spring work. It is a big brute and good with full charge rounds but I like the smaller and lighter 629 a lot more. I could easily be convinced to sell or trade the ruger but the smith isn't going anywhere.

 

[Rix]

Deagle is the best .44 mag. Because that's all I have in .44 so far.
Therefor..... it's the best.

 

[mjbskwim]

carried and shot a 624 for years, 44 special can be loaded to near 44 mag specs and it was nice to have something a little different. Would not hesitate to get a 29/629 if I had a use for it, S&W makes a great gun.

That being said I'm getting pretty sick of the "what's the best....?" threads

Yet you come post here anyway

 

[ereezy503]

The Mateba auto revolver is obviously the best .44 mag. The best thing to come out of Italy since pizza.

The fear of finding replacement parts makes it really exciting to shoot one too.

 

[glockman99]

Ruger stainless Redhawk with the 5.5 inch barrel...Loaded with Hornady Custom 300 grain JHP.

 

[Thumper]

Dunno about the best, but the worst is the 329PD. Two out of two have auto-locked, thereby making it the best single-shot bear defense gun in Alaska.

Never again a S&W with the lock. Ever.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Dunno about the best, but the worst is the 329PD. Two out of two have auto-locked, thereby making it the best single-shot bear defense gun in Alaska.

Never again a S&W with the lock. Ever.

Dang.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

For my money the Ruger No. 3 carbine is the best choice.

 

[j3hill]

Lets everybody suggest expensive guns okay? Jeez, He said for out hiking and general foolishness. And you guys all jump in with Smiths and Colts? What the hell is wrong with a Taurus Tracker for 400 bucks? They dont rust, some barrels are ported, and they have damn good triggers.

 

[The Heretic]

Dunno about the best, but the worst is the 329PD. Two out of two have auto-locked, thereby making it the best single-shot bear defense gun in Alaska.

Never again a S&W with the lock. Ever.

Interesting.

No problems with mine, and I have shot it with heavy loads (300 grain at 1200 fps).

That said - I will remove the lock.

If you don't like the lock, just remove it.

 

[mjbskwim]

Lets everybody suggest expensive guns okay? Jeez, He said for out hiking and general foolishness. And you guys all jump in with Smiths and Colts? What the hell is wrong with a Taurus Tracker for 400 bucks? They dont rust, some barrels are ported, and they have damn good triggers.

Not a gun I would bet my life on or carry for anything.
I buy Tauruses if I get them at a screaming price and can resell. Not a fan at all.

 

[The Heretic]

He said "best" and you are upset because we suggest the best?

 

[j3hill]

He said "best" and you are upset because we suggest the best?

Best for what he wants. not best for collecting or showing off. I have several colts, S&W and I think a 3 screw Ruger that has never been fired. But thats not what he said. And best is subjective. It comes down down to the right tool for the job.
Nothing worse than anti-gun people, other than gun people who think they know everything.
Case in point below. http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-Tracker44.htm

Not a gun I would bet my life on or carry for anything.
I buy Tauruses if I get them at a screaming price and can resell. Not a fan at all.

 

[The Heretic]

Given that I have owned two Taurus revolvers, one in .44 Mag and one in .357 Mag, I have to agree, that I would think twice about owning them for personal protection.

I liked the M44 I owned - it had the best trigger of any revolver I have ever shot, including S&W, Colt, Ruger, etc.

However, the .357 Mag Ti Tracker I own, while being a fun shooting gun, is not what I would trust with my life. It came from the factory with a cylinder to barrel gap of less than 0.001", and naturally the cylinder locked up after the first fifty shots.

My observation, after owning two and reading a lot about similar experiences by other owners, is that Taurus quality control is hit and miss. After all, just how hard is it to check the cylinder gap on a revolver before putting it in the box to be sold? It takes less than 10 seconds. How many other defects are in that gun that are not so obvious?

The OP asked for the "best" for the stated purpose, which included "personal protection". To that end any S&W .44 Mag revolver is *one* of the best examples as they are generally as reliable or more reliable than other .44 Mag revolvers (the Ruger handguns being maybe the most durable and reliable IMO and experience).

I didn't buy my 329PD because it was something that I would own as a showcase handgun (after all, not many people like the looks of the 329PD), I bought it because after carrying around two different very heavy .44 mags (Dan Wesson and Taurus M44) I wanted something much lighter that I would not debate about carrying when it came time to load up and head out the door.

I considered a Taurus as they make titanium .44 Mag revolvers, but my experience was not good with the brand - a 50% "failure" rate with their QC - and research showed me that I wasn't alone in this experience. Also, their .44 Mags had short cylinders and therefore would not take ammo loaded to maximum overall length, which is often the case with maximum power loads and heavy bullets.

Since I wanted the handgun for carrying in brown bear country, and/or as a backup when hunting feral hogs, I decided instead on the S&W.

If I didn't care as much about weight I would have bought a Ruger, and probably chambered for .454 Casull.

Indeed, I can't think of a single firearm I own that is for collection or "showing off" purposes. Every one was chosen for its working purpose.

To each their own.

 

[WAYNO]

Seldom do "what's the best" threads end up constructively, so I often stay away from them. I can't ignore this one any longer.

The OP did ask "what's the best?" So then honestly a Smith or Colt is a reasonable answer. It is also my answer.

Had the OP asked what's a reasonable bargain-priced handgun that will probably do what it's intended to do, knowing you're taking a chance on quality and performance, then Taurus and/or Rossi could fit the bill.

I'm glad that some folks have had good luck with their Taurus'. I have not, and I'm close to others that have not, and for now, I will not consider them. Yes, I must be a gun snob, but it's not just for prideful reasons. A gun is like an airplane. Ya have to place a great deal of confidence in them, and low bidders are not always a comfort. I've seen some very poorly made Taurus/Rossi products, and some that are better than average for them. I do not like having to pick thru a shipment of them to find the best one in the crate.

WAYNO.

and to further stir the pot...I much prefer older Smith revolvers to newer ones.

And the most accurate revolver I've ever shot, was a Taurus Tracker in .357. Go figure.

 

[The Heretic]

The most accurate revolver I've shot was the Dan Wesson with the tensioned barrel. I am a believer in the concept - I had a rifle with a tensioned barrel that was the most accurate rifle I ever shot (0.5 MOA and I am not a good shot).

I like the design of Taurus revolvers, and they are one of the few manufacturers that makes revolvers from titanium, but I am not a believer in their QC as I already mentioned. So I can't recommend them as "best".

 

[Bon Sauvage]

If you have the pesos then a Freedom Arms Model 83 might suit you.

 

[Dain Bramage]

Not to pile on, J3Hill, but the OP did ask for the "best" .44 mag.

There can only be one "best" and ogre wins it with the Freedom Arms Model 83 for woods/hunting, although a DA revolver would be more suitable for most people for home defense.

Second best for woods/hunting: S&W 629 Stealth Hunter or Sturm Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter.

Best home defense: S&W 4" 629 or SR 4" Redhawk.

Third place jack-of-all-trades: S&W 5" full-lug 629.

IMHO, of course.

 

[mrorca]

I like the dan wesson revolvers. Strong and dependable but good triggers. I am also a redhawk fan... I prefer the smith for 357's over any other in that calliber. Here is my dan wesson 6" stainless.