Too bad they ruined the .44 Magnum mystique associated with the Dirty Harry movies in Magnum Force, when a group of hotshot, Colt Python aficionado, rookies (turns out they were actually the bad guys in the movie) asked Harry, while shooting at the indoor police range, what load he carried in his revolver, and he told them "a light Special load for improved controllability."
Who's genius idea was that? Of course it makes perfect sense from a practical standpoint, but the mystique was kind of ruined for anyone who had any clue what he was saying.
PS. If I had to speculate, he (i.e., the writer for the Harry character) likely meant a 200 grain .429 caliber bullet in a .44 Special case, loaded to around 1,000 fps muzzle velocity.
PPS If you pay attention, you will notice that all the bad cops in that movie carried four inch blued Colt Pythons. Standard issue on the LAPD at the time was the .38 Special, S&W Combat Masterpiece.
