I've got a 44 special Charter Arms Bulldog, 44 Mag Dan Wesson, and 44 mag S&W 69 coming soon. I would like to find 44spl hand ejector S&W. I don't see them come up on Gunbroker very often and when they do they are out of my price range. I'ld like something in "shooter" condition. What would you guys expect to pay for one? Just how common are they in comparison to the 38's.

Feel free to post a pic of yours, I'ld like to see them.

Thanks Lonnie.

I've posted this one before in the 44 thread but here goes. It is a Second model 44 Hand Ejector Target, a mouthful to say for sure. 6 1/2" barrel with factory adjustable sights and an incredible action. The date of birth is probably 1932 based on ship dates of serial numbers on either side of this one. Original stocks are missing but had been replaced with a set of prewar Magnas off of a Registered Magnum, better for shooting and worth some pretty serious coin in their own right.

The shop I got it from had it priced at $2500, and I gave considerably less than that due to a bunch of horse trading and being good friends with the owner. I don't know what it is actually worth on the open market, never seen another like it in person and can't recall seeing one sell on GB.

I make sure to feed it plenty of Keith bullets over small amounts of Unique and try not to worry about what it might be worth.

VERY cool, thank you for sharing.

http://www.mvaca.org/

You just missed the big Tulsa Gunshow. There would have been some there. I expect there will be some at the gunshow I posted the link for. I haven't been in the market or studied up on it, but my educated guess is $1000 for a decent specimen. Probably $1500 for a really good one...not pristine.

Old double actions are really hanging in there value-wise. We will have to have several good years of Trump, a good legislature and SCOTUS for gun prices to come back down much. You never know about the collector's market either. I remember when you could get a good, shootable specimen for $400.

As an aside, IMO the best 44 Special ever made was the model 24/624 Smith and Wesson.

I had one of those back in the nineties. Mine had been nickeled though...or renickeled and sported Mother-of-Pearl stocks. It was probably out of Texas. I think I had $275 in it.

Mine didn't have adjustable sights.

LJ,

You should be checking the Smith & Wesson forum which also has a "Classifieds" page. I believe there is one for sale there now. Most of what I see offered for sale there is priced at the top of the market, but fairly often there are reasonable deals......

Tim

I can't let this thread die without putting this one out there. New Ruger GP100 five shot .44 Special, 3" barrel with aftermarket compact grips. A good shooter, has become a favorite carry/plinking gun.

Yeah, that's what I wanted about 8 years ago. I had to settle for a Taurus Tracker, which I don't own anymore.

I've wanted one of the GP-100s since they came out, but I've been patiently waiting for a 4 inch version. I did see the Lipsey's model in 5 inch. However out of the 2 I think I would prefer the 3 inch stainless.

The only thing on the GP100 that I am the least bit dissatisfied with is the front sight. I would rather have a ramp instead of the fiber optic. And it would have been nice if they had the same system as the Redhawk and the regular GP.

I can't pass up a chance to show my current favorite, a 624. miles

Miles, that one is pretty hard to find, and if you can find one, they are pretty hard to buy! $$$$. But they are nice.

You can likely get this one to work with some fitting and zeroing.

http://parts.bowenclassicarms.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=26

Finally got to play with one of those at my LGS last week. My only fault with it is the butt-ugly Hi-Vis plastic front sight. Whoever invented those damn sights needs a severe ass whoopin!

1961 is when Colt made this 44 Special.

I'm guessing that is one of those catch 22's for Ruger. Some people like them some don't. Personally I come down on the same side as you. Course a few more years of my eyes deteriorating I may switch sides at some point. Right now I like to draw a finer sight picture than you can get with Hi-Vis.

Hard to find a handgun that doesn't need a site swap or two.

The GP 100 is the best .44 Special made in a long, long time.




Dave

A particular favorite of mine and the only reason I am not buying the new Ruger. This photo reminded me that I still have not fixed my garlic press or rejetted my carburator...

Seems to shoot, better than me. But that is not that hard. I do like to shoot it though. miles

I got this one off gunbroker. I was looking for a .45 at the time. Sudden urges cost. miles

a "N" frame smith in 44special is a hard combination to pass by.
I bought a "skeeter skelton" conversion a few years ago, at an auction where nobody but me reconized what it was.
It it's orignial life a model 28, rebarelled with a 1950 .44special barrel, trigger job, yada yad, in a six inch tube.
Like a hot knive going through butter on the trigger, very pleasant to shoot.
I don't consider it underpowered either, as reloading will give you a round a lot better than most factory ammo.

Thanks for the suggestion EdM, but I am not really capable of doing that kind of metal work. That sight is for the plunger type system used on the Redhawk and regular GP100. The sight on the 3" model is dovetailed, so the entire bottom of the front sight would have to be re-designed.

June Handloader has a very Special article in it


Mike

And my pic

Does anyone have a pet load? I just picked up a new model 29-10 and some 44 special brass.

I use Skeeter's load. Unique about 7.5 gr & a 240...

I think i am going to pick up a jug of unique. It seems like a great powder for big bores.

I haven't received my June issue yet. When did you get yours?

I carried a Charter Arms Target Bulldog long before concealed carry was legal. Carried the bank bag every night from a locksnith shop in the toughest, roughest part of Portland. I loved it and kick myself for selling it.

I've got one like that. With a properly sized 250 grain cast bullet (that isn't too hard either) and some Unique it's ready to go.

Online E-edition I don't get the paper ones anymore.


Mike

www.wolfepublishing.com

This is my 44 Special. 8.0g of Power Pistol is very accurate for bullets ranging from 240 to 260 grains.

tried power pistol and unique. both seem to work pretty well.
universal clays is another possibility. depends on what's available.

The 44 special is a very easy round to load for.
I have been loading 8 gr of Unique with a 250 gr hard lead bullet for about 40 years. I see no reason to change. But there are LOTS of loads that work just as well.