.44 Special
| .44 Special | ||
|---|---|---|
 Charter Arms Bulldog with five .44 Special 246 gr LRN cartridges |
||
| Type | Revolver | |
| Place of origin | United States | |
| Production history | ||
| Designer | Smith & Wesson | |
| Designed | 1907 | |
| Manufacturer | Smith & Wesson | |
| Produced | 1907— | |
| Specifications | ||
| Parent case | .44 Russian | |
| Bullet diameter | .432 in (10.97 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | .457 in (11.61 mm) | |
| Base diameter | .457 in (11.61 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | .514 in (13.06 mm) | |
| Rim thickness | .606 in (15.39 mm) | |
| Case length | 1.16 in (29.46 mm) | |
| Overall length | 1.615 in (41.02 mm) | |
| Primer type | Large pistol | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 200 gr Semi-Wadcutter HP ¹ | 870 ft/s (~265 m/s) |
336 ft·lbf (~457 J) |
| 246 gr LRN ² | 755 ft/s (~230 m/s) |
310 ft·lbf (~422 J) |
| Test barrel length: 4 in (vented) ¹ / 6 in
² Source: Federal [1] Remington [2] |
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The .44 Special revolver cartridge was initially chambered in a revolver manufactured by the Smith & Wesson firearms company. It was introduced in 1907.
While few firearms today are made to chamber the .44 Special explicitly, the cartridge remains in use because it can be fired in any revolver designed for the .44 Magnum cartridge. This is because the .44 Magnum cartridge is a lengthened .44 Special cartridge. While many shooters prefer .44 Magnum ammunition for hunting, they typically choose the lighter recoil of .44 Special ammunition for self-defense, plinking or target shooting. It is a general purpose revolver round providing a good balance between power and relatively low recoil in a medium to heavy frame revolver.
See also
References
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