.44 Magnum
.44 Magnum cartridge
Type	Handgun/Revolver/Rifle
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Designer	Elmer Keith
Designed	1950s
Produced	1955-Present
Specifications
Parent case	.44 Special
Bullet diameter	.429 in (10.9 mm)
Neck diameter	.457 in (11.61 mm)
Base diameter	.457 in (11.61 mm)
Rim diameter	.514 in (13.06 mm)
Rim thickness	.060 in (1.52 mm)
Case length	1.285 in (32.64 mm)
Overall length	1.61 in (40.89 mm)
Rifling twist	1-38
Primer type	Large pistol
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type	Velocity	Energy
180 gr JSP	1610 ft/s (~491 m/s)	1036 ft·lbf (~1409 J)
240 gr SP	1180 ft/s (~360 m/s)	741 ft·lbf (~1008 J)
Test barrel length: 4 in Source: Remington [1]

The .44 Magnum is a large-bore, dual-purpose cartridge designed for revolvers; however it is also used in many rifles as well. It was developed in the mid-1950s by lengthening the .44 Special cartridge. Despite the ".44" designation, all guns chambered for .44 Magnum and its parent use bullets .429in (10.9mm) in diameter.^[2] A .44 Magnum revolver or rifle will accept both .44 Magnum and .44 Special ammunition, but a weapon designed for .44 Special will only accept the Special, due to the longer overall length of a .44 Magnum cartridge. Image File history File links 44-cartridge. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Elmer Keith (March 8, 1899 – February 12, 1984) was an Idaho rancher, highly influential firearms enthusiast, and author. ... A M4 Carbine just after firing, with an ejected case in mid-air The article titled casing is a disambiguation page. ... The . ... This article is about firearms projectiles. ... Rifling of a Canon de 75 modèle 1897 A 35 caliber Remington, with a microgroove rifled barrel with a right hand twist. ... The percussion cap or primer was the crucial invention that enabled firearms to fire in any weather. ... A grain is a unit of mass equal to 0. ... Feet per second is a unit of speed; it expressses the number of feet traveled in one second. ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... The foot-pound force (symbol: ft·lbf) is an English unit of work or energy from the English Engineering System. ... The joule (IPA: or ) (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. ... A grain is a unit of mass equal to 0. ... Feet per second is a unit of speed; it expressses the number of feet traveled in one second. ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... The foot-pound force (symbol: ft·lbf) is an English unit of work or energy from the English Engineering System. ... The joule (IPA: or ) (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The . ...

Origin

The .44 Magnum cartridge was the result of "souped-up" handloading of the .44 Special. The .44 Special, and other big bore handgun cartridges were being loaded with heavy bullets pushed at higher than normal velocities for better hunting performance. One of these handloaders was the late Elmer Keith, a famous writer and outdoorsman of the 20th Century.^[3] // Handloading or reloading is the process of loading firearm cartridges or shotgun shells by assembling the individual components (case/shotshell, primer, powder, and bullet/shot), rather than purchasing completely assembled factory loaded cartridges. ... Elmer Keith (March 8, 1899 – February 12, 1984) was an Idaho rancher, highly influential firearms enthusiast, and author. ...

Elmer Keith settled on the .44 Special cartridge as the basis for his experimentation, rather than the larger .45 Colt. At the time the selection of .44 caliber projectiles for handloaders was better, and the .44 Special case was smaller in diameter than the .45 Colt case—in revolvers of the same size, this meant the .44 caliber revolvers had thicker, and therefore stronger, cylinder walls than the .45. This allowed higher pressures to be used without risk of a burst cylinder.^[4] The . ...

Mr. Keith encouraged Smith & Wesson and Remington to produce a commercial version of this new high pressure loading, and revolvers chambered for it. While S&W produced the first prototype revolver chambered in .44 Magnum, the famous Model 29, Sturm, Ruger actually beat S&W to market by several months in 1956 with a .44 Magnum version of the single action Blackhawk revolver. The exact reason for this is lost in legend; one version says a Ruger employee found a cartridge case marked ".44 Remington Magnum" and took it to Bill Ruger, while another says a Remington employee provided Ruger with early samples of the ammunition.^[5] Smith & Wesson NASDAQ: SWHC (S&W) is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. ... Remington Arms is a major American manufacturer of rifles, shotguns, other firearms, revolvers and ammunition. ... Smith & Wesson Model 629 (stainless steel) The Smith and Wesson (S & W) Model 29, is a six shot double action revolver chambered for the . ... Rugers . ... In a single action gun, the triggers only function is to release the hammer. ... The Ruger Blackhawk, manufactured by Sturm & Ruger, is a 6-shot, single-action revolver. ... William Batterman Ruger (June 21, 1916 – July 6, 2002) partnered with Alexander McCormick Sturm in 1949 to establish Sturm, Ruger and Company. ...

The .44 Magnum case is slightly longer than the .44 Special case, not because of the need for more room for propellant, but to prevent the more powerful cartridge from being chambered in older, weaker .44 Special firearms.^[4]

The .44 Magnum was an immediate success, and the direct descendants of the S&W Model 29 and the .44 Magnum Ruger Blackhawks are still in production, and have been joined by numerous other makes and models of .44 Magnum revolvers, and even a few semi-automatic pistols, such as the Desert Eagle. While modern steels and manufacturing techniques have allowed even stronger cylinders, leading to larger and more powerful cartridges such as the .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger, in revolvers the same size as a .44 Magnum, the .44 Magnum is still considered a top choice today. In 2006, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the .44 Magnum Blackhawk, Ruger introduced a special 50th anniversary Blackhawk revolver, in the original .44 Magnum "Flattop" style. A semi-automatic firearm requires a trigger pull for each round that is fired. ... The Desert Eagle is a large calibre gas-operated semi-automatic pistol manufactured in Israel by IMI (Israel Military Industries) for Magnum Research, Inc. ... The . ... The . ...

Technical specifications

.44 Magnum Colt Anaconda

The .44 Magnum delivers a large, heavy bullet with high velocity for a handgun. In its full-powered form, it produces too much recoil and muzzle blast to be suitable for a police weapon, and is likely not very suitable for shooters of smaller build or with small hands. Image File history File links Anaconda-502. ... Image File history File links Anaconda-502. ... Colt Anaconda left side Colt Anaconda right side Colt Anaconda ventillated barrel Billed as among the most accurate . ...

Some gun styles are more comfortable to use when shooting this caliber. Single-action revolvers, with their rounded grips and longer hammer spur are designed to pivot upward toward the web of skin between the thumb and forefinger when being fired, which can cause injury if not guarded against with a firm grip. Double-action revolvers, like the Anaconda in the photo, the S&W Model 29 and the Ruger Redhawk, have a shoulder on top of the grip that helps prevent such pivoting, channeling the recoil more rearward under a shorter hammer spur. In any case, barrel porting and longer, heavier barrels help hold the gun down when being fired. The term double action was originally applied to revolvers. ... The Ruger Redhawk was first introduced in 1979 and was one of the most powerful handguns in the world at the time of its introduction. ...

Dual-purpose use

The dual-purpose concept has been popular since the Old West with cartridges like the .44-40 Winchester, whose "High-Speed" loadings were a sort of precursor to the .44 Magnum. Other dual-use rounds were the .32-20 Winchester, the .38-40 Winchester, and the more recent .357 Magnum. .303 in. ... .303 in. ... .303 in. ... “.357” redirects here. ...

From the start, the .44 Magnum handguns were designed to tolerate the high pressures this cartridge produces. Some past dual-purpose handgun/rifle cartridges, like the .44-40 Winchester, gave their manufacturers trouble and occasional lawsuits when people loaded the "High-Speed" versions designed for rifles into handguns.

Marlin Model 1894 carbine

This was one of the reasons why the .44 Magnum casing was lengthened so it would not chamber in .44 Special revolvers. Some high-quality .44 Special weapons could accept the high pressures of the new cartridge, but other older guns would be damaged or destroyed. The lengthened cartridge abated this concern. Image File history File links 44-right-side. ... Image File history File links 44-right-side. ... Category: ...

As a rifle or carbine cartridge the .44 Magnum is reasonably powerful yet compact and not bulky. The lever-action Marlin Model 1894 and Ruger 96/44 carbines, with 20-inch and 18½-inch barrels respectively, are currently available in this caliber. In a short-barreled rifle such as the Marlin, the Ruger 96/44, or the out-of-production bolt-action Ruger 77/44, about 300-to-400 feet-per-second extra velocity can be expected. It is far better on deer and other big game than the .357 Magnum. However, the .357, also available in the Marlin Model 1894C carbine, is said by some to be more versatile as it covers small and medium game and has less recoil. A lever-action is a type of firearm which uses a lever located around the trigger guard area (often including the trigger guard itself) to load fresh cartridges into the chamber of the barrel when the lever is cranked. The most famous of such lever-action firearms is the Winchester... Category: ... Half opened bolt on a Winchester Model 70. ... “.357” redirects here. ... An early naval cannon design, allowing the gun to roll backwards a small distance when firing The recoil when firing a gun is the backward momentum of a gun, which is equal to the forward momentum of the bullet or shell, due to conservation of momentum. ...

Suitable game

It was and still remains a very fine and popular short-range deer, black bear, wild pig and other North American big game cartridge, but it is on the light side for elk or moose, and adequate against a brown bear only with precise shot placement at relatively close ranges. It is easy to reload, very accurate, enjoyable to shoot if one can tolerate the recoil, and universally available in the United States.

This cartridge has a natural home in single action revolvers like the Ruger Super Blackhawk and some auto-loading handguns like the Desert Eagle. The gas system of the auto-loading weapons absorbs and buffers recoil significantly.

Range

The .44 Magnum is a splendid short-range big game cartridge in a various short, handy rifles, especially in heavy brush or timber, out to about 150 meters. Past that, the trajectory is too steep for easy hits on game, as the short, fat bullets have poor aerodynamic shape.

Still, many shooters like it as they can thus have a rifle and a handgun in the same cartridge, making logistics easier. It is popular in rifles within these limitations for big game. It will also work well for coyotes and animals in that class.

Many handloaders will load lighter than factory loadings for target shooting and for other purposes.

.44 Magnum in popular culture

This cartridge was made notorious through its use by the "Dirty Harry" character in the Clint Eastwood film of the same name. Although Harry famously says that his .44 Magnum is "the most powerful handgun in the world," this is not true. Nor is it in any realistic sense a practical police cartridge, though some do favor it for personal protection purposes. Dirty Harry Francis Callahan is a fictional San Francisco Police Department inspector in the films Dirty Harry (1971), Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983), and The Dead Pool (1988). ... Clint Eastwood (born Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ... For other uses, see Dirty Harry (disambiguation). ...

In the 1973 spy film Live and Let Die, James Bond (Played by Roger Moore) used the .44 Magnum in the climax. A Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver was used, similar to the one used in the Dirty Harry franchise. However, Bond only fired the gun six times (it's maximum load), and disposed it. The film is one of the few James Bond installments where Bond does not use his traditional Walther PPK handgun. Live and Let Die is the 8th film in the British James Bond series and the first to star Roger Moore as MI6 agent James Bond. ... Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by novelist Ian Fleming, and the protagonist of the James Bond series of novels and films. ... For other persons named Roger Moore, see Roger Moore (disambiguation). ... The Smith and Wesson Model 29 is a powerful, six-shot, double-action revolver chambered for the . ... For other uses, see Dirty Harry (disambiguation). ... The Walther PP series pistols include the Walther PP, PPK, and PPK/S. They are blowback-operated semiautomatic pistols manufactured by Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen in Germany and under license from Walther in France and the United States [1]. These pistols feature an exposed hammer, a double-action trigger mechanism...

Travis Bickle used the .44 Magnum cartridge in the 1976 film Taxi Driver to dispatch the less desirables of New York. Upon purchasing this revolver, the salesman states that "It'll stop a car at 100 yards, put a round right through the engine block." However, this is not true. Large caliber, high velocity rifle rounds (such as the .50 BMG) are capable of penetrating such thick metal as is present in an automobile's engine block, but far less powerful handgun rounds such as the .44 Magnum are not. This is just another example of the many popular culture descriptions of this cartridge that overstate its power. Travis Bickle is a fictional character, the narrator and protagonist of Martin Scorseses 1976 film Taxi Driver, in which he is played by Robert De Niro. ... This article is about the 1976 American film. ... .50 BMG rounds and 20MM Vulcan round, with a golf ball and a stick of RAM posed to provide scale. ...

Mr. 44, a song by the Electro-industrial band Electric Hellfire Club, was inspired by the crimes of serial killer David Berkowitz, who gained notoriety for murdering his victims with a .44 calibre revolver. It has been suggested that Chicago Industrial be merged into this article or section. ... // The Electric Hellfire Club is an industrial metal band mixing elements of glam metal, techno, gothic rock, psychedelia and experimental noise. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... “Son of Sam” redirects here. ...

The Notorious B.I.G. song "Kick in the Door" off the album Life After Death featured the lyrics "Kick in the door wavin' a .44 (pronounced "four four")" in the chorus. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Synonyms

• .44 Mag.
• .44 S&W Magnum
• .44 Remington Magnum

See also

• .445 SuperMag
• List of handgun cartridges
• List of rifle cartridges
• 10 mm caliber Other cartridges of similar size
• Colt Anaconda Revolver
• Taurus Raging Bull Revolver

A super magnum or SuperMag is a longer version of a magnum handgun cartridge, they were proposed and tested by Elgin Gates in the 1970s. ... Common handgun cartridges. ... Left to Right: .17 HM2, .17 HMR, .22LR, .22 WMR, .17 SMc, 5mm/35 SMc, .22 Hornet, .223 Remington, .223 WSSM, .243 Winchester, .243 Winchester Improved (Ackley), .25-06, .270 Winchester, .308, .30-06, .45-70 Govt, .50-90 Sharps From left to right: .50 BMG, 300 Win Mag, .308... This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the 10 mm (.394 in) caliber range. ... Colt Anaconda left side Colt Anaconda right side Colt Anaconda ventillated barrel Billed as among the most accurate . ... The Raging Bull is a revolver manufactured by the Brazilian Taurus International firearm company. ...

References

• Barnes, Frank C. Cartridges of the world, Chicago : Follett Pub. Co., 1980 - An excellent write up of the .44 Magnum can be found in this title.