About .44 Special
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to talk about .44 Special today. This iconic handgun caliber is well-known among shooters and set the stage for the development of future magnum loadings. Our goal with this blog post is to provide a brief overview of the .44 Special while delving into things such as traits, uses, considerations, and more. Without further ado, let’s talk about .44 Special.
What is .44 Special?
The .44 Special, formally known as the .44 Smith & Wesson Special, was introduced by Smith & Wesson in 1907. The cartridge ultimately was derived from the .44 Russian and was developed to be a more effective smokeless powder cartridge than its predecessor. Early smokeless powder loadings for .44 Russian were found to be anemic were suboptimal. Design and development of the cartridge was also spurred by Smith & Wesson’s production of their New Century revolver. Performance and ballistic-wise, the .44 Special replicated the performance of standard .44 Russian loadings. Notably, this performance was replicated in the form of a more optimal smokeless powder loading. This was achieved by increasing the powder load and increasing the length of the casing. The cartridge notably has a tame recoil and tends to exhibit relatively low velocities. .44 Special is also known for being quite accurate. The cartridge has developed a reputation among shooters for being a great choice for handloaders. Notably, the .44 Special’s case has a powder capacity which potentially allows for loadings which could rival the .45 Colt and .44-40 Winchester. Handloaders can take advantage of this capacity and produce a wide range of tailormade loadings for their purposes. The cartridge’s versatility is enhanced by the wide range of factory and homebrew loadings one can employ. 
Purchase .44 Special Ammo
Relationship with .44 Magnum
The relationship between the .44 Special and .44 Magnum is similar to that of the .38 Special and .357 Magnum. Firearms chambered in .44 Magnum are able to accept both .44 Magnum ammo and .44 Special ammunition. The inverse, however, is not possible. Shooters will not be able to utilize .44 Magnum ammunition in a firearm designed exclusively to accommodate .44 Special ammunition. The .44 Magnum cartridge is notably longer than the .44 Special and will not fit in a cylinder meant for .44 Special. This dimensional difference prevents shooters from loading the wrong ammunition into their firearm. Additionally, .44 Magnum firearms are built to withstand the higher pressures of the magnum cartridge, meaning they can handle both calibers.
Instrumental in the Development of the .44 Magnum
As mentioned above, the cartridge has great handloading potential. The cartridge notably attracted the attention of Elmer Keith, a well-established gun writer and firearms enthusiast. By experimenting with the .44 Special cartridge, Elmer Keith was able to concoct loadings which pushed the cartridge beyond its normal limits. This experimentation led to the development of the .44 Magnum, an iconic magnum pistol cartridge which is derived from the .44 Special. The .44 Magnum was commercially released in 1956 and has since been employed by a variety of shooters, owing its existence to Elmer Keith and the .44 Special.
What is .44 Special Used For?
The .44 Special is employed for a variety of reasons and use cases. With the advent of tactical lever action rifles, many shooters utilize the cartridge in conjunction with suppressors. This is because standard .44 Special loadings travel at subsonic velocities, making them easily suppressed. The light recoil of the round provides .44 Magnum firearm owners with an alternative cartridge which is not as snappy. Recoil sensitive shooters employ the cartridge so they may shoot without being subjected to sharp and stout recoil. Other use cases include hunting, self-defense, recreational shooting, and competition. The cartridge is particularly popular among Cowboy Action Shooting enthusiasts and is employed in rifles and pistols alike. Simply put, the .44 Special is employed in many use cases.
How Available is .44 Special Ammunition?
At this point in time, one will find that multiple companies support the .44 Special. These manufacturers hail from various countries and produce many kinds of loadings. These loadings range from standard full metal jacket (FMJ) loadings to specialized JHP loadings for self-defense. .44 Special ammo offerings of this type are produced by PMC, Magtech, Precision One, Remington, and Federal to name a few. Additionally, some companies produce “cowboy” type .44 Special ammunition in the form of flat point offerings which are loaded to classic, traditional specifications. Ammunition for the cartridge may not be as prevalent or common as 9mm Luger, .357 Magnum, or even .44 Magnum ammunition, but one will certainly be able to find it if they set their mind to it. .44 Special ammo is by no means exotic and can certainly be encountered in the wild. If one chooses to shop for ammo online, they will be able to browse a wider selection of ammunition. When you buy ammo online, you are not limited by what is locally in stock or on shelves, granting shooters more options. All in all, one will be able to get .44 Special ammunition if they truly want to. 
Purchase .44 Special Ammo
How Available are Firearms Chambered in .44 Special?
At this point in time, there are many firearms on the market which will accommodate .44 Special ammunition. An overwhelming majority of these firearms come in the form of .44 Magnum handguns and rifles which will also accept .44 Special ammunition. Of course, .44 Special specific offerings are available as well from companies such as Charter Arms. These types of firearms are generally going to be available in the form of revolvers and manual action rifles such as lever action and bolt action rifles. Additionally, one will be able to consider both old production and modern production firearm offerings. Simply put, one will be able to find a firearm able to accommodate .44 Special ammunition if they truly want to.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the .44 Special continues to be a popular cartridge over 100 years after its introduction in 1907. The cartridge continues to be employed by shooters of all types for practical, recreational, and collecting purposes to name a few. If you are looking to buy .44 Special ammo, we here at True Shot Ammo carry a wide range of loadings. Our inventory of ammo for sale covers range loadings, defensive loadings, and hunting loadings, allowing shooters of various types to find what they need. Regardless of whether you are wanting to buy .44 Special ammunition or something else we stock, we here at True Shot Ammo have got you covered. As always, happy shooting. Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options. View more posts about ammunition:
