.44 Smith & Wesson Special has been an accuracy leader in big-bore revolver cartridges for over 100 years.This is an excerpt from Cartridge’s Of The World, 16th Edition, available now at GunDigestStore.com.With the coming of bulkier smokeless powders, the .44 Russian cartridge case proved too small to permit efficient use of full charges of the new propellants. The original.44 Special was a blackpowder cartridge. However, the.44 Special, which is about 0.2 inches longer than the Russian, eliminated this problem and provided more power. It also used the same bullets that the older.44 Russian. This cartridge was introduced in 1907. This chambering was used by Smith & Wesson and Colt, as well as a few European and Spanish revolvers. In the last few decades, there has been a revival of interest in.44 Special..44 Special Hornady projectiles are available in expanded, unfired, and cross-sectioned states. It was not factory loaded to its full potential. It was up to the handloader, to create hunting loads that were effective. Elmer Keith and others conducted experiments to maximize the.44 Special’s big game hunting potential. The resulting.44 Magnum was born. The.44 S&W Special continues to be popular for field and target use. The.44 Special’s revolvers aren’t as strong as Magnum guns and can only handle heavy loads. Federal, Winchester, Remington and other ammunition manufacturers load this ammunition. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. Get Free Targets
