.44 Special Revolvers

The .44 special was designed in 1907 by Smith & Wesson for use in their New Century revolver. The New Century became one of the most popular and well-renowned revolvers in the world. Revolver expert Elmer Keith called the New Century the finest revolver ever made. The New Century was a double-action revolver, the first triple-lock revolver, and was Smith & Wesson’s first swing-out cylinder model. Classic New Century models are very desirable for revolver collectors.

The .44 special was developed by lengthening and improving the famed .44 Russian. The .44 special retains the accuracy of the .44 Russian, but is capable of more powerful loads. A versatile round, .44 special revolvers toe the line between low-recoiling duty weapons and hard hitting magnums. These revolvers are controllable enough for self defense, but accurate and powerful enough to hunt medium game.

The .44 special revolvers remain popular with big-bore shooters and are produced by companies like Smith & Wesson, Charter Arms, Taurus, and Ruger. Even Colt has recently produced a .44 special Single Action Army. Due to their versatility, .44 special revolvers have a dedicated following. Over 100 years of use is a testament to their quality.

Quick Facts

• The .44 special can be fired from .44 magnum revolvers
• Son of Sam used a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 special in the commission of his crimes
• The .44 special was the chosen weapon of FBI special agent Will Graham in the novel "Red Dragon." He chose the weapon after his .38 special failed