LOL, solid.

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

80 COMMENTS

  2. Is that a concealed carry weapon? And, when you pull it out, it’s so bright that it blinds everyone within fifty feet, right? Unless your opponent has practiced shooting targets he can’t see, you win by default.

  4. This is a perfect example of hollywood and the video game industry driving the purchase of an otherwise useless gun.

    Anybody here old enough to remember the boom, no pun intended, in the sale of .44 magnums after Dirty Harry? A niche weapon that few people wanted until the movie.

    • Dirty Harry saved the S&W Model 29. Sales had been so slow the model was about to get discontinued.

      And a good time to get deals on used Model 29s.

      • I preferred the Ruger Super Blackhawk myself. But I see no need for the round unless you live in big carnivore country. Just my take on it.

        • If you have a .44 levergun, a model 29 could be attractive in the sense of needing only one ammo for both guns.

        • I loved my Super Redhawk in .44 mag with a hunting scope on it.

          On the firing line at the range, it made a delightful *BOOM*, and the added weight of the scope really tamed muzzle flip.

          I could actually feel the muzzle blast propagate front-to-rear through my teeth when firing… 🙂

        • Dred. The .44 magnum is the natural progression of the pistol caliber carbine. .44 Henry rimfire. .44-40 Winchester. .44 magnum.

          And yes, in that respect the pistol pairing makes some sense.

        • “unless you live in big carnivore country.”

          I do, but I also don’t carry a .44 mag. .460 Rowland instead because 15+1

    • jwm,

      I love the .44 Magnum cartridge and .44 Magnum revolvers.

      Are those revolvers big? Yes sir. Do they produce a lot of recoil? Absolutely.

      Then why would I have one (or two, or three, or four, or …)? The answer is fairly simple.

      One — I camp and hike in areas where hunters have harvested black bears between 350 and 600 pounds. I thus carry a large .44 Magnum revolver loaded with 240 grain softpoints which gives me confidence that I can promptly stop a 600 pound black bear on the attack.

      Two — I hunt for white-tailed deer and the .44 Magnum cartridge (again, 240 grain softpoints) coming out of a revolver with a 6-inch barrel is fully capable of promptly putting down a large white-tailed buck well out to 75 yards, if not 100 yards. Smaller handgun calibers widely regarded as suitable for hunting large game–10mm Auto and .357 Magnum–are limited to about 30 yards (everything else being equal). I would much rather have a maximum ethical range of 75 yards rather than 30 yards.

      Three — I can load my .44 Magnum revolvers with 180 grain hollowpoints for defense against human attackers. A single .43 caliber, 180 grain hollowpoint bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1,600 feet-per-second will immediately render every human attacker “combat ineffective” every time (assuming hits anything close to center-mass or midline of an arm or leg). Follow-up shots are not necessary. It is oddly reassuring to know that, if I ever carry my .44 Magnum revolver for human-defense and have to use it, a single good hit will immediately incapacitate any human attacker. We cannot say the same for other common/popular handgun calibers such as .380 ACP, .38 Special, 9mm Luger, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, and even .45 ACP

      Summary: there is no replacement for displacement.

      • I got my first M29 in 1974 and was disappointed it didn’t have more recoil. Very manageable, IMO. Pimp gun, 8 3/8” nickel plated with wood case. Shot my first white tail with it around 1980 in WY. Still have and it’s my IA deer gun.

        Bought an LAR Grizzly .45 Win Mag in late ‘80s. Recoil about same, another fairly powerful handgun that can actually be carried in a normal hip holster.

        I resisted the Desert Eagles and S&W X Frames because for me, it’d be almost easier to carry my 1895 Guide Gun. In the early 90s, though, I bought a new Freedom Arms Premier in .454 Casull. That’s a different animal. Anyone who thinks a DE .50 has excess recoil needs to shoot an FA .454 with full house 300 grain bullets. And like the Griz and M29, it packs very well in a regular type hip holster. I really need to hunt something with that thing.

        • Craig in IA,

          While .44 Magnum does have significant recoil, it is definitely enjoyable and totally manageable when you shoot it through a large revolver–especially when shooting moderate Magnum loads. (Full power Magnum loads recoil harder and yet are still enjoyable to shoot.)

          I have given 60 seconds of instruction to two teenage young women of average fitness who weigh about 120 pounds. Both of them shot a large .44 Magnum revolver with moderate-power Magnum loads and really enjoyed it–having no trouble whatsoever.

          I am guardedly optimistic that I will be able to harvest my first white-tailed deer with my .44 Magnum revolver this Fall.

        • “I got my first M29 in 1974 and was disappointed it didn’t have more recoil.”

          It’s possible the ammo back then was loaded more on the mild side. When companies like Ruger and others started selling substantially beefed-up revolvers the pressures likely started to rise.

          How wise would it be to fire an early model 29 with modern, full-house loads like ‘Buffalo Bore’, for example?

        • Geoff PR,

          I have heard from multiple sources that Smith and Wesson Model 29 revolvers will NOT hold up to a “lot” of full-power Magnum loads. What is not entirely clear is whether that means several hundred or a few thousand rounds.

          I have also heard from several sources that Ruger and Taurus revolvers chambered in .44 Magnum are built like tanks and will easily withstand 10,000 rounds or more of full-power Magnum loads.

          Back to Smith and Wesson Model 29s: I would not recommend shooting very many full-power Magnum loads through them. Maybe shoot a few dozen to ensure that your sights are lined up. Then shoot mild Magnum loads for practice/training.

      • I love my blued Ruger Redhawk 5.5″ .44 magnum. I keep it handy in the house, loaded with Buffalo Bore 180 gr anti-personnel or CorBon 165 gr JHP. It’s a great hit with the neighbors on range days, and I carry it in a SimplyRugged chest holster when stalking deer and elk. Black bears in my state are known to run toward the sound of gun shots, expecting an easy-to-acquire meal, and 240 gr soft points are an effective defense.

        I’ve been wanting to pick up another one in stainless, but I’ve looked for the last two years and found nada.

        • “Black bears in my state are known to run toward the sound of gun shots, expecting an easy-to-acquire meal,…”

          Yikes.

          If I lived out there, I don’t think I’d hunt with fewer than 3 in the hunting party, and each of them with at least a magnum caliber lever-gun… 🙁

      • Unc. If I lived in an area that had big bears like that I’d go back to a .44 mag also.

        But where I’m at the bears are usually smaller than me. I feel good with a .357.

        • jwm,

          I agree that .357 Magnum will promptly stop black bears on the smaller end of the spectrum and would carry .357 Magnum in that situation as well.

          For reference I did not read your original comment as disparaging anyone who opts for .44 Magnum. I simply listed the merits of .44 Magnum for certain situations.

        • Unc. We were definitely not arguing. If I was to buy anything heavier than a .357 it would be a .45 Colt. At my age and with a touch of arthritis the big magnums are a bit much except in an emergency type situation.

          Same reason I switched to a .243 for my deer rifle. Our deer here are so small .308 is overkill and it spares my shoulder a little extra punishment.

          We are not at odds. I generally agree with your comments.

      • While I know of 2 cases where a criminal ran away after being shot with a 44 magnum (unknown ammo) one was a lower abdomen hit and the other was shoulder not impacting bone so your assessment could be right I just don’t trust one shot stops to anything less than a shotgun.

        • SAFEupstateFML,

          The examples that you cited–I imagine the defender had full metal jacket bullets or maybe softpoints, especially if they had mild loads shooting softpoints out of a 4-inch barrel where the bullets probably did not have enough velocity to expand on impact with soft tissue.

          I cannot envision anyone continuing to fight after taking a 180 grain hollowpoint at 1600 feet-per-second to the chest or midline of a leg or upper arm. That diameter, weight, velocity, and bullet construction combination is just too devastating to shrug off. (I have shot gallon water jugs with those at 20 feet–the size of the water explosion and massive destruction of the jug are spectacular.)

        • Strong possibility of inappropriate loadings but as with all things surprising outliers and exceptions to the general rule exist. To be safe I prefer to practice the “keep popping till they start dropping” method regardless of caliber.

    • I had a dream a bear was after me and my .22lr was useless.
      The first handgunm 1969 was the .22 and the second one 1979 was the 44mag SBH. Pop to BOOM.
      I’ve still got that .44, shot IHMSA with it. Silhouette Special 10.5 barrel. Production class.

      • I just *love* the way a .44 mag lighting off never fails to turn heads on the firing line… 🙂

        • One of those weird moments. I went to a rental range in Utah in years past. It was an indoor range that would handle .50bmg. They rented FA.

          The day I went there there was a guy working out a Barrett .50. Something that was belt fed and a mess of sub guns. There was one of those full auto 12 ga shotguns going as well.

          My weapon of choice this trip was a Glock in .40 that had a can on it. All those other shooters stopped what they were doing to watch me with the silencer equipped .40.

          It’s always odd what will strike others fancy.

    • “This is a perfect example of hollywood and the video game industry driving the purchase of an otherwise useless gun“

      Correct, just as the sub2000, MP5 clones, M4 copies and every single 5.56/7.62 7.5 inch barreled pistol, semi auto M60s, etc.

      • Eww those icky weapons of war lol a little better with the trolling that time it was at least funny. Now off to buy some parts to build another AR 15

    • He’s not as obnoxious as some of the attitude ‘tubers… 🙂

  10. I was fortunate to have a range buddy/co-worker in the late ’80s who owned one chambered in 44 Mag. I was welcome to shoot it as much as I wished, provided I purchased the ammo. I shot it a lot.

    Never really had the urge to purchase a DEagle for my collection until the DE50SRMB model was released. All stainless (brushed satin finish), dual rails, integral muzzle brake.
    Such a fun gun to shoot with a Romeo4S RDS installed, melons vaporize at 50 yards.

    200rd cases of Hornady XTP ammo were $1.25 a round (including delivery) back in 2018, I bought several cases.
    Now I purchase a case or two whenever I drop below 500 rds on hand.

    • Reminds me I have some studying to do re .44 magnum reloading now that we finally got large magnum primers again.

        • Character had constipation from heroin addiction if you are referring to Pulp Fiction.

        • I was, well spotted out. That and idiotically leaving the Mac on the kitchen counter. Carried mine in the loo ever since, ain’t going out like that. XD

          But yeah, toilet got him.

        • My reference was to the Boondock Saints.

          2 great bits of kit recommended in 2 different movies. Don’t forget your towel or your rope.

  14. A gold .50 AE Desert Eagle? I’d rather have a stainless .44 magnum version strait out of Fallout 1 & 2. 😛

  15. I’ll admit I have a deagle, not in gold but nickel. My wife decided to get me one for my bday, she asked the counter guy what would be a good gift that I wouldn’t expect. Now I have an anchor in my safe that only comes out when a buddy wants to play a Russian gangster.

    • Not much difference in the ascii code.
      The first 3 digits are 011 with all lowercase letters and the first 3 digits are 010 with all uppercase letters.

      Theoretically, uppercase letters use less, with a 0 as opposed to 1.

      • Maybe you should figure out how electrical systems, such as a keyboard, work.

        When you do that, mayhap you’ll have a moment of clarity and you’ll get the joke.

  20. I want a Deagle, but not that one. I want one in blue, and in .357 mag. Why .357 mag? Because I have plenty of those cartridges already.

    • But you can’t use unjacketed projectiles. Lead clogs the gas port. So I was told by someone who owned one.

  21. I already have an S&W 500, as well as an S&W model 29 and a model 25. the Eagle is a bit too big for CC and the gold plated thing is a bit flashy for my taste. But, to each their own.
    On the comments about the 44mag handguns, I don’t have a 44 lever gun, but do own an old Ruger 44 carbine. And do team it up with the 29 Smith sometimes.

    • Technically it’s Titanium Gold, TiAu.

      When they make a finish from β-Ti₃Au, that might be worth looking into since the information available indicates that it’s on the order of 400% harder than Titanium itself, and it’s not an ostentatious color either, sort of a matte gray unless it’s been polished in which case it can have the appearance of highly polished stainless or Nickel. There may be other A15 phase materials with even better properties.

      It’s an interesting area of metallurgy currently being looked at primarily for implantable replacements for joints and such, of particular interest not just for durability and corrosion resistance but because the melting points are lower than regular Titanium, making the products much easier to cast into the desired shapes.

      • “There may be other A15 phase materials with even better properties.”

        I can imagine the conversations at home Strych had growing up with a chemist mom.

        Did she critique your home-made M-80 experiments? Like pointing you to Potassium picrate mixtures instead of aluminum-based flash powders? 🙂

        • I can imagine the conversations at home Strych had growing up with a chemist mom.

          Both my parents are chemists, and no, you can’t imagine the conversations. Before middle school my parents taught me a great number of things that would scare the living shit out of most people.

          The funny part today being that my wife and I have conversations that scare my parents.

      • Is it bad my first thought was is it printable in a 3d kind of way. Then I had the more practical thought of how much is the material per unit of weight.

        • Considering the generally cubic molecular structure, I’d suspect that most intermetallics like this probably can be 3D printed given the right tools.

          Not the kinda thing you’re gonna do with a desktop 3D printer in your office though.

  24. Unforrunately; my DE in 50 is Nickle plated rather than the Titanium finish. The recoil doesnt bother me much. I once hosted a teenaged gun virgin who was going into the USAF after graduation to teach her to shoot. As usual, gradually escalated her from .22 LR to .223 then .308, then 9 mm and 45 then .50 BMG. Finally brought out the DE. She almost took the muzzle in her forehead in the first shot then preceded to empty the mag on target. She was by far the top shooter in her USAF class.

    Shoulder holster works great for concealment.

    • Agree on the shoulder holster I have seen Glock 40’s, Ruger Redhawk/Super Redhawks, and an oddball BFR concealed passably well to almost undetectable in all but the hottest of weather that way.

  25. I’m old enough to remember when IWI was IMI.

    Also, the Desert Eagle is the Hummer H2 of handguns.

Comments are closed.