Posted on 07/03/2010 11:11:27 AM PDT by calex59
I believe the .44 Special is the best handgun cartridge ever made. It is accurate and has enough energy in factory loadings to drop the bad guy. It can be handloaded to near .44 mag velocities if the revolver is of good quality.
I probably do need such a review; however, I will take the other option and just avoid going there.
Instead of wishing you had something better than a .22, you should have been thinking, “I sure am glad I had this little .22 with me”.
Yea, I thought that after they were gone.
If I’m right to think those are Moisin-Nagents, I certainly wouldn’t turn one down. Had one about 30 years ago, and wish I still did. Ammo was harder to get then, IIRC, so I switched to a ‘98 Mauser in 8mm, and then later to a 1903-A3 4-groove. Wish I still had those, as well.
I think the best way to describe what I really want is “one each of everthing.” ;)
nah, take it and welcome! I’m afraid I’d never be able to follow it anyway. Couldn’t with the old version, for that matter. ;)
“There you go. The theory postulated “more enemy killed’...”
And that wounded was better, as the theory was that a guy who was wounded required two more to carry him out of the fight. That was a stupid idea, too, but it did influence the thinking. For starters, it only works with “civilized” opponents.
The fact is, however, that it takes some large number of shots fired in war to get some much smaller number of enemy troops dead or wounded. I’ve seen but forgotten the exact figure from one of the wars we’ve engaged in. So in essence, more shots fired IS more enemy killed. It’s not one-for-one, more like thousands for one, IIRC. I have not seen figures for Iraq or Afghanistan.
When I deployed for Desert Shield/Desert Storm, we had to sent some folks for quickie qualification training. So called. That unit did not do ANY realistic (or even non-realistic) combat training. You guys at least got to carry your weapons. We never saw ours for the duration. Admittedly, the only dangers we faced were SCUDs, Saudi drivers, and one Saudi guard freaking out while on post.
Make that well into the 90’s, btw, on the qualification training. I retired in 1997. My unit then, one of the USAF’s combat comm units did what they called Mob training, trying to give us something like “real” combat training. Mind you, AF people are not trained as infantrymen to begin with. Limited ammo, arbitrary rules, and a number of other problems. Well, at least our OpFor had a ball. I KNEW I wasn’t infantry material, or I’d have been in the Army or Marines.
I can handle a pistol, having been shooting them since age 4, but I’ve only gotten “trained” (i.e. military training) on them twice, once on the .38 M&P, back in the day, and later on the 92F, shortly before I retired. NEVER in anything resembling real combat.
Oh, and IIRC, most of those rounds fired in the stats I’m referring to were probably fired by someone with his eyes closed. I believe they said perhaps 1 in 10 of the shooters actually aimed their fire, and fired with intent to kill or wound. I never saw combat, for which I’m deeply grateful, but I intended to be one of those shooting with intent, anyway, if I ever found my self there.
And you can still get them for about 150 bucks today ....
If you have the $150. Been un or underemployed for more than 2 years. A couple more medical things taken care of, and maybe I can fix that. In the mean time, I’ll have to make do with what I’ve got.
I will keep them in mind, however. I priced a 98 Mauser in 8mm at a local pawn shop a few months ago, and they wanted $250 for it with the barrel obviously rusted badly. A Moisin-Nagent would do nicely, and that is a much better price. Thanks!
OS
It has been a couple of years and the price most likely has gone up but I bought a nice 98 Mauser for $98 at a gun shop. It is a Yugoslavian model 48. The workmanship is not quite up to the pre war Mausers made in any of the European countries except maybe Spain.
It is still very well made of all milled parts, functions smoothly and positively, and is accurate. It is just like a 98K of WWII. The stock looks like it was made from a piece of railroad tie but I looked it up and it is apparently made of a type of teak wood which means it is better than it looks.
When all is said and done it is a fine rifle, capable of rough service and no rifle has a better feed, extraction and ejection system.
I highly recommend it. I also bought several hundred rounds of corrosive ammo when I got the gun. I have forgotten what I paid for the ammo but it is sure fire and came on stripper clips.
Both Elmer & Skeeter were right about .44 Specials! I foolishly let go a S&W 1950 Target .44 Special because it had a 6” bbl but that puppy would sure shoot. My second mistake was letting someone talk me out of a Ruger Flattop 4 5/8” and that was the best packing gun ever. I’ve had all the big mags, Pythons, .45 Autos but thinking on sending Colt a bunch of $$$ for a NF but haven’t decided between 44/45. Of course, 4 3/4” bbl while waiting on WilsonCombat to make my 10mm Hunter. All input on the NC will be appreciated. Thanks
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