[The KG9 Kid]

"... Charter arms still makes a .44 special, their guns are reliable and accurate and easy to carry concealed. I happen to have an old S&W with 2.5 inch barrel, a 3 inch Taurus."

Right. That's what I meant when I wrote:

"(there) aren’t a whole lot of quality sidearms available for it"

I'm sure that your elderly S&W is a nice .44 Special revolver, but I think I'll pass on Charter Arms bulldogs and Taurus anythings.

Charter Arms revolvers are klunky inexpensive guns typically geographically limited to the New England states and intended for use by either crazy women in shooting Andy Warhol and the Scarsdale Diet doctor, or by use of the 'Son Of Sam' killer in New York City.

Taurus... well, I haven't really liked anything they've ever made.

[calex59]

Well, see there you go, you are biased. I have owned many Taurus arms and they have functioned reliably and continuously for quite a while. You are obviously a gun snob. The S&W, BTW, is fine and not old or klunky. However, I strongly suspect you are both. I am old, but not Klunky or stupid, nor have I failed to shoot just about every caliber in the books to date. I am 68 and have been shooting since I was 10.

I repeat. I(get the I)think the .44 Special is the best defensive handgun round ever made, and I will always think so, regardless of biased tools like your self.

[2111USMC]

I've got an older Taurus Falcon .38 Special with the 4” barrel. It seems to me to be a very well made gun.

The gunsmith I purchased it from told me to feel free to run +P ammo through it (even though it was manufactured before +P became popular).

I don't care much for the sights (I have an Armscor .38 Special in 4” barrel that is actually more accurate.) But overall, you can tell just by handling the gun that it is good quality construction.

[Lurker]

Charter Arms revolvers are klunky inexpensive guns typically geographically limited to the New England states and intended for use by either crazy women in shooting Andy Warhol and the Scarsdale Diet doctor, or by use of the 'Son Of Sam' killer in New York City.

Really. See my Bulldog is an outstanding little carry piece. It's light, fast, has a nice smooth trigger pull in DA, and is eminently concealable. To each their own of course, but the new offerings from CA are nice little revolvers.

Taurus... well, I haven't really liked anything they've ever made.

Then you must not be a Smith and Wesson fan either. They're using the same equipment. I've never had a single quality issue with either line.

L