John Taffin's Book of the .44 Caliber

 A hardbound dust-jacketed tabletop book containing hundreds of full color photos of 44 revolvers, long guns, long cartridges, handles and hide. This 600+ page book covers Smith & Wesson 44 Magnums; Ruger 44 Magnums with modernization of the Single-Action; New Breeds of 44 Magnums and Loads and Handloads for the 44s.

In this book you will find loading charts listing the bullet, powder, charge, muzzle velocity and 5 shot 25-yard group (inches), history of the firearms as well as the cartridges. John even mentions some of the pioneers and experimenters in developing the cartridges and revolvers.

 

S I X G U N S A N D T H E I R C A R T R I D G E S

 

• ix •

 

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S BOOK OF THE .44 CALIBER

 

xiii FOREWORD:

 

xiv INTRODUCTION:

 

THE FIRST .44s

 

4 CHAPTER 1: In the Beginning

 

10 CHAPTER 2: The Massive Walker Colt

 

16 CHAPTER 3: Downsizing to the Dragoons

 

24 CHAPTER 4: Sixguns for the Army

 

32 CHAPTER 5: Winchester Arrives – The 1860 Henry

 

38 CHAPTER 6: Smith & Wesson Goes Big Bore – The .44 American

 

46 CHAPTER 7: Colt Wakes Up – The .44 Colt Cartridge Conversions

 

54 CHAPTER 8: The Russians Do It Better – The .44 Russian

 

64 CHAPTER 9: A Legend Begins – The .44 Winchester Centerfire

 

72 CHAPTER 10: Colt’s Frontier Six Shooters

 

THE .44 SPECIAL

 

84 CHAPTER 11: The .44 Special Arrives in the Smith & Wesson Triple Lock

 

94 CHAPTER 12: Pioneer Experimenters Improve the .44 Special

 

106 CHAPTER 13: Skeeter Skelton Single Handedly Saves the .44 Special

 

THE .44 SPECIAL SIXGUNS

 

– 100 YEARS OF SERVICE

 

118 CHAPTER 14: Smith & Wesson’s 2nd and 3rd Model Hand Ejectors

 

128 CHAPTER 15: Smith & Wesson’s Classic .44 Specials

 

140 CHAPTER 16: Colt’s Finest Single-Action Specials

 

152 CHAPTER 17: Colt’s Finest Double-Action Specials

 

162 CHAPTER 18: Replica .44 Sixguns

 

176 CHAPTER 19: USFA’s Custom Factory .44 Specials

 

188 CHAPTER 20: Freedom Arms’ Mid-Frame .44 Special

 

194 CHAPTER 21: Grover’s Right-Handed .44 Specials

 

204 CHAPTER 22: At Last a Ruger Flat Top .44 Special!

 

214 CHAPTER 23: Charter Arms Lets the Dogs Loose

 

222 CHAPTER 24: Custom Sixgunsmiths and the .44 Special

 

 

 

248 CHAPTER 25: 60 Years with the Model 29

 

262 CHAPTER 26: The S&W .44 Magnum Goes Stainless

 

272 CHAPTER 27: Combining Power and Portability – The 329PD

 

278 CHAPTER 28: Downsizing the .44 Magnum – The S&W Model 69

 

THE RUGER .44 MAGNUM –

 

THE MODERNIZATION OF

 

THE SINGLE ACTION

 

286 CHAPTER 29: Perfecting the Single Action – The .44 Blackhawk

 

296 CHAPTER 30: Perfecting Perfection – The Super Blackhawk

 

304 CHAPTER 31: Ruger Modernizes the Bisley

 

312 CHAPTER 32: .44s for Handgun Hunters – The Ruger Hunter Model

 

THE NEW BREED OF .44 MAGNUMS

 

318 CHAPTER 33: Grover’s Improved Number Five

 

326 CHAPTER 34: Some Other .44 Magnum Sixguns

 

338 CHAPTER 35: Ruger’s Double-Action .44 Magnums

 

348 CHAPTER 36: Dan Wesson’s .44 Magnums – Accurate and Easy Shootin’

 

354 CHAPTER 37: Finally a .44 Magnum from Colt – The Anaconda

 

360 CHAPTER 38: Taurus .44 Magnums

 

366 CHAPTER 39: Freedom Arms Combines the Perfect Cartridge and Perfect Sixgun

 

374 CHAPTER 40: Semiautomatic and Single-Shot .44 Magnums

 

382 CHAPTER 41: Custom .44 Magnums from Mag-Na-Port and SSK

 

SOME GRAND .44s

 

396 CHAPTER 42: The .44 Single Actions of Elmer Keith

 

406 CHAPTER 43: The .44 Double-Action Sixguns of Elmer Keith

 

414 CHAPTER 44: The True Story of the .44 Magnum

 

THE .44 LONG GUNS AND LONG CARTRIGES

 

428 CHAPTER 45: Replica .44 Leverguns – Better Than the Originals

 

440 CHAPTER 46: Today’s .44 Long Guns

 

452 CHAPTER 47: More Power from the .44 – The .444 Marlin

 

458 CHAPTER 48: The First Big-Bore Maximum – The .445 SuperMag

 

 

 

SECTION 9

 

THE LOADS AND HANDLOADS FOR THE .44s

 

470 CHAPTER 49: .44 Components: Bullets, Powders, Primers and Dies

 

484 CHAPTER 50: Reloading the Original .44s

 

496 CHAPTER 51: Reloading the Modern .44s

 

508 CHAPTER 52: .44 Loads for Non-Reloaders

 

MODERNIZING THE PERCUSSION SIXGUN

 

518 CHAPTER 53: The Ruger Old Army

 

.44 HANDLES & HIDE

 

526 CHAPTER 54: Custom Grips for .44s

 

536 CHAPTER 55: Custom Leather for .44s

 

FINIS

 

550 CHAPTER 56: Reloading the .44 Special by Brian Pearce

 

Part I: .44 S&W Special Standard Pressure Loads

 

Part II: .44 S&W Special +P Loads

 

568 CHAPTER 57: Enjoying the .44 Magnum

 

576 CHAPTER 58: Short Brass, Long Chambers

 

584 CHAPTER 59: The Jim Martin Collection of .44 Single-Action Sixguns

 

588 CHAPTER 60: The .44 Associates

 

596 CHAPTER 61: Last Words

 

606 CHAPTER 62: Finis