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JohnK
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| Posted: October 25 2004 at 5:02pm | IP Logged
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Glen Fryxell has written another article on the 44 Special for us, this time on lighter (aka 45 ACP) level loads in the S&W 696. An excellent, informative read as usual. 
The .44 Special Revisited
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Rod WMG
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| Posted: October 25 2004 at 11:10pm | IP Logged
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One of my favorite calibers; I enjoyed the read.
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txpete
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| Posted: October 26 2004 at 6:22am | IP Logged
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good write up,I haven't ever used the 205 gr lfn that I use in my 44-40.this has got me thinking I should try some out of my 24-3 smith.what do you guy think?
pete
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Rod WMG
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| Posted: October 26 2004 at 3:16pm | IP Logged
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Pete, what size are those bullets? Does your .44 WCF shoot .427 or .428" bullets? All of my .44 Spl./,44 Mag guns shoot .430 bullets best, including the Smiths.
If you're casting your own, you well know that you can do some things about that including nothing at all, leaving them as cast.
Let us know how it turns out.
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txpete
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| Posted: October 26 2004 at 6:44pm | IP Logged
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hey rod,my 44-40 is in a ruger vaquero and a navy arms 92 clone.I size 205 gr lfn .429 to get the tighest groups
I guess I have one of the few vaquero's in 44-40 that really shoots.ditto for the NA 92.
with my alloy the bullets drop .430 so maybe I will try some as cast.my 205 gr is a magma mould.
pete
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Rod WMG
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| Posted: October 26 2004 at 11:44pm | IP Logged
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Pete, thanks for the info. Glad that .429 works for you. Makes life simpler, doesn't it?
Hope the same success for the Smith.
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TCLouis
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| Posted: October 31 2004 at 7:21am | IP Logged
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I have 2 429215 DC molds. One is the one I used to start my casting with back in 66 and the other came along much later in a trade. The bullets from the original mold shot well from my flatop and Contender barrels. I cast some bullets from the other mold and they shot patterns rather than groups. The molds got mixed up and I have no idea which is which so they languish in an ammo can waiting for the day I cast bullets from both and see if they will shoot out of my current crop of 44s.
The 215 grain offering from Lee (429214) would never shoot out of my Contenders either.
Maybe it is time to dig them all out and try again sized at 0.431" instead of the 0.429 that used to "work".
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hawkeye
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| Posted: October 31 2004 at 10:40am | IP Logged
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Interesting article, thanks. I'd like to find a good SW 696 at a reasonable price. I keep looking but there don't seem to be many out there and the ones I've seen appear to me to a bit overpriced. Oh well the handgunners lament
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pascalp
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| Posted: November 01 2004 at 3:40pm | IP Logged
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I need some help, i don't understand what Glen mean with "the polygonal rifling of the 696". In doubt i have just slug my barrel, i have a 696-1 with a conventionnal rifling.
Under the alox there is a LEE 429-200-RF, resize to .429 , my caliper says .4285. Seeing the slug i will be better with .430
I am on the way to go to RFN for all my wheelguns, the RFN design seems to me (target and paper shooting) more friendly with the forcing cone than the square shoulder of a WC or SWC
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joed
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| Posted: November 01 2004 at 5:00pm | IP Logged
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For the longest time I've wanted a .44 spl. Been looking for either a 696 or a 24 but the prices are ridiculous. One friend just sold a 696 for $500 which was in box unfired. He told me he hated the gun, said ammo for the spl was hard to come by or the choices were terrible unless you load it yourself. Having shot a few boxes of .44 spl through my 29 and 629 I have to agree.
It's not a round you can buy at Walmart. Most likely you'll be going to a gun store. And the price is more then a .44 mag for a box of ammo. Why? Because it's just not popular.
So unless Txpete is going to offer me is 24-3 or Pascalp wants to part with his 696 at a reasonable price I'm not going to get one. I'll just continue shooting .44 mags out of my guns at .44 spl velocities.
Still like to have one though, but I'm through looking.
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txpete
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| Posted: November 01 2004 at 5:09pm | IP Logged
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joed.. sorry not much of a chance for that to happen .when I had a 29 I shot more 240 gr swc's at 7.5 gr's of unique than any other load.mild and accurate.
pete
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mcump
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| Posted: November 01 2004 at 7:59pm | IP Logged
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Boy! He really ties it all together. I was particularly glad for the information about development of the wadcutter design. I never knew the evolution or the dating on them until now.
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pascalp
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| Posted: November 02 2004 at 12:15pm | IP Logged
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Joed, i hope you will find your graal soon.
I was looking for a 44spe-only when i found my 696. If i could have a 5" barrel, i will never let it go  . Price won't be a problem but distance/frontier/administration will.
Edited by pascalp on November 02 2004 at 12:56pm
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jcd
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| Posted: December 05 2004 at 5:15pm | IP Logged
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Good info for short barrels. When thinking about how much velocity is "enough", keep in mind all those police officers and military men who defended themselves with a 158g .357" bullet at 755 fps. Also keep in mind John Browning's original .45 Auto proposal to the U.S. Army was designed around a 200g bullet at 900 fps. (We got a 230g at 835 fps instead). Sometimes I have to remind myself just how effective today's 44 special loads are. If I don't keep that perspective, I find myself slipping into the self-delusion I really need 1000+ fps.
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wolfdog
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| Posted: December 05 2004 at 6:18pm | IP Logged
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I'm personaly thinkig really hard about a 44 spl for the gf, it's going to be one of the charter armes pitbull pugs. Not a smith, but from what I hear a dandy little pistol for the price if loads are kept reasonable. Myself, I've always been a small bore fanatic, I love my .357 for everything. Never owned a 44 or 45, maybe someday.
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txpete
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| Posted: December 05 2004 at 6:26pm | IP Logged
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my smith 24-3 44 special
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stuffit
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| Posted: December 06 2004 at 9:48pm | IP Logged
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Enjoyed the article on the .44 special. However, I am in the same boat as pascalp regarding the "polygonal" rifling. Is this a feature of all the Smith 696's or just some of them. Does this mean the rifling is configured like the Desert Eagle, and, I think, the Glocks. This in a revolver is new to me, even if old hat to everyone else. Are there any other Smiths that incorporate this type of feature?
stuffit
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blackhawk44
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| Posted: December 07 2004 at 9:30am | IP Logged
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TXPETE- for a light bullet, the favorite in my seven 44 Specials has always been the 429215. Reliable, accurate and a pretty neat field load with 8-8.5gr Unique. For 44-40 bullets, either the RCBS or Magma 44-200 seem to work better in most 44's than old 427098.
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justannie
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| Posted: December 07 2004 at 3:02pm | IP Logged
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Polygonal Rifling:
'Instead of the rifling being square and hanging down in the bore so that
it can engrave a square notch in the bullet it has flats where the
rifling would be. The bullet is not upset much. Instead of having 6 or
8 sharp knotches it will have small flats that are very unnoticeable.
This makes the bullet fly better in the wind because there is no sharp
edges to bite into a cross wind. The bullet jacket is not deformed as
much so the chances of loose cores are much less. Since there is no
sharp corners to burn off the barrel life is much longer and is
dependent on heat checking alone to end its life. That is one major
reason most barrel makers are not interested in them. It would decrease
their business by half. They are more difficult to make than regular
rifled barrels for a couple of reasons one being they are difficult to
lap and give a cut barrel maker more problems due to tooling.'
As I have only seen polygonal in my Desert Eagle 44mag, could someone tell me what this new developement in the revolver is? I have never heard of it in any revolvers.
Annie
Edited by justannie on December 07 2004 at 3:02pm
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WiskyT
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| Posted: December 07 2004 at 5:41pm | IP Logged
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polygonal rifling, lead bullets,
polygonal rifling, lead bullets,
polygonal rifling, lead bullets,
polygonal rifling, lead bullets,
polygonal rifling, lead bullets,
polygonal rifling, lead bullets...
I know I've heard this somewhere before, if I could just remember where...
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Handloads.Com Forum : Handguns
Topic: The .44 Special Revisited
