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In 1908, Smith & Wesson introduced the .44 Special for their New Century Revolver. They lengthened the case of the accurate .44 Russian black powder cartridge by two tenths of an inch and used smokeless powder instead of black powder. At first, beyond the change from black powder to smokeless, it didn't have much claim to the name "special." The cartridge retained the previous qualities of the old one, including ballistic performance and accuracy.

Famous gun writer Elmer Keith was one of the biggest advocates for the new cartridge. He tried continually heavier loads and heavier bullets, until Remington Arms made the case 1/8" longer and created the new .44 Magnum. Before the creation of this more popular caliber, Keith and his fellow innovators demonstrated the potential power and accuracy of large bore handguns. These experiments paved the way for the increase in hunting with handguns that started in the 1950s.

The .44 Special is often manufactured as hollow points or jacketed hollow points, but they are also produced in round nose and wadcutter configurations. Cor-bon, a specialty ammunition manufacturer, has made the caliber with their unique bullets as well.

Part of the longevity of this caliber, in spite of being superseded by the .44 Magnum, is that it can be fired in the same revolver. Shooters can fire their handguns and enjoy the reduced recoil offered by the lighter caliber. Many shooters believe that the .44 Magnum is more powerful than they need, and so the .44 Special has been enjoying a resurgence among those who still want a large-diameter bullet.

This cartridge enjoys the advantage of being chambered in smaller-framed pistols, making it more appealing for personal defense and shooters with smaller hands. Its versatility and accuracy is what makes it an overall shooter-friendly cartridge that continues to be a respected member of the big bore community.

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Relevant Links:

44 S&W Special ammo: https://ammo.com/handgun/44-s-w-special-ammo

Hollow Points: https://ammo.com/bullet-type/hollow-point-hp

Jacketed Hollow Points: https://ammo.com/bullet-type/jacketed-hollow-point-jhp

Round Nose: https://ammo.com/bullet-type/lead-round-nose-lrn