Finally was able to see the R44102 first hand as my nephew was visiting and the Rossi is one of his carry guns. He had bought the revolver at Academy back at Christmas and there was some questions about whether it was the same as the Taurus Talo M44C offered through Davidson's.
Other than the blued steel vs. stainless, it is the same piece down to the exact weight. I still think this 44 Mag was the deal of the year! Rocky and I were through Academy and they had still had one in the case. The pistol in the case, not at the sale price that many bought at, was still $200 less than my Talo. I don't think the finish is worth the difference but it is a great handgun none the less.
Is the recoil from such a short barrel manageable? Just curious, prefer a shorter barrel, but wouldn't know what to expect from a 44 mag. I've shot 357 snubbies and they can be difficult to shoot accurately consistently.
prsman23 wrote:Is the recoil from such a short barrel manageable? Just curious, prefer a shorter barrel, but wouldn't know what to expect from a 44 mag. I've shot 357 snubbies and they can be difficult to shoot accurately consistently.
This is a fairly heavy handgun at 1# 15 oz so it is over 2# when loaded with the five shots. Short barrels do relieve the combustion gases quickly and it is ported to keep the muzzle level. The ribbed Taurus grips also provide a very solid grip no matter the hand. Talo did a good job of originally spec'ing this gun for close, conceal carry, self defense were a large bullet needs to be put on target. I shoot my 300-grain round flat bullet. All this said, it kicks like a mule but the gun is manageable.
All said and done I paid a whopping $292 for that Rossi .44 mag, even though it lacks the porting it is still manageable with factory.44 magnum loads. It really shines when shooting .44 Special though and the double action is liquidy smooth. Even though it is a five shot revolver and a little unconventional for concealed carry, I find myself carrying this Rossi on a regular basis. What it lacks in ammo capacity it makes up for with its O.S.F. (O-S#*t-Factor), It's a mean looking little gun. It is my recommendation that everyone gets at least one, Ill be looking for a second
prsman23 wrote:I'd be worried about over penetration in a carry role. Can't argue with the price though!
All the more reason to own more than one! I actually match the cartridge carried to the day's travel and what I might run into.
The wrong fellows are a bit thick where Rocky resides and when down for a visit I carry either the 44 Mag, 45 ACP, or 45 Colt. Over penetration will probably involve another aggressor. A fellow I work with bagged two with one shot!
Speer has a short barrel defense load. 200 gr Gold Dot at 1000 fps or so. There are also some other good high performance loads like Corbon for the 44 Mag that are meant for defense.
I had a 4 inch Taurus Tracker in 44 Mag. With factory 44 Mag 240 gr ammo it was loud but the recoil wasnt bad. The Ribber grips and porting helps. With the 2 inch, the lighter bullets should be OK. I would like to have one.
I like mine.....I load it staggered ..first Hornady 200gr 44 Spl. HP ,second a 44mag Remington factory 240gr HP ,next a 44mag full powered 44mag 240gr expanding FMJ last two are reduced load 44mag 1200fps 240gr. LSWC ......staggered loads .. one reason ,I like revolvers
