Blazer 44 S&w Special 200 Gr Gdhp Review

The 44 Special is a misunderstood cartridge. Never meant to be a powerhouse, the 44 Special was introduced as a counterpoint to the 44-40 WCF and the 45 Colt. A continuation of Smith & Wesson's 44 Smith & Wesson Russian, the more powerful 44 Special was intended to be a mild-mannered and accurate big-bore cartridge. Loaded with a 246-grain round-nose pb bullet at about 800 fps, the Special is mild enough and accurate in good, tight revolvers. Experimentation by enthusiastic hand-loaders vastly improved the power of the cartridge, but those trials as well wrecked quite a few revolvers in the process. In one case the 44 Magnum revolver was introduced, the demand for such heavy loads was eliminated, in our opinion.

That doesn't mean the 44 Special is dead. In fact, it retains its reputation as a shootable, accurate circular, and it finds a habitation in many 44 Magnum cylinders equally a training round. Simply what of wheelguns chambered just for the Special? Are there powerful-enough loads out there to make information technology a backwoods-suitable carry gun? A recent test of several 44 Special loads suggests that the old round is rocking forth quite well, cheers very much.

Some of the loads tested below are strong loads, probably best used in heavy-duty 44 Magnum revolvers. A 48-ounce Smith & Wesson Model 29 is docile when fired with the Cor-Bon 200-grain DPX load, as an example. Put the aforementioned load in the 36-ounce Model 21 Smith & Wesson, and recoil is on the upper end of what most users are able to tolerate. Further, in the Charter Arms Bulldog at 20 ounces, only lighter loads should exist used. To assess the shooting-comfort range of diverse loads, our test guns this time included the Smith & Wesson Model 21-4 44 Special with a 4-inch butt and the Charter Artillery Bulldog with 2.5-inch barrel. This offered a mix of size, weight, and barrel length. We feel that it would have been pointless to fire these loads in a 44 Magnum revolver with a heavy butt underlug and target grips and declare them controllable. The practical field and behave revolvers used in the exam provide a thorough outlook on ammunition selection.

We did non fire all of the loads in the Lease Arms Bulldog revolver. Recoil was a negative cistron with this revolver. While the 44 Special Bulldog isn't going to blow up, the revolver cylinder is strong plenty for 44 Special loads, pocket-sized parts take a chirapsia. The Bulldog may become out of time with a steady diet of anything other than standard-pressure loads. During the test, the activity pin came loose and was pressed back in. The Bulldog fills a real need for a powerful and compact revolver, but do not button your luck. Ammunition operation of the loads tested in the Bulldog was not appreciably unlike than their operation in the 4-inch-barrel revolver. Nosotros were able to obtain and test seven loads. Here's how each round performed.

44 Special Load Operation Data

South&W Model 21-4 w/ 4-in. barrel	Average velocity (fps)	Muzzle energy (ft.-lbs.)	Average accuracy (in.)	Power cistron (pf)	Expanded width (in.)	Retained weight (gr.)	Penetration in h2o (in.)
Hornady 165-gr. FTX	980	351	1.five	160	0.77	96%	12
Hornady 180-gr. XTP	887	314	ane	175	0.54	100%	xviii
Buffalo Bore 190-gr. SWCHP	1100	510	1.iii	210	0.79	97%	12
Blazer 200-gr. Gilt Dot	844	316	1.half-dozen	170	0.70	98%	thirteen
Cor-Bon 200-gr. DPX	965	413	1.vi	190	0.77	100%	18
Fiocchi 200-gr. JHP	803	286	0.8	160	0.429	100%	24+
Speer Gold Dot 200-gr.	802	285	1.5	160	0.70	98%	13
Charter Arms Bulldog west/ ii.v-in. barrel	Average velocity (fps)	Cage energy (ft.-lbs.)	Boilerplate accuracy (in.)	Power factor (pf)	Expanded width (in.)	Retained weight (gr.)	Penetration in water (in.)
Hornady 165-gr. FTX	905	300	2.3	150	0.75	96%	12
Hornady 180-gr. XTP	825	271	ii.9	150	0.52	100%	18
Blazer 200-gr. Gilded Dot	790	277	ii.5	160	0.70	98%	13
Fiocchi 200-gr. JHP	780	270	ii	160	0.429	100%	24+
Speer Gold Dot 200-gr.	767	261	2.6	150	0.65	98%	14
Notes: Average Velocity readings were recorded by firing ten-shot strings over a Competition Electronics Pro Chrono chronograph. The muzzle was 10 feet from the starting time skyscreen. Ambient temperature: 60 degrees. Elevation: 815 anxiety to a higher place sea level. 50 The accuracy figures are the average of 2 5-shot groups. For accuracy, we fired the test gun from a benchrest at a xv-yard target. 50 To calculate IPSC power factor, multiply bullet weight in grains past the velocity in fps, and so divide past m. l The retained-weight cavalcade shows the recovered bullet weight as a percentage of the actual bullet weight.

Hornady Critical Defense force Ammunition 44 Special 165-Grain Flex Tip eXpanding 90700

We bought this load at MidwayUSA.com for $18/twenty, or 90 cents a round. This load offers interesting operation. Expansion was skilful, in league with the Cor-Bon DPX and slightly less than the Buffalo Bore load. Recoil is pocket-size, even light, due to the calorie-free bullet traveling at 980 fps velocity in the 21-iv'south four-inch barrel. Penetration is acceptable at 12 inches. The bullet actually penetrated ii h2o jugs in line but bounded off the 3rd jug. In two instances, the scarlet polymer nose was found beside the expanded bullet, and so the nose plug, designed to promote expansion, appears to work as designed. This would be the recommended loading in the Charter Arms Bulldog. At 905 fps in the lighter gun, the FTX retained most of its expansion properties. On a basis of superior personal-defense performance and a fair price, this load gets our Best Buy nod and is probably the platonic urban load for the 44 Special.

GUN TESTS Grade: A (Best Buy)

Buffalo Bore Heavy 44 Special 190-Grain LSWC HP 14C

Nosotros bought this lead semi-wadcutter hollow-point round at BuffaloBore.com for $40.34/xx. According to the company'due south website, "We adult this bullet to be soft (6 BHN) plenty to mushroom at impact speeds around 750 fps, yet we wanted it hard plenty (pure lead is 4 BHN) that information technology would not lead a normal revolver butt. This bullet accomplishes both requirements. This bullet was besides designed with a special crimp groove and the instance mouth is heavily crimped, and then this bullet will not leap crimp in the lightweight alloy revolvers, provided you rotate the unfired rounds and thus do non expose unfired rounds to the recoil of more than nigh x firings." While Buffalo Diameter also offers a heavy 255-grain semi-wadcutter for brute defense and a 180-grain JHP for hunting, we felt that the 190-grain SWC HP offered the all-time promise in personal defence.

This is a heavy load that was controllable in the Model 21-4 by experienced shooters, and nosotros did not fire it in the Bulldog. In the bigger gun, the residuum of penetration and expansion cannot exist criticized. Buffalo Bore takes advantage of the expansion qualities of lead when bandage adequately soft. Frankly, we were surprised by the performance. This load penetrated to 12 inches and exhibited the greatest expansion of whatever load tested at .79 inch. The total front surface area of the bullet was also the greatest of any load tested. This is the fastest load of the agglomeration at 1100 fps average, right on the money, with adequate accurateness. Past dropping bullet weight to up velocity and using a well-designed lead bullet, Buffalo Bore has produced a load with the all-time terminal ballistics in the test. Recoil was not a trouble in the Smith & Wesson revolver. The all-time performer is pricey.

GUN TESTS Course: A

Hornady Custom Ammunition 44 Special 180-Grain XTP Jacketed Hollow Signal 9070

We bought this round at MidwayUSA.com for $17.50 per 20 rounds, or 87 cents a round. This load was rivaled in accuracy only by the Fiocchi 200-grain JHP. We thought it offered adept control of the firearms. The 180-grain XTP is loaded to 887 fps and seems well suited to all revolvers. If greater penetration than the FTX is needed, the XTP load is recommended in the Bulldog. If control is at a premium, and then this load is worth your consideration.

The 180-grain XTP penetrated a solid 18 inches of water and expanded to .52 inch diameter. For some, the superior penetration of the XTP will be more appealing than the expansion of the Critical Defense load. The XTP is accurate and affordable as well. Nosotros rated it down one-half a grade on expansion, which probably aided its greater penetration. This is the almost accurate load tested. For use in either revolver, this load is a good all-round choice.

GUN TESTS GRADE: A-

CCI Blazer Armament 44 Special 200-Grain Speer Gold Dot Jacketed Hollow Point 3556

Speer Golden Dot Armament 44 Special 200-Grain Jacketed Hollow Point 23980

We bought the CCI load for $42.50 for 50 rounds, or 83 cents a round, at MidwayUSA.com. At the same place, we bought the Speer Gold Dot for $ane.44 a round, or $29/20. Because they both used the same bullet, we considered them together, which left the states in a quandary. The aluminum-example Blazer load is offered in 50-round boxes and is by and large regarded as a do load. Primer seal and cartridge integrity may not be the same as the brass case Speer loading. Nevertheless, the Blazer load was a full 45 fps hotter than the Speer Gold Dot loading. Accuracy was adequate to good, and the Blazer averaged 13 inches of penetration and expanded to .70 caliber when shot from the Model 21-iv. Operation was slightly degraded in the Bulldog revolver. However, this load is acceptable for personal defence.

While none of the Blazer Golden Dot loads failed to expand, expansion was the least consistent of all loads tested. Some expanded well, some expanded, but not also as the others. To our optics, the Hornady FTX is nearly as affordable and expanded more than, but Gold Dot fans will find much to dearest in the 44 Special Blazer load. The brass-cased Speer product looked to be a step backside the less-expensive Blazer version with a Gold Dot bullet — not what was expected. We knocked the Speer down some other one-half grade below the Blazer because it price more than and deliver less, in our opinion.

GUN TESTS GRADE: A- (CCI BLAZER Gilded DOT)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B+ (SPEER GOLD DOT)

Cor-Bon DPX 44 Special 200-Grain DPX Hollow Signal Lead-Free

We bought these at MidwayUSA.com for $38/twenty, or $1.90 a round. This solid-copper DPX bullet expanded in the archetype fashion. Penetration was deepest of all loads, save the Fiocchi load, which did non aggrandize. The Cor-Bon DPX penetrated 18 inches of water and came to residuum just inside a fourth jug. While the ability cistron of this load and the Buffalo Diameter load were similar, the Cor-Bon kicked noticeably harder. This was the hardest-kicking load of the examination. This load combines first-class penetration and expansion. We rated this load down on price and recoil.

GUN TESTS GRADE: B

Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics 44 Special 200-Grain Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point 44SA

Nosotros bought this from MidwayUSA.com for $32/fifty rounds, merely Midway no longer stocks it. This mild-mannered load hedges the bets and is condom to use in any 44 Special revolver. Even in the Bulldog, this load was docile. Accuracy was excellent, and the load demonstrated a total, clean powder burn. However the 200-grain JHP appears to be the same bullet used in the 44 Magnum loads and will not aggrandize at 803 fps. The bullet sailed through 24 inches of h2o without expanding. Nosotros finally caught a bullet in the berm. This load is affordable and accurate, but there are ameliorate choices for personal defense. At $32 for 50 rounds, we experience this is the best exercise load and most economical. The lack of expansion pushed the load'south rating down. It is a best buy contender for practice use.

GUN TESTS Course: B

Our Team Said:

The Buffalo Bore load maximizes the cartridge, we felt, and was well suited to the heavier revolver. While there were good loads tested, in the end the best all-round loading is a matter of personal choice. The Hornady 165-grain Critical Defense is the top load in the lighter revolver and a contender in any 44 Special. The Hornady 180-grain XTP offers a good mix of control, expansion, and penetration and would besides serve in either revolver.

The Cor-Bon DPX is a practiced load, merely recoil is heavy. The Speer Gold Dot is readily available, and the 50-circular Blazer makes for real economy. In the tradition of the 44's lite recoil, the Fiocchi load is pleasant to fire and affordable, just doesn't offer cracking terminal functioning. One thing for certain: If you bear a lightweight 44 Special such as the Charter Arms Bulldog revolver, then you must choose loads carefully. The heavier loads might chop-chop turn the Bulldog into a rattling wreck, and for our shooters, were uncontrollable to burn down in this light revolver.

Written and photographed by Gun Tests staff, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.

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Source: https://www.gun-tests.com/viewpoints/editorial/the-44-special-an-old-number-is-revitalized-by-modern-loads-3/

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