{"id":5437,"date":"2023-02-14T12:48:38","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T12:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/?p=5437"},"modified":"2023-02-14T12:57:31","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T12:57:31","slug":"44-magnum-for-self-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/44-magnum-for-self-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"44 Magnum for Self-Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s happened to all of us at least once. You watch Magnum Force and Sudden Impact back to back and you think to yourself \u201cTo heck with all this semi-auto nonsense. I need to carry a big. Flippin\u2019. 44. Magnum. Revolver.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But is that a good idea? Let\u2019s go over the pros and cons of using the 44 Magnum for self-defense so you can decide if becoming Dirty Harry is a sound plan or simply a Hollywood fantasy!<\/p>\n<h3>44 Magnum for Self-Defense: Powerful!<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_11149\" style=\"width: 2010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11149\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-11149 size-full\" title=\"44 magnum self defense ammo next to smaller cartridges\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges.jpg\" alt=\"44 Magnum next to 9mm and 22lr cartridges\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1126\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272000%27%20height%3D%271126%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202000%201126%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272000%27%20height%3D%271126%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-1200x676.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-magnum-next-to-other-ammo-cartridges.jpg 2000w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-11149\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">That&#8217;s 44 magnum in the middle. Plenty of power that&#8217;s obvious from the size alone relative to other cartridges.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>There are no two ways about it: The 44 Mag is a powerful pistol cartridge. When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/dirty-harry-44-magnum\/\">Inspector Harry Callahan called his revolver \u201cthe most powerful handgun in the world,\u201d<\/a> he wasn\u2019t joking. Although the more powerful 454 Casull was already in development when Dirty Harry premiered in 1971, no revolver had yet been created to fire it!<\/p>\n<p>A 44 Mag cartridge loaded with a 240 grain bullet (which weighs approximately 0.55 ounces) can easily exit a revolver\u2019s barrel at a velocity of 1,180 feet per second (fps). (For reference, the speed of sound is 1,125 fps.) Such a cartridge would deal over 700 foot-pounds (ft lbs) of energy at close-range, or 741 ft lbs of energy at the exact moment it exits the barrel (aka muzzle energy).<\/p>\n<p>What is a foot-pound? It\u2019s a unit of energy required to raise one pound a distance of one foot. Conceptualizing that can be difficult, so here\u2019s a quick side-by-side of other pistol cartridges\u2019 muzzle energies for reference.<\/p>\n<h4>44 Mag&#8217;s Energy Relative to Other Handgun Calibers<\/h4>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-179\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-179\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Cartridge<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Muzzle Energy (ft lbs)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">22 LR<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">131<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">32 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">161<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">380 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">210<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">38 Special<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">225<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">22 WMR<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">324<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">44 Special<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">336<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">45 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">356<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">9mm<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">364<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">40 S&amp;W<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">357 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">539<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-12\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">357 SIG<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">583<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-13\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">41 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">614<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-14\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">10mm<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">708<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-15\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">44 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">741<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-16\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">454 Casull<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1,813<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-17\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">460 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2,309<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-18\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">500 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2,877<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-179 from cache -->\n<p>Note: This chart is intended for convenient reference only. A single type of cartridge\u2019s muzzle energy can vary widely based on factors including bullet weight, muzzle velocity and barrel length.<\/p>\n<p>But the 44 Mag can do a lot more damage than 741 ft lbs. A 44 Mag +P+ cartridge, which is loaded to generate a higher chamber pressure that produces a much faster muzzle velocity, can easily deliver a muzzle energy in excess of 1,500 ft lbs!<\/p>\n<p>While the 44 Mag is by no means the most powerful pistol cartridge, it\u2019s more than powerful enough to IMMEDIATELY neutralize even the most determined, drug-addled threat to your personal safety. Common knowledge holds that you want a cartridge for self-defense that will hit a threat with 220 to 300 ft lbs of energy. The 44 Mag easily transfers twice the maximum energy recommended for self-defense, and that\u2019s not taking into account a hollow point bullet\u2019s ability to expand outward during penetration. Heck, even if it doesn\u2019t expand at all, a 0.429\u201d diameter bullet is going to leave a nasty mark.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11146\" style=\"width: 2010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11146\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-11146 size-full\" title=\"Gel blocks for testing self defense ammo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks.jpg\" alt=\"44 magnum penetration through gel blocks\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1184\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272000%27%20height%3D%271184%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202000%201184%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272000%27%20height%3D%271184%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-200x118.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-400x237.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-600x355.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-768x455.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-800x474.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-1024x606.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-1200x710.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks-1536x909.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/penetration-through-gel-blocks.jpg 2000w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-11146\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We tested Hornady&#8217;s FTX which packed enough power to clear through two gel blocks. Federal&#8217;s Fusion displayed similar strength, stopping just short of clearance through the second block.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>Con: Too Powerful?<\/h3>\n<p>You could argue that there\u2019s no such thing as overkill when it comes to your personal safety. When someone means to kill you, you don\u2019t mean to do them any favors in return.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s important to remember that you\u2019re responsible for every shot you fire, even when your life is on the line. One of the reasons police use expanding hollow point bullets is because they reduce the chance of overpenetration, which could jeopardize innocent bystanders. A 44 Mag round is so powerful, however, that there is a very good chance its bullet will pass completely through a human-sized target and keep going \u2013 even if that bullet is designed to expand inside soft tissue.<\/p>\n<p>The 44 Mag\u2019s excessive power leads to its other great shortcoming: recoil.<\/p>\n<h3>Con: 44 Magnum Brings Big Recoil<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-11148 size-full\" title=\"Shooting 44 magnum revolver\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver.jpg\" alt=\"Firing the 44 magnum at a shooting range\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1010\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272000%27%20height%3D%271010%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202000%201010%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272000%27%20height%3D%271010%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-200x101.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-400x202.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-540x272.jpg 540w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-600x303.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-768x388.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-800x404.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-1024x517.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-1200x606.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver-1536x776.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-44-magnum-revolver.jpg 2000w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Recoil (commonly called \u201ckick\u201d) is when a firearm jerks backward during ignition. Heavy recoil isn\u2019t desirable, and not just because it makes firing less comfortable. Stronger recoil also jerks a firearm\u2019s barrel farther upward, which in turn increases the amount of time required to aim and fire the next shot.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, the stronger the cartridge, the harder it becomes to fire quickly and accurately.<\/p>\n<p>Now, we can\u2019t promise how much recoil you\u2019ll actually perceive when you fire a handgun. That\u2019s purely subjective, so we can\u2019t measure it. That said, here are some common handgun rounds\u2019 recoil energies so you can get a rough idea of how much kick each produces.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-180\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-180\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Cartridge<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Recoil <br \/>\nEnergy (ft lbs)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">22 LR<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">0.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">32 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">0.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">380 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">44 Special<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">45 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">4.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">9mm<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">4.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">38 Special<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">40 S&amp;W<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">45 GAP<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">357 SIG<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-12\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">357 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">7.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-13\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">10mm<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">8.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-14\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">44 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">13.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-15\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">454 Casull<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">21.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-16\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">500 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">45.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-180 from cache -->\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Cartridge recoil energy varies widely according to factors including muzzle velocity, bullet weight and firearm weight.<\/p>\n<p>The 44 Mag is a kicker for sure. You <a href=\"https:\/\/americancop.com\/legacy-when-cops-carried-revolvers\/\">won\u2019t find any real world police officers using it<\/a> for this very reason \u2013 firing the thing rapidly and with any accuracy at all can be really tricky!<\/p>\n<h3>Con: Most 44 Mags Are Heavy Handgun<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-11145 size-full\" title=\"big revolver next to pistol\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol.jpg\" alt=\"A Smith &amp; Wesson 44 magnum revolver next to a Sig Sauer pistol on a bench.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1137\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272000%27%20height%3D%271137%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202000%201137%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272000%27%20height%3D%271137%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-200x114.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-400x227.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-600x341.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-800x455.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-1024x582.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-1200x682.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol-1536x873.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/44-mag-next-to-glock-pistol.jpg 2000w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As a general rule, the more powerful the cartridge, the heavier the handgun. This is largely because a handgun has to have a certain amount of substance to it in order to absorb a cartridge\u2019s recoil and chamber pressure. Too lightweight a 44 Mag pistol would kick like crazy and\/or explode!<\/p>\n<p>If you decide to carry a 44 Mag for personal protection, you\u2019re going to wind up hauling around a lot of gun. You\u2019re going to become increasingly aware of that big chunk of metal as the day wears on, and realize why people prefer smaller handguns for concealed carry even though they may not be relatively powerful.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a chart comparing the weights of several different handguns to give you a better idea of what we\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-181\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-181\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Handgun<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Cartridge<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Weight (lbs)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Glock 42<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">380 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">0.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">S&amp;W 442<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">38 Special<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">0.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">S&amp;W 360<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">357 Magnum<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">0.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Charter Arms Mag Pug<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">32 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Glock 17<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">9mm<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Glock 23<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">40 S&amp;W<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">SIG Sauer P239<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">357 SIG<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Ruger Mark IV<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">22 LR<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Glock 20<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">10mm<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">S&amp;W Triple Lock<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">44 Special<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-12\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">M1911A2<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">45 ACP<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-13\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>S&amp;W 629<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><strong>44 Magnum<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><strong>2.8<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-14\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">S&amp;W 500<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">500 S&amp;W<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">4.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-15\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">S&amp;W 460XVR<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">454 Casull<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">4.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-181 from cache -->\n<p>Note: These weights are for empty handguns. They become significantly heavier with loaded magazines or cylinders.<\/p>\n<h3>The Takeaway on Using 44 Magnum for Self Defense<\/h3>\n<p>No human threat will survive a direct hit to the head or center of mass with a 44 Mag revolver. No way, no how, unless they\u2019re wearing some pretty fancy body armor.<\/p>\n<p>But that comes with significant setbacks. The 44 Mag is fairly likely to pass through a threat altogether and potentially jeopardize an innocent bystander. It kicks like a surly racehorse. If you miss, the threat will have a wide opening to retaliate. Finally, revolvers chambered for 44 Mag are fairly bulky and inconvenient to carry around all day.<\/p>\n<p>So: Is the 44 Magnum good for self-defense? Yes, absolutely. You just have to appreciate all the downsides before you sign up to become the next Dirty Harry. And, when you do, we have all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/.44-mag-ammo-for-sale\">44 magnum ammo you need for sale here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s happened to all of us at least once. You watch Magnum Force and Sudden Impact back to back and you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":11147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ammo-caliber","category-ammo-insights"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>44 Magnum for Self-Defense | AmmoForSale.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A look at the 44 Magnum for Self-Defense. 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