What does 44 mean in a gun?

44 caliber is a family of large-caliber firearm cartridges
firearm cartridges
A cartridge or a round is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile (bullet, shot, or slug), a propellant substance (usually either smokeless powder or black powder) and an ignition device (primer) within a metallic, paper, or plastic case that is precisely made to fit within the barrel chamber ...
https://en.wikipedia.orgwiki › Cartridge_(firearms)
and firearms, particularly revolvers
. The most well-known is the . 44 Magnum which uses a bullet that is actually . 429 inches in diameter. Though less common than the smaller .
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Why is it called 44 Special?

The cartridge was created by lengthening the case on the . 44 Russian cartridge by . 2-inch to create more powder capacity. The original load called for a 246 grain round nose lead bullet over 26 grains of black powder, or an equivalent load of smokeless powder.
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Is 44 Special powerful?

44 Special has similar ballistics to . 45 ACP in some regards, in that muzzle velocity is somewhere around 800 to 900 feet per second in many loadings and about 300 foot-pounds of energy. The typical round is 200 grains, though larger and smaller projectiles are available.
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What does the Caliber 44-40 mean?

44-40--signifying a . 44 caliber bullet powered by 40 grains of blackpowder. Barely adequate for deer, this cartridge nonetheless achieved further acclaim in 1878 when began Colt chambering its Single Action Army for it.
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What kind of gun is a 44-40?

44-40 WCF, although it is made by Miroku and is a fine rifle. Ammo, if you can find it now, is relegated to cowboy action loads featuring a 225-gr. lead, flat-point bullet at roughly 750 f.p.s. from Winchester Ammunition. Numerous copies of both revolvers and rifles exist, with most being made outside the U.S.
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What Is a .44 Magnum? | Gun Guide



What caliber bullets did cowboys use?

45 Colt as well. A popular use for the . 45 Colt today is in Cowboy Action Shooting, where the round is often fired from either original or replicas of the 1873 Colt Single-Action Army.
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Will a 44 Special stop a bear?

Oldtime black bear hunters say that any load that throws at least a 200-grain or bigger solid bullet at 1000 fps or more will take any bear in the woods. By that standard a good heavy-power . 44 Special or . 45 Colt handload in the right gun should work fine and has.
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Which is more powerful a 44 Magnum or 357 Magnum?

As for bullet energy, the 357 comes out at 566 ft-lbs while the 44 creates 832 & 904 ft-lbs. This indicates what we already knew: The 44 magnum is much more powerful than the 357 magnum. When he changes things up to compare the most commonly-used bullet weight for each cartridge, you can really see the difference.
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What Ammo Can I shoot in a 44 Special?

44 S&W Special round is a powerful revolver cartridge used for self defense and hunting. Known as both the . 44 S&W and the . 44 Special, this ammo is the parent round for the .
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What does 9mm gun mean?

Caliber: In Firearms, the diameter of the bore measured from land to land, usually expressed in hundredths of an inch (. 22 cal) or in millimeters (9mm). In ammunition, a naming system that indicates cartridge dimensions as well as bore diameters, and can be the same as the Firearm caliber.
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What caliber is 9mm?

What Caliber is 9mm? 9mm bullets are . 380 caliber. Caliber refers to the diameter of the cartridge / internal diameter of the gun barrel bore.
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What does Magnum mean in guns?

A magnum cartridge is a firearm cartridge with a larger case size than, or derived from, a similar cartridge of the same projectile (bullet) caliber and case shoulder shape. The term derives from the .357 Magnum, the original cartridge with this designation.
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How powerful is a 44?

44 Magnum had both the energy and speed gun owners wanted. It delivered 767 foot pounds of energy against targets, and at 1,200 feet per second achieved supersonic speed. The result was an excellent round for hunting sidearm, capable of defending a hunter from a charging boar, bear or other dangerous animal.
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Who makes a 44 Special revolver?

44 Special | Smith & Wesson.
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What gun did Dirty Harry use?

In the 1971 movie Dirty Harry, actor Clint Eastwood introduced the world to the double-action Smith & Wesson Model 29 . 44-cal. Magnum revolver—"the most powerful handgun in the world." It was a crown S&W wore proudly, albeit briefly.
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Why is the 357 so popular?

The . 357 Magnum is renowned as an accurate cartridge. So much so it is popular with silhouette shooters who reach out to 100 yards, or more, to knock down small steel targets. It is more than accurate enough for close-quarters battle and hunting at reasonable ranges.
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What is a .357 rifle good for?

The 357 mag rifle is perfect for deer hunting because it uses a round with enough stopping power to take down a deer with one shot. It's also pretty affordable. So, if you're looking for a rifle that will help you take down big game, a 357 Magnum rifle is a great option.
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Can a 9mm stop a bear?

The 9mm can kill bears but is considered underpowered by experienced woodsmen. The 9mm has 350 to 450 ft/lbs. of energy, while 1,000 ft/lbs is considered the minimum for a bear hunting gun. Proper 9mm bullets yield sufficient penetration in soft tissue, but it may not stop a bear quickly enough to avoid being mauled.
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What caliber is a grizzly bear?

44 Magnum is the minimum for charging bears, many others have opted for a Glock 20 in 10mm Auto and, interestingly enough, passed right by the . 357 S&W Magnum. Several folks have even successfully killed bears with a 9mm. While a well-placed shot from a 10mm can no doubt do the trick, the .
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What is the best pistol for bear protection?

Glock 20

And best of all – you get a whole lot more ammo in every mag. 15+1, polymer frame, unbeatable reliability, and the ability to mount red dot optics makes the Glock 20, Gen 4 a powerful and formitable contender for a bear defense gun.
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What is the most famous gun?

The 5 Most Famous Guns in History
  • Colt Single-Action Army. No gun is more famous in early American history than the Colt Single-Action Army. ...
  • Maxim Gun. ...
  • M1 Garand. ...
  • Uzi. ...
  • AK-47.
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What caliber is a cowboy revolver?

The Colt Frontier Six Shooter Revolver and the Winchester Model 1873 or the Winchester Model 1892 in . 44-40 WCF caliber were one of the most common combinations seen in "the Old West".
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What was the most popular pistol in the Old West?

Cowboys, lawmen, outlaws and bandits can hardly be imagined without a gun. Specifically, when people picture a drifter from the Old West, they most likely imagine a gritty figure wielding a distinct long-barreled revolver.
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