I fired a .44 Magnum revolver one time. I put three full power .44 Magnum rounds down range, set the gun down on the bench, and said “That’s enough, I’m good”. It may no longer hold the title of the most powerful handgun cartridge in the world, but it’s still no joke.
@@5fngrbtchslp99 29, without the '6', with a 4" barrel. I don't mind the recoil, but I would never think of firing that without good hearing protection.
I've never had an issue with full .44 mag loads. I'm a recoil junkie, though. I did have a friend of mine, a 5 foot 2 110 pound woman shoot my .44 mag desert eagle and she did very well.
I think Dirty Harry was referring to what he shot on the range in competition (a light special),, not what he carried on the street which could have been a full load magnum. In another scene, he is asked why he carries a .44 magnum, and he refers to the stopping power.
This makes more sense to me. Otherwise, if he wanted to reduce recoil while remaining highly effective, he could have chosen a .357 Magnum revolver with a barrel nearly the same length.
As for carrying 44 special you could argue that Dirty Harry despite the name was a responsible law enforcement officer. Being in a heavily populated city over penetration and bystanders would be a concern. Using 44 special in a 44 magnum makes for less recoil so he is more accurate so less innocents get hit and less chance of the 44 magnum going through the intended target and hurting innocent people.
In the movie, he mentions a 180 grain bullet but not the powder type or charge. When the .44 mag was in development but nearing production, a number of the gun writers of the day mentioned using a 240 grain bullet at 950-1000 fps as a great police load. I guess that the gun makers did not consider that hairy enough, so upped the load considerably. While that was good for hunting, they still should have worked with the ammo makers to provide a police load with lower velocity and perhaps even a lighter bullet for better control and less recoil. The ammo makers did the same disservice for the 1964 .41 mag, only in that case, there was no .41 special offered. Starline Brass makes a batch of .41 special cases from time to time for anyone wanted to load down a .41 mag to a lower power and better control or for appeasing the folks at the local range. It was the .41 mag that got me into reloading back in the mid-1980s. Ammo was expensive and hard to find, so rolling my own was the solution. I only have a simple reloading setup with RCBS press, Lee dies, the old style balance, and some small hand tools for reloading but they still work just fine. I'm retired, so if it takes a little while longer to knock out 200 rounds of .38-SPL, .357 mag., or .41 mag ammo, I'm fine with that.
Thanks for the laugh, with police on video making illegal stops and demands and beating civilians for having the audacity of asking questions I’m sure they are concerned about innocent bystanders. 😂
Always good to hang out with Hickok. The difference in handling was huge, the heavy rounds are good for showing off, but pretty cumbersome for an armed conflict. Happy to see John doing his thing. Hope y'all are well, have a good evening.
“ What kind of a load do you use in that 44?” “ A light special. With this size gun it gives me less recoil and better control than a 357 magnum with wadcutters”
All of us young cops went to see the Dirty Harry movies and some (not me) bought the same gun. Our rules prohibited anything but the issued Model 15 for uniformed officers, but a fellow officer/buddy did get one. While he didn’t carry it on duty we did take it out to the woods and that’s when I learned what recoil really was.
I am glad you made this. My father was a firearms instructor for Atlanta Police. Till the late 80’s he carried a .357 police revolver loaded with .38 Special. He taught us all to shoot with that combination. His logic was he felt the .357 was kind of pointless in a defense situation in that it has a lot of recoil and he did want a gun that fought with him. He applied the same to target shooting in that you shoot more accurately and will enjoy it more if the gun doesn’t kick like a mule. Dad is many years gone, but still enjoy shooting that combination. We also shot .44 mag with Special loads. It is plenty enough and a heck of a lot of fun.
In West Germany in 1975 I was a US Army MP and on the Army marksmanship team and we had a large handgun competition with the West German Army… I had a Colt Gold Cup and found out in practice I could not use it as it had a light target spring and all I had was full power 230 ball… no way ! My only option was my Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44 mag, but I had 150 rounds of 44 special ammo with me and shot and won the competition with a 196/200 16X, I missed the ten ring only four times ! My best ever…44 special is a great round especially in a heavy revolver !
Most bulls eye competitions won't allow .44 special or .38 special ammo for magnum revolvers though (at least in Germany). What you can do is load your ammo closer to the minimum allowed power factor. I don't shoot .44 mag but from what people have told me, they can load their .44 mag down to almost .44 special levels in DSB competitions.
@@maximilianmustermann5763 Could be for civilian competitions now, this was purely active military members from several countries… a few British and French soldiers, but overwhelmingly US Army and West German soldiers. You could shoot military handguns or like most of the US soldiers we brought our own personal handguns. After the competition a West German soldier came over to me with something wrapped in a shirt… it was a WW2 Luger that his Dad kept after the war AND it had the nazi swastika on it… highly illegal for them to possess. I shot it… I hit the X dead center. It had a pyramid front site and a V notch rear site.
I'm a Colt 45 ACP user, and in the early days, I get bothered by "recoil." Later on, I discovered after-market Muzzle Brakes that can easily be attached to the barrel. Sure enough, that muzzle brake has improved my accuracy, and it made my pistol more comfortable to handle and shooting more fun. You are at liberty to call me a wimp but I surely love shooting my Army Historical Foundation 20th Century Colt .45 Tribute Pistol w/ Muzzle Brake. LOL! Thank you for your post and more power to you sir. Keep 'em coming. .
I've been shooting the .44 magnum for 50 years and reloading for 40 years. The "light load" could also be a .44 magnum with a lighter-weight bullet. Since the "special" load is undefined, it could be a .44 Special, or it could be a .44 loaded with a lighter bullet. That would give reduced maximum pressure resulting in less recoil.
A "light load" in competition shooting would not necessarily mean a lighter bullet, it usually means less powder. There are power factor limits depending on what competition you are in, but sometimes those limits are way below a factory load. And it really pays off to load down your ammo closer to the allowed limit, at least for something like .357 mag or .44 mag.
In The Enforcer,Harry was asked why he carried a 44 mag while every other cop in the city was happy with a 38 or 357,and he answers...because I hit what I aim at,then he went on to say that a 357 is a good weapon but he's seen 38s ricochet off of windshields.
One thing I only recently noticed was in that scene where Harry said that a .357 was a good weapon was that his new partner Kate (who he was speaking to) had a .357. It was sort of a bonding moment in the movie. ua-cam.com/video/4_1Ox9SvStE/v-deo.html
My uncle had a stainless 10 inch 629. From where you’re standing to that 55 gallon drum, you could cut the heads off of matches or open a bottle of 2 L soda. That was the one thing I remember about it the most is at 75 to 100 feet it was like a laser. When we used to shoot soda cans, we used to pull the pool tabs up and shoot them off first from 100 feet. In my 55 years on this earth, it was the most precise firearm I’ve ever used outside of competition shooting weapons. Even after 10,000 custom rounds being put through it. Those custom rounds made the gun ring like a bell that you could hear through your hearing protection. My uncle John was a bit of a nut. He’s been gone four years now.
I bought a s&w 44 mag model 629 back in 1998 took it to the range put 50 rounds through it. Took it home cleaned and oiled it never shot it since. ITS A BEAST. GREAT GUN
I have debated this before with people. Based on Harry shooting the gun himself and the huge recoil and muzzle flash, and the huge recoil and muzzle flash when the rookie cop tried it out - I feel like Harry was always using full power magnums, and him telling the rookie cop they are light Special's was no more than rookie hazing. Harry even took the hazing further by saying that it has less recoil than a .357 with wadcutters, which is a very true statement. The other rookie cop even told the rookie shooting it "don't drop it", and THAT cop was the bad guy who was also a pistol shooting champion with a .357 Magnum Colt, so he would have known what he was talking about. This is the only thing that logically makes sense if within a fictional movie, real physics existed.
I agree as well; that load, anyway, didn't appear to be light. I like the idea that he was underplaying his hand to the rookies. Also, because the movie begins with a reprise of "...But being this is the .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and could blow your head clean off...." that would tend to argue against a .44 Special load being used by Harry; can't see him referencing that line twice and only carrying .44 Special loads. And, from the first movie, the recoil from the shot, and the front flip Scorpio did after being hit in the leg at 40 yards, looked to be represented as being generated by a pretty heavy load.
He fired 320 fmj out of the 44 auto mag but he fired light 252 hollow points for easy handling and light recoil because I have a model 29 and I do have lighter loads and they are very similar but different from a 44 special because the 44 light loads has more powder so therefore the round goes faster and hits harder but it's going so fast that the gun doesn't have time to recoil While 44 Magnum with a 320 grain load Kicks harder but it is slower
This doesn't apply for all calibers. A lot of IPSC shooters use heavier 150 grain bullets in their 9mm loads because the heavier bullet makes the gun less snappy. It has to meet the minimum power factor of course, but the heavier bullet can be slower and it feels less snappy. But I guess with the .44 mag, bullet weights are so much higher, that the effect is the exact opposite.
He means special as in hand loads. In one of the other Magnum movies where they are shooting at the outdoor police range. He tells a guy "it's actually not bad and has less recoil than your 357 because I'm running 180gr loads"!
I'm 330 lbs.,6'51/2" .44 mag is a controllable cartridge for many, not a pussycat, but an accurate & controllable cartridge. The firearm selected is a concerning factor. Larger framed, heavy ones are easier to use as it helps mitigate recoil. Choose what you will but choose wisely, and you will enjoy a very useful time hunting, target shooting, or good ol' plinking.😊
My dad bought a S&W .44 Mag in 1957. He was a hand loader who believed in loading it up white hot to the point of being painful to shoot, but that was just normal at our place. I was used to the recoil and shocking report (we had not begun to wear hearing protection yet). My dad was hardcore in these matters! Dad died awhile back, he left me his .44 and all the stuff, it is the centerpiece of my collection. I hand load too, but I tone it down quite a bit but it's still impressive to shoot even with lighter loads and earmuffs.
I'm shocked you have any hearing left! Lucky! My uncle was in the Secret Service and had a S & W .45 ACP revolver...it's a machined piece of art, makes my modern 686 look like crap! I bet your .44 is beautiful.
@@miniaturemachinist6098 Dad was hard of hearing even as a young man, in old age it was worse, he wouldn't use hearing aids. My own hearing is suspect, a little tinnitis at times. I feel lucky. I'm 74.
@gymshoe8862 My dad has never worn hearing protection while shooting. Now he has to have the TV turned up all the way to hear it and has constant tinnitus, he says there isnt anything wrong with his hearing though. I didn't wear hearing protection the few times that I shot guns with him as a kid because I didn't know any better. My hearing isn't as good as it should be and is worse in my right ear. I also have constant tinnitus, but the noise from a fan is enough to drown it out. Now I carry ear plugs with me wherever I go and use them when I'm doing anything even a little loud. I also load my own ammunition and enjoy loading low velocity, quieter ammunition for my Uberti 1873 and Taylors 1892. The 24 inch barrels and low velocity pistol ammunition help to make the shots quieter.
The man carried a .44 Magnum, which is still one of the most powerful handguns out there. Using 'light special' loads just shows he understood the balance between firepower and control.
I had a Model 19 (.357) years ago with aa 4" barrel. I loved that gun; it was my daily carry and stayed in the truck when I was at work at the mall (I was an Army Recruiter at the time). I moved to Georgia and of course could neither carry nor keep a gun in the truck when going on base, so it sat at home most of the time. A few weeks before I went to Afghanistan, I went on leave. About 30 miles from the house, I realized I'd left the Model 19 on top of my fridge, but with a 16-hour drive ahead of me I decided against going back. Sure enough, while I was gone multiple people broke into the house, stealing most of my tools, electronics, and of course the .357. I lived just north of the Fort Stewart training area (in the middle of nowhere), so they had time to cut the fence and power and come and go as they pleased. Besides an RIA M1911 I bought from a buddy for $100, that was the last gun I bought between 2009 and 2021. A little over a year from retirement, I started buying guns at the PX. The first one was a Model 29 with a 4" barrel. The recoil is manageable to me (and my now-16-year-old daughter for that matter), even with full power loads. I bought a nice Galco shoulder holster for it, because there's no way it's replacing the Model 19 as a hip gun. When I do carry it, I usually keep .44 SPL in the cylinder, with .44 MAG in speed loaders (or one of each in them). I also bought speed strips so I can carry up to four reloads. Magnum or Special, 30 rounds of .44 should be enough to deter almost any creature on two legs or four.
The actual script called for Eastwood to say he used "special light loads". But he ended up saying "light specials" instead. In other words, what he was supposed to say was that he used .44 Magnums loaded a bit lighter for better control. That makes sense, for there would be no reason for him to carry a big-ass revolver like that and just shoot .44 Specials out of it.
Which .44 Special load? The commercial .44 Spl ammo was very weak, much like the .45-70 ammo was very weak because of concerns of hotter ammo in older guns. Yes, a Model 29, even with a 4” barrel is a large gun but there were some departments that issued 28’s at almost the same weight.
@@tracyclaystowell6431 correct, the 27 & 28 were .357 but there were also N frame. They weighed almost the same as a 29. All of those N frames were heavy. Granted, most cops who carried a 27 or 28 carried them on their belt, not in a shoulder holster.
YES. John Milius (the screenwriter of the script you mention) says so in the DVD commentary that evidently only I own. You put it even clearer than he does. He also says in several places that the line was referring to range/ competiton only.
My thinking was always that the "light special load" was Skeeter Skelton's load he developed, and used during his days as a Sheriff, for the .44 special. It would be lighter than the standard .44 magnum load, and it was developed for the special cartridge.. Very effective round that is easily controllable.
I rarely if ever shoot magnum loads in my 4 inch Model 29-No Dash from 1957; for three reasons. Less recoil means more control, I'm old and early stage arthritis has begun in both wrists, and 250gr Keith SWC hard casts, with 7.5gr of Unique can handle just about anything on two legs or four; except the largest of critters of course. If I'm out of Unique, 2400 is an excellent substitute with 15.5gr; which will actually bump you up another 150 fps. Magnum loads are great in Grizzly country; but a steady diet will beat that shooter silly and wear that revolver out sooner than later. And yes, my 29 was made in 1957, when I was three years old. My dad gave it to me when I turned sixteen; and has had three internal overhauls, one barrel change out, and two re-blues; all done by the old S&W company. I doubt they do that stuff for customers these days. They just want you to buy their less impressive retro-"Classics". I'll stick with "Old School" till I transition to playing the Harp. LOL!!!
Still carry my 629 DX Classic. When people say things like, "Why would he shoot a light-special" load"? I just stated as you did there at the end, "Because he's not a frigging idiot.". Pretty simple.
Back in the 90's here in Australia I had a model 29 classic hunter in 44 mag. Full lug barrel with smooth cylinder combat grip adjustable front sight and comp trigger. The thing was a beast. I would shoot 240gr pills with 26 grains of powder, not sure what powder it was. Everyone at the range would complain about flames coming into their lane, It would kick like a mule and im only a little skinny guy and I loved it. Everyone who shot it hated it cause it hit hard but it didnt really bother me at all. Best gun i ever owned.
They varied from 4 inch to 6 inch barrels, and some of the Model 29s have the cylinder chambers blanked off (discs welded in the middle) so they could not be loaded or fired. When Clint is shown pointing a gun at anyone that gun's cylinder is blanked off and it cannot even be loaded. Maybe Alec Baldwin should have taken some advice from Clint Eastwood.
My dad was the REAL-LIFE Dirty Harry, and I can assure you he was NO WIMP! His revolver of choice back in the '70s & early '80's was a Nickel S&W Model 19 .357 and that was my first pistol after my dad went to a semiauto. Like my dad, I worked in the Chicago/Gary/NW Indiana area. 👮
We have open carry here and my usual carry sidearm is a Taurus Tracker in 44 mag. I've had a couple cops ask me about it and I've let them know that while it's chambered for the magnum loading I usually only carry 44 specials in it for better control and to reduce the risk of overpenitration.
But, Harry tells the one criminal that This is the .44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow your head clean off, so would that suggest that in the field, on duty, he is carrying magnums? Maybe only used the light specials for the competition? Also, the Auto Mag is referred to as a firearm that if it is properly used, it will remove the fingerprints. I am going to say that Dirty Harry used the magnum loads where it counts
He messed up with the Auto Mag scene as well. He called it the ".44 Magnum Auto Mag", but the cartridge is the .44 Auto Mag, and a .44 Magnum is the rimmed, revolver cartridge, full name ".44 Remington Magnum". The .44 Auto Mag is a rimless cartridge formed from a cut-down .308 case. Most people don't catch it, and he was not a stickler for firearm correctness in those movies. But to the original topic, I always took what he said on the range to be for his practice ammo, as all other scenes referring to his .44 were about it's awesome power, and the recoil, blast and terminal effect on the "perp" portrayed on screen all reflected a full-power magnum load. Hell, when he wanted to counter-sniper the "Scorpio" killer, he used a .458 Winchester Magnum, an elephant rifle.
Where this pays off is in my S&W 69 which if I'm not mistaken you reviewed on your channel, that the lighter frame of that firearm is more suited to be a 44 special, that can shoot 44 magnums when needed to. (:
That's what is nice about the .44 magnum, can use .44 special, too. Like a .357 magnum using .38 special as well. Good design and planning for versatility.
Being an ammo/reloading nerd back as far as 1974 when the Magnum Force movie was released, I found that "light special" scene somewhat puzzling. As the owner of a 29-2, I agree with your comments Greg, especially where followup shots may be needed. Full service 240-gr. 44-mag. ammo (1400 + fps) is a handful, even painful with wooden grips. For self-defense on anything but large dangerous animals, 10.2 grains of CFE Pistol powder with a Hornady 240gr. XTP bullet at 1164 fps, is very manageable, accurate, and will get the job done (and then some). 44-special is of course another option to further reduce recoil if you simply want to equal standard 45-acp energy levels (230-gr. @850 fps), for example.
I choose to believe--and the film is not inconsistent with this--that Harry is shooting .44 Special *at the range and (perhaps) in competition*. But on the street, Harry's using Magnum loads.
Referring to the police target range scene where the aforementioned conversation took place, the camera angle which captures Harry Callahan loose off his model 29 into a paper target: the muzzle flash and recoil aren’t in any way consistent with Light Specials, more like full blown Magnum loads. RIP David Soul. What a fabulous all-rounder he was.
Well, the name of the movie is Magnum Force, and I think the fact that he was using 44 magnum was well established in the first film. His use of the word special to me probably just means maybe he wasn't necessarily using standard 44 magnum ammunition and instead using a load made to his personal specifications. I was in diapers when the movie came out but I have a feeling there wasn't a wide variety of different loads available for that caliber at that time.
SPOILERS! The fact that, in the original film, he twice delivers the "most powerful handgun in the world" monologue doesn't necessarily mean that he's actually shooting .44 mag, even "in the field." Given the situations, he may or may not be being honest. The first time he delivers that spiel, don't forget that he's actually in trouble and bluffing his way out of it. His gun is empty, he has a leg full of buckshot, and the bank robber's shotgun is not too far to reach. So, Harry reels off this speech in order to intimidate the guy into giving up (and yes, also because he's just a badass dude). The second time he delivers the spiel, he's not bluffing but rather goading. He WANTS Scorpio to reach for his own gun. In both cases, however, he's not necessarily telling the god's honest truth.
It put me in mind of the episode of "Police Story" with Stuart Whitman as Capt. Steve Covino when he caught an officer in a lineup inspection of their ammo pouches packing magnum bullets. Stuart stated that "Magnum load can go through a 3ft block wall and hit a man sitting down to his dinner."
👍 I have both single action and double action revolvers in .44 Special. Unless one is hunting grizzly bears, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephants, lions, or tigers with your handgun 5 or 6 .44 Specials will accomplish pretty much anything most people in most situations will encounter. Even James Bond only carried a .32acp. that held 7 rounds. “Wild Bill” Hickok carried a cap & ball .36 caliber 6 shot revolver (well, he did carry 2 of those). Dirty Harry was not a whimp. 😂😂😂 Very good video, as usual you made some good points about ammunition selection.
This was my first handgun when I had my FAC back in the late '80's. I did occasionally shoot full magnum rounds just for a bit of "fun" down at the range but used the featured "light special" loads for serious target practice. Accuracy with the full magnums certainly was affected, especially firing double action but then you'd expect that. I'm not sure why you'd want to carry full magnum loads in a law enforcement/combat/defence situation anyway when a light special load is more than capable of taking down anyone, assuming of course they are not wearing body armour which magnums could potentially penetrate but then you've got the accuracy issue to contend with. Power is useless without accuracy. I also fired an Automag pistol on a couple of occasions which tamed the recoil considerably and helped accuracy. Either way, magnum or light special, the S&W Model 29 is a very nice pistol to handle and shoot.👍
I had a chance to fire a Model 29 with a 6" barrel one time, but, with a twist. I had a box of loose specials, in which, I accidentally mixed 6 magnums into it, and, I truly wasn't paying attention when I loaded the cylinder. My mind was expecting 6 specials, but the results were, bang, bang, bang, BOOM!. Although I still was gripping the gun well enough to not have it fly out of my hand, the difference was remarkable and unmistakable to say the least.
About the time Dirty Harry became famous, we were regular shooters at the local indoor shooting range around Lakewood, CA. and magnum loads were not allowed. My friend had a collection of Buntline Specials and every now and then a magnum would slip in with the 44 Specials. The place would get deathly quiet when one of those magnums went off, which he had a hell of a time explaining before everything went back to normal. 🙂
The way the gun shots were filmed, and the sound effects, made it look like he was firing magnum loads. There was a heavy recoil so he didn't fire rapidly.
Well said man! My youngest son has a 44 magnum. I just don't care for it. I have a Ruger 357 magnum and it's more than adequate. For me anyway. My first gun, which I got when 10 years old, was a Stevens rolling block 22 rifle. As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.
Screenwriter John Milius, who wrote most of the Magnum Force screenplay (including that line), himself says in the DVD boxed set commmentary that the words HE WROTE were meant to refer to the range/competition ONLY and Harry used heavier loads on the street. That settles it.
Just a reminder, in 1974, the movie Freebie and the Bean came out, in which the bad guy was a homosexual dressed in women's clothing. The seventies was also a time in which styles leaned towards feminine. This was approaching the disco era.
What most people forget is that in the first movie he had a .41 magnum because the .44 where all sold out. Looks same on screen. And don't think that the writers know about guns, mostly they heard about a special load that hass less recoil and got with that. And honestly unless you shoot some big animals , the human body reacts the same with both , you only need to hit.
I remember reading an article in one of the prominent gun magazines during the Dirty Harry era that the firearm he used in the movies was actually a 41 magnum and he was using “light special” loads.
One other thing to consider, at least as important as recoil and control. And that is sound energy. Same as with 357 Magnum and 38 Special. If Dirty Harry shot 44 Magnum loads he would be deaf! He never wore ear protection, including in indoor scenes.
I owned a S&W with the longer barrel (8 3/8 in.?). Had a Ruger Redhawk at the same time. Reloaded my own ammo. My magnum loads were fairly hot. Used to load 44 special rounds with lead for economy shooting. Lower fps because I didn't want to lead up the barrel. But I realized something interesting. I used 240 grain jacketed bullets for the magnum loads. The Redhawk would digest these all day long. But the two guns have a different barrel twist. Ruger is 1 in 10. S&W is 1 in 12. So started loading 180 jacketed bullets for the Smith. Turned it into a raygun! Flatter, faster trajectory. Better for silhouettes!
oh, just FYI I work for clint at one of his property's and have known him since birth and we have talked numerous times about firearms, so I know the background on almost every firearm he used in his movies, our favorite was Joe Kidd, and that lovely Mauser 96!
I have a 25-5 revolver in .45 Long Colt. I may have been known to reload cartridges just a bit hotter than the specs and it shoots very nicely. It goes well along side a Winchester 94 of the same caliber.
Apparently it was a result of Clint messing around ad libbing. He was supposed to say he shoots a special light load because it's more accurate. Implying a light, very fast .44 Magnum load. But he felt like it didn't flow good and changed it to "light specials".
I have a Ruger Short Barrel .44 Special/.44 magnum revolver. I have shot every type of Magnum and it was almost to control while shooting them. Even a Marine Corp pistol instructor had the same problems. As such I went to the Specials and had much better results. I also found out like Hickok45 that the Special loads were similar to the .45.
I have a Ruger Redhawk ful size 7 1/2" barrel in 44MAG. Awesome gun with full-wedge ammunition. Be sure to have your hearing protection on! Superb weapon! 44SPL is really comfortable, big heavy revolver, soaks up the recoil and recovery for second shot is quick & easy.
I was at a gun show with my dad in the early 2000s and bought this gun, also in black, and a bag of ammo. My dad had a large gun collection of over a hundred guns but seemed to be afraid to shoot them. He was in the military for 25 years but thought if you throw a round in the fire, and it explodes, the bullet will kill you.🤣 I could only afford a K98 Mauser, loved it. The cheap 25cent 8x57 surplus ammo you could get was also great.
I recently read in an interview that it was intended to be a “special” .44 Magnum load. I concur with your recollection of the words said in the movie.
In an earlier movie, he responds to a question about the load he uses. He says he uses an 185gr with a reduced load. I also had a 44 magnum in a Colt Anaconda. I started off with midrange loads, then I HAD to use reduced loads and lighter bullets. I eventually had it magna-ported, which helped a lot.
"Man's got to know his limitations." I am actually looking at my first 44 mag revolver and watched that movie recently and noted that conversation.
@Osmonic74 "What are you doing here lieutenant?" My favorite line from that film.
Love it; killer movies! We don’t have that anymore.
@@vayabroder729 "Killer movies..." I see what you did there.
Oh I like that quote. You really...... MADE MY DAY 🤣🤣🤣🤣
One exception with Sudden Impact using the .44 auto mag pistol.
I fired a .44 Magnum revolver one time. I put three full power .44 Magnum rounds down range, set the gun down on the bench, and said “That’s enough, I’m good”. It may no longer hold the title of the most powerful handgun cartridge in the world, but it’s still no joke.
I have a S&W 629 with a 3" barrel.With magnum loads people usually hand it back after the first shot!
Certainly not something you'll walk away from if it hits you. Definitely gets your attention.
@@5fngrbtchslp99 29, without the '6', with a 4" barrel. I don't mind the recoil, but I would never think of firing that without good hearing protection.
No one's laughing. But the less powerful alternatives aren't a joke either; They also work.
I've never had an issue with full .44 mag loads. I'm a recoil junkie, though. I did have a friend of mine, a 5 foot 2 110 pound woman shoot my .44 mag desert eagle and she did very well.
I think Dirty Harry was referring to what he shot on the range in competition (a light special),, not what he carried on the street which could have been a full load magnum. In another scene, he is asked why he carries a .44 magnum, and he refers to the stopping power.
This makes more sense to me. Otherwise, if he wanted to reduce recoil while remaining highly effective, he could have chosen a .357 Magnum revolver with a barrel nearly the same length.
and the way the gun recoiled during the movies would indicate full power loads
I agree. I always thought he was referring to competition ammo.
You are a very successful man. ❤
Very true; his street loads were definitely full-power Magnums! 😄... Light Specials are fine for range practice.
As for carrying 44 special you could argue that Dirty Harry despite the name was a responsible law enforcement officer. Being in a heavily populated city over penetration and bystanders would be a concern. Using 44 special in a 44 magnum makes for less recoil so he is more accurate so less innocents get hit and less chance of the 44 magnum going through the intended target and hurting innocent people.
In the movie, he mentions a 180 grain bullet but not the powder type or charge. When the .44 mag was in development but nearing production, a number of
the gun writers of the day mentioned using a 240 grain bullet at 950-1000 fps as a great police load. I guess that the gun makers did not consider that hairy
enough, so upped the load considerably. While that was good for hunting, they still should have worked with the ammo makers to provide a police load with
lower velocity and perhaps even a lighter bullet for better control and less recoil. The ammo makers did the same disservice for the 1964 .41 mag, only in
that case, there was no .41 special offered. Starline Brass makes a batch of .41 special cases from time to time for anyone wanted to load down a .41 mag
to a lower power and better control or for appeasing the folks at the local range. It was the .41 mag that got me into reloading back in the mid-1980s. Ammo
was expensive and hard to find, so rolling my own was the solution. I only have a simple reloading setup with RCBS press, Lee dies, the old style balance, and some small hand tools for reloading but they still work just fine. I'm retired, so if it takes a little while longer to knock out 200 rounds of .38-SPL, .357 mag., or
.41 mag ammo, I'm fine with that.
Waay Agree!
Thanks for the laugh, with police on video making illegal stops and demands and beating civilians for having the audacity of asking questions I’m sure they are concerned about innocent bystanders. 😂
Always good to hang out with Hickok. The difference in handling was huge, the heavy rounds are good for showing off, but pretty cumbersome for an armed conflict. Happy to see John doing his thing. Hope y'all are well, have a good evening.
THANK YOU! I was thinking I was the only person who remember the Magnum Force range scene that way. .44 special for the win!
Far from it. I have the box set and remember that scene well.
“ What kind of a load do you use in that 44?”
“ A light special. With this size gun it gives me less recoil and better control than a 357 magnum with wadcutters”
@@harryboyes2812Watch it again. He throws in something about .357 wad cutters in there too. I though he only carried the .44? 😂 Hollywood.
All of us young cops went to see the Dirty Harry movies and some (not me) bought the same gun. Our rules prohibited anything but the issued Model 15 for uniformed officers, but a fellow officer/buddy did get one. While he didn’t carry it on duty we did take it out to the woods and that’s when I learned what recoil really was.
I am glad you made this. My father was a firearms instructor for Atlanta Police. Till the late 80’s he carried a .357 police revolver loaded with .38 Special. He taught us all to shoot with that combination. His logic was he felt the .357 was kind of pointless in a defense situation in that it has a lot of recoil and he did want a gun that fought with him. He applied the same to target shooting in that you shoot more accurately and will enjoy it more if the gun doesn’t kick like a mule. Dad is many years gone, but still enjoy shooting that combination. We also shot .44 mag with Special loads. It is plenty enough and a heck of a lot of fun.
In West Germany in 1975 I was a US Army MP and on the Army marksmanship team and we had a large handgun competition with the West German Army… I had a Colt Gold Cup and found out in practice I could not use it as it had a light target spring and all I had was full power 230 ball… no way ! My only option was my Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44 mag, but I had 150 rounds of 44 special ammo with me and shot and won the competition with a 196/200 16X, I missed the ten ring only four times ! My best ever…44 special is a great round especially in a heavy revolver !
Most bulls eye competitions won't allow .44 special or .38 special ammo for magnum revolvers though (at least in Germany). What you can do is load your ammo closer to the minimum allowed power factor. I don't shoot .44 mag but from what people have told me, they can load their .44 mag down to almost .44 special levels in DSB competitions.
@@maximilianmustermann5763 Could be for civilian competitions now, this was purely active military members from several countries… a few British and French soldiers, but overwhelmingly US Army and West German soldiers. You could shoot military handguns or like most of the US soldiers we brought our own personal handguns. After the competition a West German soldier came over to me with something wrapped in a shirt… it was a WW2 Luger that his Dad kept after the war AND it had the nazi swastika on it… highly illegal for them to possess. I shot it… I hit the X dead center. It had a pyramid front site and a V notch rear site.
The Model 29 Classic is on my list. Thanks for sharing the story and the Boollets!
Hickok is my favorite grandpa
Well it’s either him or the other guy.
@@Cletus_polski The guy you met off of Grindr?
He is a great guy.
I never knew mine!
@@BeauQuillen Yes, turns out it was one of your dads.
Callahan is the maximum badass in movie history. Such enjoyable movies.
Bought the entire Harry collection on eBay or was it Amazon. $10 ?
@ what a score!
I'm a Colt 45 ACP user, and in the early days, I get bothered by "recoil." Later on, I discovered after-market Muzzle Brakes that can easily be attached to the barrel. Sure enough, that muzzle brake has improved my accuracy, and it made my pistol more comfortable to handle and shooting more fun.
You are at liberty to call me a wimp but I surely love shooting my Army Historical Foundation 20th Century Colt .45 Tribute Pistol w/ Muzzle Brake. LOL!
Thank you for your post and more power to you sir.
Keep 'em coming.
.
I've been shooting the .44 magnum for 50 years and reloading for 40 years. The "light load" could also be a .44 magnum with a lighter-weight bullet. Since the "special" load is undefined, it could be a .44 Special, or it could be a .44 loaded with a lighter bullet. That would give reduced maximum pressure resulting in less recoil.
I was thinking the same. I reload 357 mag to a warm 38 spl for less recoil and does not create a ring in the cylinder like a 38 would.
What's the velocity's on something like that? 🤔 I bet they would be great🤠🇺🇸💥
Sounds bang on to me.
A "light load" in competition shooting would not necessarily mean a lighter bullet, it usually means less powder. There are power factor limits depending on what competition you are in, but sometimes those limits are way below a factory load. And it really pays off to load down your ammo closer to the allowed limit, at least for something like .357 mag or .44 mag.
@@DANTHETUBEMAN traditional .44 special: 246 LRN @ 750 MV. Traditional .44 magnum: 240 JSP @ 1180 MV
I used to carry a short barrel 44spl. Never felt unarmed, or wimpy😅. Love the talks and clips channel👍
In The Enforcer,Harry was asked why he carried a 44 mag while every other cop in the city was happy with a 38 or 357,and he answers...because I hit what I aim at,then he went on to say that a 357 is a good weapon but he's seen 38s ricochet off of windshields.
Thanks!
I know I heard something about windshields from that movie...just couldn't find the right words.
One thing I only recently noticed was in that scene where Harry said that a .357 was a good weapon was that his new partner Kate (who he was speaking to) had a .357.
It was sort of a bonding moment in the movie.
ua-cam.com/video/4_1Ox9SvStE/v-deo.html
My uncle had a stainless 10 inch 629. From where you’re standing to that 55 gallon drum, you could cut the heads off of matches or open a bottle of 2 L soda. That was the one thing I remember about it the most is at 75 to 100 feet it was like a laser. When we used to shoot soda cans, we used to pull the pool tabs up and shoot them off first from 100 feet. In my 55 years on this earth, it was the most precise firearm I’ve ever used outside of competition shooting weapons. Even after 10,000 custom rounds being put through it. Those custom rounds made the gun ring like a bell that you could hear through your hearing protection. My uncle John was a bit of a nut. He’s been gone four years now.
"this is a great gun for Da Fence" that was funny John hahaha
I bought a s&w 44 mag model 629 back in 1998 took it to the range put 50 rounds through it. Took it home cleaned and oiled it never shot it since. ITS A BEAST. GREAT GUN
629 or 29?
@stevek8829 629 bought it in 1998
It's a pleasure to listen to you on such subjects.
I have debated this before with people. Based on Harry shooting the gun himself and the huge recoil and muzzle flash, and the huge recoil and muzzle flash when the rookie cop tried it out - I feel like Harry was always using full power magnums, and him telling the rookie cop they are light Special's was no more than rookie hazing.
Harry even took the hazing further by saying that it has less recoil than a .357 with wadcutters, which is a very true statement. The other rookie cop even told the rookie shooting it "don't drop it", and THAT cop was the bad guy who was also a pistol shooting champion with a .357 Magnum Colt, so he would have known what he was talking about.
This is the only thing that logically makes sense if within a fictional movie, real physics existed.
I've always held a pretty similar theory.
I agree as well; that load, anyway, didn't appear to be light. I like the idea that he was underplaying his hand to the rookies. Also, because the movie begins with a reprise of "...But being this is the .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and could blow your head clean off...." that would tend to argue against a .44 Special load being used by Harry; can't see him referencing that line twice and only carrying .44 Special loads. And, from the first movie, the recoil from the shot, and the front flip Scorpio did after being hit in the leg at 40 yards, looked to be represented as being generated by a pretty heavy load.
i agree. the muzzle flip would not be that dramatic is he was shooting lighter loads
Y'all don't need a theory, the director/writer explained what he meant. Special for the range, regular Mag for the street.
Loved this video. Not what he carried but what he said: Well do ya punk? Love it all!:!!🦇
Keep doing what you’re doing and I will keep watching 💪💪🇺🇸🇺🇸🇨🇱🇨🇱
I respect Hickock for not getting too involved in politics in his videos.. Republican or Democrat. !! 👍
Ive seen your videos since 2010, its is incredible, greatest youtuber ever!
He fired 320 fmj out of the 44 auto mag but he fired light 252 hollow points for easy handling and light recoil because I have a model 29 and I do have lighter loads and they are very similar but different from a 44 special because the 44 light loads has more powder so therefore the round goes faster and hits harder but it's going so fast that the gun doesn't have time to recoil While 44 Magnum with a 320 grain load Kicks harder but it is slower
This doesn't apply for all calibers. A lot of IPSC shooters use heavier 150 grain bullets in their 9mm loads because the heavier bullet makes the gun less snappy. It has to meet the minimum power factor of course, but the heavier bullet can be slower and it feels less snappy.
But I guess with the .44 mag, bullet weights are so much higher, that the effect is the exact opposite.
Thank you for clearing that up, Hickok
He means special as in hand loads. In one of the other Magnum movies where they are shooting at the outdoor police range. He tells a guy "it's actually not bad and has less recoil than your 357 because I'm running 180gr loads"!
I'm 330 lbs.,6'51/2"
.44 mag is a controllable cartridge for many, not a pussycat, but an accurate & controllable cartridge.
The firearm selected is a concerning factor.
Larger framed, heavy ones are easier to use as it helps mitigate recoil.
Choose what you will but choose wisely, and you
will enjoy a very useful time hunting, target shooting, or good ol' plinking.😊
Very well said and explained Professor Hickok
My dad bought a S&W .44 Mag in 1957. He was a hand loader who believed in loading it up white hot to the point of being painful to shoot, but that was just normal at our place. I was used to the recoil and shocking report (we had not begun to wear hearing protection yet). My dad was hardcore in these matters! Dad died awhile back, he left me his .44 and all the stuff, it is the centerpiece of my collection. I hand load too, but I tone it down quite a bit but it's still impressive to shoot even with lighter loads and earmuffs.
I'm shocked you have any hearing left! Lucky! My uncle was in the Secret Service and had a S & W .45 ACP revolver...it's a machined piece of art, makes my modern 686 look like crap! I bet your .44 is beautiful.
Any hearing problems?
@@miniaturemachinist6098 Dad was hard of hearing even as a young man, in old age it was worse, he wouldn't use hearing aids. My own hearing is suspect, a little tinnitis at times. I feel lucky. I'm 74.
@gymshoe8862 My dad has never worn hearing protection while shooting. Now he has to have the TV turned up all the way to hear it and has constant tinnitus, he says there isnt anything wrong with his hearing though. I didn't wear hearing protection the few times that I shot guns with him as a kid because I didn't know any better. My hearing isn't as good as it should be and is worse in my right ear. I also have constant tinnitus, but the noise from a fan is enough to drown it out. Now I carry ear plugs with me wherever I go and use them when I'm doing anything even a little loud. I also load my own ammunition and enjoy loading low velocity, quieter ammunition for my Uberti 1873 and Taylors 1892. The 24 inch barrels and low velocity pistol ammunition help to make the shots quieter.
This Revolver is a work of art. I can't wait to pick up my copy next month. Thank you Harry C. for making me love this weapon. Greetings from Belgium.
❤ love to see your posts
Thanks fellas. Awesome as always. Heading to the creek bed with a 29 right. Da fence😂
The man carried a .44 Magnum, which is still one of the most powerful handguns out there. Using 'light special' loads just shows he understood the balance between firepower and control.
"the man" doesn't exist.
I had a Model 19 (.357) years ago with aa 4" barrel. I loved that gun; it was my daily carry and stayed in the truck when I was at work at the mall (I was an Army Recruiter at the time). I moved to Georgia and of course could neither carry nor keep a gun in the truck when going on base, so it sat at home most of the time. A few weeks before I went to Afghanistan, I went on leave. About 30 miles from the house, I realized I'd left the Model 19 on top of my fridge, but with a 16-hour drive ahead of me I decided against going back. Sure enough, while I was gone multiple people broke into the house, stealing most of my tools, electronics, and of course the .357. I lived just north of the Fort Stewart training area (in the middle of nowhere), so they had time to cut the fence and power and come and go as they pleased.
Besides an RIA M1911 I bought from a buddy for $100, that was the last gun I bought between 2009 and 2021. A little over a year from retirement, I started buying guns at the PX. The first one was a Model 29 with a 4" barrel. The recoil is manageable to me (and my now-16-year-old daughter for that matter), even with full power loads. I bought a nice Galco shoulder holster for it, because there's no way it's replacing the Model 19 as a hip gun. When I do carry it, I usually keep .44 SPL in the cylinder, with .44 MAG in speed loaders (or one of each in them). I also bought speed strips so I can carry up to four reloads. Magnum or Special, 30 rounds of .44 should be enough to deter almost any creature on two legs or four.
The actual script called for Eastwood to say he used "special light loads". But he ended up saying "light specials" instead. In other words, what he was supposed to say was that he used .44 Magnums loaded a bit lighter for better control. That makes sense, for there would be no reason for him to carry a big-ass revolver like that and just shoot .44 Specials out of it.
Elmer loaded-up the "weak special" to what is more than the run of the mill magnums, lol. Clay
Which .44 Special load? The commercial .44 Spl ammo was very weak, much like the .45-70 ammo was very weak because of concerns of hotter ammo in older guns. Yes, a Model 29, even with a 4” barrel is a large gun but there were some departments that issued 28’s at almost the same weight.
@@mikecumbo7531 I think it was 22 grns of 2400 beneath the 240 SWC of his own design. Also thinking about the "28", wasn't/isn't that a 357 revolver?
@@tracyclaystowell6431 correct, the 27 & 28 were .357 but there were also N frame. They weighed almost the same as a 29. All of those N frames were heavy. Granted, most cops who carried a 27 or 28 carried them on their belt, not in a shoulder holster.
YES. John Milius (the screenwriter of the script you mention) says so in the DVD commentary that evidently only I own. You put it even clearer than he does. He also says in several places that the line was referring to range/ competiton only.
I feel Lucky to have seen this video . Thanks Hickok
Do ya feel lucky, today ? Well, do ya ?
A "light special"
Have that exact gun S&W Model 29-2 but have still not fired any .44 Specials in it. Always like to make it a hand cannon with 44 Magnum.
My Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag taught me how to flinch. Had to unlearn that
My thinking was always that the "light special load" was Skeeter Skelton's load he developed, and used during his days as a Sheriff, for the .44 special.
It would be lighter than the standard .44 magnum load, and it was developed for the special cartridge..
Very effective round that is easily controllable.
I rarely if ever shoot magnum loads in my 4 inch Model 29-No Dash from 1957; for three reasons. Less recoil means more control, I'm old and early stage arthritis has begun in both wrists, and 250gr Keith SWC hard casts, with 7.5gr of Unique can handle just about anything on two legs or four; except the largest of critters of course. If I'm out of Unique, 2400 is an excellent substitute with 15.5gr; which will actually bump you up another 150 fps. Magnum loads are great in Grizzly country; but a steady diet will beat that shooter silly and wear that revolver out sooner than later. And yes, my 29 was made in 1957, when I was three years old. My dad gave it to me when I turned sixteen; and has had three internal overhauls, one barrel change out, and two re-blues; all done by the old S&W company. I doubt they do that stuff for customers these days. They just want you to buy their less impressive retro-"Classics". I'll stick with "Old School" till I transition to playing the Harp. LOL!!!
Nicee
Grip is everything. I love the Tarus frilly rubber grip and grip angle. Really tames the recoil!
Still carry my 629 DX Classic. When people say things like, "Why would he shoot a light-special" load"? I just stated as you did there at the end, "Because he's not a frigging idiot.". Pretty simple.
Thanks for the content. Made my day... :)
Got 2 of them. Amazingling level revolver for it's size. POW!
Back in the 90's here in Australia I had a model 29 classic hunter in 44 mag. Full lug barrel with smooth cylinder combat grip adjustable front sight and comp trigger. The thing was a beast. I would shoot 240gr pills with 26 grains of powder, not sure what powder it was. Everyone at the range would complain about flames coming into their lane, It would kick like a mule and im only a little skinny guy and I loved it. Everyone who shot it hated it cause it hit hard but it didnt really bother me at all. Best gun i ever owned.
I use your videos as purchase suggestions - thank you so much - your opinion really matters to me!
I really enjoy your videos, sir! Keep up your great work!
They varied from 4 inch to 6 inch barrels, and some of the Model 29s have the cylinder chambers blanked off (discs welded in the middle) so they could not be loaded or fired. When Clint is shown pointing a gun at anyone that gun's cylinder is blanked off and it cannot even be loaded. Maybe Alec Baldwin should have taken some advice from Clint Eastwood.
They have them in eight inch as well. Best one as it's useful for hunting.
Hickok45!
You guys are Great!
My dad was the REAL-LIFE Dirty Harry, and I can assure you he was NO WIMP!
His revolver of choice back in the '70s & early '80's was a Nickel S&W Model 19 .357 and that was my first pistol after my dad went to a semiauto.
Like my dad, I worked in the Chicago/Gary/NW Indiana area. 👮
What semi auto did he use?
What department?
We have open carry here and my usual carry sidearm is a Taurus Tracker in 44 mag. I've had a couple cops ask me about it and I've let them know that while it's chambered for the magnum loading I usually only carry 44 specials in it for better control and to reduce the risk of overpenitration.
But, Harry tells the one criminal that This is the .44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow your head clean off, so would that suggest that in the field, on duty, he is carrying magnums? Maybe only used the light specials for the competition? Also, the Auto Mag is referred to as a firearm that if it is properly used, it will remove the fingerprints. I am going to say that Dirty Harry used the magnum loads where it counts
He messed up with the Auto Mag scene as well. He called it the ".44 Magnum Auto Mag", but the cartridge is the .44 Auto Mag, and a .44 Magnum is the rimmed, revolver cartridge, full name ".44 Remington Magnum". The .44 Auto Mag is a rimless cartridge formed from a cut-down .308 case. Most people don't catch it, and he was not a stickler for firearm correctness in those movies.
But to the original topic, I always took what he said on the range to be for his practice ammo, as all other scenes referring to his .44 were about it's awesome power, and the recoil, blast and terminal effect on the "perp" portrayed on screen all reflected a full-power magnum load. Hell, when he wanted to counter-sniper the "Scorpio" killer, he used a .458 Winchester Magnum, an elephant rifle.
Where this pays off is in my S&W 69 which if I'm not mistaken you reviewed on your channel, that the lighter frame of that firearm is more suited to be a 44 special, that can shoot 44 magnums when needed to. (:
That's what is nice about the .44 magnum, can use
.44 special, too. Like a .357 magnum using
.38 special as well. Good design and planning for versatility.
Only thing is, the shorter case means a jump till projectile meets rifling.
@@stevek8829 True, but those rounds are not known to be tack drivers either. Shooter flinch will probably affect accuracy a lot more.
Being an ammo/reloading nerd back as far as 1974 when the Magnum Force movie was released, I found that "light special" scene somewhat puzzling. As the owner of a 29-2, I agree with your comments Greg, especially where followup shots may be needed. Full service 240-gr. 44-mag. ammo (1400 + fps) is a handful, even painful with wooden grips. For self-defense on anything but large dangerous animals, 10.2 grains of CFE Pistol powder with a Hornady 240gr. XTP bullet at 1164 fps, is very manageable, accurate, and will get the job done (and then some).
44-special is of course another option to further reduce recoil if you simply want to equal standard 45-acp energy levels (230-gr. @850 fps), for example.
I choose to believe--and the film is not inconsistent with this--that Harry is shooting .44 Special *at the range and (perhaps) in competition*.
But on the street, Harry's using Magnum loads.
in the movie magnum force? 😮🤠🇺🇸💯
@@DANTHETUBEMAN Yes.
THIS. And the screenwriter literally says so in the DVD commmentary for Magnum Force.
Referring to the police target range scene where the aforementioned conversation took place, the camera angle which captures Harry Callahan loose off his model 29 into a paper target: the muzzle flash and recoil aren’t in any way consistent with Light Specials, more like full blown Magnum loads. RIP David Soul. What a fabulous all-rounder he was.
Well, the name of the movie is Magnum Force, and I think the fact that he was using 44 magnum was well established in the first film. His use of the word special to me probably just means maybe he wasn't necessarily using standard 44 magnum ammunition and instead using a load made to his personal specifications.
I was in diapers when the movie came out but I have a feeling there wasn't a wide variety of different loads available for that caliber at that time.
SPOILERS! The fact that, in the original film, he twice delivers the "most powerful handgun in the world" monologue doesn't necessarily mean that he's actually shooting .44 mag, even "in the field." Given the situations, he may or may not be being honest. The first time he delivers that spiel, don't forget that he's actually in trouble and bluffing his way out of it. His gun is empty, he has a leg full of buckshot, and the bank robber's shotgun is not too far to reach. So, Harry reels off this speech in order to intimidate the guy into giving up (and yes, also because he's just a badass dude). The second time he delivers the spiel, he's not bluffing but rather goading. He WANTS Scorpio to reach for his own gun. In both cases, however, he's not necessarily telling the god's honest truth.
I know what you're thinkin', cowboy...
It put me in mind of the episode of "Police Story" with Stuart Whitman as Capt. Steve Covino when he caught an officer in a lineup inspection of their ammo pouches packing magnum bullets. Stuart stated that "Magnum load can go through a 3ft block wall and hit a man sitting down to his dinner."
👍 I have both single action and double action revolvers in .44 Special.
Unless one is hunting grizzly bears, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephants, lions, or tigers with your handgun 5 or 6 .44 Specials will accomplish pretty much anything most people in most situations will encounter.
Even James Bond only carried a .32acp. that held 7 rounds. “Wild Bill” Hickok carried a cap & ball .36 caliber 6 shot revolver (well, he did carry 2 of those).
Dirty Harry was not a whimp. 😂😂😂
Very good video, as usual you made some good points about ammunition selection.
This was my first handgun when I had my FAC back in the late '80's. I did occasionally shoot full magnum rounds just for a bit of "fun" down at the range but used the featured "light special" loads for serious target practice. Accuracy with the full magnums certainly was affected, especially firing double action but then you'd expect that.
I'm not sure why you'd want to carry full magnum loads in a law enforcement/combat/defence situation anyway when a light special load is more than capable of taking down anyone, assuming of course they are not wearing body armour which magnums could potentially penetrate but then you've got the accuracy issue to contend with. Power is useless without accuracy.
I also fired an Automag pistol on a couple of occasions which tamed the recoil considerably and helped accuracy. Either way, magnum or light special, the S&W Model 29 is a very nice pistol to handle and shoot.👍
A couple magnum round indoors with no ear pro Dirty Harry became bloody eary and switched to the light special
I had a chance to fire a Model 29 with a 6" barrel one time, but, with a twist. I had a box of loose specials, in which, I accidentally mixed 6 magnums into it, and, I truly wasn't paying attention when I loaded the cylinder. My mind was expecting 6 specials, but the results were, bang, bang, bang, BOOM!. Although I still was gripping the gun well enough to not have it fly out of my hand, the difference was remarkable and unmistakable to say the least.
A wimp compared to the legendary hickok45
And compared to the generation of actors before him whom a lot of them were war heroes.
Holy crap ...hickok 45 is still shootin'! Glad to see you're still doing your thing, good buddy.
Apparently, with no help from YOU! Where have you been? Hope you feel terribly guilty for stumbling back in after being absent! :-)
@hickok45 Well sir, looks like you caught me skipping school 🤘😎
About the time Dirty Harry became famous, we were regular shooters at the local indoor shooting range around Lakewood, CA. and magnum loads were not allowed.
My friend had a collection of Buntline Specials and every now and then a magnum would slip in with the 44 Specials. The place would get deathly quiet when one of those magnums went off, which he had a hell of a time explaining before everything went back to normal. 🙂
The way the gun shots were filmed, and the sound effects, made it look like he was firing magnum loads. There was a heavy recoil so he didn't fire rapidly.
Dirty Harry here, or am I Hickok 45 today?
Now fire it one handed like Harry.😂 loved the video.
2:50 I’m Clint Smith, and I don’t carry anything, because I’m Canadian. If I could I’d carry my Glock 48.
Yeah you’re lucky you can carry your dick.
Yeah. Because you couldn't handle a 44 magnum.
@@trevor_philips_industries I’m not sure it’d fit in my pocket.
Well said man!
My youngest son has a 44 magnum. I just don't care for it. I have a Ruger 357 magnum and it's more than adequate. For me anyway.
My first gun, which I got when 10 years old, was a Stevens rolling block 22 rifle.
As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.
That's a big gun but it looks like a compact his big hand's
Screenwriter John Milius, who wrote most of the Magnum Force screenplay (including that line), himself says in the DVD boxed set commmentary that the words HE WROTE were meant to refer to the range/competition ONLY and Harry used heavier loads on the street. That settles it.
HELL YEAHHHHH
The difference in the sound quality and impact quality is immediately apparent. Interesting video.
Well, Harry was from San Francisco.....
Not everybody as tough a SOB as Steve D.
I totally agree. Dirty Harry was super smart and carried a load that offered super finesse & accuracy🙋🙏💈
Dirty Harry movies were filmed during a time when Men were Men and Women were Women !
Right! In S.F. no less.
Pretty sure that hasn’t changed.
US troops dressed in drag during and Before WW2. Harden up, Nancy boy.
Just a reminder, in 1974, the movie Freebie and the Bean came out, in which the bad guy was a homosexual dressed in women's clothing. The seventies was also a time in which styles leaned towards feminine. This was approaching the disco era.
“that's a hell of a price to pay for being stylish.”
What most people forget is that in the first movie he had a .41 magnum because the .44 where all sold out.
Looks same on screen.
And don't think that the writers know about guns, mostly they heard about a special load that hass less recoil and got with that.
And honestly unless you shoot some big animals , the human body reacts the same with both , you only need to hit.
Wow! What a difference. TnX for a good video.
I remember reading an article in one of the prominent gun magazines during the Dirty Harry era that the firearm he used in the movies was actually a 41 magnum and he was using “light special” loads.
You are such a fantastic shot, sir.
One other thing to consider, at least as important as recoil and control. And that is sound energy. Same as with 357 Magnum and 38 Special. If Dirty Harry shot 44 Magnum loads he would be deaf! He never wore ear protection, including in indoor scenes.
I owned a S&W with the longer barrel (8 3/8 in.?). Had a Ruger Redhawk at the same time. Reloaded my own ammo. My magnum loads were fairly hot. Used to load 44 special rounds with lead for economy shooting. Lower fps because I didn't want to lead up the barrel. But I realized something interesting. I used 240 grain jacketed bullets for the magnum loads. The Redhawk would digest these all day long. But the two guns have a different barrel twist. Ruger is 1 in 10. S&W is 1 in 12. So started loading 180 jacketed bullets for the Smith. Turned it into a raygun! Flatter, faster trajectory. Better for silhouettes!
Great video. Training is the key for whatever gun or load you carry.
oh, just FYI I work for clint at one of his property's and have known him since birth and we have talked numerous times about firearms, so I know the background on almost every firearm he used in his movies, our favorite was Joe Kidd, and that lovely Mauser 96!
I have a 25-5 revolver in .45 Long Colt. I may have been known to reload cartridges just a bit hotter than the specs and it shoots very nicely. It goes well along side a Winchester 94 of the same caliber.
Apparently it was a result of Clint messing around ad libbing. He was supposed to say he shoots a special light load because it's more accurate. Implying a light, very fast .44 Magnum load. But he felt like it didn't flow good and changed it to "light specials".
I love this video. Ive been a follower for years. Thank you for everything you do. Ive learned alot being here.
I have a Ruger Short Barrel .44 Special/.44 magnum revolver. I have shot every type of Magnum and it was almost to control while shooting them. Even a Marine Corp pistol instructor had the same problems. As such I went to the Specials and had much better results. I also found out like Hickok45 that the Special loads were similar to the .45.
I agree with ya totally smart man, carrying a more manageable recoil load that still would get the job done.
I have a Ruger Redhawk ful size 7 1/2" barrel in 44MAG. Awesome gun with full-wedge ammunition. Be sure to have your hearing protection on! Superb weapon! 44SPL is really comfortable, big heavy revolver, soaks up the recoil and recovery for second shot is quick & easy.
I was at a gun show with my dad in the early 2000s and bought this gun, also in black, and a bag of ammo. My dad had a large gun collection of over a hundred guns but seemed to be afraid to shoot them. He was in the military for 25 years but thought if you throw a round in the fire, and it explodes, the bullet will kill you.🤣 I could only afford a K98 Mauser, loved it. The cheap 25cent 8x57 surplus ammo you could get was also great.
I recently read in an interview that it was intended to be a “special” .44 Magnum load.
I concur with your recollection of the words said in the movie.
In an earlier movie, he responds to a question about the load he uses. He says he uses an 185gr with a reduced load.
I also had a 44 magnum in a Colt Anaconda. I started off with midrange loads, then I HAD to use reduced loads and lighter bullets.
I eventually had it magna-ported, which helped a lot.