Walt Harlan Ranks the Best .44 Magnum Revolvers Ever Made

Walt Harlan, who says he has been shooting the .44 Magnum for more than 40 years, counts down his favorites in a video from GUN NEWS. He starts with the cartridge's history and ends with the movie gun that many first-time buyers couldn't handle.

Key points

• The budget surprise: the Taurus Raging Hunter gets respect for its ported barrel and top rail, though he says the trigger and finish won't fool anyone.
• The one that hurts: Smith & Wesson's 329 PD weighs about 26 ounces. He calls it miserable to shoot, but says it beats a heavier gun left at camp in bear country.
• Top-end accuracy: bench testers got under an inch from Colt's reborn Anaconda, he says, while the German Korth NXR runs about $5,000 and the Freedom Arms Model 83 costs well north of $2,000.
• Smart money: he leans toward the Ruger Redhawk as the do-everything choice, and calls the Smith & Wesson 629 the most sensible big magnum for most people.
• The king: the Model 29 was the first .44 Magnum revolver. Harlan says it barely sold until a detective movie made it famous, then many buyers felt the recoil and traded it away.

Quick take

Harlan is opinionated and upfront about each gun's flaws, which makes this more useful than most top-15 lists. He still gives the Model 29 his crown.

Watch the full video: GUN NEWS