Funny now when I think back on it. I was just a kid in '57 when the Model 29 and Blackhawk were first available as 44 mags. I saw the Ruger early on but it was a long time before I ever saw a 29 even though the hand gun I most often got to shoot was a S&W.
Now having the luxury of owning any hand gun available, I don't even own a 44 magnum these days. But I do shoot a lot of 44 Special and 44-40. Both cartridges in handguns primarily, but in lever guns as well. The 44 magnum versions of either are long gone. Never to be replaced.
I killed enough, punched enough paper and rang enough to know what a 44 mag 240gr or 300gr slug will do. But I sure don't turn up my nose at the 200gr lead bullets in a 44-40 these days or a 240gr SWC out of a short 44 Special either.
I'd rather use a SAA of shoot/hunt/carry of any make than a more modern S&W 29 or any Ruger that has been built since. I've carried all of three in the field enough to know the difference and their limitations.
I don't need the heavier bullets or guns Elmer Keith envisioned. I find it funny now looking back thinking all those "old men" so impressed with the 44 Magnum back in the late '50s. I'm older now than they were back in the day. They had a better set up in my mind then that could be had cheap....than most of us only dream about owning now. 1st Gen Colt's made after 1910, any barrel length and in 44-40 or 45 Colt. And ammo still available for them if you just asked. ( I know that having to ask for or order in special 38-40 ammo back then) If a 215gr bullet doing 1200fps from a 44-40 didn't do it for you, all it took was a case full of the holy black under a 255 grs of lead to get a 45 Colt up to 1000fps.
Not much that can be done with a hand gun that 255grs of lead doing 1000fps won't do. And not a lot of folks that want to shoot a steady diet of that load in a lwt weigh SAA.
Over 145 year old designs still as effective as ever. Nice to still see then get used.
44-40 carbine and a 45 Colt SAA. Still just as accurate, reliable and
deadly as ever.