PJ, you'll like those 44 Open Tops. I have both my Open Top and Richards II (long barrels) chambered in 44 Special. When I first got them (11 yrs ago) I loaded smokeless only in 44 Spec and black in 44 Colt brass, mostly for cartridge ID. I have loaded some 44 Spec in black (around 27 grains of FF) vs the 25 grains of FF black in Colt cases, but mostly did it just do see and do. Any more about all that gets shot through them anymore is Mav Dutch 200 grain soft lead with the 25 grains of FF. Accuracy is very good, recoil isn't much more than smokeless defensive 38 Special rds, actuality mild to moderate IMO. The smokeless loadings were never bad either, accurate, mild-moderate recoil- always kept them around the 750-800 fps level so as not to beat the 'be jiggers' out of the Colt frame styles. Ended up getting a used well taken care of Ruger Super B. Hawk for more potent 44 Spec loadings.
I've never shot or reloaded 44 Russian. IMO unless a gun is chambered in that caliber, the 44 Colt is more desirable or 44 Spec if a shooter doesn't want to invest in 44 Colt brass (available from Starline). My thoughts on the 44 Russian is that it isn't much more than a 38 Special as far as recoil (and stopping power if that would be a factor at all), just a bigger, larger diameter chunk of lead going downrange. I do have a Richards/Mason conversion (5.5 barrel) in 38 Spec, load around 19 grains of FFF black. Its a accurate mild shooter with DD's Snakebites. I've yet to load any smokeless rds. As a side note, I had to fix the arbor issue and bolt timing on the OT, the Richards II was and is the perfect 'child', no arbor or any other issues out of the box. Whatever kinda' beans ya stuff in the cylinders, you'll enjoy dem 44 Colts