Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine - The Firearms Forum

roadkingsteve · 06-23-2012, 11:27 AM

Picked it up a few days ago. I remember seeing them when I was stationed in Alaska. They were very popular. Lots of us had .44 mag. handguns, so a rifle in same cal. was cool. I didn't own one but got to play with one often.

I don't think this one has ever been cleaned. It was the dirtiest gun I have ever had to clean (except for my Win. 1873 which used black powder cartridges for over 100 yrs.)

But after a good scrubbing it seems to cycle just fine. Doesn't seem to like my hand loads but factory ammo works good. It will need another good cleaning or two before it is truly CLEAN. It was awful.

Plinked · 06-23-2012, 12:21 PM

Thats one of my "Gotta have one day" rifles

Alpo · 06-23-2012, 12:31 PM

They only like jacketed. Lead shavings and bullet lube does not play nice with its gas port.

They only like full power. Mid-range loads? Waste of time.

Fast Forward · 06-23-2012, 02:39 PM

owned one when they First came out ,,loved it,,used it as my Brush Gun when i Hunted in the UP

ozo · 06-23-2012, 03:52 PM

I havta agree....
Full-blown loads and jacketed projectiles.
Sweet little carbine, bought one the week Ruger had them available
and maybe the best brush gun ever made...
I don't know why Ruger doesn't make them now. In my aged mind
it would be a good seller.
To acquire another one about ten yrs ago and not having any luck,
I settled for a model 96 lever action Ruger, and she is nice.....but....

The 96 though will shoot anything !

ozo · 06-23-2012, 03:55 PM

RKsteve......
you probably need to lube her up with some SBGO......

gdmoody · 06-23-2012, 09:34 PM

I just gave mine to my Grandson for his HS graduation. He always liked to go deer hunting with it. Going to give him the Ruger Redhawk for this 18th birthday next week.

They are right about having to load it up pretty hot to have it work the action. I have never liked to load anything even to mid range, but I had to go real close to max load for the little .44 Carbine. It is a heck of a shooter!!

3/2 STA SS · 06-24-2012, 05:36 PM

Ruger needs to re do this rifle but magazine fed...like a 8-10 rounder.

roadkingsteve · 06-24-2012, 09:47 PM

Everyone called it a brush gun. I think it was built for hunting in the brush. 100 yards max. They say you only need ONE SHOT!

BadWool · 07-30-2012, 06:34 AM

Earlier this year I went with my dad to his favorite sporting goods store because he is like Norm from Cheers when he walks in(retired life, gotta love it I guess). While there, he asked one of the sales guys if there was anything unique to check out. The guy set down a Ruger 10/22 on the counter. I just looked at it and wondered to myself what the heck was so unique about this little .22 rifle. I rolled it over on the counter and immediately noticed something was jammed in the magazine port and I was WTF is wrong with this thing.

I then looked at the barrel end and WHOA, this is not a .22! That is when I begin to scrutinize the entire thing, and noticed "RUGER CARBINE 44 MAGNUM CAL" stamped on the left side. From that point I just couldn't get enough of this little rifle and the sales guy was getting a chuckle out of it because it does fool people who are unaware of it's existence into thinking it is a 10/22.

Well after chatting about it a little with the sales guy I let him return it to the shelf and I went to checking out other things, and then noticed my dad was buying the carbine. When the purchase was complete he turned and handed it to me - said I seemed to really take a liking to that rifle and given the unique history and hard to come by nature of it, figured it was either get it now or it would be a long time till one is seen again.

I wholeheartedly agree with the assertion that it is a fickle rifle when it comes to the power of the load. Using 1200+FPS it cycles just fine, but dropping down to 1000FPS turns it into a single shot carbine.

What is really interesting though is that the 10/22 was modeled after the .44 Carbine. The .44 began production in 1959 whereas the 10/22 debuted in 1964. Makes me wonder how many others have completely otherlooked the Carbine thinking it was a 10/22...........

76Highboy · 07-30-2012, 06:55 AM

I'm jealous.

TheGunClinger · 07-30-2012, 04:23 PM

Well after chatting about it a little with the sales guy I let him return it to the shelf and I went to checking out other things, and then noticed my dad was buying the carbine. When the purchase was complete he turned and handed it to me - said I seemed to really take a liking to that rifle and given the unique history and hard to come by nature of it, figured it was either get it now or it would be a long time till one is seen again

I hope that you are kind on fathers day! I too am jealous.

gvw3 · 07-30-2012, 04:43 PM

You have the best dad in the land.

BadWool · 07-31-2012, 07:38 AM

Thanks guys, dad is a good one no doubt. Didn't mean to hijack the thread from RoadKingSteve though, my apologies mate.

Fast Forward · 07-31-2012, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadkingsteve

Everyone called it a brush gun. I think it was built for hunting in the brush. 100 yards max. They say you only need ONE SHOT!

The great thing about that 44mag was the fact that a small branch wouldn,t deflect the round ,,it would just plow right thru it and keep going,,wish I still Had it

cpt-t · 08-19-2012, 06:12 PM

roadkingsteve: My SON and I have 2 44mag ruger carbines. A lever and one like yours an auto. We used them to pig hunt with NE Texas. The Auto is very quick and a dream to carry no recoil to speak of. I can`t remember any feeding problems, but we load to factory spec`s. I use to cast bullets and have a bunch of 240gr LSWC with a gas check`s left over, and we still use them. We have enjoyed our 44MAG carbines very much and I hope you will yours. They are getting hard to find any more. But they must have not sold well or Ruger would still be making them. Good Luck To You: ken

Kiltman · 09-05-2012, 06:48 PM

I have an older tube fed Ruger .44 cal semi-auto. I'm going to head the advice given about the type of load to feed her....she locked open. I called Ruger customer service. They advised they would not fix it but would exchange it for a current version (rotary box magazine) of their .44 carbine. I believe lever or semi-auto. This was a couple years ago. I took it apart and cleaned her up good and reassembled it. Haven't shot her again since. They did suggest feeding it factory ammo, saying that the early ones were partial to pistol ammo.

06-23-2012, 11:27 AM	#1
roadkingsteve V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: South Coast of Mississippi Posts: 84	Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine Picked it up a few days ago. I remember seeing them when I was stationed in Alaska. They were very popular. Lots of us had .44 mag. handguns, so a rifle in same cal. was cool. I didn't own one but got to play with one often. I don't think this one has ever been cleaned. It was the dirtiest gun I have ever had to clean (except for my Win. 1873 which used black powder cartridges for over 100 yrs.) But after a good scrubbing it seems to cycle just fine. Doesn't seem to like my hand loads but factory ammo works good. It will need another good cleaning or two before it is truly CLEAN. It was awful. Attached Images -->

06-23-2012, 12:21 PM	#2
Plinked V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 71	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine Thats one of my "Gotta have one day" rifles

06-23-2012, 12:31 PM	#3
Alpo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Florida Posts: 8,662	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine They only like jacketed. Lead shavings and bullet lube does not play nice with its gas port. They only like full power. Mid-range loads? Waste of time. __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with catsup - George of Lod, Year of Our Lord 297 I always take precautions. Beware the Evil Bullet Fairies.

06-23-2012, 02:39 PM	#4
Fast Forward Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Chaska Minn Posts: 529	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine owned one when they First came out ,,loved it,,used it as my Brush Gun when i Hunted in the UP

06-23-2012, 03:52 PM	#5
ozo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 2,770	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine I havta agree.... Full-blown loads and jacketed projectiles. Sweet little carbine, bought one the week Ruger had them available and maybe the best brush gun ever made... I don't know why Ruger doesn't make them now. In my aged mind it would be a good seller. To acquire another one about ten yrs ago and not having any luck, I settled for a model 96 lever action Ruger, and she is nice.....but.... The 96 though will shoot anything ! Attached Images __________________ http://www.nranews.com/#/nranews, "ozo. you're off your rocker sir." -johnlives4christ http://www.prisonplanet.com/ -America,Bless GOD-

06-23-2012, 03:55 PM	#6
ozo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 2,770	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine RKsteve...... you probably need to lube her up with some SBGO...... __________________ http://www.nranews.com/#/nranews, "ozo. you're off your rocker sir." -johnlives4christ http://www.prisonplanet.com/ -America,Bless GOD-

06-23-2012, 09:34 PM	#7
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,349	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine I just gave mine to my Grandson for his HS graduation. He always liked to go deer hunting with it. Going to give him the Ruger Redhawk for this 18th birthday next week. They are right about having to load it up pretty hot to have it work the action. I have never liked to load anything even to mid range, but I had to go real close to max load for the little .44 Carbine. It is a heck of a shooter!! __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

06-24-2012, 05:36 PM	#8
3/2 STA SS Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Area, FL Posts: 1,437	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine Ruger needs to re do this rifle but magazine fed...like a 8-10 rounder. __________________ MORS DE CONTACTUS-DEATH ON CONTACT

06-24-2012, 09:47 PM	#9
roadkingsteve V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: South Coast of Mississippi Posts: 84	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine Everyone called it a brush gun. I think it was built for hunting in the brush. 100 yards max. They say you only need ONE SHOT!

07-30-2012, 06:34 AM	#10
BadWool Former Guest Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Central Virginia Posts: 35	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine Earlier this year I went with my dad to his favorite sporting goods store because he is like Norm from Cheers when he walks in(retired life, gotta love it I guess). While there, he asked one of the sales guys if there was anything unique to check out. The guy set down a Ruger 10/22 on the counter. I just looked at it and wondered to myself what the heck was so unique about this little .22 rifle. I rolled it over on the counter and immediately noticed something was jammed in the magazine port and I was WTF is wrong with this thing. I then looked at the barrel end and WHOA, this is not a .22! That is when I begin to scrutinize the entire thing, and noticed "RUGER CARBINE 44 MAGNUM CAL" stamped on the left side. From that point I just couldn't get enough of this little rifle and the sales guy was getting a chuckle out of it because it does fool people who are unaware of it's existence into thinking it is a 10/22. Well after chatting about it a little with the sales guy I let him return it to the shelf and I went to checking out other things, and then noticed my dad was buying the carbine. When the purchase was complete he turned and handed it to me - said I seemed to really take a liking to that rifle and given the unique history and hard to come by nature of it, figured it was either get it now or it would be a long time till one is seen again. I wholeheartedly agree with the assertion that it is a fickle rifle when it comes to the power of the load. Using 1200+FPS it cycles just fine, but dropping down to 1000FPS turns it into a single shot carbine. What is really interesting though is that the 10/22 was modeled after the .44 Carbine. The .44 began production in 1959 whereas the 10/22 debuted in 1964. Makes me wonder how many others have completely otherlooked the Carbine thinking it was a 10/22........... Last edited by BadWool; 07-30-2012 at 06:35 AM..

07-30-2012, 06:55 AM	#11
76Highboy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Meridian, Idaho Contributor Posts: 6,968	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine I'm jealous.

07-30-2012, 04:23 PM	#12
TheGunClinger Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: SW Florida Contributor Posts: 2,383	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine Well after chatting about it a little with the sales guy I let him return it to the shelf and I went to checking out other things, and then noticed my dad was buying the carbine. When the purchase was complete he turned and handed it to me - said I seemed to really take a liking to that rifle and given the unique history and hard to come by nature of it, figured it was either get it now or it would be a long time till one is seen again I hope that you are kind on fathers day! I too am jealous. __________________ New England Patriots Rule Next year.

07-30-2012, 04:43 PM	#13
gvw3 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Chicago IL Area Contributor Posts: 3,305	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine You have the best dad in the land. __________________ Criminals advocate stronger gun laws to foster a safer work environment. This limits their exposure to risk.

07-31-2012, 07:38 AM	#14
BadWool Former Guest Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Central Virginia Posts: 35	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine Thanks guys, dad is a good one no doubt. Didn't mean to hijack the thread from RoadKingSteve though, my apologies mate.

08-19-2012, 06:12 PM	#16
cpt-t Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 11	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine roadkingsteve: My SON and I have 2 44mag ruger carbines. A lever and one like yours an auto. We used them to pig hunt with NE Texas. The Auto is very quick and a dream to carry no recoil to speak of. I can`t remember any feeding problems, but we load to factory spec`s. I use to cast bullets and have a bunch of 240gr LSWC with a gas check`s left over, and we still use them. We have enjoyed our 44MAG carbines very much and I hope you will yours. They are getting hard to find any more. But they must have not sold well or Ruger would still be making them. Good Luck To You: ken

09-05-2012, 06:48 PM	#17
Kiltman Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: West Michigan Posts: 13	Re: Ruger .44 Mag. Carbine I have an older tube fed Ruger .44 cal semi-auto. I'm going to head the advice given about the type of load to feed her....she locked open. I called Ruger customer service. They advised they would not fix it but would exchange it for a current version (rotary box magazine) of their .44 carbine. I believe lever or semi-auto. This was a couple years ago. I took it apart and cleaned her up good and reassembled it. Haven't shot her again since. They did suggest feeding it factory ammo, saying that the early ones were partial to pistol ammo.