By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
It took a verbal elbow to the ribs to remind handgunners everywhere that today, Dec. 15, 2025, is the 70th anniversary of the introduction by Smith & Wesson of the revolver that was to become a legend: The .44 Magnum.
In those days, it wasn’t called the Model 29—that came later—but it was a hogleg with a 6 ½-inch barrel, adjustable rear sight and a beautiful blue finish, and when it spoke, people paid attention!
Although the late Elmer Keith is credited as the “father” of the .44 Magnum, others had input as well. The late John Taffin told the story with some detail in 2021 as part of a series on “Perfect Packin’ Pistols,” and I keep a copy of that magazine, along with the following month’s installment on the .41 Magnum—another Keith-associated cartridge—where I can re-read them at my leisure.
According to Taffin’s account, Keith “especially called for a ‘.44 Special Magnum’ with a 250-grain hard cast bullet at 1,200 feet per second. His pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. Ammunition companies were afraid of heavy loaded .44 Specials taking old sixguns apart. He then asked for a new cartridge 1/10″ longer than the .44 Special to preclude its being used in any old sixguns. Again, the plea was ignored.”
However, Taffin explained, unbeknownst to Keith, others had been working on the cartridge, and a gun hefty enough to handle it, and 70 years ago today, the veil was lifted.
From that day forward, the handgun Keith usually could be seen packing on his hip was a 4-inch N-frame S&W .44 Magnum with carved ivory grips featuring the head of a longhorn steer on the right side. This carving was raised, and it fit the palm of his hand perfectly to soak up felt recoil.
Anyone who has ever fired a .44 Magnum with full-house loads knows what recoil feels like. Depending upon the type of grip—either a “magna” or “target” style—recoil on the double-action S&W revolver can range anywhere from “manageable” to “brutal.”
Keith is known to have fatally shot a wounded mule deer buck with his long-barreled .44 Magnum at an estimated 600 yards, a feat which has caused a controversy that continues to this day. Known as a skilled long-range handgunner, most knowledgeable people who knew the little cowboy from Salmon, Idaho are convinced he made that shot. TGM discussed that shot in April 2024.
The .44 Magnum has been through some evolutionary changes over the years, with handloaders providing much of the available data. The development of new propellants and bullet types has only enhanced this cartridge’s performance, and in addition to its use by hunters, it has also become a favorite of silhouette shooters, not only in the S&W platform guns, but also in Ruger single-action and double-action wheelguns as well.
In 1956, Keith was presented with a 4-inch .44 Magnum by S&W’s Carl Hellstrom. It wore ivory grips with a special presentation medallion on the left panel. It was fully-engraved and was inscribed with his signature on the sideplate. For everyday carry, Keith had a “plain Jane” model which was not engraved, but it was chambered for the big magnum.
The S&W .44 Magnum was not designated the Model 29 until 1957.
Sales of the big bore revolver skyrocketed following the release of Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” and today, original models with the firing pin still mounted on the hammer go for premium prices.
