I'll clearly state up front that I'm not a fan of rimless cartridges in revolvers. The 44 Magnum and 45 Colt headspace on the rim, which permits a roll crimp, which provides a lot of advantages and sidesteps a lot of headaches. See more blathering about crimp here: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....-S-amp-W-625-6
If recoil matters more than overall weight, then remember that any model in 45 will be lighter than the same thing in 44 because the holes (0.430" vs. 0.452") are bigger.
Here's the math:
- A 45-caliber Mountain Gun (slim barrel taper, blackpowder chamfer) = 36 ounces.
- A 45 ACP Jerry Miculek 625 (full-underlug barrel, no black-powder chamfer) = 40.5 ounces.
- A 44 Magnum Mountain Gun (slim barrel taper, blackpowder chamfer) = 41 ounces, or half an ounce MORE than the JM.
- A 44 Magnum Model 29 or 629 (straight-taper barrel, no black-powder chamfer) = 42.8 ounces, or almost 17% heavier than the 45-caliber MG.
With loads of the same power, the 45 will kick harder because the gun is lighter. 6.8 ounces may not matter in a Ruger but in lighter guns like the Smith, I want all the help I can get.
Okie John