The 44 Smith & Wesson Special is a centerfire handgun cartridge standardised by SAAMI in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3. SAAMI sets its maximum average pressure at 15,500 psi, and publishes its reference velocities for both a vented barrel and the standard test barrel. This guide sets out SAAMI’s published reference velocity for each bullet weight, computes the muzzle energy each one carries, and compares the 44 Smith & Wesson Special with the 44 Remington Magnum on the same basis.
44 Special ballistics chart: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI publishes nominal mean instrumental velocities for each reference bullet weight, measured at 15 feet from a vented barrel and from the standard test barrel, and marks a figure it has not established. It does not publish energy, so the ft-lb figures are computed. Where SAAMI lists more than one velocity for a weight, both ends of the span are shown.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Bullet weight | Vented-barrel velocity / computed energy | Test-barrel velocity / computed energy |
|---|---|---|
| 165 gr | Not established | 1,150 fps / 484 ft-lb |
| 200 gr | Not established | 900–1,025 fps / 360–466 ft-lb |
| 240 gr | 750 fps / 300 ft-lb | 800 fps / 341 ft-lb |
| 246 gr | Not established | 800 fps / 350 ft-lb |
What the numbers mean for a shot
SAAMI lists 4 reference bullet weights for the 44 Smith & Wesson Special, from 165 to 246 grains. The lightest, 165 grains, is listed at 1,150 fps in the test barrel (484 ft-lb computed). The heaviest, 246 grains, is listed at 800 fps in the test barrel (350 ft-lb computed).
SAAMI lists more than one reference velocity for 200 grains. Its own note says this is because a weight can carry several introductions meeting different market needs, such as reduced-recoil loads, or because propellant and loading advances allowed higher velocities after the original load appeared.
None of this is a downrange figure. SAAMI measures at 15 feet, so retained velocity, energy and drop depend on the bullet’s ballistic coefficient, which SAAMI does not publish. Each product in our 44 Special ammo range lists whatever its maker publishes for that item.
Barrel, chamber and pressure
A revolver loses some gas, and with it velocity, at the gap between cylinder and barrel, which is why SAAMI publishes a vented-barrel velocity for revolver cartridges beside the test-barrel one. SAAMI notes that the vented-barrel figures “are provided for information only” and that vented test barrels are used for the establishment of catalog velocity values for cartridges normally chambered in revolvers. Your own revolver’s barrel length will move the numbers again. The maximum average pressure is 15,500 psi. Fire 44 Smith & Wesson Special ammunition only in a firearm chambered for it. Several unrelated cartridges share a number, so match the full designation on the box to the marking on your barrel.
44 Special vs 44 Magnum: the SAAMI comparison
A figure from one maker’s catalogue cannot be laid beside a figure from another’s: each picks its own test barrel, zero and bullet, and many publish no test barrel at all. SAAMI is the shared basis, because it fixes one standard test barrel and one way of measuring velocity for every cartridge it lists.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 44 Smith & Wesson Special | 44 Remington Magnum |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum average pressure | 15,500 psi | 36,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | Revolver test barrel (see SAAMI drawing) | Revolver test barrel (see SAAMI drawing) |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 20.00 in | 1 turn in 20.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .429 in | .429 in |
| Lightest reference load | 165 gr — 1,150 fps / 484 ft-lb | 180 gr — 1,800 fps / 1,295 ft-lb |
| A weight both list | 240 gr — 800 fps / 341 ft-lb | 240 gr — 1,175–1,600 fps / 736–1,364 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 246 gr — 800 fps / 350 ft-lb | 300 gr — 1,200 fps / 959 ft-lb |
SAAMI standardises the 44 Smith & Wesson Special at 15,500 psi and the 44 Remington Magnum at 36,000 psi, so the 44 Smith & Wesson Special runs 20,500 psi lower. At 240 grains, a weight both list, SAAMI’s 44 Smith & Wesson Special reference velocity is 800 fps (341 ft-lb computed), against up to 1,600 fps (1,364 ft-lb) for the 44 Remington Magnum. On that row the 44 Remington Magnum carries the more energy.
What SAAMI cannot settle is anything past the muzzle. It publishes no ballistic coefficients and no downrange data, so it cannot say which cartridge shoots flatter at distance; that depends on the bullet. We stock the other side of this comparison too: 44 Magnum ammo.
44 Special ballistics questions
What is the maximum pressure of the 44 Smith & Wesson Special?
ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3 sets the maximum average pressure for the 44 Smith & Wesson Special at 15,500 psi.
What twist rate does SAAMI use for the 44 Smith & Wesson Special?
SAAMI’s test barrel drawing for the 44 Smith & Wesson Special shows rifling of 1 turn in 20.00 in. Revolver barrel lengths vary widely, so your own revolver may differ.
What bullet weights does SAAMI list for the 44 Smith & Wesson Special?
SAAMI lists 4 reference weights, from 165 to 246 grains: 165, 200, 240 and 246.
Is the 44 Smith & Wesson Special more powerful than the 44 Remington Magnum?
Power is not a SAAMI measure, but reference muzzle energy is a fair proxy. At 240 grains, a weight both list, SAAMI’s 44 Smith & Wesson Special reference velocity is 800 fps (341 ft-lb computed), against up to 1,600 fps (1,364 ft-lb) for the 44 Remington Magnum.
What is the effective range of the 44 Smith & Wesson Special?
Effective range is not a SAAMI specification and it is not a measured figure. SAAMI measures velocity at 15 feet, so it says nothing about performance at distance; that depends on the bullet and the shooter.
How much does the 44 Smith & Wesson Special drop at 100 yards?
SAAMI publishes muzzle velocity only, so it cannot give a drop figure. Drop depends on the bullet’s ballistic coefficient and on the zero range. A drop figure is unusable without its zero, so use the figure a maker prints for the specific load.
Where to buy these loads
Hilltop Armory carries 44 Special ammunition from Buffalo Bore, Underwood, Grizzly Cartridge Company, CCI, Federal and HSM Ammunition. Browse the full 44 Special ammo range.
