Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone 5.12in Ported — Superb Hunter

Description

The Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone is the stainless-framed version of Taurus’s .44 Magnum hunting revolver: six rounds, a 5.12-inch ported barrel with a full-length Picatinny rail moulded into the black shroud, and the red cushioned grip insert the Raging line is known for.

The two-tone treatment is not cosmetic. A matte stainless frame and a matte black barrel assembly put the corrosion-resistant metal where the weather gets in — around the cylinder window, the crane and the lockwork — while the aluminium shroud stays black. For a revolver that will spend October in the rain, the Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone is the version that ages better.

How it is built

• A 5.12-inch ported barrel. The ports vent upward near the muzzle and hold the front sight down, which is what makes a second shot realistic.
• A Picatinny rail running the full length of the shroud, moulded in rather than bolted on, so there is no base to shoot loose.
• Six rounds in a heavy cylinder with a dual lock-up — the crane locks at the front as well as the rear.
• A steel barrel inside an aluminium shroud, which is how the Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone keeps its weight sensible.
• A black rubber grip with an integrated red cushion insert down the backstrap, which spreads recoil across the whole palm.
• An adjustable rear sight, a fixed front, an exposed hammer and a transfer bar safety.

Living with it

• The Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone is loud, and the ports send blast sideways. Everyone within thirty feet needs hearing protection on every shot, not just the shooter.
• Recoil is firm rather than punishing. Most shooters can work through a box of full-power .44 in a session, which is more than can be said for a light-frame magnum.
• .44 Special drops straight into the chambers and turns the Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone into a pleasant range revolver at a fraction of the cost and the recoil.
• Use the rail. A .44 Magnum is capable of clean kills well past iron-sight range, and a low-power optic is what unlocks that.
• In bear country, choose a hard-cast flat-nose bullet. Expanding hunting bullets do not always penetrate heavy bone the same way.

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 2-440055RH
• UPC: 725327617532
• Calibre: .44 Remington Magnum / .44 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 5.12 in, ported, with integral Picatinny rail
• Frame: large, matte stainless steel
• Cylinder: matte black oxide
• Shroud: matte black
• Sights: adjustable rear, fixed front
• Action: double action / single action, exposed hammer
• Grip: black rubber with integrated red cushion insert

.44 Remington Magnum and .44 Special are both standardised by SAAMI, and the Magnum case is the longer of the two — which is why the Special chambers in this revolver and not the other way round, and why it is worth scrubbing the front of the chambers after a session of Specials before returning to Magnum brass.

The all-black version of the same revolver is stocked as the Raging Hunter in .44 Magnum. For more cartridge, there is the .500 S&W at 8.38 inches and the ten-inch .500; for less, the seven-shot .357 Raging Hunter, which is far cheaper to practise with.

Why the Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone earns its place

• The Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone puts stainless where the weather gets in, on a revolver built to be carried outdoors.
• Enough barrel to make .44 Magnum perform, short enough to carry all season.
• Factory porting and a cushioned grip, so follow-up shots are realistic.
• A rail that is part of the gun rather than an accessory bolted to it.
• Two cartridges out of one cylinder — .44 Special for practice, Magnum for the field.

This is a deer, hog and bear-defence revolver, and a good one for handgun hunting seasons where a scoped pistol is legal. It also makes sense as a trail gun in country where something large might object to your presence, and the stainless frame is the reason to choose it over the black gun if your hunting involves weather. The Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Two Tone is not a concealed-carry revolver and not a first handgun.

In stock now at MAG5 Firearms in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Handgun sales ship to a licensed dealer in your state, where you will complete a Form 4473 and the background check before taking delivery.