Yes, the bore of the mighty .44 Magnum actually measures .429, which is not even a .43 caliber, while the .45 Colt measures .454 ! Here's my Ruger Blackhawk which is in Colt .45 caliber. I've fired .22's, .38 Specials, .357 Magnums, and .44 Magnums, but this Hogleg gives me the most pleasure! Hal
.44 Mag is the weapon of choice up here, although I don't own one. All three of my sons who live in Alaska have at least one of them, and the one I like most is Taurus Tracker. #2 son has one and I find it to be the most accurate handgun I have ever fired. His wife has a .357 in the same model, but it shoots like crap. Youngest son has a Ruger, and my eldest son has both a Colt and a Ruger, I still like the Taurus best. .357 used to be the favored handgun here for Bush travel, but the .44 has surpassed it as availability of ammo in remote places increases. .454 Casull and the .460 S&W are around some, but the guys who own them don't practice much as their guns beat them up and ammo costs too much and isn't widely available.
@Hal Pollner Very, very nice! There is a legion of Ruger collectors who favor those single-action handguns, especially the earliest-produced, which had a few quirks decided to be safety-related. Also, I believe additional fastening screws were added to the "New Model". I had an "Old Model" Super Blackhawk, .44-Magnum, bought it at a pawn shop when I first moved out West. It could be rapid-fired by holding the trigger down, and "fanning" the hammer, a ridiculously stupid feat learned from the cowboy movies. The gun could fire before the cylinder locked in location, resulting in a large shaving of bullet material by the frame, thrown sideways very dangerously. That type of operation possibility was removed by Ruger in the New Model. I would guess your Ruger is chambered for .45 Long Colt, as it is called, and the guns came from the factory with two cylinders, the second chambered for .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). Frank