.44 Magnum

The .44 Magnum is a revolver featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Single Player
The .44 Magnum is almost always carried and used by General Shepherd throughout the campaign. Shepherd is seen using the .44 Magnum at the beginning of the mission "Team Player", the end of "Loose Ends" to kill Ghost and Roach, and in "Endgame" when he attempts to kill Soap and Captain Price.

This weapon is not available in the singleplayer campaign; however, while in the level "Museum", the player can pick up this weapon either from the display shelf or from killing General Shepherd.

Multiplayer
The .44 Magnum is available for Create-A-Class at level 26, being the second Handgun unlocked.

The weapon always kills in three or less hits, regardless of the use of Stopping Power - the perk only increases the range at which a two-hit kill is attainable. In hardcore, the .44 requires just one hit to kill regardless of range or perks, unless against Painkiller, Final Stand or Last Stand, or if shooting through cover.

The .44 Magnum has moderate visual recoil, but has very low actual recoil and can have all six rounds fired quickly with little loss of accuracy up to medium range. Its main drawback is its small six-round capacity, and has a relatively long reload animation - however it does have a quick Reload Cancel, which reduces the reload time roughly by half.

The .44 is often compared to the Desert Eagle, as both have the same stats, with high damage and low ammo capacity. When using the Akimbo attachment, the .44 Magnum is inferior to the Desert Eagle due to its lower ammo in its reserve and actual capacity, longer reload, and virtually the same amount of recoil. However, when used alone, the .44 is overall better the Desert Eagle, having much less recoil and still killing in less bullets, without the need of Stopping Power.

Weapon Attachments

 * FMJ
 * Akimbo
 * Tactical Knife

Trivia

 * On the left side of the barrel, there is writing that reads: "BRAD ALLENCONDA .44MAGNUM". Brad Allen is Infinity Ward's lead artist. "Allenconda" is also a play on "Anaconda", the name of a .44 Magnum Revolver.
 * If the game is set to the French language, the .44 Magnum will be called the "Colt Anaconda", which is its exact name.
 * This weapon is the only one in Modern Warfare 2 being available in a Default Class, but not unlocked at level 4.
 * The .44 Magnum is the third revolver to appear in the Call of Duty series. The other two are the Webley in Call of Duty: United Offensive and Call of Duty 2, and the .357 Magnum in Call of Duty: World at War, also known as the Python, in Call of Duty: Black Ops.
 * When comparing the .44 Magnum to the Desert Eagle in the Create-a-Class menu, the stats are seemingly the same, however in gameplay the .44 Magnum has 6 rounds, Desert Eagle has 7 and .44 Magnum has less recoil than the Desert Eagle. Also, the .44 has higher damage at long range.
 * In campaign the .44 Magnum is fired 3 times, the first time it uses the Desert Eagle's firing sound, the second time it uses the Intervention's and the third time it uses its own firing sound.
 * With the exception of shotguns and LMGs, the .44 Magnum is the only bullet firing weapon that does not have an empty reload penalty. This is due to the mechanism of the weapon; no bullet needs to be separately chambered, only placed correctly, unlike with automatic action pistols.
 * This weapon is reloaded twice by General Shepherd, once in "Team Player" at the start and the other in "Endgame" where he loads two rounds in: one to kill Soap, one to kill Price.
 * The Museum is the only time that players can obtain the .44 Magnum in singleplayer. Two can be obtained; one from killing Shepherd, and one from the weapon cabinets. When both are in the player's inventory, when one is fired, the other loses a round in its chamber, as well as both having the same amount of ammo after reloading.
 * As with all handguns when the player sprints with the .44 Magnum, they will hold the gun with two hands in first-person while in third-person the player only holds it with one hand.
 * Of all handguns the 44 magnum is the most powerful.
 * Interestingly, all other handguns firing the 35.7 cartridge do 50-30 damage (including the Desert Eagle) While the 44 magnum cartridge does 50-35 damage.
 * The video games in the Saint's Rows series feature a weapon know as the .44 Shepherd, similar to how the .44 Magnum being General Shepherd's signature weapon.

Video
480px .44 Magnum Attachment Overview

.44 Magnum