.44 Magnum

The .44 Magnum is a revolver used in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It is usually found in multiplayer, however it can be found in the Museum level. It is based on the real-life Colt Anaconda, a scaled-up version of Colt's earlier and more successful Python revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. It is the third revolver to appear in the Call of Duty series. It is considered analogous to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's other "power pistol," the Desert Eagle.

In-Game
In game, the .44 Magnum is able to make some shots at medium to long range, and it takes 2 to 3 shots to down an opponent with full health without Stopping Power, at close range. At long ranges it will take 3 on-target shots to kill. Despite its high visual recoil, the .44 Magnum actually has very low recoil and can be fired quickly with little loss of accuracy at medium range. This weapon's main drawback is its small cylinder size of six. Though the revolver uses speed loaders, to load an entire cylinder at once, its reload speed is still fairly long given how quickly it runs out of ammunition. Stopping Power has minimal effect on the .44 Magnum at medium-long - long range, where each shot will do 49 damage, thus still requiring 3 shots to kill, Close-medium range however may still harbour 2 hit kills, making it much often compared to Call of Duty: World at War's .357 Magnum.

Where attachments are concerned, FMJ is fairly useless, as it is generally ineffective to shoot through walls with a semi-automatic weapon with a six round cylinder - however in Hardcore the .44 will kill in one shot through weak surfaces such as sheet metal, with FMJ. Akimbo has an interesting effect because it allows two shots to be fired at the same time, which will kill instantly if both hit at close range, even without Stopping Power. This is technically possible with other handguns, but in the cases of the USP .45 and M9, Stopping Power is required. Akimbo can also be very effective at close range in Hardcore, as it allows 12 shots to be fired rapidly with only one needing to hit. The Tactical Knife also proves rather useful at very close range, providing an opportunity for quick knife kills if ammo runs short.

Unlike other weapons in Modern Warfare 2, the .44 Magnum appears to have no firecap, meaning that it will fire as fast as the user can pull the trigger. This is very useful at close range, but can sometimes lead to ammo shortages.

The .44 Magnum is a good weapon to Reload Cancel with.

Weapon Attachments:

 * FMJ (10 kills)
 * Akimbo (50 kills)
 * Tactical Knife (100 kills)

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 likely a play on "Anaconda", the name of a discontinued .44 caliber revolver manufactured by Colt.


 * The .44 Magnum is one of the first pistols you can use in multiplayer, as part of the "First Recon" default multiplayer class.


 * When using Akimbo, the second .44 Magnum will have different colored iron sights.


 * The .44 Magnum is the only pistol that players can get any of the attachments for without actually firing the weapon, by using the First Recon default class and knifing, after level 26 - when the challenges are unlocked


 * When using Akimbo, .44 Magnums the player's character uses two right-handed .44s when in real life they do make left-handed .44s, which would be easier to use when reloading.


 * It is much easier to unlock challenges for this gun if players choose to use the First Recon default class, as tactical knife kills will count towards this weapons kill. (Tactical knife kills do not count towards veteran challenges, which are unlocked after Prestige Mode.)


 * General Shepherd's weapon of choice is the .44 Magnum, even though it is not the standard pistol for the U.S. Army. He is always seen at least carrying one (sometimes carrying one while another is present in his holster, although a second holster is sometimes seen.)


 * When the .44 Magnum has no Tactical knife, from the hip, the gun will be pointed upwards. However, if it is equipped with a Tactical knife, it will be pointed downward.


 * If someone stabs or slashes the player immediately after you shoot the .44 Magnum or the Desert Eagle, you will not hear the cutting sound, most likely due the sound of the gun.


 * The .44 Magnum and the Desert Eagle are the only handguns in Modern Warfare 2 that don't accept silencers or the Extended Mags attachment.
 * The player can get two Magnums in the Museum. One the player gets from the weapon shelves, then the player gets the other one from killing Shepherd. If they fire a shot from one, then the other one is missing a round.
 * The .44 Magnum has a unique reload cancel. If a player sprints/knifes/double taps change weapon when the bullets are added to the empty chambers, they can save a second or two. This is especially helpful in CQB, and when a player does not have Sleight of Hand as their Tier 1 perk.
 * The .44 Magnum is the last gun seen in single player.