.44 Magnum

The .44 Magnum is a handgun available 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.

History
Built on a new and heavier ‘AA’ frame, the Anaconda revolver was brought out to compete with .44 Magnum contemporaries such as the Smith & Wesson Model 29, the Sturm, Ruger & Co. Redhawk and Blackhawk, and the Dan Wesson Firearms Model 44. Considering that many of these models had been marketed and sold for fully 35 years upon its introduction, the Anaconda was a very late entry into the large-bore handgun market. Unlike most other pistols introduced in the 1980s and 1990s, the Anaconda was never offered with a carbon steel blued finish, but was available only in stainless steel. When originally introduced Anacondas were plagued with poor accuracy, but changes to the barrels quickly corrected the problems to the point that Colt billed its new pistol as among the most accurate .44 Magnum revolvers in production. Anaconda revolvers were primarily marketed for sport enthusiast shooters and hunters, as they are too large and unwieldy for law enforcement, self-defense, or concealed-carry. Colt firearms announced the discontinuation of the Anaconda and many other double-action revolver models in October of 1999, although made-to-order limited production versions of the gun continued to be available from the Colt custom gun shop until approximately 2003.

In-Game
In game, the .44 Magnum is a very accurate pistol, able to make some shots at medium range, and it takes 3 shots to down an opponent with full health without Stopping Power. With Stopping Power the .44 Magnum will kill in two hits. Each shot produces a fair amount of recoil which takes some time to settle, so it is advised that the user takes deliberate shots at a distance, as they will easily be overwhelmed by Rapid Fire weapons, and even semi-automatic pistols at close range. The sights are relatively standard. The weapon's main drawback is the low bullet count - only 6 bullets can be held at once, effectively making it the pistol with the lowest round count in the game. Though the revolver uses speed loaders, the reload time is only average.

As far as attachments, FMJ's usefulness is questionable due to the low ammo capacity. Akimbo has an interesting effect because it allows two shots at once, and at close range it only requires two shots to kill, even without Stopping Power. By firing both guns at once while the enemy is within your aiming reticle (obviously easier with Steady Aim), you can, in essence, perform a one-shot-kill. This is technically possible with other handguns, but in the cases of the USP .45 and M9, Stopping Power is required (also, the USP has drastically worse hipfire accuracy, and the range from which the M9 can kill with two shots is very short). The Tactical Knife also proves rather useful at very close range, providing an opportunity for quick knife kills if ammo runs short.

Unlike other guns in Modern Warfare 2, the .44 Magnum appears to have no fire cap, meaning that it will fire as fast as you press the button. This is tremendously useful when using the iron sights at close range and while using Akimbo. The .44 Magnum is also noted for the fact that it switches out after changing weapon a lot faster than any other sidearm, making it a valuable asset for snipers.

As with many other guns, the .44 Magnum is capable of a much quicker reload if the user reload cancels, thus greatly reducing the time spent unarmed.

Weapon Attachments:

 * FMJ
 * Akimbo
 * Tactical Knife

Trivia

 * On the left side of the barrel, there is writing that reads: "BRAD ALLENCONDA .44MAGNUM".
 * 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 coloured iron sights.
 * The .44 Magnum is the fastest pistol to switch to.
 * In Hardcore gametypes, if FMJ is attached it will be a one-hit kill even through walls without Stopping Power.
 * The .44 Magnum is the only pistol that you can get a tactical knife for without shooting by using the First Recon default class.
 * The .357 Magnum of Call of Duty: World at War is considered to be the Weapon Equivalent of this gun.
 * In the first level after you wake up, you can see General Sheperd is reloading a .44 Magnum.
 * When using akimbo .44 Magnums your character uses two right-handed .44s when in real life they do make left-handed .44s, whuch would be easier to use when reloading.