Guns shaped America. Dirty Harry's .44 Magnum is king

There are as many handguns in the U.S. as there are adults. Perhaps none is more iconic than the .44 Magnum revolver.“The most powerful handgun in the world,” Clint Eastwood says with a mix of pleasure and malice as detective “Dirty Harry” takes aim at a bank robber. The 1971 movie made the hefty steel pistol an icon for generations of modern lawmen and outlaws alike.Dirty Harry is a protector of everyday people, yet he’s shackled by powerful forces out of his control. This urge to stand up to perceived tyranny — by any means necessary — is so ingrained in our national identity that the right to bear arms was given the No. 2 spot in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights.Eastwood's co-star was the Smith & Wesson Model 29, the first revolver to use powerful .44 caliber Magnum ammunition, which d