Needs some wisdom thrown my way.

How fast do you want to go and how much do you want to spend?

Totally out of the blue, and fairly reasonable budget, I'd say Icon 9953 FHR pistons, which can use the stock rods with 1.094 pin. MSRP is 595.94, so figure streetprice is about 100 less or so. This is their street alloy 5/64 ring piston, basically a seriously improved stock type design. Tighter sizing, not really light, but nice improvement from stock junk.

The next step up is IC-968, this is the race alloy 1.094 pin piston, using 1/16 ring set. Stock rod compatible, just better ring stack, stronger material.

If you're going to change rods, go to a .990 pin, and that'd be IC-822. 1/16 rings, lighter pin. These are Icon's Premium line, MSRP 689.39, so figure 100 less street. Same for the IC968.

Now, by the time you spend the $ resizing the rods, putting good ARP bolts in them, etc, you're a long way towards a set of Eagle or Scat 4340 H beams. Which is just a LOT better. Now, if you're just looking for a strong 440 street engine, stock rods, with good bolts and lighter pistons are fine. Say 5500-6000rpm fun motor. I'd suggest main studs, so needs to be line honed(not bored) which is a good idea regardless on a serious rebuild.

All of this is contingent on what you're doing with it. If you putting a fresh motor in the pickup for driving to the SuperDawg on Friday night, then a set of hypereutectic KB's is perfect. But we call them "hyperexplosive" in the machine shop for a reason. We had a LS7 (titanium rod, good motor LS) road race guy make a money shift and it pulled the pin right out the piston, which then basically turned to metal sand. Do people get great use from them? Of course. This is a conservative recommendation.

Similar pistons from Wiseco, Probe, Ross are doubtlessly also good. I'm just most familiar with the Icon stuff. S/F....Ken M