I can't believe they have cut ALL the .41 magnums completely from production!

The only hope now is that Camfour or Lew horton keeps it alive with special runs from time to time!

One of my best friends is a 41 Mag fanatic. He has a sweet collection of them. However, he has not been able to shoot any of them due to increased ammo prices. I was at Gander Mountain back last Oct or Nov and a 50 round box of Remington was $63-65!!

Most 41 Mag ammo is now only sold in 20 round boxes, which makes it even more expensive. If you are not a millionaire and want to shoot this round, you better handload. I'm sure the very high cost of 41 Mag factory ammo resulted in S&W selling even less 41 Mags, which has never been a big seller.

I own 9 .41 mag revolvers and shoot about 2000-2500 rounds a year.

Reload with hard cast bullets!

The 41 Mag, and the 32 Mag, have always been the stepchildren of the Magnum revolver family. Both excellent cartridges IMO but they appeal to a select audience. No Dirty Harry to popularize them I guess

Not sure but the 480 Ruger and possibly the 460 S&W Magnum may slip into the same category. Based on observed factory ammo loaders neither seems to have taken off like the 500 Magnum.

Well,
You will recall that they also quit making the K frame and the 696? So, why should I be surprised?
Too bad, it's always been an underrated and far more versatile load than it was ever given credit for. Watch your values skyrocket now, boys and girls! Feeling self conscious yet about protecting home and hearth with something SO obsolete? No?
(I didn't think you would!)

It's hard to sell 7.5" full lug M657's. Of course, we could'nt get them to bring out a 5" M657. I got the last M357 41 Magnum my distributor had to go with my M57's and M657's. As pointed out, handloading with cast bullets is the way to go for fun shooting. Bob

Guess all the rich .41 mag collectors will be happy about this news...

MOONDAWG

Unfortunately in modern business if sales of a given model of anything fall below a certain point then production will be stopped. Just a fact of life in todays manufacturing environment.

The 41 Magnum was introduced at the wrong time and aimed at a target police audience that felt that it was too heavy and with too much recoil for their use. The public apparently saw it as the substitute for those who could not handle the 44 Magnum, not a desirable market niche.

Much of the recoil issue may be blamed on police use of the full house hunting load rather than the police intended mid velocity lead bullet load but it happened.

IMO the 41 magnum would have been a greater success if introduced BEFORE the 44 Magnum. The police load issue might have been handled by clearly labeling the mid velocity load as 41 Magnum Police and the jacketed bullet load as 41 Magnum Hunting.

Right now the 480 Ruger seems to have similar problems. People see it as a defanged 475 Linebaugh and it has to compete with the 460 and 500 S&W caliber guns. Will it last? Ruger and the ammo manufacturers will determine that.

If you want a .41 mag, buy one. There are enough of them out there to keep the ammo in production (and all ammo doubled in price during the past year).

I find it kinda ironic the .41 magnum never caught on with law enforcement, but the .40 S&W did.

I have an interesting S&W in .41mag you guys might be interested in. I had a M 624 in .44 Spec. that was not particulary accurate. I accumulated a .41 cylinder and barrel and dropped it all off to Cylinder & Slide. They did a beautiful job of conversion. I then did an action job on the final pistol. Of course I handload for it. I have a plinking load and a full mag load. The barrel is now a 4". I took a small mule deer with it several years ago on the last day of the season when I knew that I wasn't going to see that trophy buck to take with my rifle. The forked horn walked out in front of me about 1/4 mile before arriving back at my Jeep. One shot in the heart did the job. Big Cholla

I bought 50 round boxes of .41 Mag ammo for my Model 58 from Alabama Ammo for around $15-$20/box.
-R

I reload about 3000 rounds a year of 41mag for my 657 4 inch and every time I go to my club some one always says, what's that a 44 mag.

It's amazing how many guys have never seen one, never mind shot one.

I reload it with 210 cast and 7grs of Unique which is a fantasic combination. Very very accurate and low recoil.

Every one that's shot it says WOW..

If S&W had made them in 4 inch instead of 7 inch they would have sold a lot of them..

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bugs100,

The 41 Magnum, like me, must be read headed....

quote:

Originally posted by S-W4EVER:
I find it kinda ironic the .41 magnum never caught on with law enforcement, but the .40 S&W did.

The .40 S&W does everything a police load needs to do, does it very well, does it while recoiling a LOT less, and does it in handguns that are FAR easier to carry and FAR less expensive.

I see no irony in that. I do see a forgone conclusion, though.

I have a S&W 696 I've often wondered if there was enough meat there to make a five shot .41 mag ? I think that would be pretty cool.