Ok, i have all the semi auto's that i want or need. i have consolidated to all nato rounds for the next war, except for the 2 .357 mags i have.
Question: i have money to burn. Bud's has a S&W Backpacker, 2.5" with the bear and the paws on the cylinder for $812 shipped, + 25 for my FFL equals $837. Good Deal? I really want a .44 mag.
Another is the Smith & Wesson 6 Round Matte Black 41 Rem. Mag Nightguard w/Pach's, XS standard tritium dot for $796 + $25 =$821
really no difference in price. i have no experience with .41 mag but do in .44
Any suggestions? I CCW daily and sometimes i get tired of the Glock 19, Sig, FNP9, Walther 99 and 99c, (as you can tell i'm a 9mm kinda guy really) and all the others.
but a .41 or .44 would be nice.
Please don't flame my 9mm obsession but we could go round and round over new rounds and terminal ballistics etc. No comparison to a .41/.44
any input would be appreciated. we have a gun show coming up end of Feb, but deals there are very limited, they still think they are under the Clinton ban! thanx

Well, .44 Magnum ammo is available almost anywhere. .44 Special can usually be found too, although not in as good a selection. .41 Magnums are usually harder to find, at least in any selection, so that is a vote in the .44s favor. The Magnum is a bit more powerful, although not excessively so. That makes it two votes for the Big One. Dirty Harry liked it, for what it's worth. Vote #3.
However, there is just something special about the .41 Magnum. I really can't explain it, it's just........cool. I really like my 4' M57, and it shoots really well. It also seems to be much more pleasant to shoot. There's just something I like about the ''"in-betweeners". I also like the 16 Gauge shotgun for the same reason.
Either one will serve you well. But I vote for the .41 Magnum.
Jim

Unless you reload, you'll have more ammo choices with .44 (spl. or Mag.). You can find light .41 mag ammo to shoot, but it's not that common.

For carry, I prefer lighter guns, but everyone's different. They do make a 329 NG. Any light weight gun is going to be a chore to shoot with full power ammo, but for SD against people, full power ammo isn't really needed.

You should try to shoot and handle both before making a decission.

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Watch & Pray

Everyone is entitled to my opinion, so here it is:

If you have money to burn, buy both.

On the other hand, a moment of reflection may lead you to consider neither, but to look for a .44 or .41 in some other configuration. The whole bear paw thing leaves me cold, so I am not drawn to that. On the other hand, the Night Guard line is fairly light, and I am not sure that a short barrel, light frame fixed-sight revolver is one in which the .41 Magnum cartridge can really shine.

The .41 is a supremely accurate distance round. If you are at all interested in barrels over six inches long, a 57 or 657 with a longer tube may be just the thing. If you don't want a longer barrel, you might as well go for some kind of .44 which you can at least feed commercially with a variety of loads, including .44 Special and even .44 Russian if you are so inclined. In short, if you are looking for a compact large bore revolver, go with a .44.

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David Wilson

Go with the 44 mag just due to availability of ammunition. Some place in my ammo safe is a box of 41 I purchased for a model 57 I got and ended up trading for a luger.

Wow! Very well said. I agree 100%.

I own both calibers. No hassle here on 9mm, I've carried 6906's and P228's professionally, I guarantee you they will do the job if you do yours.

Think of the .41 as in the middle of the .44 and the .357 in recoil. I'm not really wild about the foo foo graphics on the backpacker, but that's just me. You do lose something in a 2.5. You can buy a 3" model 29 44 mag cheaper and pickup another 50 fps or so, but a lot more than that in recoil management. I would look at the 3 or 4 inch myself, slightly used and your ROI will be better in the long run, better trigger and no IL if you look hard enough for an older one. A 4 inch will allow you to carry camping for bear defense etc, if that's a consideration.

I would also tell you to look around for a Mountain Gun in either caliber. They are a rarer item, lighter in weight and a different barrel. Read easier CCW carry, more recoil, but a heck of lot easier on the carry. Now if you are going to shoot more target than SD, go with the heavier gun, not the MG. Less recoil, easier to shoot more rounds through.

I personally recommend the .41, it was designed and considered to be the ultimate police gun, and it was until the rise of the semi-auto. In my opinion it is the best SD caliber out there. Absolutely dead on accurate, big knockdown value, but none of the over penetration concerns of the .44. Lighter recoil, therefore faster follow-up. Again, I'd steer clear of the Nightguard and go with the MG. I carry a 4 inch MG regularly and it's no big deal with the right holster. Put the presentation grips in the box, add the S&W .500 grips on your choice and you have a very manageable, quicker follow-up gun.

Here are a few other thoughts:

Unless you reload, .41 is going to be more expensive to shoot.
.44 spl is a pussy cat in a .44, if you don't want to shoot .44 mag every time.
.44 has a larger selection of ammo
.41 is a better SD caliber as discussed above, especially with 180 gr DPX
Either one can be loaded up or down depending the use.
If you go with the .44, the Gold Dot .44 mag is a fantastic SD round, lighter recoil, fantastic expansion and penetration.

You can do like I have. I have both a 3" .44 Lew Horton and a .41 mag MG I carry and switch between. Both are great guns. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Hope this helped.

No matter what you chose, you love it.

I have both .41 and .44 Mag. I reload for both. I love the .41 but unless you reload, I would go for the .44 Mag.

Using hard cast bullets, I can load 50 rounds for $7-$9.

You can still find excellent revolvers in both calibers that are used. Go to some gun shows or look at Gunbroker.

To show what I am talking about regarding used revolvers I am going to post a photo of a 624 .44 Special that I bought last week on Gunbroker. I paid $530 Plus $25 shipping + a $20 transfer fee at my local FFL. It was made in 1985. You do have to be careful as some used guns cost almost as much a a new one.

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Corripe Cervisiam

I also own both calibers. Out of the two, I like the .41 better.

Of course, I also reload for the 41 because of availability and price. Around here, when I see a box of .44 ammo for sale, 240 grain hollow point, it is around $35 for a box of 50. When I see a box of .41 210 grain hollow point, and that is not often, a box of 50 is about $50!

If you are not going to reload for a .41, I would go for the .44 in a NG or MG for carry.

It's a caliber dilemma more than a gun issue. The 41 is hard to find and expensive finding factory ammo versus a 44 which is commonplace, either 44 Special or Mag. It's as simple as this..... If you reload, then flip a coin. If you don't, then the 44 is the only choice.

IC

I agree on the 44 point that others have made - but those airweights are very "specialized" revolvers - maybe a standard 629 in 4" would be a wiser choice - for a first revolver - just my 2 cents

Simple just buy one of each! The best of both worlds!!

You won't shoot those lightweights much. You might go with the 44 and then shoot specials in it.

thanx for the advice, i agree with all the caliber answers, as i don't reload, the .44 would be the way to go. there is something about a 2.5 to 3" shiny '29 that just gets me as i had one with it's brother 19 matched perfect and of course being young and dumb back then sold them both. I'll look for a good 29 which is what i really want anyway. gun shows around here are like the gun show thread i just read! beef jerky, blankets and high/low ball whatever. will have to try some of the auctions online. thanx again.

The .44 is much more versatile and can be loaded to any .41 level and beyond. If you dont reload...you definitly want the .44

Logically, the 44Mag but my heart has always had a soft spot for the ol' 41Mag. I had a Lou Horton 657, 2.5"(IIRC) round butt 41Mag and I miss that gun. I've also had a Ruger Blackhawk in 41 and it was nice.
I personally think the 41Mag makes a better hunting mag then the 44Mag, JMHO, YMMV.
If you're a handloader then ammo isn't an issue, you can load mild to wild, cast to jacketed hollow point, target to hunting, no problem. Just get a set of dies and a bullet mold and have some fun.

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S&W M642-2,
ATI 1911a1, 4.25"

What I take from what you have said is that $ isn't an issue and that you are looking for a revolver in .41 or .44 to augment your standard line-up of CCW. It sound's like you have already decided on the .44 from you most recent post so I will focus on that.

IMHO, barrel length isn't nearly as much of a factor in CCW with a revolver as the size of the cylinder and frame (rd/sq butt). Why not go with a slightly longer barrel (3-4") if you are detemined to get an N-frame?

And if you are worried about weight, I would suggest the Product: Model 329PD. I haven't personally shot one but have heard that they are brutal with .44 mag although the trade-off is a 25 oz .44 with a 4" barrel.

If you are sold on a snubby what about compromising between your two original choices and get a 329 NG? Just my $0.02.

I'd have to opt for the .41 mag for many of the reasons already stated. A big plus for the .41 mag is that it has always been .410", where as .44's can go from .428 to .431 in throat and barrel groove dimensions. Also unlike many would have you beleive the .41 mag is not more expensive than the .44 mag. There are few exceptions but the one most often mentioned is of course the 50 count box from Rem. It is a little unfair to compare that to the economy grade (cheap) Winchester White box stuff sold at Wally World. If one would actually figure out what 50 rounds of standard yellow and green box Rem .44 mag would come to I think most would find it on the same level as the 50 count .41 mag.

Here are some good comparisons of the two as far as cost is concerned. BTW I recently purchased a 20round box of Speer Gold Dots in .41 mag and they were cheaper than 240gr Gold Dots.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/871...oint-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/582...oint-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/944...oint-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/229...oint-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/222...rame-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/476...rame-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/290...p-hollow-point

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/816...oint-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/721...oint-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/740...oint-box-of-20




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This is belated but I'll add my 2c....

The consensus is clear to me on this thread.... Those who can re-load choose the .41. Those who don't commonly choose the .44.

For over thirty-five years I've hunted big game with great success using both calibers...re-loaded for both... cast my own bullets for both....and carried both many years ago for duty... Both are fine calibers and they both have earned their huge list of enthusiastic followers.

Now that the .44 Mag has been reduced to a secondary power caliber behind the 460 and the 500's, as the 41 Mag used to be to the 44, it will be interesting to see how everything plays out, especially in the hunting world.

My all time favorite caliber is the 41 Mag. Their legendary accuracy, flatter trajectory with proper loads, better resistance to pressures related wear and tear on the firearm itself and reduced recoil all contribute to it being my choice.

Though I have no facts to back it up, hot loads with the traditional powders seem to have less noise report with the .41 compared to the .44Mag, especially with the shorter barrels.

As has been mentioned, factory ammo for the 41 can be a problem to find, especially in remote areas. This is one caliber I believe to be well worth the few hundred dollar investment in re-loading equipment to have all the benefits and versatility the .41Mag can offer..

As others has suggested, buy them both and avoid decision stress....

JMHO

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Terry

Normally you can get the 41Mag for a bit cheaper simply because it's not as popular as the 44Mag, that was a big selling point for me since I'm always on a tight budget.
You COULD always look up a 610 in 10mm then you'd have about the same power level as the 41Mag and be able to use 10mm Auto or 40S&W ammo in nice, handy full moon clips for quick reloading.

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S&W M642-2,
ATI 1911a1, 4.25"

I've owned 3 really nice S&W .44 mags and now have 5 .41 mags. The .44's are history, never to be seen in my safe again.

My vote is for the .41. Owned one since 76 and it's my favorite caliber by far. More factory ammo is becoming available for it and it's also a great round to reload. If you buy either you'll have to reload either caliber or have very deep pockets to shoot them. With the right load it will do everything a .44 mag will do with less recoil, muzzle blast, better accuracy and a flatter trajectory. They also don't sohot loose as quickly as a .44 mag. What more could you want in a large caliber revolver?

I have taken 45 deer with the round, all single shot kills and carry my 3" 657 in the winter as a CCW and also out in the boonies. With a good hard cast LSWC loaded heavy it will shot stem to stern on a deer. Makes for a quick and humane kill. With the Speer Gold Dot SB 210 gr. round you have a man stopper extrodinaire!

Buy the .41 and never look back. They're making a comeback and I truly believe in a few years they will be as popular as a .44 mag. JMO

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V/R
Roger / SG