.41 mag question

jeffrefrig said:
Hair Trigger, your first sentence pushed me over the edge! It’s presented well. I think I was going to pull the trigger on it anyway, but I didn’t want to regret not buying it.
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It's nice to have one, they aren't terribly common.

Obligatory .41 M picture:
 

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While the 41 Mag is a very capable round, it is not popular these days and hard to find ammo for. When ever someone splits caliber hairs and comes out with a round in between two established calibers, the ammo supply usually dries up and gets pricy. Therefore buying a caliber such as 41 mag. comes with the caveat, "I hope you have a lot of money for ammo".

In reality, I never quite understood the 41 Mag. It won't do anything the much more popular 44 Mag won't and doesn't have that much less recoil. A 44 Mag can shoot 44 spl if less power and recoil is needed. So what's the point? Same thing with 357 Sig, 32 Magnum, 30 carry, etc. Good luck finding those bullets in the future and if you do be prepared to take out the checkbook to write big checks.
 
I bought a box of 50 online for $55 total, w/tax & shipping, in anticipation of receiving the revolver. They had Cowboy loads for a little more. Just a tad more than .22LR. If I had a place in the country where I could shoot whenever I want, I'm sure I would reload. I have a .327 Fed Magnum that is great to shoot, too, with a 6" GP100. Pretty much everything that gun shoots is expensive. I just don't get out to shoot enough, so I enjoy them when I can. I appreciate all the feedback; especially the enablers! By the pictures, it does look like a nice gun. Somewhere online, some auction site I think, had completed sale prices and I think what I paid is pretty reasonable. So, I didn't even bother with counter offers.
Peace!
 
I have used the 41 since the 67 time frame. I many years ago had a mold made to cast a 245 ge WFNGC bullet. Learned from the get go you didn't need a barn burner round to have a good one. Out of my 4 inch 57 at under 1100 fps it would shoot through a moose front to back...other critters too...an elk side to side. I wanted a 44 mag at the time...but none available in Alaska .I bought the 57 as my back up piece guiding. Even though I have and had many 44s...they kill no better and yes I find the 41 easier to shoot. How many 300 gr loads are you gonna run through your 29?? That 245 load is more'n 'nuff for me...and I don't shoot many of 'em. They are for serious encounters
 
Good choice

And congratulations !
I love mine. Although I don’t shoot them a bunch I still enjoy them.

mchom-albums-41-s-picture28213-img-0911-a.jpeg
 
I to just purchased a Model 57 No dash. What loads do you recommend and shoot? I have many spicy Underwood 10mm loads and im afraid that .41 Magnum is too stout.. Is it manageable ??
 
doubletapp357 said:
I to just purchased a Model 57 No dash. What loads do you recommend and shoot? I have many spicy Underwood 10mm loads and im afraid that .41 Magnum is too stout.. Is it manageable ??
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Look for "Cowboy Loads". They are the mildest recoiling. Start with those. If you can handle full-house 10mm loads you won't have a problem with them. But you will find that the full power .41 Magnum loads are a good bit more vigorous than the 10mm. Get some practice in with the Cowboy Loads before you try the full-house ammo.

Rubber grips, like the "Pachmayr Presentation", that cover the back strap help a lot with the full power loads. You can find inexpensive used ones on the auction site. Checkered wood grips are brutal.
 
chief38 said:
While the 41 Mag is a very capable round, it is not popular these days and hard to find ammo for. When ever someone splits caliber hairs and comes out with a round in between two established calibers, the ammo supply usually dries up and gets pricy. Therefore buying a caliber such as 41 mag. comes with the caveat, "I hope you have a lot of money for ammo".
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My .41 ammo costs $2.50 for a box of 50. That doesn't seem pricy to me.

Of course I reload. I would not consider using any firearm unless I reloaded for it.

The other caveat is that like some of us reloaders I stocked up when it was evident that a crisis was in the wings.

Yeah, if you have a .44 Mag you can downgrade to .44 spl. But now with Starline making the brass, you can go with a .41 spl as well.
 
GypsmJim said:
My .41 ammo costs $2.50 for a box of 50. That doesn't seem pricy to me.

Of course I reload. I would not consider using any firearm unless I reloaded for it.

The other caveat is that like some of us reloaders I stocked up when it was evident that a crisis was in the wings.

Yeah, if you have a .44 Mag you can downgrade to .44 spl. But now with Starline making the brass, you can go with a .41 spl as well.
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It's really not relevant to use component prices that you paid decades ago. Primers alone for a box of 50 today would cost more than $2.50.

I'm still working off an old stash of primers myself. I calculate cost at what my components are worth on the open market today. That's what you could sell them for, that's your cost, based on "opportunity cost". Your method places zero value on the Time Value of Money.
 
I have a 6 inch 57-1 and an 8 3/8s 57 no dash. I handload for everything I shoot except 22 and 9MM. I load 210, 215, and 220 gr cast bullets with 2400 and H110. No wimp loads. Costs around $2.50 to reload a box of 50. I bought 25K bullets 20 years ago and also cast the 220 gr. I have several pounds of H110 and 2400 and close to 50K primers that I bought at gun shows years ago and seldom paid $15 a thousand or $12 a pound. I will never sell any of this, but I imagine Whoever I will it to will, or not. Get the 41 if it calls You. You will enjoy it.
 
I love my 41's and have 2 both 4 inch. One is blue the other nickel. I also have a 4 inch M29 and much prefer the M57. I gave up loading for my pistol cartridges a year or so ago when I discovered a gentleman who goes by McKay Sagebrush on 24 hour campfire. You can find him there in the free classifieds section. He is a licensed ammo manufacture and I buy all my ammo from him. It's quality stuff and he's a very nice guy. IIRC his web address is Lost River Ammunition Company.
 
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glenwolde said:
It's really not relevant to use component prices that you paid decades ago. Primers alone for a box of 50 today would cost more than $2.50.

I'm still working off an old stash of primers myself. I calculate cost at what my components are worth on the open market today. That's what you could sell them for, that's your cost, based on "opportunity cost". Your method places zero value on the Time Value of Money.
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Reloading isn't the only necessity. Casting your own boolits is a needed part of the mix.

At current primer, powder and lead cost my box of 50 theoretically cost about 7 bucks, or $0.14 a round.

I think someone else said you can buy .41 for $0.70 a round. Heck of a difference.
 
glenwolde is kinda right. Since I am not going to sell the stuff I use I cost average on primers powder and projectiles. At this point my primer average is just over 2 cents each...But it is a price that continues to rise every time you replace anything...esp when you use the older items. All said loading a box of 41s right now is probably about 5.50 now...maybe a bit more if I use premium bullets...less if I cast them. esp with the 41. with the 38s I will avg about 2 cents for jacketed as I got 1000s at a couple auctions for next to nothing and estate sales. Powders toow
 
Skeet 028 said:
glenwolde is kinda right. Since I am not going to sell the stuff I use I cost average on primers powder and projectiles. At this point my primer average is just over 2 cents each...But it is a price that continues to rise every time you replace anything...esp when you use the older items. All said loading a box of 41s right now is probably about 5.50 now...maybe a bit more if I use premium bullets...less if I cast them. esp with the 41. with the 38s I will avg about 2 cents for jacketed as I got 1000s at a couple auctions for next to nothing and estate sales. Powders toow
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I tend to use the sale price when estimating and don't include tax & shipping/hazmat.

I figure $4.00 for primers.
($80/1,000 delivered+tax would be a bit low actually)

Even if a new shooter decides to reload he's probably not going to cast his own bullets right off the bat so Commercial Cast 215gr coated SWC's are at least $120 delivered so...

$6.00 for bullets.

Powder for my light load would be about $2.00.

(6.3gr of Universal at $45 a pound delivered.)

So they cost $12. Because that's the value of the components today regardless of when I bought them and how much I paid. A lot better than $50.00. That's why I am able to shoot a couple of thousand rounds a year of .41. So I spend maybe $500 on .41 ammo per year. That's in my budget.

Bullets are the killer. You can save some by casting your own,which I can do, but not as much as you think unless you luck into free/cheap metal. Which is great if you do. Just not necessarily something everyone can do. While I can cast my problem is I don't really have a place to process scrap lead. I just buy my bullets. I can cast if I have too.

I worry more about shortages than the cost.
 
glenwolde said:
Bullets are the killer. You can save some by casting your own,which I can do, but not as much as you think unless you luck into free/cheap metal. Which is great if you do. Just not necessarily something everyone can do. While I can cast my problem is I don't really have a place to process scrap lead. I just buy my bullets. I can cast if I have too.
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Eons ago I switched to wheel weights and they have been quite satisfactory from .32 and .38 up to .41 and .45.

Before lead was outlawed in my state I bought a lifetime supply from local gas stations at the bargain price of a large pizza in exchange for a 5 gal pail of them.

Current raw non-zinc non-melted WWs go for about 2 bucks a pound. When processed it will give about an 85% yield. For about 3 bucks a pound you can buy WW ingots that are already processed.

Processing is no problem if you have a pot used to cast. Simply pick off the steel clips and flux. A little stinky so do it in the garage with good ventilation.
 
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