41 magnum popularity

[SuperMan]

There are 4 gun shops within 50 miles that I frequent. They won’t have any guns in .41. One of them may have bullets, I don’t know about ammo.

It’s a good round, tho. I’ve shot a few. I always thought the 44M was just a bit much for the N frame. But a .41 is just about optimal.

I sure wish I had bought a Marlin stainless in 41 when I could have……

...have had 5 of the Marlin 1894LTD stainless 16.5" guns...all now gone...also had two FGs, one S and two CCLs... Just have a CCL octagon and S 20" round barrel left...

The LTDs were about $900 when new...the last one I sold went for $3400 about two years ago... A friend had one in .357. After he passed away I sold it for his widow and it brought $3400 also...and that was 10 years ago...

 

[SuperMan]

Thank you Superman !
It was the Unoffical 58 Club I couldn't remember ...
Iwas a member , my avatar is my model 58 ...
Thanks for links ...I'm going to write them all down ... the load data is very useful and I loose track of things if I don't write them down .
Appreciate your help !
Gary

U R welcome...always nice to be a member of a Cult...just don't drink any KoolAid if offered....

 

[colt_saa]

I had it in my mind that the Desert Eagle was only offered in .41 Mag with a 6" barrel, not a 10". Or maybe it was just the 14" barrel that wasn't offered in that caliber.

In any event, I had previously avoided the .41 Mag, not because I had anything against it. But I already have a Ruger revolver chambered in .38-40 which I could hotrod if so inclined, plus both autos and revolvers chambered in 10mm and .44 Mag, closely bracketing either side of what the .41 Mag is capable of.

Adding this cartridge would require stocking ammo and reloading components that are very similar to what I already have.

And then I found a somewhat rare Desert Eagle .41 bolt and barrel and bought it. So now that I'm into this cartridge, I will likely end up with a revolver at some point to share ammo with it.

Welcome to the club

I have had the Desert Eagle for close to 3 decades now.

6" and 10" were the barrels. 12" and 14" might have been prototyped, but nit put into production.

These were not very good sellers back in the 1990s. The great big giant company that blows out all kinds of firearms stuff (4 letters in their name) took on everything that magnum research had remaining

Magnum research had special boxes made that held the firearm with the 6" barrel mounted and the 10" barrel just above it. What may surprise you is that this firearm was offered both in a steel frame and an aluminum alloy frame.

Back in the day my cash flow was not as good as it is now and I could only buy one, so I only purchased the steel frame version. I tell you I wish I had bought the alloy one because no one believes that those existed

 

[Garrett-J]

Welcome to the club

I have had the Desert Eagle for close to 3 decades now.

6" and 10" were the barrels. 12" and 14" might have been prototyped, but nit put into production.

Thanks!
I'm familiar with the platform, being set up in four other cartridges. I'm just new to the .41 Mag (bottom right) making a 5th Desert Eagle chambering for me.

I had an early 4-digit MK-I, but sold it several years ago.

And actually, they did produce a 14" barrel for the MK-VII in both .357 Mag and .44 Mag as a factory offering. I've seen quite a few of them and shot a couple. As noted, I had read they did not make a .41 in a 14" tube, but wasn't sure on the 10" .41 Mag.

 

[gunbarrel]

They say that timing is everything, and I believe it was just one of the factors that kept the .41 Rem Mag from becoming popular.

For eons, law enforcement agencies carried mid-frame revolvers in .38 S&W Special like the S&W M&P/Model 10, and the .38 Special became one of the most popular cartridges used by civilians for self-defense.

The Model 58 (1964-1977), a Model 10 on steroids, was designed to give law enforcement agencies more stopping power. However, in 1971, Smith & Wesson came out with the first "Wonder Nine," the Model 59. After that, little by little, every gun manufacturer jumped on the high capacity 9mm P semi-auto pistol bandwagon. BTW, Bob Shimek, one of my favorite gun writers of the time, is the one that named them "Wonder Nine" pistols--a term that stuck. After that, the .41 Magnum almost fell into oblivion, and when people spoke of a Magnum revolver, they were referring to the .357, or the .44--both of which had been around for a while.

I never even thought about buying a revolver in .41 Magnum until.a couple of years ago, because I had .357's and a Model 29--so, who needs a .41 Mag. Then I traded for my Model 58, and it has become my favorite revolver. I usually shoot Georgia Arms "Cowboy Loads," but it also loves Winchester Silvertips. What a gun!

 

[chief38]

In your opinion, why was the 41 magnum caliber unsuccessful? It seems like a good caliber, has a tighter trajectory than a 44 and similar energy but with less recoil. It could be a good hunting caliber even in a rifle...
Even for the defense it could be better than 357 in my opinion. What do you think?

IMHO this is exactly what happens when ammo and gun manufacturers "split hairs" and create a very similar cartridge in the middle. The .41 mag is a little more powerful than the .357 but second fiddle to the 44 magnum. If I did not want the recoil, expense and noise associated with the .44 mag, then I'd just step down to the .357 and call it a day. IMHO the .41 magnum is a betwixt and between caliber and I would not personally buy one. They are just splitting hairs IMO. The .41 mag ammo s not nearly as available as the .357 or .44 mag and the price is probably much greater. Not sayin the .41 mag is a bad round, just saying it is too close to the .44 mag to be a major benefit and a hassle and expense to feed.

Example: Winchester just came out with a .21 Sharp rimfire cartridge - good luck with that one and I'll predict a major failure of that caliber in short order! Not enough of a difference to make any major difference. You want more power than a regular .22LR, simply step up to a .22 mag which is a proven & successful cartridge that has been around a long time.

 

[max]

I have 2 57's. I got my 6 inch over 40 years ago and don't believe I have ever fired a factory load. My favorite is a 210-220gr cast swc and 7.0 of Unique.

 

[HeloMt]

Back in the mid-70's, 29's were unobtainium. Being just out of high school and wanting a 29 real bad (thanks, Harry Calahan), I managed to find a NIB 6" 57. I love the cartridge and the revolver, having added several more over the years. There was a time for about 3 years where a 57 was your only available big bore, n frame option.

 

[GypsmJim]

A common argument is that .41 ammo is too expensive or not available, yada, yada. Well, .357 and .44 ammo is also wayyyy too expensive to suit my budget.

Unless you are kinda wealthy, handloading is the only option if you want to shoot regularly. And of course, casting makes everything better.

 

[Warren Sear]

I have a Model 58 and enjoy shooting it. I have never fired a single factory load in it. I load my own ammo with my own cast bullets. Cost to me is nearly the exact same as loading 38 Special. I don't need any 41 Special brass; I just download 41 Magnum cases.

The 41 is nearly the ballistic twin of the 44 Magnum, but always a bit short. I am pretty much done with shooting full powered magnum loads in my 41 OR 44 magnums. I load nice moderate ammo now. They are so much more pleasant to shoot. Notice the base of my right thumb in the second photo after my fun with magnum loads....

 

[Skeet 028]

Way back when I owned a Model 58 that I got from the original owner. Second S&W I ever had...paid 75 dollars for it...Sold it and made 25-30 bucks. 2 years later. I got a 57 in Fairbanks to carry guiding ...I sold it a couple years later when I had to drive through Canada...no handguns allowed. I bought the gun back 35 years later...still have it and it's not going anywhere...Saved my life in 1969...It'll shoot clear through a moose/bear from front end to back end

 

[rminer]

colt saa. How about some information on that colt revolver in the bottom of your photo. I didn't know colt made a 41 mag.

 

[6string]

I’m confused….

“Unsuccessful”?
“Popularity”?

Do you want to shoot the gun or date it?

The .41 magnum is just great. I like it for what it is: A joy to shoot and very satisfying to reload for.

 

[SuperMan]

Have a set of Herrett Detective Grips on my 58...makes all the difference in the world...

 

[SuperMan]

colt saa. How about some information on that colt revolver in the bottom of your photo. I didn't know colt made a 41 mag.

...it can be done... There were only a couple of real experimental factory Pythons. The rest out there were made by all people Bubba's Gun Shop in I thing Arlington, Texas...most were long barrels and sell for huge money when they come up for sale.

Jack Huntington, JRH Precision Gunsmithing, can do it. I have considered turning a 70s vintage Trooper .357 into a .41 Special. He already turned a Uberti Cattleman .357 into a .41 Special but could have done .41 Magnum...

 

[Drm50]

The 41magnum is the 16gauge of revolver cartridges. There is nothing wrong with it. Like somebody said there are no bad cartridges only bad guns.
Thing is it’s not enough bigger than 357, or smaller than 44 magnum. And as already been pointed out 357 & 44 are a lot more versatile. I bought a M58 when first out, excellent shooter. Next had Ruger Blackhawks and they were also fine shooters. Was in early 70s before I got M57s. A few years back realized hardly ever shot 41s, so I offed them all.

 

[SMSgt]

..still wish someone would pick up the ball and bring the .401 Herter's PowerMag back as a SAAMI spec round... Ruger GP-100, Colt Python, S&W L-frames...all 6-shot...

Herter's .401 PowerMag

This is what we should have got instead of the .41 RM...not that I don't love the round but this would have been better for the original purpose...but everyone hated Herter so no guns were ever chambered except for his...waste of a GREAT cartridge....

Bob

I've always considered Cabela's and Bass Pro to be cheap Herter wannabes. My dad probably ordered over half the things in the catalog.
I bought a .41M BH in Alaska. Best shooter I ever owned. I've always felt it was considered too much for those who could barely handle a .357M and not enough for the .44M crowd.

 

[rminer]

SuperMan. I'm curious how they make a 41 python. I look at my 1975 python and can't see room for larger holes in the cylinder. Do they go with a five shot, over size cylinder, or something else? Does anyone know if they made any 41 mag's on the anaconda?

 

[colt_saa]

colt saa. How about some information on that colt revolver in the bottom of your photo. I didn't know colt made a 41 mag.

Many people do not realize that the Python is built on the old 41 Long Colt frame

Over the years the Python was advertised in many calibers that never reached production. A total of six different cartridges were prototyped

In 1964/65 Colt manufactured 5 Pythons in 41 Magnum.

The Python was never put into production in this chambering. it was believed that all of those were put into the vault at Colt. At least one of these originals made it out into the world because I was able to handle it a couple decades ago, though I did not purchase it because of its price

Back in the 1970s there was a gunsmith just outside of Fort Worth TX I believe. He produced Colt Pythons in 41 magnum. Approximately 125 were created before some issues came up

The issue is that one of the end users sent his revolver into Colt for service. Obviously this created a bit of an issue between Colt and the gunsmith since these revolvers were produced with all original looking factory markings

Well what ended up happening is that the Texas gunsmith ceased producing 41 magnum Pythons at the request of the Factory. Yes I bet the lawyers words were much more threatening than what I just said but I don't know for a fact

Over the years there were many other gunsmiths that converted the Python to 41 Magnum but I will stick with my original Texas built gun

 

[SuperMan]

As saa said, Pythons are built on a .41 frame...also if one looks the locking bolt notch is not at the thinnest part of the cylinder directly over the chamber...so yes, they can be done in .41 Magnum with 6 shot cylinders.