.41 Magnum / ".41 Special" Ammo Question

[XTrooper]

I'm interested in getting some light practice loads in .41 Magnum.

If I can locate some or have a friend of mine make some up, would this ammo loaded with a swaged LSWC bullet @ 800fps be likely to lead the barrel or shouldn't this be an issue?

Thanks!

 

[colt_saa]

41 Special is not a ligh loaded 41 Magnum, it is a cartridge in its own right. It is a shortened 41 Magnum case.

As to leading, there is no way to answer your question. Leading is not solely a function of velocity. Hardness of the lead is a factor as is the projectile to bore fit not to mention the temperature at which a particular powder operates at.

If all factors are properly taken into consideration at load development time, a soft swagged SWC at 800 FPS should not be an issue.

 

[Cpo1944]

I shoot light .41 mags with lead bullets all the time and no bore problems .
Go ahead and don`t worry.

 

[max]

My standard is 7.0 of Unique and a cast bullet of 210-220 grains. It is pretty light and does not lead.

 

[XTrooper]

Ok. Thanks for the information. I was misinformed about the .41 Special load.

Regarding the .41 Magnum 210gr LSWC, I may have the opportunity to buy some NOS Georgia Arms-manufactured ammunition of this type rated @ 800fps. Does anyone have any knowledge and/or experience with this load and its potential for barrel leading?

Thank you!

 

[XTrooper]

My standard is 7.0 of Unique and a cast bullet of 210-220 grains. It is pretty light and does not lead.

Thanks, Jack. I appreciate that!

 

[XTrooper]

My standard is 7.0 of Unique and a cast bullet of 210-220 grains. It is pretty light and does not lead.

Thanks, max. Do you happen to know the approximate muzzle velocity of that load?

 

[loc n load]

41 mag loads

Sounds like you are working up a load for your 58.....I shoot a 220 gr cast SWC over 7 gr's of Unique and it normally is in the 850 fps range .... I settled on Unique years ago for mid range to hefty loads in the magnums with bl's under 6".....good shooting. I don't shoot swaged bullets, as I cast my own.

 

[max]

According to a couple of manuals, 7.0 of Unique is approx 900fps.

 

[XTrooper]

Thanks very much for the data, guys. It's very helpful. I may have to get back into reloading now after a few decades old hiatus!

 

[ACP230]

I shot some of the Georgia Arms load several years ago.
Didn't notice any significant leading.
Pleasant to shoot in my M57 six-inch and accurate enough for plinking and
casual target shooting.

 

[XTrooper]

Thanks a bunch, ACP230! Just what I needed to know!

 

[chipking]

You were not misinformed. The 41 Special is a shortened 41 Magnum case and as such can be fired in your 41 Mag just like 38s in the 357 or 44 specials in the 44 mag. If you choose to stick with the 41 Mag case (which is what I would do) Load it with 6.5 grains of TrailBoss behind the 215 Cast SWC that just about everyone sells. Velocity in my 58s and 4" 57s runs right at 825fps with no leading in any of them and fantastic accuracy in all of them. You can also use 6.5 grains of Unique for a very similar load.
Chip King

 

[XTrooper]

Thanks VERY much for that, Chip King!

 

[mkk41]

Yes Virginia , there is a .41 Special!




I have a few thousand of the special run of Starline .41 Spl headstamped brass.

Case length is 1.150 Loading data in in Barnes COTW.

I have made & won a few sucker-bets on those who just KNOW there's no such thing as a .41 Special.

Bought it just for those ranges that don't allow MAGNUM headstamped brass. Figure I could make up some .41 wadcutter ammo for my very accurate 657 Classic Hunter.

 

[XTrooper]

Very cool. Love the headstamped brass!

 

[Doug M.]

Steve: I just ran 50 rounds of the GA 210 grain SWC through my M58. I have not looked for leading, so can't answer that part. It is pleasant to shoot, and seems reasonably accurate if I do my part. (I don't shoot fixed sight revolvers often or well, due to my eyes and preferences for the higher, more visible rear blades of adjustable sights on my revolvers.) I did find some low level QC issues, which may have been a result of the push to make ammo at the time. The sizing of the case mouths was just a bit inconsistent, and a few rounds needed a little more push into the cylinder, or a little extra to eject. Nothing major, except for one round. That one did not go into the cylinder, and upon examination, the case mouth was "wrinkled" a bit. I pitched it.

Can you do better making your own? Yes. Is this a decent substitute for the moment? I think so. I would probably choose this load or a similar one for carry. It is a lot more pleasant to shoot than the Silvertip or Gold Dot loads. It is sufficient to address any likely scenario involving human, canine, or large feline assailants for the life I live.

 

[XTrooper]

Hi, Doug. Thank you very much for passing on your experiences with the GA loads to me. This is great information. If I can snag this lot, I 'm going to.

I have a decent amount of Winchester Silvertips here, but, as you know, they are pricey these days and I don't like to shoot them too often. That said, I do keep the M58 loaded with them. Since I added the Ahrends Tactical finger groove grips, the Silvertips are comfortably manageable for me.

These Ahrends have an open backstrap so they aren't too large for me and they fill my average-sized hands perfectly.

 

[keithherrington]

Here are my 41 Magnum mid-range loads

This is the result of my developing a mid-range load for my Model 58.




I found that anything over 1000fps was difficult to handle for a carry load where you had to shoot a lot to remain proficient. Over time loads over 1100fps beat you up but some have a higher tolerance to recoil than others.

All groups shot at 25 yards from a bench supported by sand bags.

Keith

 

[XTrooper]

Very impressive, Keith!