41mag vs 44mag

[trauma1]

So, i have been doing alot of research on the above 2 cartridges. From what I can find, up to 240gr bullets the 41 mag can do everything the 44mag can and sometimes a little better depending on the powder. The 44 mag has the advantage as far as heavier bullets go - 265gr and up. If what I am reading and finding is true, why isn't the 41 more popular? Seems to be superior to the 44mag in standard weights and lighter weights. Once you get above that the 44 shines but then you could go with the 45colt or 454casull and do the same and better. Seems like the 41mag just came around a little too late. definetly a better round though!

 

[Smithhound]

Wow, did you just open up a can of worms..gonna sit back and enjoy this.
I'll jump in first and say that while I do like the .44 Mag, I much prefer the .41, flatter shooting, a bit less recoil and just more fun. Bullets have always been a draw back if limited to factory ammo, but I cast and reload so for me that is a non-issue.
Who's next?
RD

 

[RIKMAN]

I just loaded my first 12 rounds of 41 mag. I have to agree with previous poster,more fun, less recoil. However.... I also loaded my first 44mag(light) loads. They were fun too,accurate,loud report,etc...sooo I'm going to say as a reloader and just target shooter it's pretty much preference ...


Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk

 

[trauma1]

i guess if Clint Eastwood had started out " this is a 41 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world" we wouldn't have this argument. Just from ballistics, seems like the 41mag is as good if not better than the 44mag. Funny how some rounds make it and some don't (257 roberts).

 

[jepp2]

I'm a 41 Mag fan, so my response is going to be biased. You listed all the reasons I prefer to shoot my 41 mag.

The 44 mag was here first and the 41 is so close to the same performance that folks just didn't see the need to change. Try going into the store and buying some factory 41 mag ammo. If you can find it the cost is going to be really high. If you handload, there just isn't much difference loading for the 41 instead of the 44.

But I also enjoy loading and shooing the 222 Remington Mag, 257 Roberts, and 280 Remington. So it just goes to figure I would prefer the 41.

 

[FordTruckGuy]

The story goes like this.

The 41 mag was set to debut and the ballistics were fabulous. Then suddenly, the movie Dirty Harry came out in 1971. Then the line by Harry Calahan (Clint Eastwood) went like this: I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? Once the audience heard that line, the 44 magnum sales skyrocketed over night. You couldn't find a model 29 anywhere. They were just gone said a friend of mine that owned a gun shop back then. That friend of mine is 73 today. And what was left on the shelves? You quessed it. The .41 magnum says my friend.

The .41 magnum has superior ballistics, however because of the fact that nobody wanted a .41, research to develop different bullets stopped. That is why there is such a small selection of .41.

In my opinion the .41 is a better performer that the .44. I have shot both for 30+ years. If one of the bullet manufacterers would begin developing performance bullets for the .41, I believe it would begin gaining popularity.

One last note. When the movie Dirty Harry was being filmed, the first half of the movie was shot with a .41 magnum. The second half, they finally got the .44 magnum and finished the movie with the real gun.

 

[Joni_Lynn]

I like both so I'd say it's a matter of preference and which ones you feel like taking out to shoot or hunt with. For most everything that I want to do with a handgun either one will fill the bill nicely.

 

[charlie sherrill]

I actually carried a model 58 for several years back in the 70's. I only know two other LEO's that carried this caliber. Most officers didn't even know what it was or what it would do. I quit carrying it when my department issued mod 66's, then 686's, then the Glock 17. I own several .41 mags now and sometimes CCW the 3" 657. I have a longer barrel 657 that I have deer hunted with and frequently carry it when riding my 4-wheeler.

 

[cochise]

I've been shooting since I was 14, I'm 63 now. I never saw a .41 magnum. No I don't live a sheltered life, they just are not that popular. And they sell quick if a used one pops up. So availability is why I have 7 .44's. Maybe bigger is better. ( just kidding )

 

[358156hp]

At one time, I owned matching 41 & 44 magnum Redhawks. I wrung them out over a couple of years. The 44 would do anything the 41 could do, plus a lot more. If I wanted lighter recoil, I'd load the 44 lighter, if I wanted more power, the 41 ran out of steam pretty early compared to the 44. I consider handgun cartridges to be pretty inefficient in the big picture, and I don't feel that the average handgun bullet even has a ballistic coefficient, so I don't see a .410 bullet having significantly flatter trajectory that a .430 bullet at normal revolver distances. Finding factory ammunition, bullets, bullet moulds, or even decent brass was a challenge. I had custom moulds made to feed the 41, then realized that while I liked the .41 much more than a .357, the 44 was much more practical. Both calibers require the same frame size, so 41s are actually heavier than 41s. Weight never made a difference to me at the range, but I could see how hunters & hikers would appreciate saving any ounce they could. The 41 went to a collector, and the 44 stayed with me. No if you want a 41, by all means buy one. That's what this is all about, but you'll never convince me that the .41 is a better all around cartridge than the 44 magnum. BTW, the comparison was actually a 3 way race. I also had a very early 45 Colt Redhawk in the game, but that's another story.

 

[trauma1]

At one time, I owned matching 41 & 44 magnum Redhawks. I wrung them out over a couple of years. The 44 would do anything the 41 could do, plus a lot more. If I wanted lighter recoil, I'd load the 44 lighter, if I wanted more power, the 41ran out of steam pretty early compared to the 44. I consider handgun cartridges to be pretty inefficient in the big picture, and I don't feel that the average handgun bullet even hasa ballistic coefficient, so I don't see a .410 bullet having significantly flatter trajectory that a .430 bullet at normal revolver distances. Finding factory ammunition, bullets, bullet moulds, or even decent brass was a challenge. I had custom moulds made to feed the 41, then realized that while I liked the .41 much more than a .357, the 44 was much more practical. Both calibers require the same frame size, so 41s are actually heavier than 41s. Weight never made a difference to me at the range, but I could see how hunters & hikers would appreciate saving any ounce they could. The 41 went to a collector, and the 44 stayed with me. No if you want a 41, by all means buy one. That's what this is all about, but you'll never convince me that the .41 is a better all around cartridge than the 44 magnum. BTW, the comparison was actually a 3 way race. I also had a very early 45 Colt Redhawk in the game, but that's another story.

I agree that a 45colt in a MODERN frame is vastly superior to both rounds. However, comparing balistics for a 41mag 215-240gr and a 44mag 215-240gr shows a distinct advantage to the 41mag. If you want 265-300gr bullet then the 44mag does have the advantage, bit at the expense of added recoil and muzzle blast. 41mag and 45cLC still win!

 

[kennyb]

The story goes like this.

The 41 mag was set to debut and the ballistics were fabulous. Then suddenly, the movie Dirty Harry came out in 1971. Then the line by Harry Calahan (Clint Eastwood) went like this: I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? Once the audience heard that line, the 44 magnum sales skyrocketed over night. You couldn't find a model 29 anywhere. They were just gone said a friend of mine that owned a gun shop back then. That friend of mine is 73 today. And what was left on the shelves? You quessed it. The .41 magnum says my friend.

The .41 magnum has superior ballistics, however because of the fact that nobody wanted a .41, research to develop different bullets stopped. That is why there is such a small selection of .41.

In my opinion the .41 is a better performer that the .44. I have shot both for 30+ years. If one of the bullet manufacterers would begin developing performance bullets for the .41, I believe it would begin gaining popularity.

One last note. When the movie Dirty Harry was being filmed, the first half of the movie was shot with a .41 magnum. The second half, they finally got the .44 magnum and finished the movie with the real gun.

hmmm...cannot agree...the 41 mag.was developed to be the ideal police round...it was first sold as a M57 in 1963..NINE years prior to dirty harry...as we know it did not fare well as a police issue weapon for several reasons..one of which was police agencies of this era were not fond of the word magnum...as to all or part of the dirty harry movie being filmed with a 41 mag......this has been hashed and rehashed here many times...the experts say two M29-2's were used in the movie...eastwood kept one and the other is currently in the NRA museum here in virginia...
don't get me wrong...i love both calibers,reload for both and have a number of 41 and 44 mag.handguns....i have carried a M657 3" for quite awhile....both are super rounds and can be loaded mild to wild...i'm just glad i don't have to buy factory ammo for either...

 

[arizona98tj]

Back in the 70's, I put a .41 Mag scoped 14" barrel on my T/C Contender. It was a really nice setup to shoot at distance.

 

[bennettfam]

Looking purely at the diameter there really isn't much difference. (with the .44 actually being .429 diameter vs the .41 which is a true .41)

Looking at cost efficiency and ammo availability I have to give the nod to the .44 every time. But variety is the spice of life.

 

[FordTruckGuy]

hmmm...cannot agree...the 41 mag.was developed to be the ideal police round...it was first sold as a M57 in 1963..NINE years prior to dirty harry...as we know it did not fare well as a police issue weapon for several reasons..one of which was police agencies of this era were not fond of the word magnum...as to all or part of the dirty harry movie being filmed with a 41 mag......this has been hashed and rehashed here many times...the experts say two M29-2's were used in the movie...eastwood kept one and the other is currently in the NRA museum here in virginia...
don't get me wrong...i love both calibers,reload for both and have a number of 41 and 44 mag.handguns....i have carried a M657 3" for quite awhile....both are super rounds and can be loaded mild to wild...i'm just glad i don't have to buy factory ammo for either...

KennyB, thanks for correcting me. I thought the .41 came out in 1964, but I could be wrong. The debut from what I understand was not the intruduction the the cartridge or the gun, it was a promotion of them prior to the movie. I understand that there were two .44's and that one is in the NRA museum. However the reason that I have always thought that the first portion of the movie was shot with a .41 is because I read it and that was many years ago, before the internet. Otherwise I would not have known. If I am wrong, thank you for telling me. However, is there information that is factual because that would be great info to have. Once again, sorry for any confusion from my behalf.

 

[Titegroups]

Looking purely at the diameter there really isn't much difference. (with the .44 actually being .429 diameter vs the .41 which is a true .41)

Looking at cost efficiency and ammo availability I have to give the nod to the .44 every time. But variety is the spice of life.

It's .020. in diameter. There is no magic. For those who load their own it means little. Little bigger case means a little bit more potential.

 

[FordTruckGuy]

hmmm...cannot agree...the 41 mag.was developed to be the ideal police round...it was first sold as a M57 in 1963..NINE years prior to dirty harry...as we know it did not fare well as a police issue weapon for several reasons..one of which was police agencies of this era were not fond of the word magnum...as to all or part of the dirty harry movie being filmed with a 41 mag......this has been hashed and rehashed here many times...the experts say two M29-2's were used in the movie...eastwood kept one and the other is currently in the NRA museum here in virginia...
don't get me wrong...i love both calibers,reload for both and have a number of 41 and 44 mag.handguns....i have carried a M657 3" for quite awhile....both are super rounds and can be loaded mild to wild...i'm just glad i don't have to buy factory ammo for either...

kennyb,

Dirty Harry's gun is supposedly a Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver, chambered for a .44 Magnum cartridge. In the film, the gun is shown as being capable of sending assailants flying through the air, even when shot from a distance, however, in reality the gun does not produce such dramatic results. Additionally, the .44 Magnum round is not considered to be a practical caliber for urban police force use due to recoil (which makes target re-acquisition difficult) and over-penetration issues, which greatly increases the likelihood of the bullet going through its target and injuring bystanders. The actual gun used on set by Clint Eastwood was in fact a Smith & Wesson Model 29. It is a common misconception that a Model 29 could not be located and a Model 57, chambered in .41 Magnum, was used instead. Clint Eastwood contacted Bob Sauer, representative for Smith and Wesson, to acquire the pistol. The Model 29 had been out of production for several years at the time, but a number of pistols were assembled from parts at the factory and provided to the crew. Eastwood took one to a firing range to familiarize himself with the Model 29.

So there you have it. I was wrong. I am knew to the internet and looked it up. Thanks kenny.

 

[kennyb]

kennyb,

Dirty Harry's gun is supposedly a Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver, chambered for a .44 Magnum cartridge. In the film, the gun is shown as being capable of sending assailants flying through the air, even when shot from a distance, however, in reality the gun does not produce such dramatic results. Additionally, the .44 Magnum round is not considered to be a practical caliber for urban police force use due to recoil (which makes target re-acquisition difficult) and over-penetration issues, which greatly increases the likelihood of the bullet going through its target and injuring bystanders. The actual gun used on set by Clint Eastwood was in fact a Smith & Wesson Model 29. It is a common misconception that a Model 29 could not be located and a Model 57, chambered in .41 Magnum, was used instead. Clint Eastwood contacted Bob Sauer, representative for Smith and Wesson, to acquire the pistol. The Model 29 had been out of production for several years at the time, but a number of pistols were assembled from parts at the factory and provided to the crew. Eastwood took one to a firing range to familiarize himself with the Model 29.

So there you have it. I was wrong. I am knew to the internet and looked it up. Thanks kenny.

yes...as mentioned it is a 29-2 rather then a 29...i recently finished over 30 years in police work and agree...no one flies through the air etc.no agency that i'm familar with carries a 44mag.although i carried a 29-2 off duty for a period of time..yup...had to qualify with it on a police combat course...there are agencies that have carried the M29 as well as the M57 although i'm not aware of any that currently do...this M657 3" is a mighty nice one and fills the bill as a carry gun

 

[bnewc75]

41 or 44??

both are sweet

 

[spaniel]

I own both now. I bought the 41 first, by several years, after considering both.

I opted for it because I could get a light, compact gun that was still controllable (Taurus TI Tracker). The 44s I was considering at the time were all larger frames, and significantly heavier.

Of course now I have a 329PD so we'll see how my opinion changes. I can handle full-power 41Mag loads in the little Tracker, though I don't shoot many of them to spare wear and tear on the gun. I kind of doubt I would want to shoot full power loads with 300gr+ bullets out of the 329PD.

I hope some day to have steel deer hunting guns in BOTH calibers.