Does an "L" frame .41 mag exist?

[Cpo1944]

I would like to know does a S&W make an L frame .41 mag with a 3 inch barrel and if so when did they make it?
That is was it before the lock?

I think this configuration would be a good CCW for me to carry in my fanny pack.
Right now I`m carrying a 629 3inch and am just thinking a .41 might be better suited.
Any thoughts?

 

[SAFireman]

I don't think that they made one, but if they did...I would LOVE to have one....let me know when/if you find one...

...maybe there is a conversion 696 out there somewhere? Ask Whitecoyote...he probably has one or two

And yes, ditch the 629 and get a 657 in 3 inch...they are just dandy!

 

[Cpo1944]

I don't think that they made one, but if they did...I would LOVE to have one....let me know when/if you find one...

...maybe there is a conversion 696 out there somewhere? Ask Whitecoyote...he probably has one or two

And yes, ditch the 629 and get a 657 in 3 inch...they are just dandy!

Thanks for the reply ,but a 657 is practically the same as what I have now.
I am lusting after a smaller frame with decent .41 caliber.
I have 2 629`s but only one 57 and it`s a 6 inch.
I like both calibers and reload both of them so ammo`s not a issue.
Just seems a L frame and .41 cal is a real good match.

 

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, Jack,

The closest thing I've ever seen to it, is the Taurus M415, 5-shot .41 Mag that I bought quite a few years ago. It's about L-frame in size, but has a short barrel, is ported, and also has special "Ribber" grips, as Taurus calls them, to help absorb recoil. It's a snappy little thing to shoot, but does fairly well, actually.

I also have one of the 3" M657 Smiths, and it's a real screamer! Super accurate with Remington's 210 grain JSP load, it will put them in a nice ragged single hole at 25 yards, from a rest, if I do my part! Kicks a mite, with larger slugs, and hotter loads, but this little boomer has never let me down, and with a nice horse-hide holster, it carries very well, indeed. If you buy one, I'm sure you will love it. Shoots Winchester Silvertips very well, too, which is an outstanding self-defense load. Those are my thoughts, anyway, and others may have varying mileage. Good luck in your quest, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[Maximumbob54]

Is that enough steel for a five shot magnum in an L frame? The .41 is no lightweight when it comes to pressure...

 

[Cpo1944]

Greetings, Jack,

The closest thing I've ever seen to it, is the Taurus M415, 5-shot .41 Mag that I bought quite a few years ago. It's about L-frame in size, but has a short barrel, is ported, and also has special "Ribber" grips, as Taurus calls them, to help absorb recoil. It's a snappy little thing to shoot, but does fairly well, actually.

I also have one of the 3" M657 Smiths, and it's a real screamer! Super accurate with Remington's 210 grain JSP load, it will put them in a nice ragged single hole at 25 yards, from a rest, if I do my part! Kicks a mite, with larger slugs, and hotter loads, but this little boomer has never let me down, and with a nice horse-hide holster, it carries very well, indeed. If you buy one, I'm sure you will love it. Shoots Winchester Silvertips very well, too, which is an outstanding self-defense load. Those are my thoughts, anyway, and others may have varying mileage. Good luck in your quest, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

Thanks for the reply Doc,
If my quest for a S&W fails I will look at that Tarus, I shot my friend`s Tarus Raging Bull last week and I was surprised at how good it was.
But I am a gun snob - I`m sure you know my type- S&W, Colt, Ruger, Kimber, Walther: in that order, but I`m 66 years old and have finally gotten a semi open mind, so I`ll look at other brands.

 

[epj]

There are ".41 Special" conversions around that have been converted from L frames and from Ruger GP 100's. They are 6 shot. I guess a Python could be converted also. The "Special" is, of course, a lower pressure round, generally limited to about 1000 fps. The L frame sized gun does not have a large enough cylinder to handle full power .41 mags when opened up to that diameter. In the 60's some Pythons were converted to .41 mag. They are probably dangerous to shoot with full power loads. You see them pop up on GB every now and then, always claimed to be a "factory" conversion, but it didn't happen.

 

[Doc Mark]

Morning, Jack,

You are most welcome, Sir. Like you, I have turned up my nose at what I have always considered "off-brands", and to some extent, I still do. But, I also LOVE the .41 Magnum cartridge, and by extension, all firearms manufactured to fire it! So, when Taurus came out with their little 5-shot .41, and after reading absolutely glowing reports by Dick Metcalf, and many others, I decided to give it a try. The only problem I have had, so far, is that when I first got it, one cylinder hole was too tight, and I had to return it to Taurus, where they fixed it for free. I've not had any problems since then. If you would like to see my little .41, I will be glad to take and post some photos of it later today, or tomorrow. It carries VERY well, and the only down-side I can see is that there are no really good speed-loaders made for it. I did pick up some rubber ones, and they "do" work, after a fashion. But, they do not fill me with unending confidence, if you know what I mean. In any case, the little M415 is a very nice little revolver, and worth your time to investigate, if you have interest in such a thing. Mine has a 2.5" barrel, and fills the need for which I bought it. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[colt_saa]

As has already been stated, S&W did not produce an L-frame sized 41 magnum revolver but Taurus did.

The 415 was available in 2 1/2" or 4" and it could be purchased in stainless steel or total titanium. I own both.

The stainless version weighs in at 29 ounces while the titanium is just 20 ounces.

The porting and ribber grips do a VERY good job at reducing the recoil and muzzle flip forces that are transfered to the shooters hand. The ribber grips also fit a wider range of hand sizes. The ribber grips kind of feel like one of those qoushy balls that you see in the kids stores.

The Taurus 415 locks up at the crane with a detent system similar to what the S&W Performance Center uses. It is a good system.

At the range both of the 41 Magnum revolvers have been shot with Winchester 210 JHP, Winchester 175 Silver Tips, Remington 170 JHP, and my own cast hand loads (215 SWC over 7g of Unique). The cast load was a pleasure in both firearms. However, when it came to the factory Magnum ammunition these little powerhouses did produce some recoil. The all stainless steel model 415 was controllable with all loads. The combination of the ported barrel and the soft ribber grips put this firearm on par with a medium frame 357 snub nose. The Total Titanium model 415T is not for the novice shooter. At a mere 20 ounces, recoil with all factory loads was stout. This firearm can be easily handled by anyone used to the big magnums or handgun hunting.

 

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, colt_saa,

Lovely photos of your pair of Taurus .41's! I had a chance to order the Ti version, but decided I'd rather have a bit more steel/weight in that little cannon, and was glad I did so. How as the extraction on both of your guns? As mentioned, I had to return mine to Taurus with one sticky cylinder hole. They did a fine job of getting it right, and returned it very quickly.

Like you, I very much enjoy the "Ribber" grips, and think they should be offered for other manufacturers guns. Don't think Taurus is interested in that, however.

Have you ever found a proper speed loader for your little 5-shot .41's? I'm using the rubber ones that can be found online, and only feel mildly OK with them, if that. I worry about the rounds falling out the side, in carry.

Again, great photos of your pair of little .41's! Thanks for sharing them! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. I've found my M415 to make an outstanding revolver for backpacking, especially where black bears might prove to be a problem.

 

[colt_saa]

Doc,
Both of mine extract just fine.

I purchased the stainless 415 from my LGS but the 415T was shipped to me from Taurus for an article that I wrote when they came out.

I never looked for speed loaders. You might want to check out one of the loaders intended for the S&W 696. They might just work.

Civilian CCW is there to extract ourselves from a bad situation, not to engage an opposing force. I figure if 41 Magnum rounds from a 2 1/2" barrel does not get them running scared, then I need to be seeking cover and calling 911.

 

[Doc Mark]

Hi, colt_saa,

Very nice, indeed. Where was your article published, if I may ask? As I read just about everything I could find, to learn more about this neat little boomer, I may well still have my copy of whatever magazine published your offering, and would love to dig it out and read it again! As to speed loaders, I agree that, as civilian CCW, we're not going to try and win a war with our firearms. But, I also believe that Mr. Murphy likes to pop his head up, now and then, and mostly when you least would like to have him pay you a visit! So, I always use at least one speed loader, and when backpacking, a few more than one. That's worked for me, for quite a few years, and I'd love to continue doing that. I'll try the 696 speed loaders, and see if they might hold those slightly smaller .41 cases tightly enough to make them useful. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll post back, if indeed that does work. I do have some speed loaders for my old Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special. Might give those a try, too, just for giggles and grins. Talk to you soon, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[Cpo1944]

Hi, colt_saa,

Very nice, indeed. Where was your article published, if I may ask? As I read just about everything I could find, to learn more about this neat little boomer, I may well still have my copy of whatever magazine published your offering, and would love to dig it out and read it again! As to speed loaders, I agree that, as civilian CCW, we're not going to try and win a war with our firearms. But, I also believe that Mr. Murphy likes to pop his head up, now and then, and mostly when you least would like to have him pay you a visit! So, I always use at least one speed loader, and when backpacking, a few more than one. That's worked for me, for quite a few years, and I'd love to continue doing that. I'll try the 696 speed loaders, and see if they might hold those slightly smaller .41 cases tightly enough to make them useful. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll post back, if indeed that does work. I do have some speed loaders for my old Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special. Might give those a try, too, just for giggles and grins. Talk to you soon, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

I thought about getting some of those rubber speed loader strips , not so much for speed loading but to make carrying extra ammo more conveniently. That would be a thinner package than a round loader.

 

[Cpo1944]

Is that enough steel for a five shot magnum in an L frame? The .41 is no lightweight when it comes to pressure...

I found an excellent Pistol Smith in Tenn: his name is: Hamilton Bowen of: Bowen Classic Arms Corp.

Mr. Bowen states that in his opinion the L frame is not strong enough for .41 magnum , but he will re chamber one to .41 special and keep it a six shooter. I am too lazy to readjust my loading dies ,so I want to stick to .41 mag.

The Tarus is starting to look a whole lot better to me now.

 

[Doc Mark]

I thought about getting some of those rubber speed loader strips , not so much for speed loading but to make carrying extra ammo more conveniently. That would be a thinner package than a round loader.

Evening, Jack,

I've never heard of anyone offering rubber speed loader strips for the .41 Mag. If you have a source, I've love to hear about it, please. Thanks, very much, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. If you would prefer to PM me with the magazine that published your article, that would be wonderful.

 

[SAFireman]

Evening, Jack,

I've never heard of anyone offering rubber speed loader strips for the .41 Mag. If you have a source, I've love to hear about it, please. Thanks, very much, and God Bless!

https://www.tuffproducts.com/product.php?productid=16338&cat=265&page=1

Try Tuff products...they make the strips for 41 mag and lots of other calibers as well.

 

[David LaPell]

I know John Taffin had Bowen Arms make him a .41 Special in a 586 a few years back, and it was a five shot revolver. I would wonder if they could make the .41 Magnum on that frame due to the pressure. To me the closest thing would be getting a .41 Magnum Mountain Gun.

 

[Doc Mark]

https://www.tuffproducts.com/product.php?productid=16338&cat=265&page=1

Try Tuff products...they make the strips for 41 mag and lots of other calibers as well.

Evening, SAFireman,

First, many thanks for the job you, and our other Firefighters do, in San Antonio, and everywhere!! MUCH appreciated, Sir!! Second, outstanding info on the quick strips for the .41 Mag. I will be ordering some tomorrow, and look forward to receiving them soon, and giving them a try!! Thanks, very much, for that information! I've looked long and hard, and come up dry. So, your helpful info is gratefully accepted. Thanks, again, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. Sweet Bride and I offer up prayers, every single night, for our LEO's, Firefighter, and Emergency Medical responders. Special folks, each and every one of them! May God Bless them always!

 

[Combat_Diver]

While not a L frame but a GP-100, Gary Reeder makes a 5 shot .41 Mag on a medium frame. Ain't cheap.
Skorpion

CD

 

[ISOM]

L frame .41 Magnum

L frame .41 Magnum
I have a 3 inch and a 4 inch L frame that I bought in the late 80's. Both are 657's. I have seen several magazine articles recently "advertising" their existance.