Fired a .41 magnum, 4", N/L-frame last night

[Sparkyshooter]

And wow. Holy crap that was a powerful gun. I can't fathom how Dirty Harry fired that 44 so many times willy-nilly. It was like firing an elephant pistol.

I have a 357 mag on order. What's the recoil on a 357 magnum, say, relative to .40S&W or .41mag? I got a feeling my revolver is going to use mostly 38 specials.

 

[Sparkyshooter]

And wow. Holy crap that was a powerful gun. I can't fathom how Dirty Harry fired that 44 so many times willy-nilly. It was like firing an elephant pistol.

I have a 357 mag on order. What's the recoil on a 357 magnum, say, relative to .40S&W or .41mag? I got a feeling my revolver is going to use mostly 38 specials.

 

[epj]

If it was actually a L frame, it had to be a custom job and was probably actually a .41 Special which is a wildcat cartridge. If it was a real 6 shot .41 Mag, then it was a N frame. One of those with full power ammo is quite a handfull, especially with the factory wood grips. For "police work", there was a downloaded .41 Mag, which utilized a 210 gr lead bullet at around 950 fps. It was quite comfortable to shoot and was a bit more power than the current .40 S&W, more in the 10mm range. That load, or a similar handload in a M57 is one of the sweetest combinations in all of Smithdom. IMHO, of course. Don't presently own a 57, but am hopefull of having one again someday.

 

[Sparkyshooter]

Must have been an N frame. It felt *approximately* the same size as a 686 or 27, both of which I have used. It was def a .41 magnum - I stuck the bullets in right out of the box.

Yeah those factory wood grips didn't want to stay in my hands whatsoever. I can imagine trying to fire the .50 magnum... dangerous to my face's structural integrity.

 

[44forever]

Free recoil of a 158 gr .357 full magnum load as compared to a 210 gr full magnum .41 if fired in guns of the same size and approximate weight (such as comparing a 27 to a 57), the .357 would be roughly 75% of the .41's recoil. If they are not close to the same weight, all bets are off.

 

[SuperMan]

..guess I became numb to the .41s recoil many years ago as it to me is one of the most pleasant shooting Magnums there is. If you are not used to it the recoil can be a handful but to me the .44 M29 4" with full 240 grain loads is just beyond what I care to shoot...

Bob

 

[Sportsterguy]

Originally posted by SuperMan:
..guess I became numb to the .41s recoil many years ago as it to me is one of the most pleasant shooting Magnums there is. If you are not used to it the recoil can be a handful but to me the .44 M29 4" with full 240 grain loads is just beyond what I care to shoot...

Bob

Been a .41 fan since 1976. Before I started to reload my own ammo the Remington 210 gr. JSP was pretty much your only option. I find it's recoil in my 6" barrel manageable compared to my 3" .44's full power loads which can be brutal after a cylinder or 2 . It is a great deer gun and with light reloads is a pleasure to shoot.
.357's can be snappy but IMO are nowhere nearly as jolting as a .41 or .44. A good set of grips help and a shooting glove make shooting all 3 calibers a fun outing.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

You should try Fiocchi 240 grain .44 Magnums in a 3" Model 29 or in a Model 629 Mountain Gun.

As they say, you ain't seen nothing yet.

I love Magnums.

 

[Slim Chance]

The 41 can be loaded down to pleasant levels very easily. My 210 grain handloads are more pleasant than medium 357 mag loads. A heavy lead bullet at 800fps also makes a good working load.
The option to use full power magnum loads is handy, but not needed for most situations.

 

[m657]

For me, a full load 357 in 4" is usually verging on 'unpleasant'. The 41 mag loads in 4" I've shot (usually 210-215gr/900+fps) have been downright comfortable.

Perhaps it is all what we are used to. I shoot cowboy action style with 45 LC 200 grain mild-moderate loads all day long with no recoil issues.

Hot 357 mag loads are just annoying IMHO.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I have Herrett's grips on my M57, forget the model number, they are smooth finished with an arched backstrap like the Jordan Trooper. They make a BIG difference.

 

[David LaPell]

I have the .41 Magnum, to me the recoil is perfect with the balance of power and recoil, especially with 210 and 230 grainers.

 

[Farmer17]

The magnum loads in a 686 are not too bad. CCI Blazers are a bit lighter than most other magnum loads and seem to be a great balance of recoil management and power in an L-frame. However, I buy mostly Remington UMC +P 125 grain JHP .38 Specials becasue they come in 100 round value packs at Walmart for under 30 bucks.
They are about the only thing I shoot in .38s or .357s and are pretty accurate.

 

[Majic1]

Dirty Harry admitted he shot .44 spl loads not the .44 magnums.

 

[old357max]

Blackhawknj: Did the Herret grips come with the gun or add on's..

I have/had the herrets on also, I think they help in accuracy, but after about 50 rounds the web between thumb and trigger finger gets a little sore. I changed to Pachmeyer for hunting season

 

[Buford57]

One of the few guns I truly regret trading away was a TC Contender with a 14" bull barrel in .41 Mag. It had a Williams peep sight and hand-filling finger groove walnut grips by I- don't-remember-who. It hit like the hammer of Thor and drilled one round in on top of the last at 100 yards.

Misunderstood, unappreciated and underrated. That's the .41 Magnum in a nutshell.

Possibly the finest combination LE and hunting round ever devised. But what would you expect of something that sprang from the imagination of Elmer Keith and Bill Jordan?

 

[Out West]

Got a 41 mag Mountain Gun and will say it does have more "boom" than any of my 357's. Take away the noise and I don't think its that much more of a kicker. Some, but not that much. Love taking the Marlin 41 mag lever and the Mountain gun hunting together. Great combo for hunting deer. 41 mag is under appreciated.

Out West

 

[Dusty Miller]

Originally posted by Slim Chance: The option to use full power magnum loads is handy, but not needed for most situations.

That's especially true for serious social situations. A 240 bullet launched at 1400 fps is a great bear stopper but would be suitable for only the LARGEST perp loaded to the gills on his favorite illicit drug.