Who uses/used .41 Magnum?

[fishwishin]

Just getting a gauge on how popular the .41 still may be among forum members. I personally own three and I am on the hunt for a .41 rifle.

The .41 is my #1 caliber that I load for. I love the history of it and the performance you can wring out of it.

 

[Countrycuz]

Got close a few times, but never quite got there. I

 

[sodacan]

Always thought it was the answer to a question that nobody asked. The 44 magnum is versatile enough and with the ability to shoot 44 special in the same gun made it more attractive. Just my opinion, not looking for a debate. Shoot what you like and like what you shoot.

 

[glenwolde]

I shoot mine (Model 657) frequently. A couple thousand rounds a year. Once I was shooting it and a couple of guys watching me asked the RSO to go ask me what I was shooting. I don't get why they didn't ask me themselves?

Anyway I just gave him a round so he could read the headstamp. He'd never heard of it. I don't know about the other guys.

But it's a reloader's cartridge.

 

[Valmet]

Folks who have them seem to love them. My FIL has an early-70s vintage cased 57 that he loves- he’s killed a few deer with it and isn’t one he’ll ever part with. I’ve shot it and while I know it’s a good cartridge, its never been one I’ve needed to own.

 

[Birdhunter6]

The .41 has quite a following. I'm a big fan. I have a 4" 58 no dash and a 6" 57 no dash. My .38s and .357s get more range time these days, but the 58 was once my primary handgun.

Loved most by those who reload, the .41 is a very versatile cartridge. Its popularity is probably over represented here due to the OG wheel gunner demographic.

 

[GB]

The 41, like the 44 spc. is a Love it or don't know much about it cartridge. I fall into the love it camp. Switched to it a few years ago when arthritis reared its ugly head in my hands.

 

[Bruceboy]

I always wanted a a .41 and lucked into a 6" model 57 about a year ago. Mine is one of a special series S&W offered "The Last Cartridge". I load for it and have no interest in selling. Too many guns, too little time. Great shooter.

No regrets,

Al

 

[Gunhohulk]

I have a 58, 57 long tube, and 3” 657. The long tube is lots of fun but I don’t get to the range as much as I’d prefer. I did get 1k pieces of star line brass and am all set up to load but haven’t had the chance to yet.

 

[Dennis2149]

If one handloads, what's not to love about the .41 Rem Mag. With the right bullet and propellant, my long tube Model 57 will accurately place them down range with authority.

 

[Smithboomer]

My nickel four inch Model 57 makes it to the range about twenty times a year.
Xtreme's 210 grain plated bullet and Green Dot powder are my favorites.

 

[colt_saa]

I never understood folks that love the .429 Magnum (commonly called the .44 Magnum) but dislike the .41 Magnum.

I have owned and been shooting 41 Magnums since I accidentally got my first one back in 1980. I also began hand loading and casting for the cartridge back then since commercially available ammunition choices were very sparse. The ammunition situation has Greatly improved in the last decade alone

Here is a very old 41 Magnum Group photo

Today I own more than 3 dozen firearms chambered for this wonderful cartridge.

This includes single shots, revolvers, an auto loader and lever action rifles. These have been manufactured in carbon steel, stainless steel, scandium alloy and titanium

There are others, but I could not easily locate images

The projectile hits an aerodynamic sweet spot in handgun ammunition. Not an issue at close range but a surprising advantage over similar sized projectiles at 80 some yards and beyond.

I think you will find a surprising number of your fellow Forum members are enthusiasts of this cartridges. Some of them are vocal and out in the open like myself and others are quite a bit more shy.

I carried my 3" 657 for several years in an OWB holster after acquiring it in 1991. For the moment it is wearing some white corian grips that I came upon. While carrying it I had the round butt combats in place

 

[mckenney99]

I tried shooting 44 mags and they were just plain uncomfortable for me. Strangely, when I tried the .41 mag it was just enough less recoil that it was quite a bit more comfortable for me. I had a 7 1/2 in Ruger Blackhawk and 7 1/2 SS Redhawk that I used for deer hunting in Ohio and Kentucky. Both revolvers and my handloads performed perfectly, as long as I did my part. Both revolvers were fun to shoot. Once I stopped hunting, I sold everything, guns bullets & brass to fund other projects.

 

[max]

I have always tried to be a little different. I taught a night class back in the early 80's and made $500.00 I bought a 6 inch nickel 57 and a set of RCBS dies.

I think Skeeter or Elmer or someone had written an article extolling the virtues of the 41. In all honesty, things might have been simpler had I just got the .44, but they might have been hard to find at the time.

My standard load is 7.0 of Unique and a cast 200-210 gr swc. I doubt if I have fired one of my 41's in the past 10 years.

 

[loc n load]

41 magnum

Carried a model 58 in 1980 as a duty weapon for several years. I now have several S&W revolvers chambered for 41 magnum. I have carried them for S D, hunted with them, shot them for fun. I Cast bullets for them, reload for them.
The 41 magnum is a great cartridge and I still carry it in my 3” 657 as a personal defense load.

 

[Echo40]

If it were more prevalent in the firearms industry, then I could definitely see getting a firearm chambered in .41 Magnum, which seems to be a ballistically efficient cartridge which strikes a good balance between .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum.

Unfortunately, the industry seems to go to extremes, so intermediate cartridges tend to be unpopular, often times prompting unoriginal, short-sighted rhetorical responses such as; "It's the answer to a question nobody asked!" or "It's a solution in search of a problem!" So .41 Magnum never really achieved mainstream popularity, despite being a good cartridge.

I'd love to see some alternate timeline in which Dirty Harry carried a Smith & Wesson Model 58 instead of a 29, thusly resulting in the popularity of .41 Magnum.

 

[BigMuddy]

I wouldn’t say that I am shy about it, just not much need trying to explain it. It’s one of those things where “to those that understand no explanation is necessary, and to those that don’t none would suffice” (quote stolen)

Got my first Ruger BH 41 in 1983 because I didn’t like the squared dragoon trigger guard on the 44 Mag SBH. Still have that gun and 7 others. I have had at least that many more pass through my hands.

I have NEVER had a 41 Mag that didn’t shoot well and all are very easy to find accurate loads.

The flat shooting 41 does a better job shooting through small holes in thick brush than any other cartridge I use. The 454 Casull comes close but of course with much greater recoil.

Yeah I kinda like em.

Dan

 

[Chubbs103]

Got my first Ruger BH 41 in 1983 because I do I didn’t like the squared dragoon trigger guard on the 44 Mag SBH. Still have that gun an 7 others. I have had at least that many more pass through my hands.

My first was a Ruger BH as well. I was looking for a revolver for deer hunting and the SBH didn't click the same way.

Next came a Marlin 1894. Then a 58. Then a 657 Mountain Gun.

Unfortunately, I just inherited my FIL's 57 Mountain Gun.

When I started dating his daughter, I mentioned shooting and hunting. He was skeptical until I mentioned I had just bought the Marlin to compliment my .41 Ruger. He looked at me a little differently after that (he had a .41 BH Bisley as a hunting handgun).

One thing he didn't understand was my appreciation of a 210-215 grain LSWC at 950 fps. If it said "magnum" on the barrel, it wasn't interesting until at least 1,200 fps.

 

[SquarePizza]

I love my 657PC and if I could, I would carry it more often. It sees a fair amount of homestead carry and its been through a snubby class that I took with Greg Elifritz. Here is an older picture that I posted on this forum a few years ago.

My goal is to own either M58 or a mountain gun in 41mag someday.

 

[Gunhacker]

I love the .41 Magnum, and have 3 S&W's (a 8-3/8 bbl M57, a 3" bbl 657 and a 6-1/2" 657-2 Classic Hunter) and a 6-1/2" bbl Ruger Blackhawk. I would love to add a .41 Mag to my Marlin lever gun herd.

Starline brass sells a shortened ".41 Special case". Even though the .41 mag did not develop from a shorter "special" cartridge (like the .357 and 44 Mag did), Starline came up with "if there was a .41 Special, this is what it would be" fantasy brass. I bought some, and I love them. It, sure makes it easier to have reduced loads, and you're likely not going to get the two confused, unlike using regular .41 mag cases for reduced loads.

And they have the same level of accuracy as .44 Specials.