BigBill
Absent Comrade
He who dies with the most toys wins.[/QUOTE]
I'll be in the top ten soon.....before i die. Bill
I'll be in the top ten soon.....before i die. Bill
Why 41 Mag?
- Thread starter Neal/CO
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GyMac
US Veteran
I have a .44 Magnum, a Ruger SBH, but I came close to buying a Ruger in .41 and sometimes wish that I did. The alloy frame makes for a much handier gun with pretty much the same power. In the S&W line, I would have trouble justifying a .41.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
The difference in recoil is the size of the brass case. The 357mg brass is narrower while the 41mag brass is wider. This is also true in the larger straight cased brass in the rifles.(less recoil) Well the recoil felt is different. Bill
BTW; The only problem i had with the ruger SA's is the screws comming loose on the frame to grip frame on the stout loads in my 44mag.
Maximumbob54
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Could be stated the other way around, "what does a 44 Mag do that can't be done with a 41?".Answer, nothing except there are no 41 Specials.
And that is what keeps the .41 Police in second place. I think it's as simple as that. Sure, you can load it down, but not everyone handloads. So, I think it's more hand loaders that keep the .41 alive. Just big enough of a crowd to keep it from circling the drain but not big enough to keep it in the glory light. Heck, I would say .45 Colt is far and beyond more popular even if you delete the Judge crowd. Does that extra .019 of steel make it any stronger even? And the Marlin .444 helps with the .429 bullet sales. And all the lever carbines in .44 while .41 are almost non present. There's just too much the .44 has going for it while the .41 isn't bad, it just never was really that innovative. They could just have easily made the 58 in a .44 like so many have done for them. Hey, how cool would a 658 in .44 be??? (Sweet, he thinks... Hmmm...)
P.S. - I still say .41 special doesn't exist. It isn't a factory load from a major distributor. You could make your own brass from magnum length brass it you wanted to.. Starline just found a nitch product again for who was it now??? HANDLOADERS!!! (That are the bigest thing keeping the .41 alive I still say.)
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Reddog
Absent Comrade
I own three .41 Magnums. A 4" M657, a 6" M57 and an 8&3/8" M57. And just last week Mr. Lapell put me onto another, as new 6", that a dealer up his way was offering.
I also have a 7.5" Redhawk .44 Magnum. The only advantage I can see for the .44 is the 273 cast semiwad bullet I cast for it as a heavyweight. The heaviest I cast for the .41s is a 220 gr. semiwad. I much prefer the .41s! A lot of it is probably sort of a snob value, I guess. .41s are hard to come by. The other thing is the fact that the .41s are Smiths. Much prefer them over any Ruger I've ever owned!
I also have and shoot about eight or nine .38/.357 Smiths, mostly N frames, and I'm continuing to buy them, too, as a sort of hedge against inflation. Mr. L put me onto an as new M28 from the same fellow! These N frames loaded with Elmer's 172 gr. Semi Wad are very pleasant shooting for most uses. Probably shoot them more than any of the others.
But, if I could only have one handgun, it would be an M57 with a 6" barrel like my old one on top in the pic, loaded with a 220 gr. Keith bullet in front of 9 gr. of Unique! (Excuse the poor pic! Need to take some better ones.)
Dick
I also have a 7.5" Redhawk .44 Magnum. The only advantage I can see for the .44 is the 273 cast semiwad bullet I cast for it as a heavyweight. The heaviest I cast for the .41s is a 220 gr. semiwad. I much prefer the .41s! A lot of it is probably sort of a snob value, I guess. .41s are hard to come by. The other thing is the fact that the .41s are Smiths. Much prefer them over any Ruger I've ever owned!
I also have and shoot about eight or nine .38/.357 Smiths, mostly N frames, and I'm continuing to buy them, too, as a sort of hedge against inflation. Mr. L put me onto an as new M28 from the same fellow! These N frames loaded with Elmer's 172 gr. Semi Wad are very pleasant shooting for most uses. Probably shoot them more than any of the others.
But, if I could only have one handgun, it would be an M57 with a 6" barrel like my old one on top in the pic, loaded with a 220 gr. Keith bullet in front of 9 gr. of Unique! (Excuse the poor pic! Need to take some better ones.)
Dick
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David LaPell
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Smith made Mountain Guns in both 657 and 57 versions in addition to the standard 57 and 657's.
Reddog
Absent Comrade
I musta' missed the Mountain Gun part?
Ballistics
If I remember correctly, ballistic tables show that the 41 outperforms the 44 at longer distances due to a better ballistics coeficient. Don't remember how far out you have to get...I think it was past 100 yards.
If I remember correctly, ballistic tables show that the 41 outperforms the 44 at longer distances due to a better ballistics coeficient. Don't remember how far out you have to get...I think it was past 100 yards.
Not a "Special", but shoots like a Special @ 800 fps.
"NEW" .41 Rem Mag 210gr Lead Semi-Wadcutter 100pk
"NEW" .41 Rem Mag 210gr Lead Semi-Wadcutter 100pk
Combat_Diver
US Veteran
Difference between the .41 and .44 is like trying to decide between a .280 Rem and 30-06. Both excellence cartridges using the same bullet launchers ie long action bolt actions or Smith N frames.
I started handloading on the Smith 57. After owning about a dozen Smith 57/58s/657, I'm currently down to one 58, 14" T/C Contender and a Marlin 1894S in .41 Mag. Gave my only .44 Mag (29-2 6.5") to my oldest son last year. My boolit molds range from 195 SWC to 255 WFN.
The .44 Mag was designed from the get go as a handgun hunting round where as the .41 Mag was designed for the law enforcement but came out with two different loadings. The criteria for the law enforcement use is still being used today but applied now in an auto loading format ie, .40 S&W. The 10mm can be looked as the other loading that came out with the .41 mag. Just that when LE got the guns they were not a mid sized frame like the L frame but the N frame. Several gunsmith will chamber the Ruger GP100 in .41 mag and maybe as a 5 shot L frame. I'll still take my .41s thank you.
CD
I started handloading on the Smith 57. After owning about a dozen Smith 57/58s/657, I'm currently down to one 58, 14" T/C Contender and a Marlin 1894S in .41 Mag. Gave my only .44 Mag (29-2 6.5") to my oldest son last year. My boolit molds range from 195 SWC to 255 WFN.
The .44 Mag was designed from the get go as a handgun hunting round where as the .41 Mag was designed for the law enforcement but came out with two different loadings. The criteria for the law enforcement use is still being used today but applied now in an auto loading format ie, .40 S&W. The 10mm can be looked as the other loading that came out with the .41 mag. Just that when LE got the guns they were not a mid sized frame like the L frame but the N frame. Several gunsmith will chamber the Ruger GP100 in .41 mag and maybe as a 5 shot L frame. I'll still take my .41s thank you.
CD
Brian41
Member
I've had .357s and .44 mags since the 1970s. I bought my first .41 ten years ago and now own eight but down to three .44 mags.
I can't say exactly why but I enjoy shooting .41s over .44s especially with hotter loads. It may be reduced recoil or just knowing I'm shooting something out of the norm.
Most of the .41s I load are reduced load more like a special. I load up heavier for deer hunting and the fun of shooting some at times too.
I'd love to see .41 specials and an L frame 5 shot snub made in them.
I can't say exactly why but I enjoy shooting .41s over .44s especially with hotter loads. It may be reduced recoil or just knowing I'm shooting something out of the norm.
Most of the .41s I load are reduced load more like a special. I load up heavier for deer hunting and the fun of shooting some at times too.
I'd love to see .41 specials and an L frame 5 shot snub made in them.
Joe in SC
US Veteran
In my opinion the question cannot be answered to most people's satisfaction. I believe a person has to have fired a 44 magnum enough to be very familiar with it to fully appreciate and understand the 41.
Even then a shooter cannot fully understand the subtle differences and superiority of the 41 unless he is an experienced/knowledgable reloader and it certainly helps if he has a background in casting bullets. At this level the question then becomes as someone has already mentioned,"why the 44 magnum ?"
Even then a shooter cannot fully understand the subtle differences and superiority of the 41 unless he is an experienced/knowledgable reloader and it certainly helps if he has a background in casting bullets. At this level the question then becomes as someone has already mentioned,"why the 44 magnum ?"
Reddog
Absent Comrade
M2MikeGolf
US Veteran
I think the question really should be "what can a .44 Mag do that a .41 Mag can't". I would own a model 58, .41 Magnum right now if I didn't live in Germany; they are unheard of over here, both in ammuntion and weapons, unfortunately.
Michael Stern
Member
It seems crazy to get a 41 Magnum if you don't reload. I acquired my first Model 57 in the days after the Dirty Harry craze, when 44s were so scarce that many dealers were charging premiums for them. I do like that extra bit of steel between the charge hole and the cylinder wall! And the .41 does murder bowling pins.
jonbondave
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I heart .41 magnum.
m657
Member
41 magnum proves there is a benevolent and caring god.....
41 mag is what she had in mind when she invented shot & shell
41 mag is what she had in mind when she invented shot & shell
A full-charge 357 matches a lite 41 mag, a lite 44 mag matches a full-charge 41 mag. It's easy to find 357 or 44 mag brass at the range. New 41 mag brass is right pricey, but then what isn't? Now, why would I want a 41 magnum revolver? I don't.
Another over-priced differing opinion.
Another over-priced differing opinion.
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i love the 41 mag.and enjoy several...i guess another way to look at it would be what does a 38 round do that the 44 cannot?or a 32,41,22,357,etc.diff.calibers for diff.applications...a 41 mag.is easy and a pleasure to shoot....even a 3"
Reddog
Absent Comrade
I have to disagree with the statement that the heavy .41 Mag load matches a light .44 Mag load. Not in my guns!
Dick
BigBill
Absent Comrade
I just picked up a few boxes of Cor-Bon 41mag w/210gr JHP hunter ammo and its marked 1350fps / 800ftlbs. Thats not too shabby for a 41mag with a so called "light load" as some call the 41 right. I'd have to pump up my 44mag another 1,000fps to get close to 800ftlbs. There are pro's and con's between the two when me compare them. I've carried the redhawk in 44mag ever since there were offered. I carried the 5 1/2" barrel in the summertime and the 7 1/2" barrel in the winter time on my motorcycle. Since then i went to the 1911's, then to the 9mm's and now i'm packing the S&W M58 w/4" in 41mag in nickel. My point is everytime i look at the ballastics on all the non magnums i go back carrying the magnums again. The 41mag/m58 n frame is a tad heavier than my 357 snubbie but its a 41mag in an n frame. I think its a perfect match, me and my 41. Bill
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