.41 Magnums

[meyer4589]

What's there to know about them? I'm looking at a nice 4" model 57 that's pinned and recessed. I've never shot or owned this caliber, but my father use to shoot a lot of single action and he has dies in this caliber to get me started reloading for it. I will probably just use the gun as a plinker, rather than hunting with it since it is just the 4" barrel.

 

[planedriver]

It's going to be the most expensive plinker you will ever own. Reloading will reduce the ammo cost considerably but if you compare factory ammo prices, loadings and availability the .41 is pricey to shoot with limited selection for loads. Setting that aside, the 57 is a great gun especially in the config you are looking for. Elmer Keith, Bill Jordan and Skeeter Skelton worked together to develop the round looking for a hunting and LEE round. IMHO they came up with a pretty good hunting round if you are a handloader.

If not for the novelty of the .41 and I were limited on the number of guns I could have, the .44 mag wins hands down. Main reason? the .44 will digest both light factory loads (44 spcl) and heavy factory magnum loads. In it's development the plan was to offer a factory light and heavy load to fill two needs. That goal seems to have never been met leaving the 44 a more versatile round.

I'm sure there are those who will argue a flatter trajectory and less psychosomatic recoil but it's not negligible to me.

 

[M67]

The .41 mag is a very cool caliber, true .41 bore diameter compared to the .429 of a 44 mag. Neat history behind the caliber, shame it never caught on full blown production. One of my earliest gun regrets was not getting a Marlin 1894 in .41 mag when Gander was clearing them out for $450

It's not that expensive to shoot if you reload. Last time I bought brass it was Starlin for $22 for 100. Primers are the same, Vance bullets from the 1500 I think are $35 for 500 and I use somewhere around 7 grains of Red Dot; which according to my spreadsheet is around 15 cents a round.

44 is more versatile especially with all the bullet weights (Speer offered several grains in .41 but they are a PITA to find), however a 41 mas the cool factor

And with Smith pretty much dropping everything .41 except the Classic line 57 (with that damned lock on it), they're going to go up in value so they're safe investments depending on the price. I paid a little more than half for my 657s compared to what they're going for now

I love my Classic Hunter II and Mountain Gun




I'd go for a 57 4" pinned barrel

 

[in625shooter]

The 41 Magnum ROCKs' I would love a 4" 657 (or a Ruger Redhawk in 41 Mag if they made one). Yes it's expensive but after you acquire the brass reload. Nothing better than putting 40 cal or bigger holes in cardboard targets with a wheelgun.

 

[VERT]

I think it is the finest big bore magnum cartridge. Lost to the 44 magnum because of marketing. Think or rather Thanks to Dirty Harry. I put it in the same camp as 10mm. Dang fine cartridge but ultimately didn't make it as a widely popular choice. If you can reload for it I say but it and enjoy the gun.

 

[Drail]

I have been reloading the .41 Mag. since 1989. Once you collect a supply of brass it is no more expensive to load for than a .44 Mag or any other centerfire handgun cartridge. My two favorite handguns are a S&W 57 no dash (4 in) and a Ruger Bisley (first year production) and neither one will EVER be traded or sold. The Bisley is my 300 yard gun.It shoots much flatter than a .44 Mag at distance with considerably less "felt" recoil. Another plus is that almost every handgun chambered in .41 is built on a frame designed for the .44 which results in a heavier gun due to the smaller bore- more steel is left in the cylinder and barrel. That helps with recoil even with max loads. My experience is that the .41 penetrates hard targets better than any handgun cartridge I have ever fired. When I used to shoot a lot of bowling pins the .41s were the only guns I ever saw that would split a new bowling pin in half with one shot. I cannot remember EVER having a .41 case split. My brass is very old and very used. They just won't seem to die. As others stated, it is essentially a handloader's cartridge but in today's world anyone who wants to shoot their guns should be handloading anyway. Plus you can easily handload ammo that is better in every way than any factory ammo and once you find your gun's "pet load" your gun will be a tackdriver.

 

[boatswainsmate]

Safe Queen.

Comfortable Shooting Snubnose!

Snubnose likes shooting these!

 

[Drail]

Please tell me that 57 is not really a "safe queen". I do realize that those S&Ws have become "investment grade" firearms but I would HAVE to take it out and play with it. They will never build revolvers like that again. I used to shoot with a guy who had that 3 in. 657. Talk about manly recoil - everybody called it " the Thumper". You really had to concentrate on your grip and keep your thumb away from the cyl. release or it would make you bleed.........

 

[45fan]

Ive been eyeballing a Smith like the one you are talking about. Not a thing wrong with the 41 Magnum, just that I am already invested in the 44, and there isnt anything that a 41 will do that I cant already accomplish with my 44.

As far as not hunting with a handgun becasue its "only" a 4" barrel? Nonsense. If you are capable of hitting your target within the limitations of the caliber in question, it is fine for hunting use. My 44 has a 7 1/2" barrel, but that is mainly to help control recoil, not to extend the range. My 4" S&W 357 rides very handily in a holster, and reaches out just fine within the limitations of that caliber. I always carry a wheel gun when deer hunting for a quick follow up shot (I tend to favor my smoke pole, even in regular gun season) and as an easier way to finish a deer that didnt go down as cleanly as we would like with the first shot.

 

[boatswainsmate]

Please tell me that 57 is not really a "safe queen". I do realize that those S&Ws have become "investment grade" firearms but I would HAVE to take it out and play with it. They will never build revolvers like that again. I used to shoot with a guy who had that 3 in. 657. Talk about manly recoil - everybody called it " the Thumper". You really had to concentrate on your grip and keep your thumb away from the cyl. release or it would make you bleed.........

Yes it's a true safe queen. I bought it about 17 years ago when I was still in the Navy. I haven't had the heart to shoot it since I retired.

 

[Drail]

....the loneliest gun in the safe....not allowed to play with the other guns.......

 

[boatswainsmate]

It has a friend to keep it company!

 

[Bigtanker]

Here is a bit of history of the .41 magnum from an American Handgunner issue this year.

The .41 Magnum Turns Gold | American Handgunner

Lots of good info in it.

 

[NKBJ]

Always mold your own. But for .41 make it an art form.

 

[meyer4589]

Well the 4" 57 sold, but I did find an equally nice 6" 57-3 complete with box and factory papers.

 

[dugsagun]

The 41 is a nice caliber. Yes the bullets are a little harder to find, but that just makes it more fun to load for. My redhawk 41 mag is my favorite handgun.

 

[Contender]

The 41 is great and I have them in rifle and handgun configuration. I could give you all kinds of reasons like others have but I will just go with..............not everyone else has one and it gets the job done for me. No more expensive to shoot than something like a 44 if you reload.

 

[Mike Grasso]

Here is my 41, started life as a 58, put a 57 bbl on it, round butt'd, custom deep channel fixed rear sight, 1911 front sight. cut down and fitted at under 3".
All work done by Jim Hoag, Don Williamson and grips by Craig Spegel.

I shoot Silvertips or inverted wadcutters (at about 900fps, Flying ashtrays we used to call them).
It's a nice 6 shot.

 

[spaniel]

The 41 is a wonderful round. It is at its best in a 357-sized frame. A lot of people (including myself) feel the N frame is a bit big for their hands. My 41 is a Taurus Tracker 5-shot with the light frame. No better package for bear country backpack hunting. I also have a SW 329 44Mag, but the gun does not fit nearly so well in my hand.

If you shoot any amount reloading is almost mandatory. I shoot a lot of 41 and a ton of 10mm, the price is not significantly different from comparable more common calibers. Straight-walled pistol brass lasts a long, long time if you don't abuse it.