Brownells Gun Tech™ Steve Ostrem takes us on a little detour from our usual FTV fare of historic / classic firearms and instead discusses the "middle child" of magnum revolver cartridges - the .41 Magnum. It was developed in the early 1960s by two famous gun writers and great cartridge developers, Elmer Keith and Bill Jordan. Jordan wanted a medium-power load with a bigger bullet than the .357 Magnum for law enforcement use, a ".41 Special" that lobbed a 200 grain bullet at 900 fps. Keith envisioned a more powerful .41 caliber hunting load. When Smith & Wesson and Remington got hold of the idea, however, they decided to go full magnum with a cartridge that rockets a 210 grain bullet at a blistering 1,500 fps. That much oomph requires a big, robust revolver, so S&W's resulting N-frame revolver was just too big and heavy for a patrol officer to carry all day. There was a silver lining: the .41 Magnum is an outstanding hunting round, though its bullet weight is nearly that of a standard .44 Magnum and the velocity is the same. You can handload .41 Magnum ammo with even heavier bullets, up to 265 grain - that's a big bullet with a LOT of penetration! So if you're a handloader and you come across at .41 Magnum revolver at a good price, go for it!
VIDEO HERE (3:40 minutes)
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My dad tried to talk me out of it, saying that the bullets and loaded ammo were just too damned limited and hard to find. He told me my best bet was a 44 magnum, but damn, everybody and their mothers shot a 44 and I wanted something a little different. I did a little research on the ballistics and liked what I saw. I also did a little checking around about ammo availability and yup, Pops was right. I couldn't find that shit anywhere. I finally found a single dusty box of 170 grain HP in a bait shop in Angels Camp. No big deal, I reloaded anyway so I started buying components before I even got the gun.
Pops was also right about bullets being limited. All I could find at gun shows were either 210 or 215 grain hardcast semi wadcutters.
I didn't care, I bought the gun anyway. I'm stupid like that sometimes.
In all the years I've owned that gun, I have never fired a single factory round through it. Everything that's ever been shot through it, I loaded.
I enjoyed loading for it, but there's only so much experimentation you can do with the lack of bullet weights and styles, but one day at the Cal Expo gun show in Sacramento I ran across a guy selling 280 grain 41 caliber hardcast bullets. A 280 GRAIN BULLET? Are you fucking kidding me? I'll take 10 boxes and a business card, please.
Dude told me using his favorite load, his chrono showed 1350 fps out of his Blackhawk using 20 grains of H110 under his bullets. His favorite load turned out to be my favorite load. Great accuracy and a decent velocity. I've stuck with that recipe ever since.
Recoil is stout with the 215 grain bullets, I'm not gonna lie, but in a Blackhawk it's more of a roll than anything else. A roll with a jolt. Or a jolt with a roll. Whatever.
It's not unbearable though - my girlfriend Dana loved shooting that gun as much as I did and she was just average size. Big tits, though.
I did put some Pachmayr grips on it, not for felt recoil reduction but because the damned wooden grips would shift on me during recoil.
It's one of my favorite guns. It's been a real workhorse - it's spent God knows how many hours on my hip up in the Sierras and Trans-Sierra and the dings on the gun and scars on the holster can attest to that. I've ran hundreds and hundreds of full house loads through it and it shoots as good today as it ever has.
picked up a used Smith in 41 Mag. think it was a 57 ? not sure anymore. it was back in the 1970's. late I think. anyway. ammo was a bitch to find. got 2 boxes with the gun but after that
ReplyDeleteNADA. traded it in a swap for a 1911 in 45 a few years later. the guy wanted it for hunting
still have that old gold cup 45. but the springs have all been replaced at least once.
always wanted a 1911 in 38 super. but if they had the gun, they didn't have any ammo for it ? maybe some day. wasn't in to reloading back then. I am now though. dave in pa.
I think Henry is making a .41 mag lever gun these days.
ReplyDeleteYep, not quite Marlin's but very good; have both.
DeleteThat Marlin was only made for one or two years, it's very collectible, and the prices are high.
Delete...and mine are not for sale, neither is the 2in SW
DeleteI don't reload, I buy my ammo commercially. And finding 41 magnum in a store is a bitch...on a good day. The lack of ammo availability in store is the only reason I don't own one. A truly sad thing as it's an excellent round.
ReplyDeleteI've seen exactly 2 model 57s in the wild down here in Lower Alabama and the price for each was outrageous. I've always wanted one, tho.
ReplyDeleteI've always kinda lusted after a .41
ReplyDeleteOne and only time I shot one, I had a borrowed one while doing a scratch wild boar hunt on a ranch in the San Luis Obispo area. Pig came up the draw towards me. I popped it in the nugget. It went down. I was one happy and jacked up 18 year old!
I've maintained for years that the Ruger Blackhawk (3-screw) in .41 Magnum is the sweetest large caliber you can shoot. You're right about the recoil.
ReplyDeleteAlmost 50 years ago a friend introduced me to his, and I finally found one in a price I liked a few years ago.
Would like to find a reasonable Marlin 1894 FG to go with it.
Dear Brother from another Mother-
DeleteI've got a 3 screw Blackhawk and also have a Marlin 1894 Cowboy Limited (JM rollmarked) in .41 Magnum.
Be aware that 1894 FG model has a Micro-Groove barrel and may not shoot cast bullets well.
I'm looking forward to the day Ruger/Marlin start making an 1894 in .41 Magnum.
I have a colt 41 caliber hand gun I bought from an antique store about 25 years ago--Colt D.A. 41. I'd post a photo if I could figure out how to .
ReplyDeleteSounds like Dana had features as attractive as that revolver!
ReplyDeleteSounds more like she was a Combat Magnum, 357s on a 38 frame.
DeleteI’ve had 41’s since 1977. All shot well and most were Smiths. I think I only had two Blackhawks.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out the plain Blackhawk with the 4 5/8 barrel was quite comfortable. Like a dumbass I let it go.
For as rare as it.is, I have a lot of friends that have them.
Paul J.
I have seen a lot of people shoot the 44 mag, especially when it was in its heyday, but saw very few who could hit anything with it. Too much gun. The .41 mag seems a good compromise between it and the .357.
ReplyDeleteHogue monogrip plx. Much more better.
P. S. The high-gloss finish 70's-vintage S&W N-frame revolvers are beautiful guns.
ReplyDeleteYou never know. The 10mm was resurrected when everyone thought it was done. The .41 may come back if there is adequate demand.
ReplyDeleteMy plinking loads for my 3 screw Ruger .41 Magnum are Berry's plated 210 Flat Points over a light load of Trail Boss powder. When I first started loading them, I didn't expect much. They were just going to be for fun and practice. But boy, was I wrong. Accuracy was as good as I'd expect with the best of bullets and loads. And I was blown away when I stood a short 4x4 on end and took a shot at it. Not only was my first shot dead center at 25 yards, these low power loads drove that bargain bullet almost all the way through that hard Doug Fir 4x4 and its nose was sticking out the back side of it.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with the penetration and power of the .41 Remington Magnum. And many folks don't stop to realize a .41 caliber bullet is less than 0.20" smaller in diameter than is the almighty .44 Remington Magnum.
Might want to save that Trail Boss powder…they haven’t made any for about a 1.5 years. May not see any in ‘24 either. I gave my last bottle to my brother for subsonic rifle loads.
DeleteAccording to a store manager I know they're not even making Trail Boss right now; plan to start again, but no word when.
DeleteThat flat-nose Berry bullet is going to have penetration out the wazoo, as you've said. It won't expand, but it'll drive through heavy hide, bone and muscle very well.
After losing faith in the department issue, I started carrying a S&W m-58. .41, 4inch bull barrel fixed sites. 240 grain half jacket semi head hollow point on 9 grains of Unique. Point of aim point of impact at 25 yards. Shot a 289\300 ppc with it. Sorry I parted with it. Storyteller
ReplyDeleteMy buddy's dad hunts with a T/C with 14" magnaported barrel with .41 silver tips and never misses, all clean kills.. I have a 115 y/o Colt Army Navy .41 DA . Excellent caliber
ReplyDeleteThe .41 mag is the round that probably should have won out instead of .357 mag and .44 mag. Logistics and specifically the lack of ammo beside full house magnum hunting rounds was probably a large part of that.
ReplyDeleteInteresting...
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/PdysqWzB0Dg
Was patrolman with San Antonio PD in mid 1970's when S&W convinced our brass to become the first major PD to issue the Model 58 .41 magnum. S&W gave them hell of a deal too. We had to buy our own leather gear with our uniform allowance so I did just that and was in the 1st group of officers to go shoot qualification course. We were sent to the line with ammo/brass was was reloaded because the department didn't want to spend the $$ or have officers use the deadly hollow point ammo which was the only thing available back then. There were 7 shooters and the line and started off with the 7 yds 18 round stage. By the time the whistle sounded to stop... the range was dead silent because 4 of the revolvers had actually seized up and the rest of the guys could barely pull the triggers (about 30 lb pull in double action). I finished up course with my worst qualification score ever. We all took our "new" wonderful Model 58's to the cleaning room. Using the rods and brushes provided in the S&W box we immediately ruined all the brushes. So I looked down the barrel and did not see any rifling and there were metal chips in curly Q's in the bore. We took the aluminum rods and used them to leverage against the inside of the barrel and began pushing out strips of lead/antimony until we actually got down to the rifling. Turns out that SAPD had no access to brass for the reloaded ammo so they got S&W to send the fired brass used to proof test at the factory to the reloader guy in Houston. This reloader fellow had his shop directly across the street from an auto battery recycler and that is where he got his lead to cast the bullets. The lead was not the only problem because S&W screwed up the cylinder gap between the barrel and cylinder in left it way too close (serveral revolvers had less than .004". When the barrel heated up it actually expanded enough back to stop the cylinder from revolving. All you had to do to fire another shot was to huff and puff on it till it cooled down sufficiently, not a good thing in a shootout scenario. I took my gun to the armorer and told him to stick it where sun doesn't shine. I got called to captains office shortly thereafter and got into it big time with him trying to order me to carry that revolver. I did not and immediately went and bought a Dirty Harry 44 mag instead. As none of the officers who did take the Model 58 were able to find any practice ammo and since I had reloaded extensively I looked up the dimensions of the .41 mag brass and found that with some ingenuity I could use my lathe and brass trimmer to make usable .41 mag brass of 30-30 Winchester brass that I found in abundance at local sport shooting ranges. I made over 6000 pieces, cast good bullets properly lubed and sold those to interested officers. I still to this day have my own 30-30/.41 mag brass stash and use them in my favorite .41 mag Model 57 - 6", which I love.
ReplyDeleteBeen running a Model 57 with an 8 and 3/8ths barrel for years. Found a Henry Big Boy in .41 a few years back and use my exact same loads for it as the 57. I use cast bullets most of the time, but prefer jacketed HP's for anything serious. If I'd have found the .41 when I was a kid, I doubt I'd have spent so much on 29's and Super Blackhawks. Still load for and run them all, though! Eod1sg Ret
ReplyDeleteI had a friend that had a Ruger in 41Mag that he wanted to sell. I had an uncle that was a jeweler that made bullet molds so I wasn't that concerned about bullets. I stayed away from it because I couldn't find any ammo or brass in 41Mag.
ReplyDeleteStarline was my go-to when it came to brass for the 41. I never saw it out of stock.
DeleteA week after reading this, I'm driving through a small town in NC coming back from a business trip and pull over when I see a beat up old building just off the two-lane blacktop advertising gun sales. Inside are two young good ol' boys behind the counter who immediately ask if they can be of assistance. Ask them if they have any pre-war Smiths in their displays; no, but please take a look at what we have. Just looking over revolvers and what do I see in the very far corner of a case but one of new S&W Classic .41 Magnums. Apparently it's been sitting in the case since it arrived from the factory in 2022. Just put in my order to Midway for dies, brass (Starline), mold, etc...........
DeleteIf I was starting over buying guns I would most likely go for the 41 mag. Since I already have .357, .44, and .45 it seems a bit much to stock 1 more.
ReplyDeleteStarline now makes .41 special brass. Or at least they did fairly recently. My understanding was to load it at 40 S&W power level for a good balance of power and lower recoil in a revolver. Right now S&W makes a model 69 5 shot 44 mag built on the 357 frame for a packing pistol. If they chambered it in 41 it would be an instant classic.