.41 Mag Association

I have a Ruger SBH with a 1:20 twist barrel, and if not mistaken, S&W 57 or 58 has a 1:18.75 twist. Does anyone know why the different twist rate by manufactures. I'm guessing that with Ruger, it will handle the larger lead bullets that's available.

I'm not sure why Ruger uses a different twist rate than S&W. I've not heard anything either about Ruger revolvers in .41 mag not being able to handle heavier bullets. Since you mention it I'm curious to know if anyone has used the .41 version of the SSK bullet such as this http://www.pennbullets.com/41/41-caliber.html
 
I am In!

I bought my 4 5/8" Blackhawk in 1968 and still have it.

A few years ago I got a steal on a 7.5" Redhawk Stainless.

I have always handloaded for mine. Usually Lasercast with SWC but have also taken deer with Hornady XTP and remington JSP. I never had a deer go over 15-20 yards after being hit with the .41.
After trying a lighter load of Unique in a .44 mag, I tried the 8.5 Unique load in the .41 and I do like it.
Pleasant to shoot but will still do the job.

My late BIL got me interested in the .41 as he carried a nickel 58 in law Enforcement for a lot of years. I can still see that short jacket that was so popular and that 58 in a Jordan holster right by his hand.
 
I don't think the twist rate will be an issue with either gun. All Ruger .44Mag's utilize a 1-20" twist and they handle Beartooth 355's just fine. The S&W's cylinder length will probably be an issue long before the twist rate.
 
Ahhhh! Got out of the house early enough to beat the heat today, and headed to the range with one of my .41 Blackhawks. That 210-grain cast bullet and 9 grains of Unique sure knocks the soup outta the fallin' plates. Some of'em got smacked so hard, they bounced back up.
 
I'll have to give 9.0gr of Unique a try next time I get out to the range again.
 
My application and check is in the mail, I'll be waiting on my card. I bought my first and only .41 in 1986, a new model blackhawk in a 6.5" barrell while in the Marine Corps. in Cali. I bought an RCBS press and dies right on base at Camp Pendleton. I reloaded a lot of ammo in the barracks, it was against the the rules to have ammo or personal firearms in our rooms, I just never got caught. The jarhead I got the Ruger from also had the Marlin lever gun but I couldn't talk him out of that one. I have shot thousands of cast and some jacketed and that old Ruger still looks almost new. I take it hunting with me every year but my rifles usually take care of the business. I know my Ruger can handle some pretty toastie loads, how do the Smiths do ?
 
I would like to associate myself with you folks.
A blued M57 was my first .41. Shot bowling pins with it at the old Second Chance Shoot.
Ran 210, 215 or 225 grain bullet with enough Unique to push them to 1,000 or 1,100 fps.
The pins left the table pronto in a shower of splinters. The same loads also work extremely well on steel plates.

Since then several other Smiths, three Rugers and a Marlin 1894FG have joined the herd.
Mostly shoot cast bullets but have some jacketed HPs and soft points put by.
 
Count me in!


I only have one .41 Magnum Revolver, an S-Prefix S & W Model 58 which is close to brand new condition.


Tried it a few times out at the Range, and feel very comfortable with it.

I did find that Ear Protectors were more important with this Cartridge than the low pressure ones I was used to. Lol...

Looking forward to re-Loading for it also.

Totally charming Revolver and Cartridge combination.
 
Has anyone messed around with the 170gr bullets from Sierra? It seems as though it would make a decent SD bullet for the .41 mag.
__________________
If numbers killed I'd be hunting with a calculator


my personal favorite is the 175 grain Winchester Silvertip.....
 
So associates what is it that has endeared you to the .41 mag? For me it is because I inherited my fathers' service revolver which is a S&W M58. It exhibits a tad bit of endshake so I take it easy on the ol' gal and stick with the lighter police loading. Once I got into reloading for the .41 I soon learned that revolvers chambered for this fine round seem to have tighter tolerances in cylinder throat & barrel dimensions. Which no doubt contribute greatly to the .41's reputation for fine accuracy.

The other reason I like it is I love the response you get when your asked what is that your shooting. Then the bystander usually replies back with .4 what?:cool: I really can't wait to use it on game this year whether it be deer or hogs.
 
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To me, it's just the perfect revolver cartridge. Between the Model 29 and the 57/58, the .41 offers comparable power and more strength in the cylinder walls. It shoots flatter than the .44 at similar velocities, and the loaded cartridge is even more aesthetically and proportionally pleasing, especially with SWC bullets.

And I've met with the same response that you have. "Forty...HUH?? You mean .44 Magnum?" I've even had a few argue that no such thing exists. I've even had to prove it to a couple of'em by showing them the gun with the roll mark because they insisted that .41 Mag on a headstamp had to be a misprint from a bad die. (No kiddin')

Of course, that's not such a bad thing. If word really got out, we'd have a glut of used .44s on the shelves and nary a .41 in sight. :D
 
I used to shoot with a guy who was a .44 Mag nut. He started with a Model 29 and ended up with a Desert Eagle (actually had the first one in town when they came out). I would shoot my 657 (which I still regret selling) against his DE. While I know the .44 has more energy, you couldn't really tell much difference in damage done, although I got better penetration.
My 657 didn't kick as bad as his 29, and wasn't nearly as heavy as the DE.
I think .41 serves it's original goal well: more power than the .357, but less recoil (and more controllable) than most .44s.
 
To me, it's just the perfect revolver cartridge. Between the Model 29 and the 57/58, the .41 offers comparable power and more strength in the cylinder walls. It shoots flatter than the .44 at similar velocities, and the loaded cartridge is even more aesthetically and proportionally pleasing, especially with SWC bullets.

And I've met with the same response that you have. "Forty...HUH?? You mean .44 Magnum?" I've even had a few argue that no such thing exists. I've even had to prove it to a couple of'em by showing them the gun with the roll mark because they insisted that .41 Mag on a headstamp had to be a misprint from a bad die. (No kiddin')

Of course, that's not such a bad thing. If word really got out, we'd have a glut of used .44s on the shelves and nary a .41 in sight. :D
It's our mission in life to educate the ignorant.
 
My first N frame was a M57 6'' bought back in the mid 70s. l shot it some and loved it. Then l got into IHMSA and decided l needed more gun. l traded it for a M29 8''. l shot silh w/44mag for several yrs before losing interest and going
on to rifles and bottom feeders.
A couple yrs back l rekindled my interest in silh, Shooting my Mod 29 in a couple matches. Meanwhile l happened on a M57 8'' on the net . l started shooting the .41 instead of my 44 because the red insert fell out. Boy what a difference. l just love this thing on silh. A hair less recoil. Shoots flatter tho. l may stay with it. l ran into some of those 220gr Speer half jackets and am loving them. Sorry to hear they are gone. l also bought another 57 6''. Now l need a 4''
My gole is to become proficient w/my 41s. Good enough to kill a black bear.
l hunted them yrs ago in Pa w/rifle. Rifles just dont excite me anymore
41s do tho.
 
It is the thinking man's cartridge. I will never sell any of mine. I have a Bisley that totally amazes people at the range for long range work and with the heaviest loads I can shoot it all day if I'm in the mood.
 
OK fellas, ya'll helped me immensely findin' a good load for my .41's. Now I have another question. Now I'm in the process of workin' on getting a CCW. My .41's are bigger than i want to carry comfortably. A Blackhawk and Mod. 58 M&P. Does anyone or has anyone made a .41 in a compact version that would be suitable for concealed carry? I have plenty of other handguns but i sure would feel with comfortable with a compact .41. I like my .45's but would prefer a revolver to take out any thought process should I have to use it. Thanks
 
Does anyone or has anyone made a .41 in a compact version that would be suitable for concealed carry?

There have been some 3" .41's made by S&W in limited runs, however their N frames so their not very compact. It is situations like yours that may of us including me wish someone would legitimze the .41 SPL.
 
My 1st 41 was a Blackhawk, that came into my buddies shop used, he wanted to move it quick, and I, was in the mood to buy. It was nice but was sold with several other guns during a rough spell. Then a buddy of mine had a 657 he bough 2nd hand, or maybe 10th hand. Still have it. Even have an old progressive set up for it alone.
 
Has anyone messed around with the 170gr bullets from Sierra? It seems as though it would make a decent SD bullet for the .41 mag.

I haven't fooled with these yet, but the 170 gr. Remington SJHP at an honest 1600 fps makes a pretty impressive mess. Apparently Remington discontinued that bullet (and load). :banghead:
 
Haven't tried the Sierra 170s.
I do like the Sierra 210 grain JHP pushed by 17.6 grains of 2400. Speer shows this as a hot load in more recent manuals. Back in the 80's when I started shooting .41, this was a medium load. Always worked well in a 6" S&W.
 
Gary Reeder claims the 170gr Sierra is the best available game bullet for the .41Mag. Don't know for sure and don't care for Reeder in general but he's killed a lot of critters with it.
 
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