Hey all, new guy to the forum. Been a 41 Mag guy since 1977 when I got a blue 4' M58 as a duty gun in a small rural town in Ohio. In the late 90s and early 2000s I shot Cowboy Action with 2 41 mag Blackhawks and a Marlin lever gun in 41. Currently holding 3 in various configurations. So, I guess you could say I'm a fan. Good to see a forum dedicated to our favorite round!
.41 Mag Association
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Ridgerunner665
Member
Henry Big Boy Steel carbine in 41.... to go with my 41 Blackhawk.
Tuned up a bit by a reputable smith... smooth shooter.
Tuned up a bit by a reputable smith... smooth shooter.
S.B.
Member
Thought I'd add my own. S&W model 58 recently.
Steve
Steve
dawei
Member
Wow! An awesome 41 Mag Blackhawk®!!!!!
Charlie98
Member
It's funny... sort of... but back in the mid-80's I was on the hunt for just that pistol... but I could never find one, not even at the gun shows. I wrote Ruger and asked them about availability of a .41 Blackhawk in any configuration, and they replied (I still have the letter, I think...) that there was not enough demand for them and they were not slated for production anytime soon. I went out and bought another S&W instead.
Fast forward to 10 years ago, and I found a 5.5" stainless Bisley in .41... just a perfect gun! Except. It wouldn't put 6 shots on the same sheet of paper. I worked with load development, I installed a Belt Mountain base pin in an effort to get this thing to shoot... and nothing. Finally, with a tear in my eye, I sold it off... this was before, mind you, I knew about Ruger and their issues with mismatched throats and the torque bulge, which was very likely the problem with that pistol. I keep telling myself that I'm done with Ruger pistols... but I know, some day, in a moment of weakness... I'll see one of those .41 Blackhawks on the table and take it home.
I'm so jealous!! I have been searching for one, reasonably priced, for years!
S.B.
Member
Stay on the hunt, they are out there. I should of bought one when S&W couldn't sell them for $98 NITB. Hindsight has always been better than foresight for me.
Steve
Steve
Logwood
Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2019
- Messages
- 80
Youngest son was home this past week, he's with the Border Patrol down in South Texas. He's always loved my model 58, it will be his one day. Grabbed the Hi Power, the Cz 75 Compact, Sig 365 and S&W 58 and headed to the range yesterday morning. Shooting indoors with several other guys in nearby lanes. Soon as we got the 58 out, folks started coming over and watching. One of the young lady range officers asked if she could shoot a couple rounds; she shot a cylinder full and loved it. Two or three guys asked and shot a few more rounds downrange. We were shooting 210 grain LSWCs loaded to 850 fps. Easy shooting round, but more than enough power to deal with most any problem.
RealGun
Member
Okay, but real magnums are in the 1100-1300 fps range. What they shot was more like 41 Special.
Charlie98
Member
....and there's a problem with that? Sounds to me like they had a fun day at the range and a few new people got exposed to the .41...
RealGun
Member
I had hoped you would see the point that they did not experience 41 Magnum and would be shocked if they ever fired bought ammo. If someone says they have fired 41 Magnum before, did they really?
Charlie98
Member
Just... wow.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
Mrs Thunkit weighs about 115 pounds. We were shooting with some friends, and the women wanted to shoot some if the 44 Mags.
I have a Taurus M44, one of the long barrel jobs, with the porting. It's a big, heavy revolver, that soaks up much of the recoil of full house rounds, but I didn't want to scare the smaller, less experienced shooters off; or worse, hurt someone.
I had some 200 grain lead, loaded to about 900 fps in Magnum cases. I let all the women shoot as much as they wanted.
They had a ball, shooting that big revolver. The rounds were pussycats in that huge Taurus. All of them were chattering and laughing, and every single one of them fired multiple rounds in a 44 Magnum.
Did they shoot a 44 Mag? Absolutely. And had a grand time doing it.
Was it full power rounds ? Who cares ?
Those women still talk about the time "...we shot that 44 Mag !!!"
RealGun
Member
Lyman shows 44 Magnum 200 gr at 1149 fps and up. That bullet is light for caliber, so is going to run in the higher velocity ranges. I load a light cowboy load too, using 44 Magnum cases for a backup rifle, but qualify what I call the ammunition and the experience of shooting it. I think it is pretty common to load 44 Special loads or in that range in 44 Magnum cases, even then allowing that the larger case would have lower pressure at a given powder charge and bullet. When someone shoots 44 Special ammo, even soft, in a magnum chambered gun, what do you call what they shot? If I shoot 38 Specials in .357 Magnum, what did I shoot? A nit maybe, but I stand by my original comment.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
Well, as long as we're picking at nits....
What you shot, sir, was a 357 Magnum. It says so right on the side of the firearm. The ammo may be downloaded, but you shot a 357 Magnum.
Even "Dirty" Harry Callahan, in the movie "Magnum Force" admits to shooting "...a light Special. I get more control." from his 44 Mag revolver.
Did they call the movie "44 Special in a Magnum Force" ?
No, they did not. The characters were shooting Magnum revolvers, no matter the ammunition.
Ok, after the fun, the idea was, I think, to introduce new(er) shooters to a new facet of the hobby.
No harm in using downloaded ammo as a vehicle with which to do it.
If you don't agree, so be it. I'll still buy you a cup of coffee if you ever come around.
RealGun
Member
We don't share the same sense of logic. So far, none of the cowboys I shoot with have referred to .357 Magnum re their pistols, but all the most popular Ruger Vaqueros are stamped "357 Magnum", while being shot exclusively with low velocity 38 Special in the lowest lead bullet weight available (105). Same for the imported Colt clones like Uberti, Pietta, et al. Actually I have seen a few real Colts...same thing.Well, as long as we're picking at nits....
What you shot, sir, was a 357 Magnum. It says so right on the side of the firearm. The ammo may be downloaded, but you shot a 357 Magnum.
Even "Dirty" Harry Callahan, in the movie "Magnum Force" admits to shooting "...a light Special. I get more control." from his 44 Mag revolver.
Did they call the movie "44 Special in a Magnum Force" ?
No, they did not. The characters were shooting Magnum revolvers, no matter the ammunition.
Ok, after the fun, the idea was, I think, to introduce new(er) shooters to a new facet of the hobby.
No harm in using downloaded ammo as a vehicle with which to do it.
If you don't agree, so be it. I'll still buy you a cup of coffee if you ever come around.
It is common now for small revolvers to be .357 magnum capable yet so small and lightweight that they beg to be limited to 38 Special, like so many people attest. I think of them as magnum-capable 38 Specials with the barrel stamping kind of a joke. Fortunately, I think most 41 Magnums look the part.
I guess I would simply want to qualify what exactly someone shot from a magnum gun, pointing out that full spec loads could be a very different experience.
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NeroM
Member
A lone wolf here.
My sons, suggest eclectic.
Perhaps that is why I have used a 41 Mag for over 30 years.
Have been lurching around this blog probably 15 years,
Not sure why I joined today.
Have three 41s; a single shot competitor, an RBH and my favorite an FA83.
Only shoot heavier bullets - for some time the 255 gr CPC bullet.
CPC Sadly the stopped producing this bullet. So I have to settle for the 250 gr.
Have tried a 265 gr bullet and heavier weight, the 255 gr was better balanced.
My sons, suggest eclectic.
Perhaps that is why I have used a 41 Mag for over 30 years.
Have been lurching around this blog probably 15 years,
Not sure why I joined today.
Have three 41s; a single shot competitor, an RBH and my favorite an FA83.
Only shoot heavier bullets - for some time the 255 gr CPC bullet.
CPC Sadly the stopped producing this bullet. So I have to settle for the 250 gr.
Have tried a 265 gr bullet and heavier weight, the 255 gr was better balanced.
Way back in the 70's I used a TC Contender in .1 mag for metallic silhouettes - mostly IHMSA.
I got very good results with a Lee 240 gr SWC, and 8 to 10 grs of Unique.
Worked pretty good in the woods too.
RJM52
Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2006
- Messages
- 225
If you know the history of the .41 Magnum, there were two original loadings...the 210 grain JSP for hunting and the 210 grain LSWC for self-defense and LE work... The velocity of the jacketed round was 1250 fps and the LSWC 950 fps from a Model 58...
So there was "bought" .41 ammo that didn't have all the flash, bang and recoil of the hunting load...just the name...Magnum...
Bob
RealGun
Member
They were shooting an 850 fps load, the same velocity range as my 41 Special. The old police load could have been (and is) referred to as 41 police load, nearly always qualified. The lowest velocity listed in Hodgdon, for example, 210 gr XTP, is slightly more than 950 (971) but with their faster burners with early pressure peaks. The slower powders are more like 1100-1300+ minimum.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
Use the #5 for lighter/medium loads, the #9 for heavier loads.
S.B.
Member
Unuque works great for me in most medium velocity loads in most magnum calibers?
Steve
Steve
BullRunBear
Member
I finally got to the range with the Ruger Blackhawk and some 210 gr. FMJ ammo rated at circa 1,200 FPS. I assume that muzzle velocity is middle of the road power. Shooting at 25 yards with elbows braced but no other support.
Whoa Nellie! I was able to shoot a couple of six shot groups that strung out but all were touching. And this with a gun I never fired before. I'm a decent marksman but not more than that, so the revolver and ammo are doing the work. I'm looking forward to working up my handloads for 41 magnum.
One pleasant surprise was how comfortable the 41 mag was to shoot. I was expecting a lot more recoil. Admittedly, the Blackhawk with the 6.5" barrel is substantial but it felt like shooting mild 44 special ammo. After 50 rounds I was ready for more. No flinch or fatigue. It was certainly more comfortable than shooting strong 357s.
Now I understand why folks are so enthusiastic about the 41 magnum. I'm surprised it isn't more popular.
Jeff
Whoa Nellie! I was able to shoot a couple of six shot groups that strung out but all were touching. And this with a gun I never fired before. I'm a decent marksman but not more than that, so the revolver and ammo are doing the work. I'm looking forward to working up my handloads for 41 magnum.
One pleasant surprise was how comfortable the 41 mag was to shoot. I was expecting a lot more recoil. Admittedly, the Blackhawk with the 6.5" barrel is substantial but it felt like shooting mild 44 special ammo. After 50 rounds I was ready for more. No flinch or fatigue. It was certainly more comfortable than shooting strong 357s.
Now I understand why folks are so enthusiastic about the 41 magnum. I'm surprised it isn't more popular.
Jeff
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