Why I No longer Own A .41 Magnum

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I realized just a little while ago that I lied to you guys. I've owned one .41 Mag before the one in the photo. It was also a BH, but with a 6.5" barrel. The only ammo I could find at the time (not knowing what I know now) was Buffalo Bore Heavy Hardcast. Probably 265gr.

I went to the range with no experience of powerful magnums beyond factory .357 range fodder. I scared myself silly, and barely hit the target located about half way down a 25 yard lane. I sold it a week later to a guy moving to rural Idaho who wanted a bear gun. Then I apparently locked the memory away, in some dark recess of my mind....until now. :rofl:
 
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Speaking just about Smith & Wessons and before 1980, the .44 mag most common barrel length was 6.5” and the .41 was 6” with that in mind, with most S&W, the .44 and .41 are virtually the same weight. If anything the .41 slightly lighter… I own both .44 and .41 caliber Smiths, and the .41 is my favorite. But in the end, who cares what everybody else thinks? I like them both and shoot them both.
 
I cant say anything bad about the 41 Mag, Ive had several real nice ones I let go. I think the cartridge is very good but in all honesty I really don't see much logic in choosing a .41 over a 44 Mag. Aside from burning less powder, I can't really see any advantage it gives over the 44, but again, you'll never hear me bemoan the 41 Mag.
 
I like my 41 magnums. For what I need doing they work just fine. If I find I need something more I'll move up to 45 Colt and skip over the 43 magnum. I also enjoy my 44 Specials, they have a place in the rotation as well.

For me it's about the enjoyment of the particular revolver more than the cartridge. Will a 44 mag kill a Pennsylvania whitetail more dead than a 41 magnum? No. Does my 41 mag Bisley put a smile on my face? Yes. I don't need to justify my choices to anyone.

I'm not wrong, I'm different.
 
WrongHanded said:
My one and only adventure into .41 Magnum...
View attachment 1076332

...left me last weekend. She never got fired until I'd made most of the modifications you see, and she never saw a factory cartridge.

There are two good reasons I let it go.

1: Any time I decided to carry something more powerful than a .357 Sig, .357 mag, or 10mm, I had a choice. If I didn't want to take the .44 Mag Redhawk, I could choose this .41 Mag pushing a 225gr LFN or WFN to around 1250fps. Or I could choose a SBH Bisley loaded with .44 Mag 300gr WFN at around 1200fps, that weighed only slightly more.

The SBH Bisley always won. And it left the .41 unwanted and unused.

2: I have a friend who is starting reloading and really wanted a powerful woods walking/hiking/camping handgun. So I gave it to them. With all the ammo, reloading components and dies I had. It wasn't a sale, it was a gift. And I'm confident it will see far more use and attention as a result. Perhaps it will become a family heirloom in time.

The .41 Magnum is an interesting cartridge. But I have no niche for it fill. Bye bye .41, I'll see you around.
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Really kind of you to gift that to a friend. We should all be so lucky as to be the GIVER of such a great gift. Receiving is great, but giving is even better. Good job, sir.
 
RKRCPA said:
I like my 41 magnums. For what I need doing they work just fine. If I find I need something more I'll move up to 45 Colt and skip over the 43 magnum. I also enjoy my 44 Specials, they have a place in the rotation as well.

For me it's about the enjoyment of the particular revolver more than the cartridge. Will a 44 mag kill a Pennsylvania whitetail more dead than a 41 magnum? No. Does my 41 mag Bisley put a smile on my face? Yes. I don't need to justify my choices to anyone.

I'm not wrong, I'm different.
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Both my 44 Mag and 41 Mag have Bisley grips. The 44 was cut from 7 1/2 to 6, and the 41 has a grip conversion on a 6 1/2" Flat Top. I no longer think of hurting my hand or seriously flinching when shooting those magnums with substantial loads.
 
That was a wonderful gift to your friend. I did something similar with a Taurus 38 special. He wanted something for HD and centerfire target plinking. He ended up with the revolver and a single stage press with dies and components to feed it. (This was before the latest bout of shortages.) It turned him into an enthusiastic shooter and reloader which was my biggest reward.

Each to their own, of course. I happen to really like the 41 magnum cartridge, especially in Blackhawks. I find it a satisfying round to shoot and reload for. It's in the same category, for my preferences, as the 44 special and 32 long. Not exactly au courant. (Glad I don't have to explain their appeal to anyone since I don't know myself.) The 41 mag is the most powerful handgun cartridge I use these days. The Model 29 and SBH only see 44 specials now and they are great platforms for the caliber.

Jeff
 
About 10 years ago I decided I wanted an older Model 29, but pricing was already getting higher than my want at the time. Saw a beautiful Model 57 for a great price and bought it instead. Love the thing and load for it to shoot a lot of 210 grain Keith bullets right at 900 fps mostly. Have several boxes of factory Remington JHP also for the full thump and potential hunting. Just finally gave in to my .44 mag. impulse a couple months ago with a 629. Loading .44 specials for it since I can’t get magnum brass right now and commercial ammo is $50 + per box right now. 6” N-frames make me happy.
 
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earplug said:
Do ammo manufactures still make the midrange load that was supposed to be perfect for defense?
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You mean the one that leaded the barrel horribly? No.

Interestingly, I think the 10mm FBI load was pretty close, just in an auto cartridge.
 
RealGun said:
Another 10 mm hijack.
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Are you upset that I've mentioned the 10mm?

I mentioned it in this case because I find it interesting that Keith and Jordan didn't really get the LE service cartridge they wanted. But then it showed up in an auto loader decades later.
 
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