How many 41 mag fans are out there?

[Rutin2tin]

Give me a few minutes to retrieve an old W-W booklet, and I'll post the info and date for You. 

[saddlebum]

Give me a few minutes to retrieve an old W-W booklet, and I'll post the info and date for You. 

Thanks!
I went looking for something about it online and all I could come up with is this warning on a web page about burning rates.
 
"Note that many ball powders can exhibit unexpected extreme changes in pressure below 35 degrees F and above 105 degrees F, rising pressures 10,000 psi or more at elevated temperatures. Be careful at the temperature extremes!  In addition do not use ball powders at very low load densities."
http://www.frfrogspad.com/burnrate.htm
 
I haven't had a problem with my hottest loads, as long as I develop them in the summer when it's really hot out. Never knew about a cold temperature problem before!

[Rutin2tin]

The only W-W booklet that I still have shows only the W-W warning to not reduce the W-W #296 powder charges shown printed in the booklet.
 I believe that it was a year or two later that cautions against using #296 in the cold were printed in magazines such as Shooting Times, and American Rifleman.
 
My bad experience with #296 on one cold Saturday in early 1977, while shooting My Ruger Security Six, using .357's loaded with jacketed bullets and #296, was strange at best.
I noticed a somewhat violent recoil, and the gun's trigger mechanism began to malfunction as a result. No parts were broken, but I ceased firing those loads and the Security Six, and stuck to 38's in the cold after that.

I'll keep my eyes open for an old published warning, but I've lost a lot of My gun & reloading literature since My move south nearly 10 years ago.
I may still have an American Rifleman magazine with said published warning, and I'll scan the page and post it should I locate the magazine.

[Dand]

Its been a while since I checked this thread.  On p 2 someone asked me how I checked the speeds of my loads.  I have an Oheler [spelling??] chrono and I have shot a lot of loads over it.  Have to be careful to shield the screens from the blast as the speeds are right in the range where powder residue and blast can mess up the readings.


Speaking of..powders.. I found some new 2400 for 1/2 price at a store this evening.  Picked up one pound - probably should get more. I used to burn mostly green dot and 2400 in my earliest days of loading the 41.


As far as 296/ H110 being temp sensitive - that's news to me.  I'd like to know more 'cause my main loads now use those powders and I sometimes carry the 41 down to -20F.  Don't shoot it much at those low temps and haven't noticed anything out of line.  One powder that was supposed to be real good in the 41 was WW 630 - and I used quite a bit.  I believe it was taken off the shelf for temp problems both extreme cold and hot. 


A few years ago I had finally found a bottle of Blue Dot to try. Only about 8 months before those warnings came out. May use it in my 12 ga or .40.

[Sweetwater]

Blue Dot was one of my favorites in the 41mag and the 45Colt. When the warnings came out, I sent my data into Alliant for review. They said it showed good consistency and was OK, but if I noticed any signs of erratic behavior then to discontinue using it. The next Lot# could be very different. I stopped at the end of that pound of powder. There are just too many powders to take any unnecessary risks with possible erratic behavior.
 
I, too, have never had W296 mis-behave in cold weather. I always use a mag primer and always use a heavy crimp and maintain high load densities. Green Dot and others get my low load density duties.
 
Jeff
NRA Life

[greentruck]

I know this is an old thread, but I brought my 10th 41 home from a gun show last weekend, and felt the need to get it back up for those that haven't thought about the 41. And by the way, the 41mag bullet case tattooed on my wrist would classify me as a 41 nut, along with other things.

[saddlebum]

We could keep the thread going by throwing up some more pictures..........

[williamlayton]

This is mine--it has worm hole ports that I cannot verify being factory.
Blessings

[woods]

     I'm shooting 250 gr wnfp bear tooth bullets in my 41 smith 657. Very acurate and go all the way through. My go to bullet for hunting all big game. Just finished loading 24 for practice with 18gr of lilgun, my favorite load.
      woods

[ga41]

I'll revive this topic. I bought my first 41 back in the early 80's, a 41 VH8 Dan Wesson, was a decent shooter , great trigger but just to heavy for carry hunting. Then bought a 6.5" Blackhawk, sold it to a friend to purchase a 5.5" Redhawk. Added a 7.5" std Redhawk before the 7.5R Redhawk came out, so went the 7.5"R model came out, I sold the std 7.5" version to afford the "R" model. Years later the SW 657 Hunter model came out, so the Dan Wesson went out the door to get the 657. Picked up a 3 screw , times got tough, so I sold the 5.5" to a friend that had to have it.... So I currently have the 3 Screw 6.5", 7.5R Redhawk and the 657. I will say that I have killed several hogs with a 210gr Nosler over a nice chg or H110. Performance was excellent with good expansion and bullet resting under the far side hide. Wish I had every one I had sold...

[shotgunner]

I bought a S&W model 58 a couple of months ago. It is in 99% condition but I took it out and shot it. It is one of the most accurate handguns I have ever fired. I get lots of 1 1 /4 " groups at 25 yards, even with my more then 50 year old eyes. It is easily the best shooting fixed sight gun I have shot and fast becoming a favorite. Shotgunner

[m-g Willy]

I bought a S&W model 58 a couple of months ago. It is in 99% condition but I took it out and shot it. It is one of the most accurate handguns I have ever fired.

The 58 is a great gun that's for sure.
But it would be even better if it were chambered in 44 mag.!

[Old Griz]

It is easily the best shooting fixed sight gun I have shot and fast becoming a favorite.

My problem is I feel this way about every S&W revolver I have ever bought--new or used--fixed sight or adjustable--and I'll be darned if I can pick a favorite.


These guns just really shoot!

[1911crazy]

I just purchased some gun books and it said the 41mag was developed so we would have another magnum  cartridge between the 357mag and the 44 mag. It was developed for law inforcement and for the guys who didn't like the 44mag's recoil.  Its been also said the 41mag has more penetration over the 44mag. Elmer Keith was involved in designing the 44mag and 41mag and 357mag too.  The guys who hunt with both say the killing / stopping power between the 41mag and the 44mag seems equal, dead is dead with both rounds.
I had a buddy who wanted a new S&W in S&W 500.  I took him to the range and he never shot magnum handguns before.  I let him shoot my stout 44mag loads. I don't think he liked the 44mag's recoil because he hasn't talked about the 500 S&W again.  Were looking at 37ft lbs of recoil from the 44mag and 55ft lbs of the 500 S&W there's quite a difference.  Of course there is porting too.
BTW;  One of my new books has about 20 pages about the 41mag round.  It seems the 41mag never caught on but the second comming just maybe happening now.

[shotgunner]

The idea of the 41 mag was for law enforcement. Skeeter Skelton was involved in getting it going. His thought was that there would be a new revolver, between a N and a K frame, perhaps a slightly bigger L frame. S&W was not about to develop a new gun. The 57 came out heavy and the magnum loads were far heavier then needed. I turned out to be a fantastic hunting round, but not was Skeeter wanted in his holster while on the job. eGrant

[1911crazy]

In loading the 41mag 215gr leadcast swc bullets is 8 or 9grs of unique powder ok for a S&W n frame revolver??  I really don't see any reloading specs for this bullet.  Whats the lightest load you can go with the setup using unique powder and the 215gr swc bullet for plinking?  I would like to keep my S&W's on a normal diet while my rugers will eat anything thats stouter.

[S.B.]

Your load with Unique should be fine, in fact I use the same load with this weight of bullet. For other powders try the web:
http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
Steve

[1911crazy]

I have boxes of the cor-bon 41mag ammo too but i may purchase a ruger blackhawk to shoot the hotter 41mag ammo.  I don't want to spread the frames on my smiths too much with hot loads.

[Hammerdown]

I have boxes of the cor-bon 41mag ammo too but i may purchase a ruger blackhawk to shoot the hotter 41mag ammo.  I don't want to spread the frames on my smiths too much with hot loads.

Hello 1911crazy
Don't Fear over Loading, or stressing the S&W revolver chambered in .41 Magnum. S&W Made them tough as Nails they have a Hardened frame and cylinder to make them Super durable. I have Loaded my Model 57 Beyond the load's rated for the S&W Model 29 which is chambered in .44 Magnum. I can Tell you that the recoil of hotter load's will Hurt your hands much more than it will Hurt the revolver. I have Killed Deer with mine and the bullets are always straight through with geat expansion. The Original Factory Load's for the Model 57 & 58 made by Remington back in 1964 were down Played and very Mild. I feel the reason for that was the do Gooder's were Crying about the Large bore caliber being too Fierce for Police work. I had a discussion was a former Alabama State Trooper who shared with me that he quit carrying his .357 Magnum and switched over to the Model 57 chambered in .41 Magnum. His reason was that the .357 Magnum did not have the Knock down Power compared to the .41 Magnum. He said that he was Involved in a shoot out with a Bank robber and emptied his .357 Magnum revolver into the bad guy who Kept running. This forever changed his faith in the .357 Magnum cartridge. A Few Years after switching over to the S&W Model 57 he was Involved in another Burglar shoot out, but this time things went much different. He said the bad guy was about Fifteen yards in front of him and drew down on him. he at the same time drew down on the Burglar and fired his Model 57 revolver. he told me that the Kinetic energy of the round Picked the Bad Guy about a Foot off the ground and sent him Backwards about Ten Feet where he Landed on his back Motionless. There was no follow up shot's needed as the .41 Magnum did it's Job and the Hit from it was an Instant Fatality....I tell People the only difference betweeen a .41 Magnum compared to a .44 Magnum is 0.019" In Bullet diameter. The advantage to a .41 Magnum is that they shoot a Little Flatter in long range shot's due to the Lighter bullet weight. Long Live The .41 Magnum they are Awesome.... Hammerdown

[1911crazy]

From what i have read all the S&W N Frames are forged steel.  I also read the new S&W M29-10 with the loc is suppose to be the best 44mag N Frame revolver they have ever manufactured to this date. I wanted a 41mag revolver for over 40 years now.  When i see my LGS had a sale price of $599/$699 on them i purchased  two a brand new S&W M57 & M58. My reloading the hotter/stout rounds is just about over.  I'll load standard magnum loads and sit back and enjoy the shoot now.  I'm loading leadcast for plinkin.  Why waste the JHP's on paper.  At the end of the shoot i do fire off 6 rounds of the jacketed just to keep the feeling/handling in check of the magnum loads.  I believe with the internet the 41mag is catching on more and more now, more ever than before.  I only fired my new S&W model 58 with the 4" barrel and she handles awesome much better than i thought it would. I think i found my revolver nich.

[S.B.]

1911crazy, are both of yours the new "Classics" with the locks?
Steve

[Hammerdown]

From what i have read all the S&W N Frames are forged steel.

Hello 1911crazy
The Carbon steel -N-Frame whether they be Nickel or blued finish are all forged. Once they leave the forging Process they are sent to the Coining process which is a Massive Machine that Pounds down Fiercly on the raw forged steel Frame to make the Molecular structure of the  Forged steel more dense, and Durable. They Then trim off the extra casting forged steel waste, and send the frame's to an annealing process which in Essense hardens the steel, by closing the Molecular structure due to the heat involved. It then goes to the Polishing department, Then the finishing department for it's finish of blued or nickle. Nickel finished gun's get a much more final Polish done to them so that the final product show's no Imperfections or scratches in it's final finish.Many of the Polishing wheel's in the finishing department of S&W are made in house to work for the application's they are needed for. Some are made of Walrus & Whale hide or leather, which gives a smoother final finish to the revolver's.  Oddly Not all S&W's have Their frames Nor cylinder's Heat Treated for Hardness. Mainly The Magnum Caliber hand gun's are Heat Treated for Hardness due to the Higher Pressure of the rounds they fire, This Process build in more durability over the long haul. I do have a Pre-25 which is a five screw Variation and is finished in Bright blue, which is an exception to the rule. It's Frame was Intended to be made for a Pre-29 chambered in .44 Magnum as it's serial number's show's to be of that time frame. Evidently early on the Pre-29's were not hot seller's as they used the Pre-29 frame to build my Pre-25 Revolver & cylinder which is chambered in .45 A.C.P..Even More Odd is that my Pre-25 five screw revolver shipped in April of 1959 Being 3 Full Years after they dropped the upper side plate screw, so my Frame Must have been way back in the S&W Vault, Never say never with anything S&W as they were not a company to waste anything if it could be used. Regards, Hammerdown

[S.B.]

Thanx,Hammer. That's been proved over and over on the many S&W forums on the internet. Never say never when it comes to S&Ws. If in doubt contact Roy Jinks at their historical department.
Steve

[1911crazy]

1911crazy, are both of yours the new "Classics" with the locks?
Steve

All 4 of my new S&W N Frame revolvers have the loc's with no problems yet.  I did moly them up along with the sears. (2 in 41mag, 1 in 44mag and 1 in 44 special)

[1911crazy]

Here's my thoughts on bullet choices for thick and thin skinned game. i believe that using hollow points will stop short on thick skinned game. i think that soft point bullets would do a better job with penetration. now with hollow points there more of a defence round rather than a hunting round. butthey expand better in thin skinned game. i did find the 240gr jsp soft points in a 444 marlin do explode in contact in wet sand. im sure the 44 mag would be close at shorter distances.