41 Mag vs. 44 Mag

[IM_Lugger]

I have to admit I don’t have much experience with revolvers (semi-auto man). Anyways I always liked those Raging Bulls. But can't decide between 41 mag and .44 mag (I would get one in .357 if that would be an option). I never shot a .41, but I know that .44 has a muzzle flash that feels like a slap, (which I don't like). So the question is, does the .41 mag feel the same?
Also .41 mag ammo is not as common, and price is a concern.

Thanks

[steveno]

recoil of a 41 mag is probably about 85% of the 44 mag with comparable loads. there isn't as many factory loads for the 41 mag but the there is enough variety for anything that should be shot with a 41 mag. if you think you might need something more for power(and that includes the 44 mag) you probably need a rifle anyway. I have had 2 Ruger Redhawk 44 mags , 2 Ruger Superblackhawks and a Browning M-92 in 44 mag. of those I only wish I would have kept the Browning. I have a Ruger Blackhawk in 41 mag , S & W M-57 and a TC super 14 with a 2X Leupold. If I was to get another 44 mag(and I'm not sure why) I would get the Ruger SST Superblackhawk with the 4.625 barrel.

[scottys1]

Personally, I would lean toward the .44 mainly because of ammo availability.
As steveno said, the recoil is less with the .41, but in my experience, the difference is minimal. If you can shoot a .41 comfortably, you can also shoot a .44 just fine.
There is also the issue of being able to shoot .44 special ammo in a .44 mag to calm it down if needed. As far as I know, there is no .41 special ammo available.
I am a dedicated handloader and I load probably 95% or more of the ammo I shoot, so downloading the .41 would be no problem; but I like the option of being able to pick up whatever I need at the local stores.

[JBP]

Agree with the previous posters. Although 41 Mag is my favorite revolver caliber if I had to choose between that and a 44 Mag I'd go with the 44 Mag. Better and cheaper ammo supply if you don't reload and you can use anything from lighter loaded .44 Spl to Buffalo Bore's +P+ if you have a Super Redhawk or Dan Wesson. There is neglible difference in recoil between the two when firing standard loads.

[Arizona Fusilier]

My model 57 .41 was my first revolver, and probably still my favorite.

It is not a cartridge for everyone, particularly if cost/logistics is a main consideration. The nod goes to the .44 magnum for versatility, cost of ownership, and power.

But every real gun collection should have at least one .41, IMO.

[629 shooter]

The 41 does not have anywhere near the versatility in regard to bullet selection and bullet weights as compared to the 44. In the 44 I have used 180 , 200 , 220 , 225 , 240 , 265 and 300. The 41 is most commonly used with 170 and 210 grain bullets.

[Sisco]

I love the .41 mag! But then I reload. You don't find .41 on the shelf at Wal Mart.

[IM_Lugger]

With .44 mag, every time you pull the trigger it feels like a hot air wave hits you in the face . Does the .41 mag feel the same

[Paul Fitz Jones]

My Smith liturature says that the 6 inch .41 weighs and ounce different than the .44 and gives 20% less recoil which I feel that has an effect on accuracy. Of course I have several .41's and reload and cast my own bullets and my standard police load for my on duty carry weapon suits me no matter what so I have no need to experiment with bullet weights.

Paul

[Yooper]

1) Identify the task to be accomplished,
2) Choose the proper tool for the job,
3) Adapt to the peculiarities of the tool, if any.

We can translate this as follows:

1) We want to hunt elephant,
2) A .400+ caliber rifle,
3) Learn to shoot it well.

Failing (2) or (3), don't go elephant hunting

[IM_Lugger]

I'm not looking for a pistol I can hunt with. Just need a comfortuble to shoot, full size revolver, that mainly can be used for target practice.

So the main concern is the muzle blast: a hot air wave hitting your face (Not Recoil). Thats what's keeping me from getting a 44 in the first place.

Does the 41 mag feel the same???

[629 shooter]

All of the big bore magnum revolvers are going to have noticeable muzzle blast. Large doses of powder shot in relatively short barrels. A solution to this is to reload your own ammo. With lighter loads using powders like Unique the blast is greatly reduced.

[PsychoSword]

The 210gr. factory loads from Federal and Winchester for .41 and .44 are identical in speed and power. The benefit with .44 magnum is that there is more case capacity so that when you get into the really heavy magnum hunting loads like Buffalo Bore and Corbon, the .44 has a good lead over the .41 in attainable power.

I would like the .41 magnum alot more if there were more smaller framed revolvers available for it. A six shot K framed size gun would be great.

[scottys1]

So the main concern is the muzzle blast: a hot air wave hitting your face.

I think you are talking about cylinder flash, the flame that issues from the cylinder/barrel gap. A .41 won't be much, if any different from a .44. Even with a full power .357, the flash can be pretty big.
If you are going to use it primarily for target practice/plinking rather than hunting, a .357 might be worthy of consideration if you can find one that fits you. The ammo will be considerably cheaper especially since you can use .38 special.

[LAK]

In both cases there are what are commonly called "midrange" loads - usually a lead semi-wadcutter loaded to about 1,000 fps. They are about like shooting a .45 Colt or a .45 ACP in any large revolver. And in the .44 mag you can shoot .44 Specials of which there are a pile of "cowboy" lead loads running c.900 fps.

I have owned both .41 mags (S&W 57s 4") and a .44 (Ruger Redhawk 5 1/2"). Recoil in the .41 was noticeably less than with the .44 but blast is the same. They operate at the same working pressure (Actually lower than the .357) so blast will be more dependant on barrel length and particular load. A 6" or more barrel should keep it at tolerable levels for you when shooting full power loads.

[IM_Lugger]

The gun that I want is Raging Bull and is available in .41 .44 .454 and .480
But not the .357 . The ones that I consider are in .41 and .44 both with 6.5' barrel.

scottys1 wrote:

So the main concern is the muzzle blast: a hot air wave hitting your face.

I think you are talking about cylinder flash, the flame that issues from the cylinder/barrel gap. A .41 won't be much, if any different from a .44. Even with a full power .357, the flash can be pretty big

I don't know about that; 'cause you still get the same flash/blast with a .44 mag Desert Eagle, which is a semi-auto (no cylinder/barrel gap).

[45+]

Pleasure is a very subjective thing. What one shooter likes, another hates. So I have some suggestions for you.

1) Taurus makes the Raging Bull in 30 Carbine, and that is more like a 357 Magnum. Although a rifle round, it is not as "hot" as the 357 in full power loads, and it might let you have a Raging Bull in a caliber more suited to your taste. You might consider that as an option.

2) Probably the best thing to do would be to shoot the guns you are considering, or at least all the calibers, if that is possible. See what you think about each of them. Even if this is expensive to do, it is cheaper than buying a gun you do not like. Someone mentioned "mid-range" ammo. That is a good thing to try. Winchester Silvertip ammo is somewhat "tamer" in both calibers than most of the other loadings offered. Perhaps shooting the 44 Special ammo will fulfill your desires. Cor-Bon makes a 44 Mag "Defensive" round that is pretty tame for a 44 Mag. It depends on what you want. Maybe ammo selection is a partial solution to your quest.

3) But the thing that will probably let you do what you want is to start handloading. You can custom tailor the ammo to be what you want it to be. And you can start with a very simple and relatively inexpensive set up. John Taffin writes about how to handload for days when "you do not want a lot of recoil" for both the 41 and 44. These loads will probably take care of your "wind in the face" problem in either caliber, and should you ever come to love the "wind in your face", you can load for that as well.

Whatever you decide, best to ya'.

[hawk44]

just purchased an excelent shape Colt Trooper Mark 5 in .357mag. Anyone have a history with this particular weapon ?? Any special loads for hunting deer at close ranges? live on farm and hunt mostly in creek bottom areas as well as the edge of the bean fields. Thanks for your reply

[FirstFreedom]

IM, I have a Raging Bull in .44 mag, and love it. In a gun that big and heavy, I'd say if you're a big reloader, get the .454 casull, for maximum versatility. If you're not, get the .44 mag - CCI Blazer ammo in .44 spec can be found for $11.95 for FIFTY rounds (at Academy for example), and Win white box .44 mag is only $19.95 for fifty. Or the .30 carbine is also a nice idea if you reload - I'll bet you could get it pretty hot like a good .357 mag if you care to. In my Raging Bull .44 mag, the .44 specials feel like nothing, and the .44 mags are still not bad atall on recoil, with the rubber backstrap of the gun. I don't notice any face blast myself - could be because I got the long-barreled version (8.375"). One drawback of this gun is that the porting, although reducing muzzle flip, makes for a big flash if you ever shoot at night.

[Brian 45]

Hi guys,
I'm a first time poster here and a big fan of .41. .44 and .45's.
Although I have a sweet spot for .41 mags I'd also suggest .44 for the reasons given before me.
On the other hand, if you reload the .41 is one very nice caliber. They can be loaded to .41 caliber "specials" right up to almost .44 mag loads and I feel at alot less recoil than my .44's.
I went for years with my .357's and .44's missing out on the .41 as being a "tween" round but have found it to be a really nice round all of it's own.
I have an early S&W M-57 and a newer M-57 both in 6 1/2 inch as well as a 657 in 8 3/8 inch as well as some 629's and 29's. I even have a stray Ruger SBH that is my primary deer handgun.
A couple other caliber N-frames have followed me home as well but my .41's are the favorites and seem to be the ones that wind up in my holster for a walk out back and the caliber that mostly resides in my press.
Good shooting and glad to see some .41 fans here.

Brian 45

[4thHorseman]

I had a 41 mag and got rid of it.
I have two 44 mags and love them to death.
With the 44 mag, you have a wide arrange of bullets and loads to choose from.
I did not feel much difference in the shooting of close loadings.
The 41 may be hard to get bullets for. The 44 mag is easy to get bullets for.
Just my thoughts.

[slabsides]

I'm guessing you don't handload.
You just want a good 'big-bore' to have fun with: no hunting, no self-defense capability, using store-bought ammunition.
Best and most economical choice, as well as the most versatile one, would be a Ruger Blackhawk .357. Also shoots .38 Specials, no bad recoil or blast with most loads if you get a longer barrel. They are really nice in Stainless.
Leave the .4xx cannons to those who need them, for whatever reason, whether real or psychological.
Don't get a Taurus. The quality just isn't there.

[MrSept99]

I have owned a S&W 41 mag w/7 1/2 inch barrell for over 10 years. The recoil is very close to the 44's. There are factory loads available, just recently bought a box of Remmington shells at Gander Mt but they were expensive, $79.99 for 50 rounds (2x that of most 44mags).

[Maromero]

FSA

[Auto426]

I have a S&W 629-6 with the 6", half lug barrel. It can be seen below in the crappy pic:



So far, I've shot the cheapest thing I can find locally through it, Fiocchi 240gr semi-jacketed flat points. These aren't anywhere near the "hot" end of the .44 magnum spectrum, but they were fun to shoot.

I have no experience with shooting a .41, but I was pleasantly surprised when shooting the 629. Recoil was there, but it wasn't bad at all. I was actually pretty accurate with it, and didn't feel like the recoil was hampering my shooting at all. In fact I was having a hell of a time blasting away. I didn't notice the blast being any worse than my .357.

I have a pair of Pachmayr Presentation grips that I put on for shooting it. They cover the backstrap and fit my hand pretty well, though they do make the reach for the DA trigger a little long. The SA reach is just right, and since this is mostly a range toy, that's perfect for me. The Eagle grips in the picture are just for show, they make for one good looking gun IMO.

I recommend the .44, since the ammo is much easier to find and you also get the ability to use .44 specials, which a very close ballistically to .45 ACP. Shoot the right ammo and they can be a ton of fun.