Gumm38: Keep in mind that when the Dirty Harry "It'll blow your head clean off..." craze occurred in the 1970s, demand for .44Mag M29s shot through the roof and greatly outstripped supply. However, demand for .41Mag N frames was soft because the cartridge wasn't well accepted, and many LE agencies were passing up the heavy .357Mag M27 & M28 in favor of the lighter and easier-to-carry K frame M13 & M19.
Waiting lists & over-MSRP buyer premiums for .44Mag N frames + soft demand and surplus stock of .357Mag & .41Mag N frames = a suspicious number of .357Mag & .41Mag guns leaving stores with .44Mag barrels and cylinders in them.
