The .41 Magnum Club

[jetinteriorguy]

Originally Posted by Gunstock48

Thanks Jetinteriorguy I bought it from a friend for 500 it is in like new condition I don't know that he shot it over ten rounds maybe.

Wow, that is a super score. I’d grab a deal like that in a heartbeat, even though not a fan of long tubes it would complement my 6” and 4” to make a nice set. Congrats.

[Grizzly2]

Years ago I helped a shooting buddy buy a 4 3/4" 3 screw in .41 mag. I had a 4" 19 and we shot together often. I still have some of the loads for his .41 We used 7.5 gr Unique and a 210gr cast for a comfortable load with some punch. He was lucky enough to buy his with a well made drop rig and some ammo which we reloaded.

Another friend was wanting a dirty harry 44 and back then all that was available was a nickle 6" model 57 back when they came in those neat wooden boxes. We loaded the same cast round for him along with a 13.8gr Blue Dot/ 200gr Speer jhp back before there were any Blue Dot warnings.

Then came the time I almost bought a .41. A Thompson Center Super 14 Contender with the neat wood stock, flared forend and the rear sight all the way at the rear - or the 30-30 barrel. Yup, I could only afford one and went with the 30-30 and have regretted not buying the.41 since. Still have that old wood. I always liked that front flare.
attachmentid=113152&stc=1&d=1615864992[/url].

Seems like I always went .44 or .45 and never have owned a .41
Shot a few and with some loaded rounds in the basement, who knows, I may need something to shoot it from someday.

[RJM52]

....my favorite revolver round...

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...ad-Data-Center

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by ballisticxlr

I have the S&W 657-2 6.5" with unfluted cylinder. My singularly favorite revolver of ever.


This is a representative example, not my actual gun.

I bid on one on GB yesterday. It went above me by one increment. Maybe someday...

[rodfac]

Gotta admit, that Stainless 657 is one pretty pistola though I prefer a shorter bbl.

One of my grail guns...specifically, the Mountain Gun version....would make a hellofa back country chest carry piece...or a 5-shot like Smith's M-69.

YMMv, Rod

[Ole yeller]

I've have a nickel Model 57 w/6" bbl bought new in 78. Came in a beautiful wood case with screwdriver, cleaning rod, swab and brush.Had a gunsmith do a trigger job and it is the smoothest double action trigger I've ever shot. This is a tack driver. Whenever I want to have a great day shooting this is my go to gun.

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by rodfac

Gotta admit, that Stainless 657 is one pretty pistola though I prefer a shorter bbl.

One of my grail guns...specifically, the Mountain Gun version....would make a hellofa back country chest carry piece...or a 5-shot like Smith's M-69.

YMMv, Rod

Love my 657 Mountain

[jag1954]

I'm partial to my Model 57.

[ammo.crafter]

As others have said, we love our .41's/

Mine is a S&W model 57 fully coated by Armoloy directly from S&W factory.

It is wonderfully accurate and a joy to reload (no Blue Dot powder). I use it for boar hunting with great success.

Ten years ago I began reloading .41 Special which feels a lot like a .44 Special.

Good luck.

[WC145]

I've always had a soft spot for the .41mag, though I only have one at the moment. I had Mark Hartshorne make me a 3" RB .41mag 28-2 using an old Bubba'd Highway Patrolman, a titanium cylinder from an M357PD and a 4" M58 barrel. It was built to be a working gun so it got a matte blue finish making it kind of nondescript but it shoots great and carries well, exactly what I was after.

[jetinteriorguy]

Originally Posted by WC145

I've always had a soft spot for the .41mag, though I only have one at the moment. I had Mark Hartshorne make me a 3" RB .41mag 28-2 using an old Bubba'd Highway Patrolman, a titanium cylinder from an M357PD and a 4" M58 barrel. It was built to be a working gun so it got a matte blue finish making it kind of nondescript but it shoots great and carries well, exactly what I was after.

That’s pretty sweet.

[rodfac]

Very nice, WC....that's a hellofa carry piece....great holster too...who's work on the leather? Rod

[41 Magnum]

Been here before, but due to wife's health problems, I no longer have a lot of free time..

As you can no doubt tell from my log in name, I have long been a fan of the 41. Mag. There is nothing I'd rather carry than my S&W 657 !!
I fell in love with it the first time I picked it up, and still feel the same way today. Nothing's better !!!

[rodfac]

Beautiful spalting in those grips, 41 Magnum, and that's one beautiful revolver. While I'm a shorter barrel guy, for the most part...I'd gladly take a plunge for yours. It'd be a great hunting combination to be sure. BTW, what's the wood in those stocks?

I've done some grip making with spalted wood from my poplar horse fencing here on our farm. See my post (#3) & below on my 3-screw 4-5/8" .41 for how they turned out. IMOP, they make a spectacular contribution to an already beautiful revolver.

The wood in these grips below, BTW, has mellowed to deeper yellow look, like old aged ivory or stag, over the past few years. I find them a delight to a true shooter's eye. YMMv, & Best Regards, Rod

[budroe]

Bought my S&W model 58 used back in 1988. Favorite load for it is a 210 grain SWC loaded @ 950-1000 fps. Don't carry it that often, but take it out to the range every month or so just to enjoy shooting it. Shown in the photo with my S&W 629. The Bianchi holster is for the model 58.

[41 Magnum]

Hi Rod ;

I used to sell grips on-line at Ruger Forums and a few other places around home here. The 657 panels are Spalted Maple and are from my own (at home) supply. They were nearly all white except the spalt lines, but have aged a little darker. I used to make my own spalted wood, but have gotten almost completely out of it now My eyes have gotten worse lately, so since I took the photos several years ago, I have just added a Millet Red Dot to it. Haven't even shot it yet, but as soon as it warms up a bit, I will !!
Stopped in at a local gun shop Saturday, just to have a look-see around !!
.357 Mag. 158 Grain hollow points on the shelf ($79.99 a box of 50 !!?*#&??)

Jim

[Mike Irwin]

" Favorite load for it is a 210 grain SWC loaded @ 950-1000 fps. "

That is also my favorite load for my Model 58. I've used WW 231 for years for that load.

[rodfac]

41 Magnum: Great looking stocks...yours in maple. I didn't know if the poplar in mine would work out...thought they'd be too soft, but poplar can be very hard...luckily this was that type. I tried making up S&W grips but found the double mortice a royal PITA to machine...and the router work scared the heck out of me. Finally gave up on it.

Mike, one of my all time favorite loads for my .41's uses 231 as well. An easy powder to measure accurately and doesn't seem particularly position sensitive. With Lyman's 410459 (a keith type LSWC @ 220 gr from my alloy WW+1% tin), and 7.1 gr of Win 231, I get 958 fps from my 4-5/8" Ruger BH. I've used that load as well as 6.5 gr over the years in several Rugers and a M-57 Smith...it would do ~ an inch at 25 yds from a solid rest back when I had the eyes to keep the sights aligned....

Best regards, Rod

[jetinteriorguy]

My bread and butter load with any 210-220gr bullet for the last 37 years has been 8.0-8.4gr of green dot. Burned through many thousands of these with many more to come. I’ve even loaded down as low as 4.5gr for soft target shooting. Very versatile powder, but not well known in the .41.

[Mike Irwin]

"an easy powder to measure accurately"

Yep, I use a Lee Auto Disk Pro and there's rarely ever even the slightest variation when I'm using 231.

The only cartridge I do NOT like 231 in is in my .44 Special. Even the top loads use so little powder that it really is position sensitive. I was getting a lot of variations and poor accuracy with 231 in my .44 Spl. so I switched to Trail Boss. What a difference!

In my .41 Magnum I've found that if I drop velocity under 950 fps (into .41 Special range) accuracy tails off very quickly.

Others have reported good success with using shortened Magnum cases (to create actual .41 Special cases) to get around that problem, but I've always found it easier to just keep velocities up to around 1,000 fps.

Even at 1,000 fps recoil is really negligible but it's still pushing 500 ft pounds of energy.

[41 Magnum]

Rod ;

My shop is still set up. Anything I used in softer woods, especially Spalted wood, I ran the rough blanks thru a vacuum tank of home brew liquid Acrylic to harden and "stabilize" the wood before using it. (About a two week process.) When it was dry, & ready to use, it was impervious to oils or water etc.. At one time I had 38 different exotic wood species in the wood shed. I might have 10 or 15 now.

The hunting loads I use in the 41's, has always been a high end load of WW 296 & a 210 Gr. Hornady XTP. I tried a few recommended powders and loads, and always found 296 to be more than adequate for my purposes in most high end loads in all my Magnum pistols.

[gwpercle]

Originally Posted by SIGSHR

My original load for my 4" M-57 was a 210 SWC over 8 grains of Unique. I saw I was getting unburied powder, cut back to 7.5 grains,,good accuracy,no unburned powder.

That's interesting .... 7.5 grains of Unique and a Lyman # 410459 220 gr. SWC Cast Bullet was the load reccomended to me by Elmer Keith when he was working for Guns & Ammo magazine .
Actually what he said was " Use any cast bullet from 200 grs. to 240 grs. with 7.0 grs. to 8.0 grs. of Unique ... it will be a good general purpose load ."
I had written and asked for a good general purpose load using cast bullet # 410459 and Unique ... I had the mould and plenty of Unique and a model 58 S&W .
I tested and settled on 7.5 grs. Unique and whenever I found a 41 bullet mould , bought it and tested it .
My favorite cast bullet is a design from NOE - 413 - 215 - WC - PB (413432) this one is a accuracy winner ... out of the 8 different moulds I own ...this one loves to make clover leafs ...one ragged hole groups are the norm!
If you like accuracy & 41 Magnum ...check this design out at NOE Moulds .
Sorry no photo's , camera down & wife gone .
Gary

[RJM52]

...mine has been 8.0 grains of Unique with any bullet... Have even tried 300s and they run just over 1000 fps from a 4-5" barrel.

Just finished up the last of my supply of the old Speer 220 JSWC-SP bullets. Put them in front of 9.0 grains of Unique which should give 1100 fps depending on the barrel length.

[pbcaster45]

My ancient S&W M57.

[redhawk41]

I’m partial to Trail Boss for the powder puff loads and 296 for the boomers