45 colt vs 41 mag?

the extra weight of the SBH's steel gripframe (both the .41 and .45 BH use aluminum gripframes) will help to better dampen the recoil of super hot ammo,
Click to expand...

My 6 1/2" Flat Top 41 Mag is all steel. I see there's one like it on GB right now.

The 45 Colt's max pressure level (32k psi) does not require the SBH frame, so the 45 Colt in high power loadings can still have a place, while requiring the New Model Blackhawk platform (or Redhawk DA).
 
There is no difference between the frames of the Super Blackhawk and the Blackhawk, they both use the same frame.

As for the choice between the two calibers flip a coin as they're both very good cartridges. They both need to be reloaded as factory ammo for any big bore is cost prohibitive and expensive. Cost for the .41 magnum is always stated to be expensive by all the experts. However from what I've seen it is usually $1 cheaper than the .44 mag equivalent. Ammo availability for both are scarce I've never seen either caliber stocked in large quantity on the shelves. Bullet choice is limited in the .41 where jacketed bullets are concerned, however cast bullets are a different matter altogether, here is but one source

http://www.montanabulletworks.com/41_Mag.html


You will find in short order that full up loads aren't needed or warranted for the most part. You will also want to replace the awful cheese grader stocks that come on the new Blackhawks too. One last thing, if you go with the .45 Colt the chamber mouths tolerances for the .45 are all over the map, and may need to be opened up some. From what I understand Ruger has pretty much fixed this issue but the possibility still does exist. This has never been a issue with the .41 magnum on the other hand which consistently run .410"-.411".
 
both are great

For hunting the .41 will give you better performance at longer distance. That may only be realized if you want to put a scope on your revolver. For all practical purposes the .45 Colt will do anything needed and be easy to shoot well.

I love big bullets.
 
I love my 45C but have often thought of picking up a lowly 41Blackhawk that has been sitting in my LGS for some time now. I am a reloaded so ammo is a little easier to get but I really dont know if I want to jump into such a cartridge that is easily covered by my other guns.
 
The most important question is do you reload?

Both cartridges are fine.

Because you want a Ruger Blackhawk, look for the best deal. Dollar to dollar.

I have owned and shot both of them, but not in the same time period. Neither one was my every day working gun. I would reload the 45 Colt to a +1/2 P, and the 41 to what was called the "Police Load". I would use lead, round nose, heavy bullets, for both cartridges.
 
As for the reloading aspect, I consider it a near necessity for both as the .41 ammo is rare and pricey, and the only .45LC ammo generally found is cowboy level and way pricier than it should be. A couple hundred pcs of Starline brass for either and you're in pretty good shape.

I will say that my .41 mag Blackhawk is more accurate than either of my .45 colts. That's also the one I carry more frequently while tromping around in the woods, as it gives up very little to the .44mag and is lighter than both the Redhawk or I have in .44mag or the NM Vaquero in .45LC.
 
I personally prefer the 41 mag. The 45 Colt is a hand loaders caliber at the levels you seek. But honestly, I don't know why you would need them anyway as a walk a round woods gun in the NE. Generally speaking, if you want a magnum, get a magnum.

The ammo issue with 41 mag really depends on how much you shoot. I go through spells of shooting a lot and then go for months without shooting a single round. Definitely reload if you have a mind to, but it is not the end of the world if you don't.

Yes, I have a 41 mag Blackhawk.
 
Thank you everyone for your comments!

I have never reloaded before but have been thinking about trying it out.

I can readily get either cartridge at my local gun shop, and the guys will order it for me if i need it.

I honestly wish i could shoot both before i buy.

So far i am leaning more towards the 45 colt, because at the shop they tend to have a larger ammo selection for that caliber and overall seems less expensive to shoot.

Get some weaker cheaper loads for plinking around and then get the heavy duty +p buffalo bore for when i am in the woods.

I still am undecided though, both seem like great calibers...

While i will shoot the revolver regularly so it becomes a extension of me, I prefer to plink with my 9mm due to low ammo cost and how it easily dispatches critters like raccoons that decide chickens, eggs or trash make a good meal...

But a 9mm isn't exactly what i'd choose to defend myself against a big blackie, which we also have plenty of around.
 
There is no difference between the frames of the Super Blackhawk and the Blackhawk, they both use the same frame.
Click to expand...

I am not taking that on faith. Why would Ruger create a separate model and call it "Super" just for 44 Mag, which has a substantially higher max pressure level?
 
As far as I understand it, the Blackhawk and the Super Blackhawk are dimensionally identical EXCEPT for the grip frame, which is larger on the Super.
 
The .41 magnums I have owned: S&W 58, S&W 57 with 8-3/8 barrel, 3-screw Blackhawk with 5-1/2 barrel, S&W 6?? (don't remember the model number) with six inch barrel.

The only .45 Colt I have owned was a new model (transfer bar) Blackhawk with a 5-1/2 inch barrel.

Observations: When one is a hand loader and bullet caster, the price and availability of ammo is of not a legitimate consideration for choosing one cartridge over another. However, the hay-day of bullet casting has pasted...lead and tin are no longer easy to obtain and their availability is likely to diminish even further.

Personal opinion: The .41 magnum cartridge is a great deer cartridge without resorting to "Blackhawk only" hand loads that ignore the warnings in loading manuals to, "...never exceed listed loads, use factory ammunition for maximum or near maximum loads." The .41 magnum was developed as a "hot" cartridge, the .45 Colt was not. I was particularly fond of the .41 as related to hand loading. The smaller diameter is easier to manipulate in and out of shell holders or shell plates, as are the .41 bullets easier to pick-up and place into the belled case mouth. This may not sound like a big deal, but with single stage presses, it makes for faster operation.

Recommendation: Buy either one now, save your money and buy the other one when you can afford it. I would get a .41 Magnum first. Also, if you want a magnum load .45, get one of the magnums and then you will have all the versatility without "Ruger Blackhawk only" loads...the only problem I see with that is if you cannot live without a Blackhawk in .45 Colt.
 
Last edited:
Why would Ruger create a separate model and call it "Super" just for 44 Mag,
Click to expand...

Gee, why would they? Because they could sell it???

I have a new model Blackhawk in .45 Colt 7.5" bbl. I also have a new model Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum 7.5" bbl.

The cylinder frames are exactly the same size.

The differences between the Super and the Blackhawk are, the grip frame of the Super is longer, not a lot, but enough so grips are not interchangeable.

The Super has an unfluted cylinder, and the "Dragoon" style trigger guard. (for decades, the only way they came, today, I see Ruger offers the fluted cylinder and regular triggerguard on the Super).

The ejector rod housing and the grip frame on the Super are steel. On the Blackhawk, they are aluminum.

The hammer spur of the Super is lower, and wider than the Blackhawk. The Super has a grooved trigger, the Blackhawk is smooth.

I believe that the differences between them were done to make the Super easier (more comfortable) to shoot, mostly by adding a little more weight. The Super is several ounces heavier than the Blackhawk. Shooting .44 Magnum, extra weight is a good thing.

I've been shooting the Ruger .45 Colt since 1983. I had my days of experimenting with heavy loads, and settled on a 250gr SWC at just short of 1100fps. Does a fine job on anything that walks in America, if you do your part right.

I had a .41 Mag, ruger, Blackhawk, a 3 screw model, with the shorter barrel. Nice gun, nice round. On paper, it is approximately 15% less energy (and recoil) than the .44 Mag. In my hands, I could not tell the difference with heavy loads, but the Blackhawk was a very light gun, for those rounds. You might feel a significant difference, I can't say.

I would recommend the .45 Colt over the .41 Mag, in a Ruger SA. in a DA revolver, flip a coin. In a DA gun, I go to the .44 Mag.

If you get one of the .45Colt/.45acp Blackhawks, (which I did, even hot .45acp loads feel like plinkers to me in the long barrel Blackhawk), you get the extra bonus of being able to shoot a very common round, and in times of ammo shortage, that might be a worthwhile consideration.

I originally got mine with the idea that I would be able to plink without having to hunt for my ACP brass in the weeds (had a .45acp first). Made one small mistake, I shot a box of .45 Colt first. WOW!, I was hooked! In the 30+ years since, I don't think that Ruger has had more than 300 rnds of ACP, but several thousand .45 Colt have gone through it.

Unless things have changed, recently the factory .41 Mag comes in essentially two flavors, a 210gr LSWC at around 900fps and the full up magnum 210gr JHP/JSP at 1300+fps.

The .45 Colt has several more offerings available as factory ammo, from cowboy action target loads (think cat sneeze), to the standard load (replicating the original black powder ballistics), to the Buffalo Bore, and "Ruger only" level, from some boutique suppliers.

If you aren't going to handload, I would go with the .45Colt. But I DO handload, so that may give me some bias there....

The full house .41 does offer some advantages for longer range shooting, but neither is a "flat" shooting round when you get out there, and if you can learn to compensate for one, you could do it for the other as easily, so, I consider that a wash.

Choose which ever you think will make you happy. If it does, you're good. If it doesn't get the other one.
 
I've been shooting handguns for almost 40 years, and have owned and shot multiple revolvers in 41 and 44 magnums, as well as 45 Colt. The 44s have consistently been the most accurate and the easiest to find components for to reload. I recommend the 44 mag.
 
At today's prices, the 45 Colt, 41 mag, and 44 mags are all hand loaders calibers. Like I said earlier, it just depends on how much you shoot and I suppose your finances.

Get the one you want.
 
From what I understand, the Super Blackhawk vs. Blackhawk was just 'marketing'. When the SBH was introduced in .'59, there was already a .44Mag BH on the market. It had the normal plow handle grip and a flattop (the SBH got the ears around the rear sight first). The flattop was dropped from the lineup back in the early 60s... Want to say '63. So both were on the market together for a few years. The Old Model frame and cylinder (fluted/unfluted) was 'exactly' the same. Same with the New Models. Note that the SBH today comes with fluted and non fluted cylinders as well as Dragoon style grips or normal plow handle or Bisley. Therefore .... strength of BH vs SBH is exactly the same.... No different. Was all marketing .... 'Look guys ... I bought a SUPER Blackhawk, it leaves you BH owners in the dust" :p . Of course remember too the OM .357 BH was on the medium frame until Ruger put it on the large frame when the New Models came out. Just to add to a bit of confusion. That said, the .41Mag, .44Mag were always on the large frame and still are and probably will be... The .45 Colt was on the large frame until the New Vaquero and the recent flattops were introduced. With the special run of .357s from Lipseys on the medium frame, we may see it come back too as a cataloged item.... where it really belongs like the New Vaquero.

As for the .41Mag ... I just don't see where it fits in my line-up so I probably will never have one. But that certainly doesn't mean you shouldn't :) . Get what you like and don't look back. BTW, I'll never say never though.... I thought I never would buy a .32 H&R Magnum either, but with the .22LR shortage, I justified the caliber as my reloadable .22.... Go figure.... Has been working out very well.
 
Originally posted by Real Gun
Quote:
There is no difference between the frames of the Super Blackhawk and the Blackhawk, they both use the same frame.

I am not taking that on faith. Why would Ruger create a separate model and call it "Super" just for 44 Mag, which has a substantially higher max pressure level?
Click to expand...

The .44 Magnum isn't substantially higher pressure. Both .41 and .44 Magnum have the same SAAMI max pressure of 36,000 psi and the .357 Magnum is nearly as high at 35,000 psi.

Also, Ruger has made standard Blackhawks in .44 Magnum before. They made the Blackhawk in .44 Magnum from 1956 to 1962 and then produced a limited run of 50th Anniversary Blackhawk .44 Magnums in 2006. The original .44 Magnum Blackhawk ran concurrently with the Super Blackhawk from 1959-1962.

As has been pointed out, the large-frame (non-flat top) Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk share the same frame, but the grip frames are different. If you look at Ruger's spec sheets for their blued, non-flat top Blackhawks, you'll notice that they list the grip frames as Aluminum.

http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkBlued/specSheets/0405.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkBlued/specSheets/0445.html

The Super Blackhawk, on the other hand, uses a steel grip frame and, as such, is a bit heavier. For example, a .41 Magnum or .45 Long Colt Blackhawk with a 4.6" barrel weighs 38 and 39 oz respectively. However, a Super Blackhawk with a 4.6" barrel weighs 45 oz. As a matter of fact, it is fairly common for people to fit Super Blackhawk grip frames to standard Blackhawks in other calibers if they want more weight to dampen recoil, like the different shape of the SBH grip, or both.

That being said, the flat-top Blackhawks are different because they use both a smaller frame and steel grip frame. This is why a flat-top .44 Special actually weighs more than a .41 Magnum or .45 Long Colt Blackhawk of the same barrel length despite the .44 Special having a smaller frame. Likewise, the stainless Blackhawks use steel grip frames too which is why they're heavier than a blued model with the same barrel length (stainless Blackhawks, not counting distributor exclusives, are currently listed only in .357 Magnum).
 
The.44 Magnum isn't substantially higher pressure. Both .41 and .44 Magnum have the same SAAMI max pressure of 36,000 psi and the .357 Magnum is nearly as high at 35,000 psi.
Click to expand...

My understanding is based on other information, which says 40k for 44 Magnum and 20% less for 45 Colt (32k). That was Brian Pearce as I recall. My reference to substantially higher was relative to 45 Colt. I already have a Flat Top in 41 Mag and a standard Blackhawk in 41 mag.

I did not make a distinction for grip frames. The Super Blackhawk is a different gun as a result, and not all of them use the Dragoon grip frame, I gather.

I still am not getting why Ruger needed a "Super" model, confined to 44 Magnum, if it is really the "same gun" as the Blackhawk.
 
I still am not getting why Ruger needed a "Super" model, confined to 44 Magnum, if it is really the "same gun" as the Blackhawk.
Click to expand...
I think I told you ... Marketing. That's it. No other reason. BH, SBH same gun. Run with it :) . The .45 Colt is 32K because it has a bigger hole in the cylinder. If you recall, Linebaugh had a lab run a pressure test. .45 Colt blew at 60K and 44Mag at 80K. Same size cylinder... So at given pressures of 30 and 40, there is a 100% safety margin in the large frame revolvers.
 
45 Colt

Have owned several Smith 41s over the years. Still have a 657 and a Ruger Bisley. My Bisley 45 Colt is one of my two favorites (other is a Bisley 44spl.). A moderate 10 grain load of Unique under a 275 LFN poked a lengthwise hole through a 150# pig, making the butt hole the size of a beer can.
 
The most important question is do you reload?
Click to expand...

AGREED!


If I were not a reloader, and wanted to meet your criteria, the .44 Mag would be my first choice, but that was not a consideration.

Since I am a reloader, the .45LC would still be my first choice with the wide assortment of readily available components.

If I were not a reloader, neither would be a great choice as a magnum loading. Unless you are content with standard factory .45LC ammo off the shelf, or have the resources to shoot a lot of BB ammo.
I wouldn't touch a .41 if I were not a reloader, unless it was to be a gun cabinet queen to cradle and caress, talk about, but not shoot a lot.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top