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Is there really a .41 special?
- Thread starter wasteland
- Start date
Jim Watson
New member
The .41 Special is a wildcat, not factory loaded but generally accepted to be the same length as .38 Special. I know of no source of brass except by trimming off .41 Magnum brass to the same length as .38 Special.
CAUTION: I have a Handloader's Digest article in which the writer cut .41 Magnum brass down to one inch and called that a .41 Special. Not the same thing as most other reports.
Guns are usually made by rechambering and reboring or rebarreling .357 Magnums to make a lighter gun than a .41 Magnum. I have read of .41 Special S&W L frames and think it has been done on a Ruger flattop .357.
Or just use .41 Special to keep light loads separate from full power .41 Magnums for use in a Magnum gun.
CAUTION: I have a Handloader's Digest article in which the writer cut .41 Magnum brass down to one inch and called that a .41 Special. Not the same thing as most other reports.
Guns are usually made by rechambering and reboring or rebarreling .357 Magnums to make a lighter gun than a .41 Magnum. I have read of .41 Special S&W L frames and think it has been done on a Ruger flattop .357.
Or just use .41 Special to keep light loads separate from full power .41 Magnums for use in a Magnum gun.
Lee Martin
New member
.41 Special....
It's an alright cartridge, but I agree that it's easier to just download the .41 Magnum (6.0 - 7.0 grains of Unique under a 210 grain is an excellent "reduced" option).
Lee Martin
www.singleactions.com
It's an alright cartridge, but I agree that it's easier to just download the .41 Magnum (6.0 - 7.0 grains of Unique under a 210 grain is an excellent "reduced" option).
Lee Martin
www.singleactions.com
44mag@ucnsb.net
New member
.41 Special?
Definately a wildcat cartridge, very similar to the .41 Police, a cartridge that Elmer Keith and Bill Jordon were pushing for Law Enforcement several decades ago. I have shot a Bowen conversion in .41 Special, was a GP100 conversion. Great gun, shot well. The loads we were using were 200 grain Keith type at 950 fps. I know of no powder manufacturer that currently has loading data for this cartridge. But I am far from an expert. I do know that you can find loading data in alot of the reloading forums, but always be careful with these homegrown loads. Brass is available from Quality Cartridge. Follow the link below to buy them from Midwayusa.
http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteabrowse/2/10242/9315***652***670***9014***
Several Custom Shops will convert Medium frame guns to .41 Special (Bowen and Clements Custom Guns that I know of). Of course the .41 Special will shoot in the .41 Magnum as well. Good luck with it.
.44mag
Definately a wildcat cartridge, very similar to the .41 Police, a cartridge that Elmer Keith and Bill Jordon were pushing for Law Enforcement several decades ago. I have shot a Bowen conversion in .41 Special, was a GP100 conversion. Great gun, shot well. The loads we were using were 200 grain Keith type at 950 fps. I know of no powder manufacturer that currently has loading data for this cartridge. But I am far from an expert. I do know that you can find loading data in alot of the reloading forums, but always be careful with these homegrown loads. Brass is available from Quality Cartridge. Follow the link below to buy them from Midwayusa.
http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteabrowse/2/10242/9315***652***670***9014***
Several Custom Shops will convert Medium frame guns to .41 Special (Bowen and Clements Custom Guns that I know of). Of course the .41 Special will shoot in the .41 Magnum as well. Good luck with it.
.44mag
I was going to point out that you can get brass but I'm too late! Oh well, I just wanted to point out that .41 Special is "for real." It just isn't a factory chambering in any standard guns. I keep _hoping_ that's going to change. It would be nearly ideal for the new smaller size Ruger Blackhawk/Vaquero. Then the major ammunition companies could come out with some factory loads.
What's the attraction? Ideally you could chamber a gun for .41 Special that was just a little bit "too small" or "too light" to be chambered in .41 Magnum or at least not .44 Magnum. There were some custom Pythons made in .41 Magnum but it would have been much better in .41 Special. The SAA just isn't quite "enough" for .41 Magnum but it would be wonderful in .41 Special. (Just like the new Rugers.) A five shot L frame like the S&W M696 would be a "must buy" for me. So would a factory GP-100. The .41 Special can give you very good stopping power in a medium size gun. That's worthwhile!
If Starline would just make the brass maybe it would start the ball rolling downhill!
Gregg
What's the attraction? Ideally you could chamber a gun for .41 Special that was just a little bit "too small" or "too light" to be chambered in .41 Magnum or at least not .44 Magnum. There were some custom Pythons made in .41 Magnum but it would have been much better in .41 Special. The SAA just isn't quite "enough" for .41 Magnum but it would be wonderful in .41 Special. (Just like the new Rugers.) A five shot L frame like the S&W M696 would be a "must buy" for me. So would a factory GP-100. The .41 Special can give you very good stopping power in a medium size gun. That's worthwhile!
If Starline would just make the brass maybe it would start the ball rolling downhill!
Gregg
Finally a Topic right up my alley.
It looks like everyone has covered pretty well,
But the brass from Quality Cartride is too expensive. I bought one box just to have some properly marked brass, but other than a novelty it's not worth it.
The common trim length's are 1.15 and 1.16 depending on the data.
I personally think it's worth it to bring it to about 900-1000 fps, I've experienced problems with accuracy downloading the .41 mag too far, but maybe that's just me.
Also the 'special' loading makes a very accurate and pleasent round, for me especially. I shoot about 200-300 rounds a week through my Taurus M415.
If anyone is really interested I have quite a bit of .41 Special data, and some loads that have worked out for me very well.
_________________________________________________
An old west lawman once said when asked why he carried a .45, "because they don't make a .46"
It looks like everyone has covered pretty well,
But the brass from Quality Cartride is too expensive. I bought one box just to have some properly marked brass, but other than a novelty it's not worth it.
The common trim length's are 1.15 and 1.16 depending on the data.
I personally think it's worth it to bring it to about 900-1000 fps, I've experienced problems with accuracy downloading the .41 mag too far, but maybe that's just me.
Also the 'special' loading makes a very accurate and pleasent round, for me especially. I shoot about 200-300 rounds a week through my Taurus M415.
If anyone is really interested I have quite a bit of .41 Special data, and some loads that have worked out for me very well.
_________________________________________________
An old west lawman once said when asked why he carried a .45, "because they don't make a .46"
41special,
I think that the problem with loading the .41 Mag down is that the .41 was designed from the outset as a 1000fps round. Try slugging your barrel to see what it sizes and finding some softer lead bullets 0.02" larger. As I recally, the .41 bullets are sized .410~.411 expecting a "magnum" loading. At lower pressures these jacketed and hard cast bullets may not deform enough to get stablized in the barrel. I don't have reloading data available for the accurate bore/bullet diameters but I suspect this is the case.
By the way, that 8gr Unique load works for 200gr LSWC with good results and lighter recoil.
I think that the problem with loading the .41 Mag down is that the .41 was designed from the outset as a 1000fps round. Try slugging your barrel to see what it sizes and finding some softer lead bullets 0.02" larger. As I recally, the .41 bullets are sized .410~.411 expecting a "magnum" loading. At lower pressures these jacketed and hard cast bullets may not deform enough to get stablized in the barrel. I don't have reloading data available for the accurate bore/bullet diameters but I suspect this is the case.
By the way, that 8gr Unique load works for 200gr LSWC with good results and lighter recoil.