I own both calibers in several different revolvers..both types in S&W and Ruger...that said, I like them both, but for practical reasons, I'd pick the .44 for the ammunition availability alone. Aside from the current hysteria, you can find .44 loads from target velocities (in .44 Spl), all the way up to bear killing 300 gr loads. It's very versatile. The .41, conversely, is a hand loading proposition. Factory loads are limited, and expensive when you find them. Either caliber is more inherently accurate than any of us can hold...Rod
Why .41 Magnum?
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My 2 cents worth------
Friend of mine has shot both whitetail and muleys with both calibers. Probably 3-4 of each over the years. He says You can not see the difference between the two. But for choice of components alone has chosen the .44.
My experience is recoil, not much difference. Noise, .41 seems sharper, more like .30 Carbine. Weight, no difference. Sex appeal, .44 hands down. And besides that, Skeeter says it's so. So there. Neener, neener!
Friend of mine has shot both whitetail and muleys with both calibers. Probably 3-4 of each over the years. He says You can not see the difference between the two. But for choice of components alone has chosen the .44.
My experience is recoil, not much difference. Noise, .41 seems sharper, more like .30 Carbine. Weight, no difference. Sex appeal, .44 hands down. And besides that, Skeeter says it's so. So there. Neener, neener!
How a good thing went so very bad....
The story of the .41magnum in US gun circles is not a pretty one.
The design & intended use of the caliber showed promise but the size, weight & US sales all showed that the .41magnum wasn't really that popular or even needed by most revolver users.
Retired Detroit MI law enforcement officer & gun writer; Evan Marshal wrote years ago of using a S&W model 58 DA revolver as a sidearm. He & his patrol partner packed P35 9x19mm pistols as 2nd guns.
He said in US law enforcement, the .41mag didn't impress a lot of cops & the weight/recoil made it's use for patrol officers unpopular.
As you stated, the .44spl offers a lot for a DA .44magnum owner. The smaller .357magnum, with the 125gr JHP was a standard carry round for decades with excellent results.
There are still a few .41magnum revolvers in the gun industry but it's use isn't as strong as the 1970s/1980s.
The story of the .41magnum in US gun circles is not a pretty one.
The design & intended use of the caliber showed promise but the size, weight & US sales all showed that the .41magnum wasn't really that popular or even needed by most revolver users.
Retired Detroit MI law enforcement officer & gun writer; Evan Marshal wrote years ago of using a S&W model 58 DA revolver as a sidearm. He & his patrol partner packed P35 9x19mm pistols as 2nd guns.
He said in US law enforcement, the .41mag didn't impress a lot of cops & the weight/recoil made it's use for patrol officers unpopular.
As you stated, the .44spl offers a lot for a DA .44magnum owner. The smaller .357magnum, with the 125gr JHP was a standard carry round for decades with excellent results.
There are still a few .41magnum revolvers in the gun industry but it's use isn't as strong as the 1970s/1980s.
.410 vs .429
20-30 grains of bullet weight.
Those are the physical differences.
Like I stated in my first post, the .44 has a wider range of projectiles to chose from. For hand loading and especially commercial ammo.
I use 210 grain Gold Dots and the 230 grain Keith Type in my .41s. Which should take care of most anything. If I added the 180 grain Barnes and say a 280 grain LBT WLN, I'd have everything one could need, although perhaps not want.
So if you like the .41, go for it.
Model 57 .41 on the left. I also have a Model 58 S&W and a Ruger Blackhawk .41 Mag, so thats a few anyway.
20-30 grains of bullet weight.
Those are the physical differences.
Like I stated in my first post, the .44 has a wider range of projectiles to chose from. For hand loading and especially commercial ammo.
I use 210 grain Gold Dots and the 230 grain Keith Type in my .41s. Which should take care of most anything. If I added the 180 grain Barnes and say a 280 grain LBT WLN, I'd have everything one could need, although perhaps not want.
So if you like the .41, go for it.
Model 57 .41 on the left. I also have a Model 58 S&W and a Ruger Blackhawk .41 Mag, so thats a few anyway.
To a hand loader, that means nothing.
To a hand loader and bullet caster, that means nothing. We make our own. A hand loader has infinitely more "loads" available than he who foolishly pays the price for factory ammo.
Horse feathers. There will always be affectionados of the .41 Magnum who will be looking for a good used one.
Not components, "commercial jacked bullets". But hand loaders and casters do not use these anyway. In short, the only "component" the hand loaders of the .41 Magnum need worry about are cases. However, there seems to be Starline, W-W, and Remington .41 magnum cases available from many mail-order firms, so that is not a significant problem for hand loaders and bullet casters.
When it comes to bullet molds, despite the fact that there are more available for the .44 caliber as opposed to the .41, there are sufficient .41's available for any purpose. Saeco, Lyman, RCBS, and Lee all produce .41 molds.
In short, the availability of specific "components" is a non-issue for those of us who are smart enough to have realized years ago that hand loading and casting eliminates such considerations. What? You cannot find a .41 Magnum primer?
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For me, the .41 mag gets the nod over the mighty .44 mag, oh sorry, .429 mag 
because for my needs it'll do what is needed just as well and I won't be one of the "I got a .44 mag" chest puffers. Couple in that I prefer the different and not the chamberings of the lemmings. (not derogatory, but rather that of the "I follow" sense)
because for my needs it'll do what is needed just as well and I won't be one of the "I got a .44 mag" chest puffers. Couple in that I prefer the different and not the chamberings of the lemmings. (not derogatory, but rather that of the "I follow" sense)The .41 magnum cartridge was the result of several popular shooters in the 60's wanting a law enforcement firearm that was between the .357 and the 44 magnum. IIRC, Elmer Keith was one of those shooters, he wanted a lighter load for police carry and a heavy load for play. The .44 was considered way too much for the police ( the cartridge and the heavy gun ). When the cartridge came out unfortunately it was with a hot load and a hotter load and the guns S&W made for it were just as big and heavy as it's big brother. As A result, the cartridge never caught caught on with the police and a very excellent cartridge is falling by the way side. The facts are , in the hands of a capable shooter the 41 mag will do every thing but tap dance and bring you a beer. It does so will slightly lighter bullet and a little less recoil and a much flater trajectory. My Super Blackhawk is accurate and deadly on whitetail. JMHO and I have others
I remember the .41 Magnum "Police" load. It was an non-jacketed lead bullet (gas checked? Not sure...) that was in fact too hot to shoot with comfort. I remember the introduction of the .41 Magnum as a police solution and the controversy that followed...all played out in those days in the Gun Magazines. In short, you are spot-on about it and what happened to it. Except for deer loads, I fired a ton of 220 grain (Saeco four cavity mold), with 6.5 Unique for double action work. Most would likely recommend at least 7 grains of Unique, but I found that 6.5 was ideal for my shooting, plinking, Steel Bowling Pin work.
Owned several .41's including a S&W 58, S&W 57 with 8-3/8 barrel, S&W 657 with 6 in. barrel, and a 4-5/8 Ruger 3-screw Blackhawk.
Have since sold my last .41, still have a lot of 6.5 Unique hand loads, bullets, cases, speed loader block, etc., that I will have to get rid of. Will likely get around to pulling the bullets, salvaging the Unique, selling the primed cases and re-casting the bullets into either .45 ACP, 9MM, 38 Super, .44 Spl., .357 Mag., etc.
.41
The "Police" round consisted of a plain-base 210 grain LSWC loaded to an advertised 970 fps. Winchester and Remington loaded it. Chronographing a half-dozen different lots didn't bear out the advertised velocity claims, averaging about 900-920 through my Model 58...which the round was intended for...and pretty much the same in two 4-inch Model 57s. One lot of Remington in particular stood out, and was eliminated from the overall averages. 10-round average for that lot was around 850. Still not something I'd want to be in the way of, considering that brutal flat nose.
Felt recoil in the Model 58 with its small Magna stocks was comparable to 158-grain .357 Magnum fired in a 4-inch Model 13 with the Magna stocks, if a bit less sharp. Nothing exactly punishing, but it would get your attention.
For a handloader, a cast 210-215 grain bullet with 7.5 grains of Unique nearly duplicates the police load's advertised velocity, producing about 950 fps in my Model 58. Bumping up to an even 8 grains pushes it to over a thousand.
As for me, I very much like the .41 Magnum. I found that I didn't really have a need for a .44 Magnum, and no longer own one. I used a 4.62-inch Blackhawk and a 4-inch Model 57 for hog hunting. A 230-grain hard cast bullet, driven to 1250 fps would shoot through a big, mean pig lengthwise at the distances that I hunted, and usually anchored'em where they were hit. Given that, I can't see how a 250-280 grain .44 caliber bullet at a hundred fps faster could have done any better.
For the IMO part...loaded with a SWC...it's just a good-looking cartridge, proportionally. I consider it just about as close to a perfect revolver cartridge as one can get, balancing adequate power, recoil, range, and trajectory. Power-wise, it can be loaded up to within 5% of the .44 Magnum with standard bullet weights...210 and 240 respectively...and only cedes ground when the bullets get into heavyweight territory. If ever a cartridge and revolver were meant to be together, it's the .41 and the 4.62-inch Blackhawk. It just don't git no better than that.
The "Police" round consisted of a plain-base 210 grain LSWC loaded to an advertised 970 fps. Winchester and Remington loaded it. Chronographing a half-dozen different lots didn't bear out the advertised velocity claims, averaging about 900-920 through my Model 58...which the round was intended for...and pretty much the same in two 4-inch Model 57s. One lot of Remington in particular stood out, and was eliminated from the overall averages. 10-round average for that lot was around 850. Still not something I'd want to be in the way of, considering that brutal flat nose.
Felt recoil in the Model 58 with its small Magna stocks was comparable to 158-grain .357 Magnum fired in a 4-inch Model 13 with the Magna stocks, if a bit less sharp. Nothing exactly punishing, but it would get your attention.
For a handloader, a cast 210-215 grain bullet with 7.5 grains of Unique nearly duplicates the police load's advertised velocity, producing about 950 fps in my Model 58. Bumping up to an even 8 grains pushes it to over a thousand.
As for me, I very much like the .41 Magnum. I found that I didn't really have a need for a .44 Magnum, and no longer own one. I used a 4.62-inch Blackhawk and a 4-inch Model 57 for hog hunting. A 230-grain hard cast bullet, driven to 1250 fps would shoot through a big, mean pig lengthwise at the distances that I hunted, and usually anchored'em where they were hit. Given that, I can't see how a 250-280 grain .44 caliber bullet at a hundred fps faster could have done any better.
For the IMO part...loaded with a SWC...it's just a good-looking cartridge, proportionally. I consider it just about as close to a perfect revolver cartridge as one can get, balancing adequate power, recoil, range, and trajectory. Power-wise, it can be loaded up to within 5% of the .44 Magnum with standard bullet weights...210 and 240 respectively...and only cedes ground when the bullets get into heavyweight territory. If ever a cartridge and revolver were meant to be together, it's the .41 and the 4.62-inch Blackhawk. It just don't git no better than that.
m&p45acp10+1
New member
I load my 210 grain cast SWC with a full case of Trail Boss. I am not sure of velocity. I do know that they hit the steel swingers real hard. The recoil in my Ruger Black Hawk is very managable. My wife loves to bang the steels with it.
why a 41 over a 44?
That's like asking why a 308 vs 30-06 or 270 vs 280, because we can.
I have been shooting and handloading the 41 for about 12 years because in the same weight/barrel length gun the 44 hurts and the 41 does not,
and it will kill anything I am likely to hunt, that's why I like it. I'm still looking for a Marlin 1894 in 41 Mag to go with my two pistols.
The advantage of the 44 is the 44 spl, alas there was never a commercial 41 special, that certainly would have given the 41 a shot in the arm.
I load 41 spl (215 swc @ 1000 fps) class rounds for plinking and introducing others to the 41 mag
That's like asking why a 308 vs 30-06 or 270 vs 280, because we can.
I have been shooting and handloading the 41 for about 12 years because in the same weight/barrel length gun the 44 hurts and the 41 does not,
and it will kill anything I am likely to hunt, that's why I like it. I'm still looking for a Marlin 1894 in 41 Mag to go with my two pistols.
The advantage of the 44 is the 44 spl, alas there was never a commercial 41 special, that certainly would have given the 41 a shot in the arm.
I load 41 spl (215 swc @ 1000 fps) class rounds for plinking and introducing others to the 41 mag
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buck460XVR
New member
As been stated many times in this thread.......maybe.
While many here that reload scoff at the idea that ammo is hard to find and expensive, the truth to the matter is......if you don't reload, it is. A good friend of mine decided after shooting my revolvers with me, that he too wanted to handgun hunt for deer. The LGS had a .41 in stock and my friend jumped on it. Mainly because it was different.....and nobody else he knew had one. Fast forward a coupla years and it has been shot very little. Reason being, my friend does not reload metallic. Ammo is hard to find and when he does find it, it's expensive and not always what he wants. He has even tried to trade the gun to me for one of my .357s because of the ammo thing. His justification is....I reload so ammo would not be an issue. My excuse is....I don't need another caliber to reload. I have offered to let him use my press, all he needs to do is buy dies and components......but still the gun sits. Not the gun's fault....it's a nice gun in a good caliber. Maybe the ammo thing is just an excuse....I don't know, but I do know it is an issue that needs to be taken into account when considering one. Similar to my .460. You don't reload, you're picky about your ammo and your pockets are not bottomless....get something else.
I go to many estate type auctions, especially if there are firearms involved. The .41s don't bring the interest, the bids or the numbers that other more popular calibers do. While there are those that are fans, truth is, it is a niche caliber. The internet has done much to revive interest in it over the past few years, but not nearly as much as it has done for the .45 Colt. While it is a great caliber and there are many fine firearms out there for it, for many reasons, it is not the first one most folks go to look at when thinking about a new revolver. For many of those that are fans, like my friend, this is reason enough to have one.
Again as has been said many times in this thread. If you reload, the .41 is a viable choice. If you don't reload and don't intend to in the near future, there are better options out there. JMTCs.
The biggest difference, for me, is the recoil in the same platform. I can still shoot full loads in the 41 more accurately and longer than the 44. No longer have a Smith 44 for that reason. Have a 41 Bisley and 657 together with my SBH. If you don't reload, 44 is your choice.
Its just cool thats all, it has that indescribable something. Its really neat when someone has never heard of it. You say..."Yeah, there's .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and the .41 Magnum."
Or, get out my 1965 Gun Digest and read the initial thoughts on the .41. Seems it was controversial from the get go.
Its a good article, I remember reading it when I was young. My Dad had that issue of Gun Digest, but not the whole collection from 1949 to present like I do.
Or, get out my 1965 Gun Digest and read the initial thoughts on the .41. Seems it was controversial from the get go.
Its a good article, I remember reading it when I was young. My Dad had that issue of Gun Digest, but not the whole collection from 1949 to present like I do.