18 replies to this topic

[docskinner]

Play doctor: Predash, pinned barrel, recessed cylinders, smoothed trigger with over travel stop, trigger job that makes glass wish it broke that crisp (SA might even be a bit too light):

[Shoot-it]

I like all guns I shot a 41 mag in a Ruger black hawk that a inlaw let me borrow it was a nice shooting firearm.Nice looking pistol .

[Bisley]

While there is nothing wrong per se with the .41, when you take into account that other calibers like the ,44 will do just as well but have W A Y more bullet selection and styles to choose from, it kind of becomes a no brainer. There are more options in the less frequently used 180gr .44 bullet than all of the .41 weights combined. And we haven't got to the most popular 240gr .44 bullets yet!!! And if you have question as to why this matters or is of importance, let me refresh your memory. Just two years ago it was hard enough to find reloading components for the highly popular 240gr .44 loads let alone the oddball .41 caliber. And if you couldn't find reloading components, how do you think your odds of finding loaded ammo were?! You still had a 50/50 chance of walking into a Wal-Mart or small town hardware store and finding loaded .44 rounds, but good luck doing that with the .41. Again, not bashing the caliber, but some times it just makes sense to go main stream every once in a while. Just something to think about. Please don't get angry, I know the truth hurts at times By the way, beautiful pistol. I am a long barrel Smith fan myself.

[docskinner]

ANYONE can do a .44...Takes character and dedication to not just do what everyone else is doing. If everyone jumped off cliff...And I never rely on being able to walk in to a store and buy ammo. And my Ruger 45 Colt will out "44" your 44. ;-)

[bigboarstopper]

Ive been shooting the same ruger Blackhawk 41. for 20 years or more. I use it whenever I hunt with my hounds for hogs which is almost every weekend. It's blueing is almost all gone and it spent a weekend once in the woods without me. I've killed probably hundreds of hogs with. It's my favorite pistol and currently it's getting saracoated because it was on life support.

[Bisley]

ANYONE can do a .44...

Can that not be said about every round ever manufactured. Egos are sure a funny thing

Takes character and dedication to not just do what everyone else is doing. If everyone jumped off cliff...

Nope, but just because millions of people own a great caliber though, that will not stop me from owning one, that would pretty immature.

And I never rely on being able to walk in to a store and buy ammo.

Never like to myself either, but after the "reloading crisis" the other year when our current numbnut took over office, it sure opened my eyes to the fact we may have to think of it as a viable option, like it or not.

And my Ruger 45 Colt will out "44" your 44. ;-)

Not hard when 99.9% of my .44 shot are specials . The .44 will do anything I need, including put out enough pain to make shooting not fun anymore, and I don't like that . I'm a big guy, but I am also smart enough (and not vain enough) to know that a small percentage of us ever really need magnums at all, let alone the biggest, fastest, (and hardest on the wrists) out there.....................

[tawnoper]

If everyone jumped off cliff...

You'd be all alone.... Nah, I'm just messin Doc...I'm right there with ya. I'm not much one to follow the crowd.I happen to really enjoy shooting my 28ga as well. I also never really went with the whole"if I had to buy ammo somewhere" route either. It is most definitely a valid point...but one I really don't follow. Same with the whole "how is their warrenty?" deal that alot of people bring up over certain topics. I'd rather buy products that I never have to find out about their warrenty.

[docskinner]

Can that not be said about every round ever manufactured. Egos are sure a funny thing Nope, but just because millions of people own a great caliber though, that will not stop me from owning one, that would pretty immature.Never like to myself either, but after the "reloading crisis" the other year when our current numbnut took over office, it sure opened my eyes to the fact we may have to think of it as a viable option, like it or not.Not hard when 99.9% of my .44 shot are specials . The .44 will do anything I need, including put out enough pain to make shooting not fun anymore, and I don't like that . I'm a big guy, but I am also smart enough (and not vain enough) to know that a small percentage of us ever really need magnums at all, let alone the biggest, fastest, (and hardest on the wrists) out there.....................

Reloading crisis - and buying - that I reserve more for my 9,mm and .40.And loads - you would probably really like the .41magnum then! SWC with mild loads or the Sierra 170grain JHC even with pretty warm loads are all very sweet to shoot. And Even Corbon 300 Hunting loads for the 45 colt are actually pretty easy to shoot out of the Ruger (but then it is a Bisley) Part of why I never saw a need for a 44. Smaller lighter are easier in the 41, and full hot and heavies are easier in the 45C! I guess if you were going to limit yourself to one gun - then the .44M is probably better. But why the hell would you limit yourself to one gun?

[Bisley]

But why the hell would you limit yourself to one gun?

$$$!!! Especially at the current moment. And I would rather own a handful of pistols, and a small stock of ammo, and use the money that would have gone into another pistol or thousands of rounds (both of which would just sit in a safe) to take out actually hunt (more than just paper) with the pistols I do have.I guess I just find it funny because you mention not wanting to "conform" and shoot calibers that are not as "popular to the masses". That's not a bad thing, I suppose, but I could not imagine life without a .22lr, or my .357's, 30-30 lever gun, or .30-06!!! Reloading is about many things, and one of the biggest (at least to me) is the freedom of bullet weight and style selection. And I can't for the life of me understand why a person would want a caliber (.41) that recoils the same, and shoots the same as another caliber (.44) but with only 1/5 of the bullet selection to choose from, and probably 1/100 the gun selection to choose from?! It actually sounds like one would be handicapping themselves? Now I don't mean this to start a riot, and I have already mentioned before that I don't "hate" the .41, I am just having a hard time understanding why it is so popular. I can and have given many logical, and practical, reasons for owning a (highly popular to the masses) .44, but the ony reason you have stated for owning it is not to "conform" and shoot a popular caliber. It just sure seems like an unwise and very unpractical way of choosing a pistol/caliber that actually hinders your choices. Especially from a reloading standpoint. Again, not bashing, just curious since I can't see it, that's all. Enlighten me if you will, thanks.

[docskinner]

Not the only reason I gave, but seems to be the one you are fixated on. Its okay - there are lots of people out there with .41M envy ;-) The biggest reason is because it shoots better than the 44. Had lots of friends .44s I have shot and I like how the 41M shoots better. Just like the .270 shoots better than the 30-06. Did you happen on the second line of the title? This was a cartridge that was developed by three of the most renown pistolers and ESPECIALLY wheelgunners ever, and at a time when the .357 and the .44 existed, so it wasn't a cartridge that got trumped by newer designs. They knew a few things about wheelguns and cartridges and real world performance. Regretfully fickle shooters all jumped to the 44 after Dirty Harry came out and bullet companies lost market and stopped producing the selection of bullets they should That and "magnum" became a dirty word in police circles and departments stopped ordering them or canceled orders for them - as well as too much confusion over .41 Magnum police loads (What the 10mm auto was designed to duplicate) and full magnum loads, and many officers not being able to handle full magnum loads. In the 170-210 grain, they are sweet shooting without the recoil of the 44 and will take anything I am shooting at - if I want heavier, then I am better off going with .45C with Ruger loads and can do 300gr+ bullets with ease. Much like I could question why you would ever want a 30-30 for realistic hunting when you can get so many other popular and more effective cartridges in a lever action...

[Bisley]

Much like I could question why you would ever want a 30-30 for realistic hunting when you can get so many other popular and more effective cartridges in a lever action...

Very true, but at least with the .30-30 I can put 110gr V-max's in it (which is one of the huge advantages of the .30cal bullet selection) and turn it into a rabbit "death-ray". That is my love of the more popular calibers and wider bullet choice, something you don't get in the .41 range. I am surprised to hear about having bad experiences with the .44's though. That is too bad, and explains a lot. Once you get a bad taste for something it is hard to get rid of it, no doubt. I have been on the exact opposite end, to where I have had nothing but great experiences with them in both full hose loads and also what my nephew calls "Little Bunny Foo Foo" loads . But like I said, I can't help but wonder how I would feel if things went different years ago when I first shot it? Who knows? I do know that I feel very bad for anyone or anything on the opposing end of either one! Thanks again for the time, as I always love to know why someone is shooting something, not just what they are shooting. Keeps life interesting. And a big thanks for not taking the knee-jerk drama queen response simply because I wanted to know why you prefer it. An actual conversation, what a breath of fresh air And by the way, at least you have great taste in guns .

[docskinner]

= target - right? But 110gr VMax in a 30-30 you have a single shot, not a lever! I haven't had bad experiences with 44s - I like them, I just don't like shooting them as much as the .41s. Just one of those "love at first shoot" cartridges for me. Have to say if it wasn't for +P(+) .45C loads, I would probably consider one. Hell - win that $500MILL on Friday I will definitely buy one or two! Right now my preferred next purchase would be a redhawk in .45C. If you are going to go diameter, go diameter!! Only problem is the availability of 170gr Sierra. emailed them and they said that they are going to do a big run of them, and probably more runs as well, as their seems to be a surge in demand. Hopefully that will also lead others to (re)introduce lighter .41 bullets. I would buy as many .41HORN crit defense 170gr loads as I could afford and look seriously at a 657 or a shorter barreled .41 redhawk if they did. I think the .41 might see a bit of resurgence. Big historical aspect, and companies stopped making them, but are doing ever more frequent limited runs. (and as stated above - bullet demand is up.) Should also draw more interest back to them, and increase interest in making more. Would love a S&W mountain gun in .41M. Dumb move doing a scandium version so early in its comeback, particularly when no one sells commercial .41M "police" loads. Think going into survival mode more people are looking back to revolvers for durability. 41M is a natural in SD/HD load levels. At one time you couldn't buy .44 special loads either... If they made a .41M Thunder Ranch version (rumors, rumors, you teases...), I would sell whatever it took to get one. It is one of those funny things - most everyone I talk to that doesn't see the point has never shot them (or at best extremely limited shooting - and those people didn't like the .44 either). The people I talk to that like them either liked them instantly, or they had access to shoot them and it really quickly grew on them.Plus - it was born the same year as I was. ;-)

[Bisley]

Yeah, it sounds a lot like the ford, Chevy, Dodge thing. Funny how we have no control over what we are drawn to. And you are absolutely right on the 45LC, most folks don't understand that it is way under-loaded for safety in older guns. Another H U G E advantage to handloading though for sure. I can remember drooling over the Colt Anaconda when they introduced it in 45LC . Sure was purdy.It is funny that you mention the Redhawk in .41, I can remember when they came out with it in .357 and .41 (I was still in school) and was able to take my first (rattle)snake with a friend of the family's Redhawk in .357. I come from a S&W family, but always loved that gun. I still have the picture of me holding both that gun and the snake. Man, those were the days. Thanks for the trip down memory lane And I hear ya on the Hornady Critical Defense. I'm not much on the factory stuff, but that is one company that is at the top of its game. Good luck, and happy shooting.

[sxshooter]

Doc,
I'm a fan of the .41. I bought my first one 35 yrs ago. A Ruger Blackhawk. Still have it. Later I bought a TC Contender and got a 14" bbl in 41 as well as a few other calibers. Velocities from the 14" were a good jump from the revolver as I recall. About 15-20 yrs ago, I picked up a stainless Smith 6" (Model 657?) in .41. Sold the TC and Smith to build up the piggy bank for a Krieghoff K-80 about 8-9 yrs ago. K-80 went down the road a few yrs back.

[Braz]

Well, I think you got a really fine looking handgun there. it is as smith, afterall, so it has to be good looking. There are several yet out there tht I want to pickup. th 41 and the 44. Had a 44 at one time and had a bad day and traded it for a Ruger Super Redhawk in 44mag, which is now owned by Grant. But I want another model 29 on of these days. Gotta have it to with the model 10, model 17 and model 27 that I curretly have. Love the older ones with their blued finish. But there are others that I want too. LIke I just saw on Calguns a S&W 625JM in 45. I really want that one too. But day, I have already bought 2 in the last month. don't know how many I can hide from SWMBO. So I'll hve to pass on it for now. Also saw a nice M&P in 9. I think I want one of those too. If I"m going to collect Smiths gotta hve them all. i also want a Smith 1911, even though I 'm not a 1911 fan.

[rude robert]

What is a 45c, 45colt??. anyways, i like them all, even without shooting them lol

[Shoot-it]

I recently bought a ruger black hawk 41 mag .IT was a good price so i had to buy it lol.fun to shoot hard to hold on to.I read they were made to slide up on your hand.

[sportyg]

I had a .41M Redhawk made in 75 I bought it in 76.. I was my favorite gun. I needed money so I sold it to a collector in Co. for $600.00 funy thing was when I took it to have it shipped the guy there offered me $800.00 for it on the spot. said he had never seen one in such cherry shape as mine for the year it was mfg. that was a little over a year ago.. I've regreted selling that firearm from day 1. Still miss it...

[docskinner]

They hook you in after you shoot them a bit!