Like the title says I am thinking about letting my wife buy me one, a Ruger Blackhawk, I know quite a few people with a 44 magnum but nobody has a 41, what are the pro's and con's, other than the price of factory ammo (can reload) my other thought is a 45 colt.

My wife is paying and liked the looks of the Ruger Super Blackhawk with wood grips (she thought it looked cool and old, her words).

I guess I can leave it up to you gentlemen (used loosely ) which caliber is the most fun to shoot for recreation with occasional whitetail hunting?

I really liked my S&W model 57 41 Mag. before it was stolen.

I have been looking for another one to replace it but they are hard to find.

I like the feel of the 41 Mag and if your wife can not handle the recoil they do have specials for it as well.

Good luck on your choice

I'd opt for the .45 LC.

Go into your average gun shop and ask for a box of .41 magnum and a box of .45 Long Colt and see what you get. Generally speaking, especially in out of the way places, .41 magnum ammo can be pretty thin on the ground. There is nothing more annoying than discovering that you left your ammo at home, and the local gun shop can't help you out.

If you've already got a 45 Colt, the 41 Magnum gives you nothing in addition. I've got a 41 Magnum in a Smith & Wesson Model 58, fixed sights. Were it not for that gun's "cool factor" I'd have been content with just my 45 Colt.

My take is this: if you want a 41 Magnum in a really cool gun, get it. In a Ruger Blackhawk (aside from a Three-Screw Old Model 41 Magnum), you're best off sticking with your 45 Colt and having your wife buy you a nice Colt Delta Elite 10mm You'd get your .40 caliber fix and get it in style

My opinion is biased due to my crave for recoil so I say 44mag. I guess if I had to choose between 45colt and 41 mag I would go with the 45. Both of them have the same ammo issue but 45 is easier to find and cheaper to buy and reload. In the right gun the 45 can be loaded to impressive velocities. Besides the fact that the 45 is such a tried and true round. I have never owned a 41 but have fired and loaded a few for a friend and it proved very accurate with moderate to light recoil. I guess in reality any revolver round that starts with a 4 is not a real bad choice either way.

My wife is not a shooter, she just wants to buy me a gun, and she liked the looks of a super blackhawk, I have a 40 cal XD, I also have a kimber in 45 ACp and my first pistol a Beretta 92fs I bought when I was 16, with dads help. I did some quick checking and I can get the 41 blackhawk for about 435, and the 44 mag superblackhawk was 535, I am assuming the 45 colt would be similar to the 41, but did not check availability and price. All would have to be a special order for the shop that I really like to buy from.

damn now i am starting to confuse myself, thanks for the replies and keep them coming.

Because you handload, there is no practical difference between the 41 Magnum, 44 Magnum, and 45 Colt. Do you have a Blackhawk in 357 Magnum? Or a Flattop Blackhawk in 44spl? Both are neat guns, the 357 is different enough from your 45 Colt to be useful and the Flattop 44Spl is a new-classic gun that feels different enough from a standard Blackhawk that it will fill a niche for you. Both list for $575, so real world price would likely be the same as the Blackhawk in 41 Magnum.

All that said, one of the best reasons to own a 41 Magnum is because someone bought it for you. If she's set on getting you a 41, then that's all that matters.

I noticed someone posted in the handgun forums on page 2 or 3 there were some 45colts for sale for $399. I think they were blackhawk stainless. I find that the 41 mag is like the 10mm and the 38 super in the shooters world. Some swear by them and some have no use for them. I like the ease and availability of ammo and components.

I just looked, its the new Vaquero on page 2 for $399.

If you decide on the 41 maggie you will be very happy. Comparing factory loads the 41 developes about 12 ft lbs of recoil, the 44 maggie produces about 16 ft lbs, a different of 25%. You mention that you will probably reload, thats great, it will allow you to develope your loads up or down to suit you.
If you were to restrict yourself to factory only then the 44 would be your best bet. I've never understood the argument about finding factory ammo if you happen to leave you ammo at home. Has anyone ever heard of a person forgetting their ammo.
You never hear of someone forgetting their gun or their wallet, its always ammo!
Let your wife buy you that 41 maggie, have a gunsmith do a trigger job...not the poor mans trigger job which is lifting one leg of the spring off the post, yes it will lighten your trigger, it will not make a good trigger out of a bad trigger, both legs of that spring are there for a reason.
The 45 Colt is also a great caliber, many times the cylinder throats will need attention, something that seldom ever happens with a 41 or 44. If you insist on really heavy loads the 45 will outperform both the 41 or 44 if you are up to the task of dealing with the recoil.
Shooting should be fun & hopefully economical through handloading, that way you can practice almost daily & become proficient with your caliber of choice.
Last thing, you will never shoot anything in North America with a 41 magnum that begs for a bigger caliber except for the big bears, anything else is fair game, I've done it many times over.

Dick

I think most of the folks here are missing the point.....if you want a .41 mag there's not a thing in the world wrong with it. Very good cartridge actually.

The MAIN thing here is the statement..."my wife wants to buy me one!"

In that case.....you should have her buy you a Freedom Arms model 97 in .41 Mag!!!!!

bubbajay said


If you guys were looking at a Super Blackhawk, (44 mag) as opposed to a Blackhawk (in 41 mag or 45 Colt), there can be some differences in the way the guns look and feel.

Ruger has updated their website recently making it more user friendly where when you scroll the curser over the particular model, the picture pops up. It used to be you only got to see one example of a barrel length for a model.

At any rate, the Super can have a squared trigger guard and unfluted cylinder in certain barrel lengths, but not in others- the Blackhawk doesn't.

bubbajay said


In the real world, for a reloader, not much of anything. If you use jacketed bullets, you probably have the most choice of bullet selection with the .44, and the least with the .41- but I'm sure you would still find something that would be suitable. The .45 would be somewhere in between, but closer to the .44 in available bullets.

I love my 41s they are some of my favorites to shoot. That being said I watch for 41 ammo. I keep wanting to start loading have all the stuff but....

I just keep a sharp eye and always have ammo to shoot

No question my 44s are easier to get ammo for and more choices

I have a 57 in 41 a blackhawk in 41 and a tracker in 41 I love them all

Hank

I've got both, but tend to favor the .41.. I've got a Blackhawk with a 4.75" barrel and it's a sweetie to carry in the field.. Fun to shoot - not recoil heavy, and the .41 has very good performance ratings..

Dick, In my 40+ years of shooting I've not only seen ammo left at home, I've seen empty gun cases, rifles without bolts, and ammo lost in transit when flying to a hunt. I've also found handguns, rifles and shotguns left at the range, along with tons of ammo. My point is that if circumstances necessitate purchasing ammo while out and about the .41 magnum is about as rare as rocking horse poop compared to the availability of .45LC.

Old Writer, you are correct, it would be hard to find, can't imagine how hard to would be to find a new bolt somewhere.
One time we unloaded the horses & mules just before daylight & headed to the top of the mountain, about 2 hours into the climb I noticed that my rifle scabbard was empty! Rode all the way back down to the trucks, got my 270 & went back but it was a hard lesson & my pals never let me forget it!
It just seems strange to me that everytime the subject comes up of comparing the 41 to the 44 that buying ammo somewhere out in the toolies seems to be more important than which gun to buy. If a person thinks he might have a problem finding a gas station he carrys extra fuel, if he thinks he might run low on 41 maggie ammo he takes that into account & takes enough to last. If he's dumb like me & forgets his rifle he takes 2 next time, never forgot my horse or mule!

Dick

I'll tell you what I think of it..........

Bought a new one, S&W Mod.57, 6", circa, 1979 & had it until 2 years ago, when in a moment of ultimate stupidity, I sold it.

Every day I kick myself in the azz for letting it go.

For sure though, I'd get a S&W over the Ruger any day of the week.

MM

Read what MontanaMan said again. I have six .41 magnum revolvers, all S&W, that I shot in ISHMA competition for years. The 8 3/8 inch barreled version was a wonderful competition revolver, but the 6 inch was a better deer/hog/bear revolver. The 4 inch are for carry and cruising the woods on a beautiful day. My favorite is a factory Armalloy Model 58. With my cast bullets the .41 is an accurate, cheap to shoot wonder-revolver.

Let her buy it, you will love the 41, I know I do. I own 3 S&W's in 41 mag, 2 M-57's 1 with a 4" barrel and the other a 6" barrel and a M-357PD with a 4" barrel

A great caliber that is over looked by all but the discriminating handguners

Pro's are a great caliber and great gun. The price is usually right on a Blackhawk too. The cons of the specific gun is usually needing some smoothing up. This can be done by a gunsmith or just with normal practice over time. The gunsmith will be quicker and a little better, maximizing your shooting pleasure and skills. The con of the caliber has already been stated, availability.

I've never owned a .41 Mag. Wouldn't be afraid of one or one in a Blackhawk, in the least. Let her get it for you and never look back, would be my advice. You want a 45 Colt or a 44 Mag. down the road, get that too.

The 45 Colt is better overall. Specifics as to why have already been given. Either will do you fine. 41 sounds intriguing.

How better?

I have owned both..................

MM

I'm in the camp that feels the .45 Colt should not be loaded over 20,000 psi. That means that the .41 will easily out perform it. BTW, trying to find hot ammo for the .45 Colt is tougher than finding factory ammo for the .41 in my neighborhood.
It produces about 15% less recoil than the .44 Mag and just as loud.
Every bit as much fun to shoot at the longer distances as the .44 with less recoil.
Now, if you want some real killing power w/o the ear splitting blast of the .41 or the .44 Magnums, then I'd say the .45 Colt.
I see the .41 Magnum as a good choice instead of the .44 Magnum in the same weight of the lighter guns.
I suspect I'd be happier with the lighter Ruger Blackhawk in the .41 than I would be with a .44 Magnum. E

I agree in old Colt SAA, but not in a modern Ruger

The 45 Colt is bigger, both in frontal area and case capacity. In modern steeled, heavy platforms that will withstand high pressures, it can be loaded to velocities which are in the neighborhood of the .44 Mag. Heavy 45 Colt bullets weigh more than the .41 Mag's, etc. Plus the 45 Colt is easier to obtain.

I think both are great cartridges. I'm not experienced with the 41 Mag. but I'm not experienced with the 41 Colt either, yet I can tell you with some assurance that the 45 Colt exceeds both. The reason I didn't was because I've gave my rundown on the 45 Colt here multiple times and didn't figure most wanted to hear it again. Combine that with other posters having already detailed this stuff before I did on this thread (IIRC without reading the whole thing over) and I didn't see the need.

If you want to compare an SAA made in 1895 to a new Blackhawk and you're using it for hunting medium game, then the 41 Mag. should get the nod. Blackhawk vs. Blackhawk, the 45 Colt holds a decided edge. Dude should get what he wants, like I said in the other post.

Cole is correct on the 45 Colt in a Ruger Blackhawk, it will easily over power both the 41 & 44 magnums & as you move into the heavyweight bullets its even more evident.
One of the Hodgdon manuals shows loads in the 32,000 psi range that are totally safe in modern Ruger sixguns. A 44 magnum works in the 40,000 psi range but still can't keep up with the heavy slugs.
Getting back to the 41 maggie: If you load it with 250 gr slugs & do the same with the 44 there's pretty much zero difference in performance. That plus the 41 just might do it with less recoil, the reason is a 41 blackhawk & a 44 blackhawk don't weigh the same, the 41 is heavier if the barrel length is the same. Smaller holes in the cylinder & barrel is the reason.
What we're doing here is spliting hairs because no animal can live on what little difference there is between a max loaded 41 maggie with 250's & a max loaded 44 with 250's, there is a slight edge to the 44 but its not much.
In the end you have to ask yourself, do I want max power along with heavier recoil or do I shoot for pleasure & still have ample power for game up to elk size.

Dick

I say let her buy a 41. Reloading won't let the ammo availability hurt you at all. Components are available.I bought a 41 blackhawk last fall.I also have a 44 mag super blackhawk and a 45 colt blackhawk already so for me its not a 41 vs 44 vs 45 thing. The bad part is that I had to buy my own.
Enjoy whatever you choose.

Well...since I have twentysomething .41s, two .44s and no .45 Colts you probably can tell where my sentiments lie.....

All are great rounds in great guns but the reason I ended up with .41s over the others was perceived recoil... Especially with the short barreled gun, SA or DA, with full loads the .41 is just more fun to shoot...

Some Ruger .41s...

Top is a limited edition Flat Top

Center is a 80s vintage Blackhawk with a Super Blackhawk gripframe

Bottom is a 1976 Centenial with stag grips...











Flat Top with new bonded ivory grips..the checked narrow black plastic is not fun with heavy loads..



80s vintage 6.5" with Weaver base system and Leupold scope...a tack driver at 50 yards..

[img]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/RJM52/Single%20Action/RugerBH-SSS-Marlin-FA020.jpg[/img]

Just a great round....

Bob

I think I am going to go the 41 route, to me it will be something that not everyone has and will say "what the hell is a 41 mag?" There is always time to get other calibers right? I think I will take my 3 month old daughter with to help me pick it out, and later on she can have it. I appreciate the feedback from everyone and will let you know how I like it when I get it.

Sounds good bubba. Let us know.

I'd take a look at the new 41 mag Ruger Blackhawk Flattop that is a limited edition. 45/8 barrel would be sweet.

I was on Rugers site I didnt see anything where would I find info in this?
Hank

You mean like this one?


http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=218465154

or

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=218479742

I also would like to see it in a 4 5/8 inch. I suppose a guy could have the barrel shortened while it was in the shop getting the trigger done.

I own one handgun. My first and so far only revolver is a Ruger SBH hunter in 41 mag.

I load and shoot a lot of 210 gr bullets at about 800 fps. With these loads the gun feels about like a 38 special. On the top end I load the 210 gr Hornady XTP to 1400 fps. This is is shamed very little by a 44 magnum.

I have never purchased factory ammo in 41 caliber, so can not speak as to scarcity of factory ammo. But I can testify that 41 caliber bullets can be hard to come by, even at Cabela's and Sportsman's Warehouse.

In my gunsafe can be found a 30-06AI, a 260 Rem, a 264 Win mag, a 22-243AI, a 7mm STW, and a Marlin 1894 in 41 mag. The SBH 41 mag fits well with my arcane collection.

No, I would not trade it for a 44. Not even if .429 bullets were given away for free.

Very nice. I have only seriously considered two .41 Mags in my whole shooting career. One was years ago when I spotted a beat up 57 at a local gunstore. It was about the same price you'd expect to pay for one in pretty good condition...$275 I think. If it had been $100 less, I'd of bought it. It was scratched up pretty bad and $275 really was the going price on a decent one.

Then just last week, I looked at that same gun in Gander's Mountain. It was one of the few guns there that looked to be decently priced. Really tripped my trigger for some reason. That's the one I'd get if I were looking at .41's.

Or, just find one like this Ruger Blackhawk in .41RM with a 4 5/8" barrel..



I picked up that little beauty a few years ago.. Handy little backwoods carry gun in a decent belt holster...

Maybe single actions are your bag but like Cole said 57's are awesome if you can find a good one.This one has taken several deer over the years and is super accurate!!BTW I like single actions too..

IIRC, they made the Abilene in 41 Mag...

Yep I could have picked up one right after I bought my 44,still kickin my azz for that dumb move!!

I am a .41mag fan. My Ruger .41 is a 4 5/8" Blackhawk, not SBH, that I bought new in the 80's. I replaced the rear sight blade with a white outline. I replaced the hammer with a Bisley hammer. If you get a Blackhawk, the first thing that I would do, is send to MidwayUSA for a Wolff spring kit and Hogue Rubber Mono Fingergroove grips. About $25 for both. The hammer spring is a simple changeout while you are changing the grips. The rubber Hogues are not as pretty as the wood, but try them, you'll like them. Reeds at OK City sells .41 Special ammo now. Good luck.

The only handgun I have is a Taurus Tracker in 41 mag. I bought it mainly to carry with me while archery hunting, and the Taurus was light enough that it wouldn't get left in the truck. I don't shoot it very often, but have never had any difficulty finding ammo for it. I have not reloaded for the 41 yet, probably because I'd be hard pressed to go through 50 rounds a year. The only drawback, if you can call it one, is the limited choices when it comes to different factory loads available. I have no regrets and would buy the same gun again. That's my opinion, but bear in mind that I am pretty much a newbie when it comes to handguns.

ID Shooter...

"I also would like to see it in a 4 5/8 inch. I suppose a guy could have the barrel shortened while it was in the shop getting the trigger done."

Look at my Flat Top above your post...it is a 4 5/8".... Williams Shooters Supply contracted for 119 4 5/8" guns and 181 6.5" barrel gun... They are getting very hard to find...

bubba....Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...let us know what your daughter picks out...and welcome to The Cult of the .41.....

Bob

I have that same gun - the Taurus Tracker. I put a set of Hogue grips on it 'cause I did not like the original ribber grips. Nice package.

Bob,

Yes, I have seen your posts of your flat top 41 before. It is a beautiful piece.

Quick question: Is the grip frame alloy or steel on the flat top?

Steel.....

Bob

Hey .41 Tracker guys, do you have any problems with your Tracker cylinder being to short for any of the .41mag heavy loads? I have a Taurus SS Mod 415 ported snubnose that I bought for pocket carry in the mountains. The cylinder is too short for the heavy load ammo that I use in my Ruger. It does take the 250gr Federal CastCore, with no problem.

I highly recommend a .41 caliber! A friend of mine used to carry on in his younger years as a boarder partrolman.

Nowdays with all this new tech on the market the revolver has been back seated somewhat for the high capacity mags in the semi-auto and it does make a difference on the street where car jackings are now made by groups of 3 or 4 people etc. This is where the semi-rules for firepower.

I can shoot 255 grain bullets ( http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=215550 ) from mine without problems. It is a hand full with full power loads.

Good choice. You won't be sorry. Of course, once you have your .41 Mag. handgun, you'll not be truly satisfied until you have a Marlin 1894S .41 Mag., to match it.

I love my combo S&W 57 and Marlin .41 Mag. Great carry out in the boonies.

L.W.

I had a Ruger SA 41 Mag and liked it a lot. When my son moved to Alaska, I let him take it. I had some handloads with 260 gr bullets that are awesome bear medicine.

Yes it can be a problem with heavy cast bullets. A "real" Keith 220-230 grain bullet crimped in the standard crimping groove is too long for the cylinder and has to be crimped over the shoulder. Also "long nose" LBT bullets will not fit either.

Cast Performance Bullet Company and now LeadHead Bullet Company makes the 250 grain LBT bullet for Federals CastCore load. Kelly Brost of CPBC told me he tried to get Federal to use his favorite .41 bullet, the 255, but said they were concerned that the crimp to nose length was too long for some cylinders so instead chose the 250 that has much more shank in the case than the 255 does. Also because the bullet nose was right at the end of the cylinder, in the light guns with heavy recoil the bullet could jump the crimp and the nose then tie up the cylinder rotation.

I have three of the Trackers..a stainless 4", a titanium 4" and a titanium 6"...all are great shooters. I also have a couple hundred .41 Special cases just for shooting the LeadHead 230 Keith with 7.0 grains of Unique in the Trackers. It runs just about 1000 fps the same as 8.0 grains of Unique runs in a .41 Magnum cast. If I want a heavy cast I use the 250.



6" titanium...left target at 15 yards slow DA the right target fast DA....




The same situation exists with the Freedom Arms 97...their cylinder is also shorter than the FA 83, Ruger or S&W guns...






Bob

Bob,

Thanks for the answer above.

The last photo inspired me to browse the FA web site for a while.

I sure do like the looks of the round butt model 97.

Maybe after the mortgage is paid off.

Hello Bubbajay


Better to Slow down a Notch there Partner... if you are going to hand a .41 Magnum down to your daughter I would suggest you locate the One that Hit the scene First in 1964 Being the S&W Model 57. They are built on the-N-frame and will take repeated Magnum Punishment. I have dropped several Deer with mine and it is a Pure Tack driver on Target. They are a Little hard to Locate but once you get one you will Not Regret it. Here is mine a Nickel 4" example which are very hard to locate with the shorter 4" Barrel and in Nickel finish, but don't give up, they are out there and will Only Appreciate in Value over time...Why Not give her the Best to hand down to her Daughter after you are long gone ? Regards, Thegeneral

Nothin' better'n a round butt, I always say...

I like the .41. I haven't owned one in quite a while. It seemed pretty stupidly simple to load for, throw 21 to 21.5 grains of Win 296 under a 210 grain Hornady XTP in WW brass and light it with Federal 155 primers. In my 2 guns that made holes in paper real close together.

I have fairly small hands, so one thing I do with Blackhawks is "upgrade" them with a Super Blackhawk hammer while I've got 'em apart cleaning up the trigger. The lower hammer spur is easier for me to reach.

Probably the best looking single action I've ever seen is the 5.5" barreled version of the super blackhawk. For my eye, it just works. Balances nicely.

I'd be careful about the 4-5/8" versions of the Blackhawk in .45 Colt. I bought one a while back and found the front sight too short to be able to zero the gun with any bullet, ran out of adjustment. Thought maybe mine had been assembled with the wrong front sight but when I went back to the store, they had 3-4 others just like it all with the same sight height. The 5.5" barreled guns had a lot taller sight. I considered sending mine back to Ruger and have them put the sight off the 5.5" gun on it but decided "[bleep] it" was a better answer and consigned mine.

As far as choosing one for deer ... it doesn't matter, they all work. Load a medium weight JHP fast enough to expand, or a medium SWC from about 1000 fps up, deer will die. Focus on finding accuracy, don't worry about max velocity. All three are way more than adequate.

Tom

Missing the point entirely!

Does she have a sister?

When your wife say she wants to buy you a gun JUST SAY YES

Wives have a habit of changing their minds.

8mmwapiti

That Mod 97 round butt is too sweet. I have alwaye thought that happiness would be a SS Ruger GP100 4", with a Bisley hammer and Birds Head grips in the .41mag.

CF...I have this right...a GP100 double action with Bisley hammer and a Birdshead grip....that would be interesting.

Bowen and I think Clements Custom Guns do .41 Special conversions of GP100s...

The "little" FA97 is very small...far smaller than a Blackhawk. I originally was going to shoot just .41 Specials in it but have found for some reason that Magnum brass is more accurate in the gun. In the 35+ years of reloading .41 Magnum I have never had an inaccurate load... 7.0 grains of Unique with a Leadhead 230 Keith in a .41 Special case was my first one... But yet it shot fine in that 4" Taurus Ti Tracker...

If anyone is interested I know where there is a 5.5" FA97 for sale for $1350.00. It is a clone to the 83 above....right down to the black Micarta grips and Mag-Na-Port barrel. It belongs to a friend of a friend who is selling of his collection. This gun is about $2200.00 and has a very low round count. I have fired it and it is excellent. My friend bought the same gun from him but in .32-20/.32 H&R Magnum and has sent the gun back to FA to have a .327 Federal cylinder put on.

Bob

The old Colt Lightning and Thunderer were double action. I had always thought that the Bisley hammer and Birds Head grips would make a nice .41 carry gun in a double action. Mahap even a 3" barrel.

My 4 5/8" Blackhawk .41mag has a Bisley hammer.

Bob,

How does the weight of the '97 compare to the NM Blackhawk.

M97 4.25" 41Mag = 2.33 lbs

Blackhawk 4.62" 41 Mag = 2.35 lbs

The FA IS smaller, but all steel.

Pete

I have plenty of .357's, .44 Magnums, and .45 Colts and enjoy using them all. I had never had a .41 Magnum until today when I picked up a 4" M57. I look forward to playing with my new toy and am glad to see so many people who like their .41's. I hope I have not picked up too bad a disease.

you need a 58 now, then the nickel ones, then the moutain gun then the ruger

Thanks

According to an electronic fish scale the guns pictured above:

Ruger Blackhawk (aluminum frame 4 5/8" barrel and stag grips) 2 pounds 9 oz.

Ruger Blackhawk (steel SBH frame 4 5/8" barrel and rosewood grips) 2 pounds 14 oz.

Ruger Flat Top (steel frame 4 5/8" barrel and bonded ivory grips) 2 pounds 14 oz.

FA 97 (all stainless steel 4 1/4" barrel Micarta grips) 2 pounds 10 oz.

FA 83 (all stainless steel 6" barrel and Micarta grips) 3 pounds 12 oz.

Bob

..a few more short barrels:

Taurus Ti Tracker (total titanium 4" stock ribber grips) 1 pound 12 oz.

S&W 357 AirLite (aluminum frame titanium cylinder 4" Hogue X500 grips) 1 pound 13 oz.

S&W 657 Mountain Gun (stainless steel 4" stock Hogue rubber grips) 2 pounds 10 oz.

S&W 657 (stainless steel 4" stock Hogue rubber grips) 2 pounds 13 oz.

S&W 58 (all steel 4" fixed sights with shortened S&W target grips) 2 pounds 15 oz.

Bob

Thanks Bob.

I had no idea the 657 Mountain was so light. I really want a 41 Tracker Ti in 4 in for a trail gun, but they have become impossible to find.

I will have to consider a Mountain gun or a Blackhawk.

My 657 Mountain with factory Ahrends wood grips weighs just a hair over 40 ounces. A real sweetheart.

The Taurus Tracker in stainless is only 34 oz.

They are there...

Here is a 4" that sold for more than a grand on a BuyNow....

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=212883426

This is the last one I have seen for sale...the guy had both a .357 and a .41 for sale at the same time...the .357 sold for about $50.00 less...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=213932834

But expect to pay $600-750.00 for a nice 4"...but that is also what one will pay for a nice Mountain Gun.

I would have hit the BuyNow on this one if I had seen it first...this Seller was a fool...the 6" guns are EXTREMELY rare because they came out just before the whole Total Ti line was discontinued.... Bidding could have gone to $1000.00.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=218853724


Bob

ps

...as to all the .41s...if I was down to just ONE it would be the 657 Mountain Gun....just about perfect balance and speed from the holster without too much weight.

...when you start questioning why you have the other calibers and selling them off...that starts the TERMINAL stage...and True Happiness will soon follow...

Welcome to the Cult....

Bob

570 bucks...Wow.

I wonder how many here would have hunted me down and broken my legs for having it cut down to four inches and getting rid of the darned ports.

..it would only take one....

Here...you won't have to cut the barrel on this one...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=219242853

Course at this price you won't have enough money left for a hacksaw blade....

Bob

Yeah that is a sweet rig.

Right now though, it would be a straight up trade for Momma. And I doubt the Smith would keep me warm at night.

My own choice is the .41 Remington Magnum and has been for maybe 35 years or so.

But that's because I like the S&W N frame. For my money the N frame hits a limit even with the extreme update and. all the best efforts of the maker. I find more loads shooting close to the same point of aim and accuracy loads easier to develop for N frame in .41 compared to the .44 Magnum.

I don't consider the N frame at all suitable for very heavy .45 Colt loads.

So if the choice is N frame then I say .41 but if the handgun has the size and strength to handle something bigger and more powerful and the handgunner also then and in that event I would go .45 bore or even bigger and load down if desired.

Sadly I don't handle the bigger guns at all well so like the N frame I figure I peak at the .41 Remington Magnum or maybe the .460 Rowland with its normal compensator barrel on a 1911.

...why I love .41s....

Friend called last minute yesterday saying he just picked up a 6" 629 and did I want to come shoot. So I grabbed an identical .41 and headed for his range... Have not shot this one in several years as I seem to like the 4" guns more...

This was my last target of the day... 20 yards double action with a 230 Keith from Leadhead bullets with 8.0 grains of Unique (target says 9.0). Just hard to miss....











I also had a 1964 6" with me but didn't shoot it...the bluing is almost too nice to shoot. Bought it about 1990 from a farmer...unfired.



[img]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/RJM52/SMITH-WESSON/SW41s008.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/RJM52/SMITH-WESSON/SW41s012.jpg[/img]



Gotta love this round....Bob

This thread has given me a lot of information, but I waited to long and the funds that my wife had set aside have unfortunately needed to be re-directed to something that is actually more enjoyable than shooting.....our bed needs to be replaced, it kinda broke and was really uncomfortable any way.

I can still put one on law-a-way at the local fun store, but I think it will be the 41.

lmao