Originally Posted by Idaho_Shooter
Originally Posted by Border Doc

Welcome to Club 41.

Your 4" barrel will do just fine with Unique, or something in that same burn rate, if you stick with 900-1000 fps and cast lead. That is a comfortable zone for accuracy, recoil and minimal leading with only modest muzzle flash. The "41 Special" loads by John Taffin are enjoyable and economical to shoot. 41 Special brass is available from Starline. If you want to go that way, scrub the fouling from the chambers before loading with full-length Magnum brass cases.

Check your powder cabinet, you may turn up a stray can of Green Dot, W-231 or some other useful powder.

41 Special data is quite handy.

Special data can be used in magnum cases if you seat the bullet deeply and match special COAL. And you don't have to scrub the chambers when you switch back to magnum loads.


That really is a waste of time. Using the right powders start loads for a 41 mag are right under the top end of 41 special. AA5 gives a start of 9.8 with a 210 @ ~1100, out of a 6.5” Blackhawk measured was actually 1048. 7.8 grains of Red Dot same gun and bullet gave 1066. With Unique you have to max it out to get over 1050 and all the above loads are using mag cases with normal seating depth. And all are pleasant to shoot.
The 41 special intrigued me for awhile till I discovered that a 41 cal 200 grain at 900-1000 FPS gave me absolutely nothing of value. Nothing more than a 45ACP only smaller. I can get 1000-1050 out of a 1911 with 200 grain XTP or go to a 230 grain ~900+.


Swifty