Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading 41 Mag loads

I picked up a nice model 57-1 4". I'm completely new to the 41, and am looking for 41 loads. Manuals have useful information for 210 gr. jacketed, but what do you have and like for ~210 gr. lead at 900 - 1000 fps?

8 to 9 grains of Unique

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.

Actual pressure tested data from Lyman.

8 grs. CFE Pistol, std. LP primer.

Have used 220-235gr. cast bullets with it and it's just the ticket for hunting and target loads, although a similar charge of Unique would do about the same.

I'm looking forward to shooting this more, it's been fun so far. Starting with a new cartridge is a bit of a pita, but ultimately rewarding.

The best load to meet your needs is 7 gr of Universal. And 6.5 gr of Titegroup would be close. I reserve Titegroup for my 165 gr kiddy loads.

I shoot a lot of 210s over 12 gr SR4756 (discontinued), and 12 gr HS-6, but those are running a bit hotter than you asked for. I still have a bunch of 210s loaded over 12 gr of Bluedot from before the Bluedot warning came out. Again, over 1000 fps. CFE Pistol is quite close in burn rate to these, but I have not tried it yet.

I also just loaded 100 rnds with my 210 gr Accurate cast bullet over 10 gr of Longshot. I have not clocked them yet, but they should be close to 1200 fps.

Check with Starline for availability of additional brass. Good luck finding primers.

Specifically, November 2005, Ruger 7.5 inch SBH six shots: 7.0 gr Unique gave 856 fps to 996 fps with 210 gr cast. It also left thick carbon on muzzle and cylinder face.

Three shots, same gun, same bullet over 6 gr Universal yielded 825 fps, 821 fps, and 829 fps. Much better performance, and quite clean.

Maybe TrailBoss offers what you are after?

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, I am not talking top loads from a special. I am talking minimal special loads in a magnum case such as 600 to 700 fps.

The advice is not limited to 41 mag/special. It is applicable to 38/357, 44 sp/44 mag, 45 colt/454/460, 32 S&W long/32 H&R/327 Federal.

Pistol loads are highly sensitive to air space behind the bullet. As long as that air space is held to the same as it would be in a special case, the brass is interchangeable.

Don't take my word for it. Search for the good Dr. Howell's advice on the matter.

Some of my bullets are seated fully below the end of the brass. Some might think they look funny, but the beauty is in the performance. The grand kids really appreciate having revolvers that recoil like a 22 mag to a 32 auto.

There are lots of great uses for ultralight handgun loads. One, they greatly broaden the use of a single weapon. Two, they are great training rounds for inexperienced and very young shooters. Three, they are wonderfully pleasant to shoot in the lightest of alloy frame revolvers.

It's going to be awhile before I can try anything, because of a lack of primers. Unique sounds like a plan for now.

Our LGS must have some kind of arrangement with Federal.

Two weeks ago I was able to get 2000 Federal SPP, with the help of my Wife and two daughters. Limit 500 each. They have all gone into 9mm rounds.

Yesterday, I saw their primer shelves were stocked again. One group walked out with 1000 LPP and 1000 SPP.

I grabbed 500 Federal Match SPP to go into 1000 empty 38 Super cases. I asked Momma to run over this AM and get 500 more while I am at work.

I also need to gain some stock for the 41 and 10 mm.