Ruger Flattop, midsize frame Bisley Blackhack in 41 Magnum. Photo curtesy of https://www.lipseys.com/itemdetail?itemno=RUKRNVB-415

Unlike the 357 Magnum and the 44 Magnum there was nothing “Special” that preceded the 41 Magnum. Considered the brain child of Elmer Keith and Bill Jordan, (Charles Allen “Skeeter” Skelton was a supporter as well) the idea was to address the perceived short comings in performance of the Law Enforcement cartridges 38 Special and 357 Magnum while delivering less recoil than the 44 Magnum.

Had it come about in the natural progression of things (before the 44 Magnum) it perhaps would be much more popular than it is today. However as matters would have it the 41 Magnum’s introduction had been overshadowed by the big 44 Magnum for about 8 years by 1964 and would be considered to little to late by many.

A few law enforcement departments adopted it but soon found that it “over performed” (whatever that means) and the commercially available reduced loads used for practice and familiarization with the pistols fouled/leaded the barrels so bad as to render them impractical. While the law enforcement community didn’t take to it as a whole, sportsman and hunters did gravitate toward the cartridge, my own father using one for many years in the Sierras of California hunting black bear and deer.

Comparison of the 357, 41, and 44 Magnums; Many today attempt to compare the 41 Magnum to the 10mm which IMHO is no comparison. Photo courtesy of https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/the-41-remington-magnum-the-under-appreciated-middle-magnum.1878548

The 41 Magnum has been my favorite pistol cartridge for over 35 years. In my armament lies an Old Model Three-screw, 6 1/2″ Black hawk (belonged to my father); a new model 4 5/8″ Blackhawk (Pre-warning); and Lipsey’s latest release, the Flattop Mid-size, 5 1/5″ Bisley New Model Blackhawk (pictured above).

How Does it Shoot?

In all the years of shooting the 41 Magnum I have never fired commercial Jacketed bullets through my pistols. A couple months back found me in a local Murdoch’s which had some Nosler 210 grain JHPs and Hornady 210 grain XTPs red tagged. I loaded up a cylinder full in some new Starline brass, packed 19.5 grains of Winchester 296 powder and headed out back of the shop to my range. The beaded partridge front sight on the 6 1/2″ completely covered the 10″ steal plate I have set at 100 yds. I banged off 5 rounds in a single hand stance and heard the plate clang promptly after each shot. Not sure what the actual velocity is from my pistol but according to the Nosler book they are start loads running about 1520 fps.

With cast bullets the performance is similar, it seems to be one of those cartridges that will shoot whatever it’s fed and shoot it well. I have a Lyman #41032 mold that is very much a truncated SWC, depending on mix it drops a 204-215 grain bullet. A recently acquired NOE mold (412-238 RFN) drops a 227-237 grain bullet depending on mix. Favorite loads consist of 5.0 grains of Bullseye powder under any cast bullet and 7.5 grains of Unique powder under the same. For heavy/hunting loads all I push is 18.0 grains of 2400 or 20.0 grains of W-296, these are plenty stout and will kill anything one may want to eat in North America.

Elmer Keith once said about the 41 Magnum, “[it] is a bit flatter in its trajectory them the .44 Magnum I [am]used to.” The Unique load mentioned above has been responsible for most of the deer I’ve killed with the 41 Magnum. Looking back through my dad’s load log it seems that he favored 18.0 grains of 2400 for bear.

What Else Can it do?

I definitely don’t adhere to modern convention. My family members were all raised around guns and to adhere to the 4 rules of firearm safety which are as follows;

• Treat all guns as if they are loaded: Always assume a gun is loaded until you’ve visually inspected it. 
• Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction: Point the gun so that it can’t cause injury or damage if it goes off. 
• Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot: This prevents accidental discharges. 
• Know your target and what’s beyond it: Be sure of what’s in front of and behind your target. 

My non-conventional way of thinking interprets and instructs them as the following;

• ALL GUNS ARE LOADED! (Don’t assume in my house)
• Don’t point it at anything you don’t intend to kill. (In other words leave it alone until you intend to use it. A safe gun is a loaded gun, left alone)
• Keep your booger hook off the bang switch until you’re ready to kill. (This means the sights are aligned and the gun is raised)
• Be sure of your target. (Be damn sure what you’re killing needs killed)

That being said, the 41 Magnum is a great personal defense round. There are several options with light weight, 170-185 grain HP bullets at high velocities. These projectiles are less likely to pass through a two legged threat and more likely to stop the threat with one shot. Of course should the incident occur in a social setting and the threat is not immediately neutralized, a few heavy solids for follow up may be warranted.

With practice the 41 Magnum is very capable up to 100 yards as a deer cartridge. Of course, one should know their hunting laws for specific legal firearm requirements before attempting to use the 41 as such. It is, IMHO, easier to find a load that shoots well in than is the 357 Magnum and 44 Magnum.

To often the 41 Magnum is compared to the 44 Magnum and more recently the 10 mm. It most definitely is not a 44 Magnum (with heavy 300 + grain bullet capabilities) and is most assuredly not a 10mm (with…I don’t really care what it’s capable of). John Taffin sums it up best when he says, “To know the .41 Magnum is to appreciate it. It really does not need to be compared to any other cartridge as it can stand on its own merits. One of these is the fact it can deliver substantial muzzle energy without punishing recoil.”

Last weekend the wife joined me outside for a shooting session. She ran through 50 rounds of 41 Magnum loaded with 5.0 grains of Bullseye. It took a cylinder or two to get used to the gun, but after that she was knocking down bowling pins and exploding half gallon jugs of water at 20-25 yards with ease.

It lacks the sharp report and blast that many find with the 357 Magnum and most definitely lacks the recoil of the 44 Magnum That in and of itself for me and many others out there make “middle magnum” the Cat’s Meow and the Bee’s Knees of handgun cartridges. So to KNOW the 41 Magnum is to LOVE it and that’s why it is my all time favorite handgun caliber.