Anyone familiar with the 41 Special? I’ve got a couple of 41 Magnums and have been reading about the Special version of this caliber, especially in a smaller frame DA revolver.

I just missed out on a Charter Pug 41, which I think would be a good start, especially cost wise. My other option is to have my Ruger Service Six 4” 357 converted. That may not be a good option due to the age and part availability of this fine revolver.

Well I can tell you didn't miss out on much not buying the charter arms.

A 40S@W will give you the same ballistics. or how about one of the 10mm revolvers.

If was going to go for a conversion I do a S@W L frame in 41mag 5 shot just like the model 69 in 44..

I am sure you could do a GP100 in a 5shot 41mag

Or find a Taurus 5 shot in 41mag. My TI 5 shot is a joy to carry. It is really nice to shoot with 210gr bullets at 900fps.

I carry 210s at 1100 in it.

There is a good reason the 41spl never really caught on.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by p dog shooter:
Well I can tell you didn't miss out on much not buying the charter arms.

A 40S@W will give you the same ballistics. or how about one of the 10mm revolvers.

If was going to go for a conversion I do a S@W L frame in 41mag 5 shot just like the model 69 in 44..

I am sure you could do a GP100 in a 5shot 41mag

Or find a Taurus 5 shot in 41mag. My TI 5 shot is a joy to carry. It is really nice to shoot with 210gr bullets at 900fps.

I carry 210s at 1100 in it.

There is a good reason the 41spl never really caught on.[/QUOTE

So if it "never caught on" . Why are so many having them custom built over on the single action forum ?

quote:

So if it "never caught on" . Why are so many having them custom built over on the single action forum ?

That is a good question why would one?

I view this as useful for those who don't shoot often, and don't need the magnum performance. Of course, you can just load down the .41. But I like being able to shoot .44 Russians in my.44 Special from time to time, just "fer the halibut." But that's what comes with the territory when you are a certified gun crank ....

Before the ammo crisis a lot of folks offered 41 mag “Cowboy loads”. HSM and Grizzly being the two found on store shelves.

These are 210-215 grain loads at 900-1100 FPS.

Works great and uses full length brass so no special induced cylinder dirt due to reduced length.

I would get a 41 mag shoot these or equivalent hand loads and be very happy. Then you can climb up power scale if need be and still have 6 shots. The 4.25 inch Red Hawk are not hard to find.

Components are going to be no harder to source than the 41 Special.

Starline makes 41 Special brass and I already load and cast for the 41 caliber for my Ruger BH and my Marlin 94FG. I’m simply a gun nut who wants something different and want a smaller lighter, easier to carry revolver.

The Charter is a decent revolver for the money. I had recently sold my stainless Bulldog 44 and am trying to fill the void with something else.

I understand that. Good shooting. I too am a “gun nut.” Own guns for the sake of owning a particular kind of type.

Be carful with Charter Arms I know they had problems chambering plus 200 grain 44 special bullets in the past.

Do not know if this would apply to a 41 special and bullets you are planning on using. With making sure.

I carry my Charter Bulldog at work with my handloads using the RCBS Keith. No problems.

I own two charter arms the only reason I still own them is I can't think of any body I dislike enough to sell or give them to.

I feel Charter has a niche that fills a need. I liked my stainless 44 which I carried with 185 grain wadcutters. It was convenient and lightweight for a 44.

What version of Charters do you have?

I have almost always owned at least one Bulldog pug in 44 spl. I had a bulldog back in 76 + traded it in on an S+W at a gun store in Austin in spring of 77. They were kinda rare in those days. After everything was said + done in the "Son Of Sam" slayings, it was established he used a 44 bulldog that an army buddy bought for him at a gun store in Austin a month after I traded mine in. I've always wondered.

It wasn't your gun because someone else bought it. So even if it had the same serial numbers it was the gun store that made the mistake. Be Well. Packy.

P dog shooter I know a guy who would pay the freight to my FFL. Just thinkin' I would like to help a guy in need. Let me know. Be Well, Packy.

I respect the limitations of my Charter Arms Bulldog and don’t try to make it into a magnum, which is why I asked about the 41 Special. Here are some of my 185 grain cast 44 Special loads using a mild charge of Red Dot.

Those should make a nice hole, did you cast them?

I bought these since I wasn’t sure how they would work out. I do have a wadcutter mould for my 41 Mag. It punches a very clean hole and smacks vermin with a solid hit.

I have a full wadcutter mould for my 357 but my only mould for the 41 is the Keith style 210G. Works great though.

Not to butt in on the thread but have any of you used a .41 Long? Had someone give me some brass the other day and they said it was .41 so I was glad to get it and when I looked at it I found .41 Long stamped on the cases.

God Bless, Louis

My experience with the Charter 41 Mag Pug:

Picked up a Charter Arms Magnum Pug – 2.5”, 23 oz., 41 Magnum. Don’t plan on reloading for it, so ordered some factory loads – Barnes Vortex 180gr XFB HP, 230gr “Keith” HSM Bear Load, 230gr SWC, 250gr WFN Grizzly. Got out this morning and chronoed 2 ea of the above (3ea Grizzly) – LabRadar muzzle vel at approx. 55 deg F.

180gr Barnes ….… 1,195 fps
210gr Fed Swift A Frame ..... 1,157 fps
215gr CSWC coated 6.8gr Univ Deep Seated ... 832 fps
230gr HSM …….… 1,145 fps
230gr Underwood .. 1,263 fps
250gr Grizzly …….. 1,169 fps



.

The Underwood 230gr had the most recoil and the 180gr Barnes the least. Didn’t put any on paper, but the 180gr Barnes hit the 25 yd plate with a 6 O’Clock hold, all the rest hit quite a bit higher.

Recoil is reasonably manageable – less than .357 Mags in both S&W 360 PD & Ruger LCR. Didn’t seem as snappy as .44 mags in the 329 PD. Trigger finger not impacted but base of thumb and web of hand received moderate impact. HSM offers a “Cowboy” load that is actually fun to shoot.

FWIW,

Paul

Nice discussion of the prospects of the 41 caliber, guys. I have only owned and reloaded for 6-1/2" barreled single action 41s, but now am thinking of a lighter carry 41 as well.

Does anyone know who all does the 41 Special conversions?
A good friend of mine passed away a week ago on Sunday. He told me that he was having a 41 spl built, but didn't happen to mention which gun he sent off and to whom it was sent.
I'm trying to inventory his gun collection for his widow so she'll know what she has and what it's all worth.

quote:

Originally posted by youngoutdoors:
Not to butt in on the thread but have any of you used a .41 Long? Had someone give me some brass the other day and they said it was .41 so I was glad to get it and when I looked at it I found .41 Long stamped on the cases.

God Bless, Louis

I do not know about the rim, but the 41 Long is not a 41 caliber. I have seen bullets measured 388 to 400 for the 41 Long. I just do not know if the rim will work through a 41 magnum. The old 1873 Colt 45 rim was too thin to reliably work in 20th Century swing out cylinder double action revolvers.

Good question. I hope someone can fill in the blanks.

Bowen Classic Arms does 41 Special Conversions as does Gray Reeder.

I am sorry for the loss of your friend. Thank you for helping his wife in her time of loss. I have several custom 41 Specials and it is my favorite packing caliber. As far as gunsmiths wo do this conversion I know Hamilton Bowen, Alan Harton, Andy Horvath and David Clements have all done them. John Gallagher did them on old model single six Rugers but he is no longer with us. If you can get any other info as to what kind of gun he was having converted or anything else, I can check with the guys I have used for this conversion and see if we can find out some info for you.
The bottom gun is a 41 Special by Hamilton Bowen.

This is another by Hamilton.

Alan Harton did this one for me.

Andy Horvath did these two for me.

Some nice ol 41s there guys, both in single and double action. I like them all. Be Well, Packy.

David Clements did my Keith # 5. He does excellent work.

It is too bad David is retiring and not taking custom gun orders any longer. He said he will do basic action jobs in the future but no more custom revolvers.

Sorry about the OT here Uncle Grinch. I have an old blackhawk. Is the Old Army a BH or a SBH? I would like a Bisley grip on her and the other parts too. Hammer etc. Be Well, Packy.

rb, I'm sorry to hear that he's retiring but I'm sure that he deserves the rest.

I had a 41 long colt single action many years ago, it was well used but shot, I shot one deer with it and my partner killed it as it ran off..It was about on par with a factoru rn 38 special it seemed. Traded it for two pair of collectable spurs. Fun gun to shoot however...Ive been a fan of the 41 mag. since its birth, I prefer it to the 44 magnum, but like both.

I’ve got a 6.5 inch BH 41 Mag, but have been looking for another to use as a candidate for a 41 Spl. Just missed out on a 5.5 inch stainless Bisley on another forum.
https://www.theoutdoorstrader....16069/#post-11109665
Still looking....

Ray, my son picked up an 1873 Peacemaker in 41 L.C. + after I bought dies, brass, etc. he traded it off on a boat that he sunk shortly thereafter. DAMN!

If you want to turn our old model Ruger into a bisley then you can do so. Ronnie Wels of RW grip frames in Texas makes the bisley grip frames for old model Rugers in brass or aluminum and he just started offering the bisley hammer and triggers for the old model as well. He worked out a deal with David Clements to offer those hammer and triggers once David decided to retire. Ronnie offers the #5 grip frame option as well if a guy wanted to go that route.
I have several old model Rugers that have been converted to 41 mag or 41 Special with bisley or #5 grip frames and hammers and triggers.

I am starting to come across 45 special cases. got a couple dozen this week mixed in with45acp.

45 spl.?

I thought the 45 Special was the 45 Scofield.

I know the Scofield is shorter and can be fired in an 1873.

Isn't this a cowboy action case? Be Well, Packy.

Yep...the 45 Special was developed for Cowboy action shooting. I believe Starline makes brass for it.

RBRBRB6 thanks for the information. Be Well, Packy.

Just a bit of info mostly.

I had the notion that I WANTED a Charter snubby .38. Gun store buddy I went to school with told me getting one would be a big mistake. I still insisted, so he sold me one.

My favorite plinking load is cast 147gr SWC with 3.5gr Red Dot. After shooting around 300 of them thru it and while cleaning.

I happened to notice under the bridge where the
fire hits a groove nearly half way thru the bridge. Etched from shooting those few. The gun was brand new when I bought it and that's all it had fired.

I found a lady that just wanted a pistol around the house for protection and wouldn't be shooting it much. Sold it to her for what I had in it and gave her a 100 rnd box of those shells.

Then I went back to Keith and admitted he was right and bought a Smith hammerless snubby Airweight.

It's had over 800 thru it and NO sign of cutting.

Whether this relates to the Charter's in any other caliber I have no idea as I've never been around any except this one. I'd suggest you inspect your gun to make sure.

George