L Frame 41 Mag?

Would you buy a L Frame 41 mag?

  • Yes

    Votes: 41 63.1%

  • No

    Votes: 24 36.9%
  • Total voters
    65
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WisBorn

WisBorn

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Would you buy a L Frame 41 mag?
This is a question of popularity and if you feel Smith and Wesson is missing an opportunity to fill a gap.
 
Though I am probably one of the biggest .41 Rem. junkies on the planet I would never buy a new S&W. I have plenty of vintage ones and the quality of their current product line is just awful.
 
Been jonesing for one for at least a decade: 5-shot, 5 inch barrel for hotter loads, or 6-shot, 4 inch barrel for defense loads.

One of each, please!
 
I would consider it but what I really want is a model 57 or 657 to setup with a scope for hunting. Tried last year but received a turd.
 
WisBorn
Would you buy a L Frame 41 mag?
Click to expand...

Sure, count me in! I miss the Model 57 and Model 58 I had and would love to replace them but I just don't have the finances to buy vintage S&Ws; at least any time soon. A new L frame .41 Magnum just might be a little more affordable and maybe better suited to my smaller hand than your typical N frame would be.
 
I'd bite on a 5 shot 41 Magnum L-frame.

Also, a 5 shot 10mm L-frame.

I'd prefer a 5 to 6 inch barrel on them though. 2 and 3 inch barrels just don't ring my bell in the bigger bore cartridges.
 
cfullgraf said:
I'd bite on a 5 shot 41 Magnum L-frame.

Also, a 5 shot 10mm L-frame.

I'd prefer a 5 to 6 inch barrel on them though. 2 and 3 inch barrels just don't ring my bell in the bigger bore cartridges.
Click to expand...

Why only 5-shots? There is plenty of room for 6-shots in an L-frame at least with 10mm Auto. S&W has already made the model 646 a 6-shot 40S&W on the L-frame so it would be easy to make a 6-shot 10mm Auto L-frame. The 41 Magnum chamber is only ~.009 inch larger in diameter. The biggest challenge with 41 Mag will be its rim, that is going to be a bit tighter but I would bet it would work. It would depending on what the diameter of the "bolt-circle" is passing through the chamber centers, or the distance from the cylinder center to bore axis depending on how you want to think about it. I don't have an L-frame to measure.
 
mcb said:
Why only 5-shots? There is plenty of room for 6-shots in an L-frame at least with 10mm Auto. S&W has already made the model 646 a 6-shot 40S&W on the L-frame so it would be easy to make a 6-shot 10mm Auto L-frame. The 41 Magnum chamber is only ~.009 inch larger in diameter. The biggest challenge with 41 Mag will be its rim, that is going to be a bit tighter but I would bet it would work. It would depending on what the diameter of the "bolt-circle" is passing through the chamber centers, or the distance from the cylinder center to bore axis depending on how you want to think about it. I don't have an L-frame to measure.
Click to expand...

I just figured since the Model 69 was a five shot, dropping down to 41 Mag/10mm would be a better match at a five shot cylinder.

But, I'll defer to the engineers at S&W to decide whether 5 or 6 shot cylinder would be best.
 
The 10mm works in a six shot but I'm fairly certain the .41Mag needs to be a five shot. SAAMI cartridge drawings show a base diameter of .434" for the .41Mag and .425" for the 10mm, enough to make a difference. Every thousandth of an inch takes away much needed strength. Even if there's enough room for the chamber, there wouldn't be enough for the rims.
 
The boat for the .41 sailed a long time ago. Even today if it existed and I had the option of the .44 Mag 69 next to it I can think of no reason not to get the .44, it's not like the .41 will be that significantly smaller or lighter.

My stoopid idea is if there's gonna be a caliber between .357 and .44 Mag that's also a Magnum that can work it's a 10mm Rimmed Magnum, I'll call it 10mm RimMag because the 10mm Magnum is rimless. That way you've got a cartridge with a good, solid headspace that in a revolver also cut for moon clips could shoot the rimmless 10mm Mag, 10mm Auto, and .40 S&W. Plus the lack of the extractor groove, the 10mm RimMag might actually be more powerful than .41 Mag.
 
Drail said:
Though I am probably one of the biggest .41 Rem. junkies on the planet I would never buy a new S&W. I have plenty of vintage ones and the quality of their current product line is just awful.
Click to expand...

OK , I'll bite so explain, but perhaps start a new thread with that complaint.

L-frame in .41 mag seems like a reasonably good idea.
 
mcb said:
Why only 5-shots?
Click to expand...
CraigC said:
The 10mm works in a six shot but I'm fairly certain the .41Mag needs to be a five shot. SAAMI cartridge drawings show a base diameter of .434" for the .41Mag and .425" for the 10mm, enough to make a difference. Every thousandth of an inch takes away much needed strength. Even if there's enough room for the chamber, there wouldn't be enough for the rims.
Click to expand...
Cylinder stop notch placement could also be significant as that is the weakest point and most prone to fail. 5 shots puts the notches between chambers rather than directly on them. I've always been under the impression this is a significant consideration in the design, but I'm not an engineer or designer...………..

I would definitely be interested in this with a 5 inch barrel, but in a GP100 perhaps or if Colt (really unlikely) ever jammed it in the new python frame. I'm not liking or trusting Smith's lately.

I'd likely go with low level 41 magnum power levels. There's nothing that lives near me that they wouldn't be adequate for in a SD situation.

If hunting I'd go with an N frame or Redhawk framed gun, scope, and hot loads. But if I'm stepping up to a Redhawk frame size with the intent to hunt, I'd go 44 mag in a Super Redhawk. Guess what I'm saying is a 41 in an L frame would be a SD gun only for me.
 
Last edited:
I don't think a L frame .41 Magnum would be much fun to shoot much. I know there is a .44M in L frame, I've never shot one, but seems like even less fun than a .41 would be. I have a 6" M57, and even the N frame leaves your strong hand buzzing pretty good after an extended session; enough that shooting .357 afterwards feels like weak .38 Spl.
 
460Shooter said:
Cylinder stop notch placement could also be significant as that is the weakest point and most prone to fail. 5 shots puts the notches between chambers rather than directly on them. I've always been under the impression this is a significant consideration in the design, but I'm not an engineer or designer...………..

I would definitely be interested in this with a 5 inch barrel, but in a GP100 perhaps or if Colt (really unlikely) ever jammed it in the new python frame. I'm not liking or trusting Smith's lately.

I'd likely go with low level 41 magnum power levels. There's nothing that lives near me that they wouldn't be adequate for in a SD situation.

If hunting I'd go with an N frame or Redhawk framed gun, scope, and hot loads. But if I'm stepping up to a Redhawk frame size with the intent to hunt, I'd go 44 mag in a Super Redhawk. Guess what I'm saying is a 41 in an L frame would be a SD gun only for me.
Click to expand...
You are correct the stop notches are a stress concentrator and a 5-shot moves them to the thick area between chambers, but the S&W had already made a 6-shot L-frame cylinder in 40S&W and the only difference between 10mm and 40 is the depth of the chamber. The pressure difference is ~7% but if S&W made the cylinder from stainless rather than the titanium used in the 646 that extra stress could be compensated for fairly easily. Obviously you would want a detail analysis but it seem very plausible for 10mm given the president set by the S&W 646 and probable for 41 Mag too.
 
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