.41 Mag Association

I just came across this on Leverguns.com, (I'd really like a Marlin 1894 in .41 too!). The article, called Sunday's Child, listed a load the author had for a 220 grain Keith style bullet over 20 grains of 2400. He says his velocity out of a S&W Mod. 57 was 1425 fps. and a calculated 992 ft.lbs. of energy. A fairly warm load!

1911 Tuner, I think I can guess what happened with the below minimum load! Experience is a GREAT teacher!
 
I'm in. I inherited mine. Dad's still alive but he wanted to see me ejoy the firearms he gave me.
This is a Lew Horton Limited Edition Astra .41 Mag that he bought new around 1985. I got really lucky when he opened a couple of boxes in the armoury and there were 2,000 FMJHP's that he bought from Jeff Bartlett (www.gibrass.com) about 20 years ago! Better yet were the 2,000 brass he bought from Bartlett at the same time! I haven't shot any of the FMJHP's because I cast, but when I do carry it I have the JHPS in the cylinder.
This is a heavy monster and I love it.

Astra001.jpg

Yep. I got lucky. :D
 
Since we all are marching to a different drummer with the .41 magnum, do any of you have another favorite round that the mainstream has not taken to? Mine is the .375 Winchester Big Bore. Takes deer down like a lightning strike, but it never caught on. At least we now have a group for the .41!
 
Not to mention that the .41 is a ridiculously simple cartridge to reload.
210 grains...cast or jacketed...with 8-9 grains Unique for general purpose, and 18 grains 2400 when real horsepower is called for.

Stepping up a little for those times when it has to go deep...a 230-grain hard cast bullet and 17.5 grains 2400...a maximum that should be approached carefully...is the ticket. That one will shoot through a sizable Russian boar lengthwise and into the sow standing behind him.
 
I don't suppose this thread would qualify for a sticky since it's clearly the most intelligent thread posted on THR for several years :rolleyes:
 
You guys are a bad influence with me being so sweet and innocent. Yesterday there WAS a 57-1 (nickel, 8 3/8", 90%) at my LGS. I asked the owner his best price, $575.00 OTD. While I'm not a huge fan of nickel guns, this one did belong in my stable of 41s.
 
BUSH PILOT - Good Buy. I never find deals like that!!!!!!!! It might be becuase I am no longer "sweet and innocent." Enjoy! Keep shootin'
 
Elmer Keith recommended 19-20 grains of 2400 behind the Hensly Gibbs #258 220gr bullet. I wonder if that would work for the commercial 215gr SWC? I know that from the base to the crimp groove the length is the same for both the 173gr 358429 (keith bullet) as it is for commercial 158gr .358" SWCBB bullets. I'm just unsure if this holds true for the .41 bullets as well. Keith also suggested sizing bullets to .410" too. I'm sure that however was due to the fact that his plain based bullet would obturate sealing both the throat and barrel.
 
Count me in. I've been into the 41 mag since I shot my fathers Model 57 as a child. I'm in my thirties now. The impression left on me seeing that huge fireball still brings smiles to my face. As a graduation present my father presented me with an Acusport Ruger Bisley (SS) with 5.5" barrel. That is a shooting day I will soon not forget and will go down in the record books for sure. It is arguably my most prized firearm. My other is an old remington target master my neighbor gave me when he was moving. He was retiring and wanted me to have it instead of his own kids because he knew that it would end up in pawn shop. He wanted it passed down to my son who had recently been born at that time. He's now four and will be five this December.
 
336A I carried 210 JHP's with 19 grains of 2400 for a duty load. Technically speaking(stretching the point just a wee bit) I made a one shot stop on a fleeing 1970 Ford Bronco with one.:evil:
 
Iggy I remember that story. Not to many folks can claim having a one shot on a Bronco:cool:
 
Since I don't have a lot of experience with cast bullets yet, let me ask a question here. Am I right in thinking that you want to size your bullets to the throat diameter of the cylinder? Or do you want it .001 oversize? I have measured the cylinder throats with a vernier caliper and read them at .410. I then pushed a cast bullet through with a wood dowel, finger pressure wasn't going to get it, and measured that with a micrometer. It was .410 diameter. To me it seems that's the diameter I'll be wanting to go with, am I right?
 
Since I don't have a lot of experience with cast bullets yet, let me ask a question here. Am I right in thinking that you want to size your bullets to the throat diameter of the cylinder? Or do you want it .001 oversize? I have measured the cylinder throats with a vernier caliper and read them at .410. I then pushed a cast bullet through with a wood dowel, finger pressure wasn't going to get it, and measured that with a micrometer. It was .410 diameter. To me it seems that's the diameter I'll be wanting to go with, am I right?
Click to expand...

Here is a link to just about everything you will ever need to know, about running cast bullets in your revolver,
The LASC Articles

Once there scroll down and open the link offered called "From Ingot to Target" by Glen E. Fryxell.

This will answer most all of the questions you might have on getting cast bullets to shoot properly.

I am new to shooting cast myself and have referred to this over and over checking and rechecking things. You might also head over to Castboolits as well, for quick answers while in the middle of something.
 
Generally you want your cast bullet to be .001 larger than bore/groove diameter, so .411". Ironically Lyman uses universal receivers with a groove diameter of .409" for their .41 mag data.
 
Elmer Keith recommended 19-20 grains of 2400 behind the Hensly Gibbs #258 220gr bullet. I wonder if that would work for the commercial 215gr SWC? I know that from the base to the crimp groove the length is the same for both the 173gr 358429 (keith bullet) as it is for commercial 158gr .358" SWCBB bullets. I'm just unsure if this holds true for the .41 bullets as well. Keith also suggested sizing bullets to .410" too. I'm sure that however was due to the fact that his plain based bullet would obturate sealing both the throat and barrel.
Click to expand...

According to my Lyman #47 the 215gr SWC max was 18.8 while the 410459 has a max of 20.0. To my mind that makes sense as the 215gr seats a tad bit deeper in the case than the Keith bullet. But, as was noted prior, work up to it in your gun. BTW, my newest Lyman manual does not list either of these bullets. What's up with that?
 
the #410610 (215gr SWCGC) is listed in the new Pistol & Revolver handbook that I have. I can't remember when it was printed but it was fairly recently. BTW .41 Mag Associates, if you don't cast I found another caster that has the best price on 215gr SWC that I have been able to find. I ordered 500 from them monday, supposedly they shipped the same day I have yet to receive them though. Here is the link to the site if your interested http://shop.snscasting.com/
 
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Bought my first .41 about 3 months ago. 8 3/8" model 57-1 blued. So far so good. Been loading 210gr. Hornady xtp in front of 21.5gr win296. This gun is a peach to shoot.
 
Alright 38 members and growing:)
1. 336A
2. 1911Tuner
3. Bushpilot
4. MMCSRET
5. Walkalong
6. Hunt480
7. Rexster
8. Slicksleeve
9. JohnD13
10. jdh
11. Iggy
12. Oriongunner
13. SharpsDressedMan
14. W.E.G.
15.45crittergitter
16. Loosedhorse
17. thodge
18. Kentucy Bucky
19. Jeff Holt
20. LC 92'
21. Rollis R. Karvellis
22. rc109a
23. RKRCPA
24. camar
25. 420Stainless
26. philoe
27. shooting4life
28. galena
29. shaggy430
30. seekHer
31. 22-rimfire
32. Red October
33. .41 Mag
34. dap22
35. zfk55
36. osteodoc08
37. mgregg85
38.llwsgn
 
I'd like to apply, 2 M57s.

Bought he first one at the height of the M29/Dirty Harry craze - I was intrigued, but also wanted to not be a part of the herd. Found instead a new 8 3/8s blue 57. Probably one of the better impulse decisions I ever made.

Later found a nice 6" older model, 'S' SN in nickel which is just unrealistically accurate, I don't know why.

Shot them a lot at pins and silhouettes, then put them up for years. I've been shooting them again the past couple or 3 years and cannot figure out what I was waiting for. Wonderful revolvers / cartridge, luckily I stocked up on brass / bullets back in the day when they were out of favor ('it's NOT a .44 Magnum, don't you know'), and could be had cheap.

If / when I see a good 4", p/r 57 or 58, it's a goner too.
 
welcome gbw glad to have you. I just got my box of bullets from SNS casting. I was very surprised to find the amount of care they took when packing my bullets in the box. I've never received bullets from any other vendor that were as carefully packed as these. The box was surrounded with some sort of thick matting type of packing material. On the top of the bullets inside the box is another peice of the material to keep the bullets from moving inside it as well.

From a visual stand point they seem to be high quality and are very clean. The lube from the limited few I handled and looked at fills the lube groove evenly with no excess on other parts of the bullet. I hope that they shoot as well as they look.
 
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