as LEO Motocycle Cop ... retired without injury or disabilities
210 grain SWC-BB/8.0/ Unique/1005
210 Hornady JHP (per-XTP)/22.0 H110/1292
Unique is not a slow burning powder (magnum), so in strong doses will give the shooter more of a jolt than a real magnum powder. I don't use it above target level power.I use 8.0 gr of Unique behind 215 gr cast swc’s and my 228 gr solids cast from my .41 Hammer mold. It gives good results with both. If you shoot cast bullets in a .41 Magnum Unique should be in your powder cabinet!
Unique is not a slow burning powder (magnum), so in strong doses will give the shooter more of a jolt than a real magnum powder. I don't use it above target level power.
Since I took these pictures I have swapped the great looking, but hand slapping, wooden grips for a set of synthetic Hogues.
I have two guns with the Pachmayr Presentation grips, an old-school Model 66-2 .357 and a 7.5” Redhawk that is also a .41 Mag.I would tend to agree. In the Early Days, I pumped a LOT of Unique through my brother's .41, pushing the loads further and further. It was pretty punishing. Then I shot my first loads of W296... and I'm like 'really?'
I have regulated my 57 and 58 to midrange loads, primarily, with a few full-house loads now and then. I've actually reduced my standard load of 9grns Unique, to 8.5grns... and now 8grns. If I want to go fast, I reach for IMR4227, or W296. The best tool for the job at hand, as I always say.
My 657 came with the Hogue monogrip... I hated those grips, mostly because they left the backstrap bare. I have one set of Pachmayr Decellerators... with the cushioned backstrap... and I just swap them to the pistol I'm shooting that day. Once we get home, then I swap them back into wood.
Pachys, as seen on the 57...
View attachment 1102975
What's interesting is the Dan Wesson grips. Wood grips don't normally fit my hands... but the DW's do. I don't know what it is, but that pistol handles the heaviest loads with ease. I'm not saying it doesn't recoil, but it's just the way the pistol handles it, even with wood grips.
Now if S&W would just coddle together a 6-shot .41 Special on this frame.
I talked to Gary Reeder about a 4” 6-shot .41 Spl. from a .357 GP 100, he said it would end up a 5-shot. (I have a 3” .44 Spl GP, so no need to basically duplicate it.) I would love a 6-shot .41 Spl on an L frame, but I don’t know of anyone making the conversion.I've always thought a .41MAG or .41SPC on a 4" L-frame would be the perfect workhorse pistol. I would prefer it in .41MAG, simply for commonality of brass, but I'd even take the hassle of sourcing .41SPC brass for a pistol on that frame... 5- or 6-shot.
My 41 Spl is a 6-shot GP100, originally with 38 Special throat lengths, perfect for 41 Spl, done by Clement, who I don't think is doing those anymore. I had to back off to a pretty mild load, because 41 Spl in a 3" GP100 was pretty uncomfortable (think bruising). The grips are Herrett's Detective.I talked to Gary Reeder about a 4” 6-shot .41 Spl. from a .357 GP 100, he said it would end up a 5-shot. (I have a 3” .44 Spl GP, so no need to basically duplicate it.) I would love a 6-shot .41 Spl on an L frame, but I don’t know of anyone making the conversion.
Stay safe.
I can’t imagine 41 mag revolvers will be in high demand in 2023 so maybe I can get a deal.
If it is a S&W N-Frame in .41 magnum (57, 58, 657), especially an earlier S or N serial revolver (pinned and recessed), they are EXPENSIVE and hard to come by.