Here's my first post on this forum, and what a fun topic to wade into. I am the only guy in my peer group who is partial to the 41. We are all hand loaders, shooters, and hunters. Everyone else prefers 44s. To me, the argument is nothing to do with performance, recoil, or any of the other great arguments made so far. It really doesn't have to do with being different either, though that is indeed fun. For me, it's collectibility. I can feasibly collect an example of every factory produced 41. I could, with the drive and the money, even get every variation in barrel length, finish, etc. In other words, I can collect 41s with the goal of a complete collection. I cannot do that with a 44 collection. There has just been too much produced.
To add to this, I can go get a 44 about anywhere. If I want a rifle, there is a marlin at the pawn shop and a new remlin at the gun store. I can order a smith or find a used one from a buddy. Unless I drum down and say I am only going to collect a specific subset of 44s, I can just go buy one to fit my current fancy. Except for a few current production 41 revolvers (Blackhawks and smith classic series) I have to want a 41 badly to go seek one out.
Right now I have 2 of the 4 runs of 41 marlins, an older model 57 S&W, a Redhawk, a blackhawk, a flattop blackhawk, a desert eagle, and an armi jäger single action. I need the stainless and the cowboy marlins, smiths in the 58, 357ng, 657, a Dan Wesson, a Bisley ruger, a few taurus, a freedom arms, an astra, and the import single action Seville to complete my basic 41 collection. Maybe I can expand from there, especially with smiths, but even so, this is possible. And the thrill of the hunt when I find one of these is great, and is really the crux of my whole argument.
Or I can go buy some effective, available, affordable, ever popular 44 mags that will do everything a 41 will and arguably more.
