41 Special

[Ed K]

I do my own revolver work so I have never farmed any of that out. I do have a friend that was making barrels for TC’s. He made me an Encore barrel based on 307 Winchester brass. I liked that it had a rim so we went on to blow it out to improved style and then put a radiused shoulder/neck on. It doesn’t do a whole lot that a regular 308 wouldn’t do already but the wildcat has my name on it and there is nostalgia in memories of working it out together.

Good luck on your project. I think it’s nice to do things like this for yourself. It does not have to be justified as practical.

[RJM52]

The two best off the shelf .41 Specials are the Freedom Arms 97 and the no longer produced Taurus Tracker series... Even though both are chambered for .41 Magnum, their cylinders are significantly shorter than all other .41s and makes using Special brass better for overall length with long bullets and since these guns are smaller, reducing the recoil over full Magnum loads makes them much easier to shoot well...





.41 Special with Accurate 41-215V



Another way to go is with a Colt SAA size gun...

Uberti Cattleman converted by Jack Huntington...



Using Unique in .41 Special brass just drop down 1.0 grains for whatever the Magnum loading is for +- the same velocity

Bob

[cherokeetracker]

well you have had a lot of good suggestions and advice. I might as well throw my 2 cents in. I shoot a 41 special. I took a mid frame 357 and had a new heavy barrel put on and the cylinder reamed. The special is just that. It can kill deer and hogs and anything smaller all day. The problem you will run into is the bullet selection. If,,,, You choose to go with a smaller pistol. That was my whole point in going with the special bore length with the cylinder. I could have gone all the way to the magnum length, but did not want to. You already know that you have a nice selection on the smaller pistols. Depending upon what you want to spend. But if I go to the 41 mag then I am going all the way. By that I mean I will buy a Freedom Arms in model 83 with a 10" barrel. I can then shoot 250gr cast or whatever else I might want. I would not hesitate to take it to Africa. I am fine with shooting the smaller lighter bullets out of my special. Lets talk velocity here just for a moment. This has been hit on before on this forum. Good powders to choose from and a higher priced one is the Vihtavouri N105 it will get you plenty good velocity without excessive pressure. Bullets can be powered by less expensive powders too. Last year only had time for 1 hunt. Shot the deer with my 500 JRH. The year before 2 deer with the 41 sp using Barnes bullet and Enforcer powered them exceptionally well. (accuracy wise as well as terminal) Shot a third deer with my cast bullets that I either bought or someone sold or gave them to me since I don't have room to cast. I plan to shoot another deer with my 41 sp and cast this coming season. Might even try the 170gr Sierra too. Gary Reeder told me that it was one of his faves, and gave me the load data. The 41 Sp is not lacking in any way shape or form. I takes no back seat to its big brother the 41 mag. under 100yds. I really enjoy carrying my lighter smaller pistol when hunting. Even with a smaller pistol, there is still little recoil. If you get Jack Huntington or one of the top smiths to build you a gun then make it like YOU want.

[cherokeetracker]

Oh and remember,,, My Ruger 357 converted to 41 Sp will handle the same pressure as the 41 magnum.

[cherokeetracker]

RJM52 Those 2 FA 97s are some nice packing pistols. WOW

[TurnipEaterDown]

Thanks for the additional comments RJM52 & Cherokeetracker. Much appreciated.

[ddixie884]

My post in this thread disappeared. I didn't say much except that my .41spl was a S&W 686 and I forgot to say it is a 6 shot on a .41 frame. It is in my avatar.

David Clements did mine but he is now retired. I also have a coupla more on 357 three screw Ruger single actions and a Colt New Frontier. Allan Harton did the New Frontier on a .357 donor. He is in Houston and is also getting on in years. I think he would be a good pistolsmith to talk to about a single six conversion.

Tap twice on the pics to make them larger.

[RJM52]

If anyone here is Mr. .41 Special it is dixie... He put the money up for the first run of .41 Special brass that Starline made many years before they standardized it and paid for the headstamp...

[lar45]

I need to have one built. Just need to decide on a platform.

[Wayne Smith]

Funny this would come up as I was just noticing recently that Taylor & Company offers 41 Colt cylinders and barrels as spare parts for their midsize Colt single action clones. I have one with the 5.5 inch barrel in 38 Special and was thinking how fun it would be to have one like it in 41 Colt. The 41 Special case is about .020 longer than 41 Special though so the cylinders would have to be reamed - assuming the cylinder is long enough - to make it a Special. I'd think it would be just as fun as a 41 Colt once you get a lifetime stash of brass on hand that is.

https://www.taylorsfirearms.com/uber...ver-parts.html

I have the Uberti 41 Colt and the cylinder is bored though. I load a 200gr heeled boolit that has the same outside diameter as the case.

[ddixie884]

Be aware if you decide to have one done on a Single Six that it must be done on an old model with the three screw four click lock work. The transfer bar cut out means you can’t enlarge the loading gate cut out enough for the 41 in the new model. That means you have to have a rim fire to centerfire conversion Done and this gun will probably cost at least $3500.00. They do make a nice conversion but a man would be better off with an M 97 like BOB. This is all JMHO-YMMV..................

[TurnipEaterDown]

Be aware if you decide to have one done on a Single Six that it must be done on an old model with the three screw four click lock work. The transfer bar cut out means you can’t enlarge the loading gate cut out enough for the 41 in the new model. That means you have to have a rim fire to centerfire conversion Don and this gun will probably cost at least $3500.00. They do make a nice conversion but a man would be better off with an M 97 like BOB.

Thanks for the detail on that Gary (ddixie884). I did see the Bowen website states that they will not do the RF to CF conversion, and with your comments, that explains a lot.

Different in character - but I do see that S&W made an Airlight in 41 magnum also. Know this only because I saw one on auction. Would still be light, and could use as a Special.
Would be likely difficult to find when I have the funds in hand -- seems this is a bad time to sell modified collectable vehicles...
Last year my other unmodified vehicle was snapped up, and had questions on '...the other one in the garage...' but not this year.

[RJM52]

Had both the 357 PD and 357 NG...did not care for either of them even shooting 950 fps loads. Also both of them have a flashgap protector that needs replacing every several hundred rounds...no thanks...

The posted above 4" Taurus Titanium Tracker outshot the 4" PD DA with the same loads. Sold off both Airlites and kept the 4" Tracker as well as a 6" and a stainless 4". Still looking for a 2" Titanium but they are scarce and expensive...

No personal experience with the Single-Six conversion but I have read that one must use loads that are not too warm...

[Jtarm]

Dave Clements used to convert L-frames or GP100s to .41 Special, but I heard he retired.

[ddixie884]

Bob, do you have a picture of a 97 and a Single Six for comparison. I saw such a picture once and as I remember the cylinder was a little larger but it seemed to me that they were very similar in size. Of course I have been wrong before and my memory aint what it once was...........

[35 Rem]

I have the Uberti 41 Colt and the cylinder is bored though. I load a 200gr heeled boolit that has the same outside diameter as the case.

That is an important detail! I did not realize the 41 Colt used a heeled bullet.

[gwpercle]

My post in this thread disappeared. I didn't say much except that my .41spl was a S&W 686 and I forgot to say it is a 6 shot on a .41 frame. It is in my avatar.

David Clements did mine but he is now retired. I also have a coupla more on 357 three screw Ruger single actions and a Colt New Frontier. Allan Harton did the New Frontier on a .357 donor. He is in Houston and is also getting on in years. I think he would be a good pistolsmith to talk to about a single six conversion.

Tap twice on the pics to make them larger.

Really Nice Revolvers !
Thanks For Posting ,
Gary

[Paul105]

Bob, do you have a picture of a 97 and a Single Six for comparison. I saw such a picture once and as I remember the cylinder was a little larger but it seemed to me that they were very similar in size. Of course I have been wrong before and my memory aint what it once was...........

Not Bob, but here's a pic of FA M97 & Ruger Single Six. Not a very good pict for comparison purposes.



Here's a pict of both Taurus Ti and Charter Arms
.

.

[lar45]

Could a 41 special be built on a SP101?

[RJM52]

Dixie...no I do not and am glad someone posted one. The 97 is about halfway in-between a Single Six and a midframe Flat Top...

Finally found a TiSnubbie for a reasonable price. Should be in next week...

...and no, I don't think a SP101 could be chambered in .41...but maybe it would be possible with enough money...