Sizing for the .41?

[arlon]

I'm most curious as to what folks are sizing bullets to in the 41? It seems all commercial casters are using .411 but I was wondering if anyone has experience with .412?

I have 2 Ruger New Blackhawks (Bisley/Standard grip frames), Redhawk and a S&W 58. I just got the RCBS 41-210-KT mould and now need a sizing/lubricator die for the same. I'm not sure if I want a .411 or .412 die. I have NOT cast anything from the mould but I'm assuming it will go .412.. Dies are too expensive to buy both just to try. Any thoughts appreciated on the sizing diameter.

[Kraschenbirn]

Don't have a .41 at the moment but .411 worked fine in one of the old DW741s. Don't recall exact groove measurement of the either barrel...I had both and 8" and a 10"...but it shot well enough to nail its more'n a few 40's and win it's share of IHMSA trophys including one state championship.

Bill

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have both (411 and 412), but only use the 411. I have found that all the gun manufacturers don't have the variance in specs for 41 guns, as they do with 44 Mag/spl (and 9mm). Which is one of the Big reasons I switched my shooting/reloading habits from 44 mag to 41 mag. Yes, I sold all my 44 cal guns in 2015.

[arlon]

Maybe a mute issue. I just cast a few handfuls to see what the mould drops at. It is dropping just slightly over .411 with wheel weights. I'll check cylinders and bores next but it looks like a .411 sizer is going to be my only choice for this mould.

Slugged all cylinders and bores. I think .411 is going to work. Cyl were all .411, bores all .410 except the Ruger Bisley. For some reason the Bisley measures .410 on the cylinder and .409 on the barrel.

[arlon]

It REALLY doesn't make a difference since I'm just finding out that there isn't a commercial .411 die. I guess I'm late to the party. Well, the .410 looks like it might work for the Bisley. If not I will have a go at lapping. There has to be a youtube video on the subject..

[gwpercle]

For the model 58 S&W 41 magnum that I've had since the early 1980's I have sized them .410.
The gun (my avatar)has a .410 throats and the barrel is .409 groove diameter.

I recently purchased two NOE 41 magnum moulds , # 413-215-WC and # 412-237- Keith SWC.
I was worried about sizing the .413 and .412 boolits all the way down to .410 so I bought a .412 sizing die just in case sizing down that much proved to be a problem.
I haven't gotten around to casting with them yet so I don't know how large they drop....usually with NOE they drop the size they are marked.
My Lyman and Lee moulds drop them .411 or so and they are easily sized .410.
I love how how no one makes a .411 sizer... That's just what I was looking for also !
Gary

[DougGuy]

I usually ream throats to .4125" for .412" boolits, whatever you size to needs to go into the cylinder throats from the front with just finger pressure, if they have to be forced then the cylinder will size them down to throat diameter upon firing. And they should all be even too, even amount of drag on the same boolit or pin gage from throat to throat. You get one loose throat there's a flyer right there.

[jeepyj]

Marked with interest as I just started casting for a new to me 57 no dash.

[Whitespider]

... Dies are too expensive to buy both just to try. Any thoughts appreciated on the sizing diameter.
Until you slug your barrel and cylinder mouths all you have is guessing.

The groove diameter of my Redhawk is .4113, the cylinder throats measure .4120, I size my boolits (COWW/SN alloy) to .4125 inch.
To get to that diameter, I honed out a .410 sizing die.
*

[arlon]

Until you slug your barrel and cylinder mouths all you have is guessing.

*

All have been slugged as mentioned above.. I'll try .410 with conventional lube and probably some PC/tumble lubed as cast before I start honing. If I can get away with something like the 45/45/10 tumble lube approach on unsized bullets it sure would save me some time and effort! There will have to be a little experimenting I think. I would also like to find one load that runs happily in everything, dreaming again..

[Scharfschuetze]

For the model 58 S&W 41 magnum that I've had since the early 1980's I have sized them .410.
The gun (my avatar)has a .410 throats and the barrel is .409 groove diameter.

I size to .410 for my Model 58 also. My old Model 57 (should have kept it) also shot well with .410 sized 210 grain RCBS bullets.

[Larry Gibson]

I've been shooting the .41 Magnum since the mid '70s in M58s, M57s, a M28 I converted to .41 and a couple Ruger BHs. The S&W N frames hurt my hand so I'm partial to the Ruger BHs which I can shoot full magnum loads in all day long. My current (last 25 years anyways....:D) is a Ruger Bisley on which I've put a Burris FF II.


195112


\Anyways to answer the OPs question I've use a .410 sizer Lyman H&I die since I started shooting cast in the .41 in the mid '70s. It has work just fine in the S&Ws throats which ran .411 - .412. The several Rugers hav all been right at .4105 with a .411 pin gauge not slipping through the throats. I used most of Lee's 41 moulds from the TL410-175-SWD, the 410-195 and the TL410-210-SWC. I've used both Lyman moulds; 410610 and 410459. I use the Lee TLs for my low end and medium loads up through 1050 fps and the RCBS 41-210-KT for magnum loads......all sized .410........which has always worked.

Larry Gibson

[76 WARLOCK]

I have an old model Ruger that needs a .413. It came with .411 throats and was reamed to .413 and shoots very well.

[arlon]

Larry, I'm fond of the Bisley too (I have one of the very early ones in .41). Model 58 has Pachmayr grips on it. They help but the Bisley fits my hand the best of all. The regular Blackhawk is trade fodder.

First I'm going to try some unsized and tumble lubed. Then I'll try the .410 approach. I also recently acquired a LEE full wadcutter mold for the .41 but haven't cast anything from it yet. Hopefully it will drop .411 too..

[chsparkman]

I have found that boolits sized to .412 are most accurate in both of my Bisleys. If you don't want to hone out your .410 sizer, Buffalo Arms is a good place to order custom sizers.

[arlon]

I have found that boolits sized to .412 are most accurate in both of my Bisleys. If you don't want to hone out your .410 sizer, Buffalo Arms is a good place to order custom sizers.

I'm now thinking I'm going to try a 45/45/10 tumble lube on the unsized bullets first. They are a tad over .411. I might just get away without sizing them which would be fine with me. PC is another option. I have the stuff to do it with, I just never have actually tried it. If the TL and no sizing works, I'll be tickled..

[osteodoc08]

.411 for me. Worked well in all but my flat top 41 that I regretfully sold here years ago when times were lean.

[S.B.]

I've only experienced .411 in over 50 years of reloading.
Steve

[Paul D. Heppner]

Jeepyj, what mold are you using?

[DougGuy]

I usually take 41 cylinder throats to .4125" and suggest sizing to .412" which gives great results.

Ruger revolvers, the 41 is no different than any of the other calibers, you get uneven cylinder throats and you can take a boolit and use it for a pin gage and you may find throats that it fits in easy, and others that it is snug or won't go through at all. THIS causes variations in pressure, which makes the gun recoil differently from shot to shot in the shooter's hands, and it won't shoot to the same point of impact, groups open.

It's more important to have even throats than what size they are. You can always size to fit the throats, impossible to do when they are all over the place dimensionally.

[arlon]

Lucky day. I found a dealer selling custom LEE .411 dies on ebay. Got one delivered for $34 then the dealer jumped his price up $14 for the two he had left.

[second chance]

For anyone else looking for .41 sizing dies, NOE has bushings in .410, .411, .412 etc. for his push though sizing system

[arlon]

For anyone else looking for .41 sizing dies, NOE has bushings in .410, .411, .412 etc. for his push though sizing system

Have to look into that approach!

[plainsman456]

I size 410 for my blackhawk and have had no problems with leading or any other gremlins.

[Newtire]

Have to look into that approach!
Get the NOE System! You won’t regret it. Once you have the basic push thru system, all you need then are the bushing for the size you want and your Lee pusher or buy one from NOE.

[carelesslove]

carelesslove, here !

I have a pair of older S&W M57s - a 4" and an 8 3/8". The 4" has 0.411" throats and the 8 3/8" has tight 0.410" throats. I have never slugged & measured the bores of either gun.

Bullets are 230 gr. SAECO SWC's, sized to 0.411", with a SAECO hardness of ~6.5. I stock and shoot two loadings: ~1000 fps and ~1200 fps.

Accuracy is excellent (for these old eyes) and I have not experienced any leading in the throats, or the bores, so I must be getting "close" to what these guns like.

So close, that I have stopped experimentation.

Thanks, Tom "carelesslove" Love