41 Magnum Single Action Revolver

[Tatume]

Hello Folks,

I've been rethinking my options on a new revolver. Although I like the Freedom Arms Model 97, they have a backlog of six to seven months (they say, might be longer). As summer is when I'm able to get out and shoot, I would like to have the new gun by then. So, I'm wondering what other choices there might be.

I already have a Blackhawk 41 and a Model 57 Mountain Gun. I like the S&W very much. The trigger on the Ruger is poor, but I could install a Ron Power hammer/trigger kit. Still, I have the itch for a new gun. I called Hamilton Bowen, and he is out of 41 caliber barrels, and would probably be as long to deliver as Freedom Arms. Gary Reeder says seven to eight months too.

So, fantasy time question: if you had the money burning a hole in your pocket, what would you look for in a 41 Rem Mag?

Thanks, Tom

[44man]

I would buy a Ruger hunter in a .44 mag.
The .41 is great but hey, you need more then one caliber.

[Highway41]

Stainless Redhawk 7 1/2" and a really nice pistol scope. I used to have a 5 1/2" and gee golly darn I miss it.

[Tatume]

I would buy a Ruger hunter in a .44 mag.
The .41 is great but hey, you need more then one caliber.

Hi 44,

I have a Super Blackhawk Hunter in 45 Colt with a Power Custom hammer/trigger/pawl kit installed by Ron Power himself. It's a very nice gun, and I'll probably keep it forever. Thanks for the suggestion.

Take care, Tom

[Tatume]

Stainless Redhawk 7 1/2" and a really nice pistol scope. I used to have a 5 1/2" and gee golly darn I miss it.

Hi Tex,

The Redhawk 5-1/2 appeals to me, I'm going to go look at them now. Thanks for the suggestion.

Take care, Tom

[coverbw]

Here is a link to the model 97's they have on hand. It looks like they have a few 41 mags.

http://www.tincupsports.net/uploads/...ge_website.pdf

[Combat Diver]

Davidsons had a run on .41 Mag Super Blackhawk Hunters few years ago.



The old Virgian Dragoons were offered in .41 Mag. Don't remember any other 41 single actions. Another excellent smooth DA guns are the 6.5" Smith 657 Classic Hunter and the Dan Wessons.


CD

[Lloyd Smale]

I parted with my favorite 41, probably a dumb move. It was a 4 5/8s blackhawk fitted with a bisley grip frame. Im not a big fan of the 41s but really like that gun. So much in fact I put together an identical one in 45 colt.

[44man]

Don't the advantages of a line-bored attention paid to the details that make it accurate, outweigh an assembly line production revolver?

NO! The chambers are started from the front with a jig in the frame. Then the cylinders are chambered from the rear anyway. Then a barrel is screwed in and there is no guarantee the bore is centered.
I have seen a few line bored guns that wore the throats oblong and wore the side of the cone and start of the rifling off center. It is a costly answer to a non existing problem. You would be amazed at how fast an off center gun will wear, about 300 rounds. Tight cylinders and pins speed up wear.
My friend bought a new SBH hunter in .44 mag and I mounted an Ultra Dot on it. He was sighting it in and every group at 50 yards was 1/2".
The .41 is also great but might be hard to find.
Line boring can work but the cost is never worth it.

[Heavy lead]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=325699827 How about this?

I bought a new bisley 5.5" stainless 41 a few months ago a special run, have a 45 Colt too just like it and love it, been thinking about one of these, they can be had in a 4 5/8 too.

[Idaho Mule]

Tatume, the Redhawk. Very heavy in 41 but you can't get a stouter gun. Mine is stainless, 7.5" and I love it, had to break down years ago and put the ugly Pacmeyer grips on it tho.JW

[Markbo]

Choices, choices, choices... $2000 for a new FA that will be more accurate than you can shoot ($1500-ish used), or $500 on used Blackhawk or $600 for a used .41 Stainless Hunter. Spend another $200-$400 on either Ruger and they too can shoot better than you can hold and have a great trigger.

Still going to take time for that custom work on them though. OR take your chances with no upgrades. I have the Hunter in .41, .44 & .45 frankly have never seen the need to do anything to them except for the trigger and that's easy. They shoot great for my purposes, which is 100yds or less. I am not a 200yd revolver kind of guy.

But if you have $2K burning a hole in your pocket, order the FA just like you want it and then forget about it. It'll be a big surprise when it's finally ready!

[Doc_Stihl]

A 5.5" redhawk is hard to beat in my mind.

[cbrick]

Don't the advantages of a line-bored attention paid to the details that make it accurate, outweigh an assembly line production revolver?

NO!
Tight cylinders and pins speed up wear.
Line boring can work but the cost is never worth it.

YES!

Line boring does work when done properly. Period. While to his credit Jim didn't mention FA in "this" post to his way of thinking FA NEVER does ANYTHING correctly. There ya go again Jim.

I have a line bored (a couple actually) FA's with thousands and thousands of rounds fired through them with ZERO pin or other wear. Still as tight today as the day they were new. Still as accurate today as the day they were new.

If accuracy is your goal and in particular long range accuracy line boring is absolutely the right way to go. If accuracy is your goal the added accuracy is well worth the cost.

Rick

[Tatume]

My 6" Freedom Arms Model 83 in 454 Casull has fired many thousands of rounds. It is by far the most accurate revolver I own, and it shows no signs of wear at all. I shoot this gun at 100 yards only; we don't have a long range at my club. But still, excellent accuracy at 100 yards is respectable.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Dick Metcaf has a .41 Mag Smith and Wesson 8 3/8" bbl scoped and claims MOA groups a 100 yards with it. I'm not a DA man but that sounds enticing. He wrote an article about how it delivers more energy downrange with less powder than a .44. Interesting idea.

[429421Cowboy]

Davidsons had a run on .41 Mag Super Blackhawk Hunters few years ago.





CD

Exactly what i was thinking! For $1200 or so less than the FA i could still be happy!

[44man]

First, Rick is right, line boring can work but is costly. I did not mention the guns but have seen custom guns not right while I was a gunsmith. Most of it was from making a revolver too tight for the "feel good" thing. That has to be the worst thing to do with a revolver. Leave a few thousandths play in the cylinder and don't put a super tight pin in the gun either. A tight gun has to be machined 100% perfect for every chamber.
Now I will jump on more of you about spending more money on a good revolver. Why in the world does a good Ruger or S&W need $200 to $400 more spent on it? I shot too many out of box of each that would do 1/2" at 50 yards. All the SRH's I shot would hit a beer can at 200 yards without a single thing done to them. Yeah, darn right, I drank the beer! BFR's will make you blink and call me a liar. I even had Taurus revolvers shoot like a house afire.
I want to convince you to shoot and test a gun before sending it off for work that might make it shoot worse. It is far better to sell a gun that does bad and buy another. 99% of custom work is cosmetic, nothing at all wrong there, they are beautiful. But don't expect 1" groups at 100 either. Most of the time they do no better then they did out of the box.

[jwp475]

YES!

Line boring does work when done properly. Period. While to his credit Jim didn't mention FA in "this" post to his way of thinking FA NEVER does ANYTHING correctly. There ya go again Jim.

I have a line bored (a couple actually) FA's with thousands and thousands of rounds fired through them with ZERO pin or other wear. Still as tight today as the day they were new. Still as accurate today as the day they were new.

If accuracy is your goal and in particular long range accuracy line boring is absolutely the right way to go. If accuracy is your goal the added accuracy is well worth the cost.

Rick

You are spot on Rick. A tight revolver done correctly (proper alignment wears less than one with slop. Tight parts do not batter themselves in heavy recoiling revolvers

[threedflyer]

I am also a big .41 Magnum fan and have several S&W's chambered for it, and I too wanted to add an FA to the stable in that caliber.
Just won an auction on GunBroker for a new-old-stock (2003) FA Model 97 with 5.5" barrel, exactly what I have been hoping would surface eventually.....and patience paid off!
Prior to this I have seen only longer or shorter barrel FA's in this caliber show up.
Curious to know what you ended up getting......and yes, I realize I am resurrecting an old thread.