The 41 Special. It is a wildcat caliber.
Elmer Keith proposed it in “Sixguns by Keith” in 1956 on page 280 Elmer then discusses the 41 Special in a couple of other places. However it remained a “guncrank” caliber as Elmer put it. After Elmer Keith proposed the 41 Special, Skeeter Skelton, Bill Jordan and John Taffin threw their names in the hat to call for a 41 Special. Nothing came of the top 4 gun writers calling for a 41 Special.
John Taffin got together with Hamilton Bowen in the 1980s and together came out with a few 41 Special revolvers. John Taffin wrote about it in several articles.
After much time elapsed i decided to try the 41 Special. I contacted manson reamers and they had a print for one already. I looked at it and it seemed reasonable. I had a reamer made.
I then contacted redding reloading (i am a dealer for them) and asked they make 41 Special dies. After some lengthy conversations they agreed. Redding makes the 41 Special reloading dies in their D series! They are expensive but when i make a custom 41 Special revolver i give them a set of Redding Dies with the revolver! I also stock the 41 Special dies in my store.
I am also a Starline brass dealer. If my dealer box orders are ever filled (been on back order for more than a year and a half now) i will give 100 pieces of brass with a revolver order.
I used the manson reamer on a couple of revolvers and the reamer just did not work! The throat was too long and there was some dimension issues. I called and talked to manson reamers. I sent my reamer back along with some dummy rounds with Keith 215 grain bullets. Manson designed a new reamer for me and this reamer is perfect!!!
So the 41 Special does exist! Yes only as a wildcat cartridge. I must say i have used a bunch of different powders, the cartridge is very versatile!!! It is very accurate, easy too shoot at special velocities!! I shoot mine at 850 -1,000 fps but my favorite is 900 fps. It will do anything i want and i can shoot it all day long!!!
Okay SamL, do not be offended by my question…I understand the joy of wildcat and unique calibers. First off, I assume the 41 specials we are talking about are single action revolvers…customized Ruger Blackhawks? But, what does the 41 special do/provide, that you can not get with a downloaded 41 magnum?
I enjoy the 44 spec, and have two SAA Colts in said caliber. For a while I wanted a S&W in 44 spec…like maybe a model 24 or 624. But I kept seeing reviews about issues with these guns. And I ended up buying a 629 mountain gun, light barrel and slightly lighter cylinder(and cheaper at the time). And super accurate with both light 44 mag and 44 spec loads. It’s my 44 special, that can still shoot a 44 factory mag, if you so desire.
Good morning. I want to start by saying i could not be offended by answering questions about my favorite caliber the 41 Special.
I have compiled so much information on the 41 Special that I could write a book on the subject.
Why do you need one…. I am going to make a couple of points to ponder. I am not going to be writing a book for this post! First if you read Elmer Keith and respected his writings, we must bear in mind that Elmer thought the 41 would be the perfect caliber! Elmer even picked two names for it depending on actual groove diameter. So aside from everything else that is perfect about it, Elmer thought it was perfect.
As a gunsmith i have more people than egos want to admit, that bring their firearm in because they will not shoot. There is nothing wrong with the firearm the owner can not handle the recoil and flinch so bad the groups look more like shotgun patterns not groups.
Lastly for this post while I was visiting with John Taffin last week, he made a valid point when we were discussing the 41 Special and my 44 WCF on my hip. Mr Taffin said “850 fps was all anyone needed, magnums and the bigbore may be cool but they are brutal and punishing to the wrist and hand. They are no fun but i can shoot a special all day long! “. That is my take i can shoot a special all day long. I have already killed coyotes, deer, quail, etc with a 215 grain Keith bullet at 900 fps.
I will write more over the next few days. Here is a couple pictures of how i left a custom 41 last night.
Gorgeous gun. You do your on finish, including Color Case? The trigger guard frame, is that bronze or brass? Nice grips as well.
One custom/thought I have had, has been a rimmed 10mm equivalent. But in an L framed double action…if you can put seven 357’s in an L why not six 40’s? With two primary loads, 180gr HP at about 950 fps, and a max load of 200gr at about 1200 fps. The key being in a lighter L frame, with std or light barrel, no underlug. Then a Ruger/Marlin or Win 94’ in same caliber. Sound doable?
BW
I am laughing so hard right now! Everything you just listed can be done with the 41 Special! When i proof my new custom builds i proof them with a load of XTP JHP at 1450 fps. Then with a lead Keith at 1425 fps. So after the famous FBI shoot out in Miami the bureau spent millions on developing the 40 S&W and of course bullet designs for the 10mm. So put the two cartridges on a piece of paper and next to them put the 41 special. You have a revolver cartridge that is the same as either of these automatic rounds but in a revolver cartridge. Just load it up or down.
It might be a little bit as i have so many other projects but i am making a matching 1892 41 Special trapper with a 14” barrel in 41 SPL. I also made a 14” octagon barrel for a short rifle in 41 SPL. I still prefer my favorite load of 900 fps! But the 41 is very versatile! I just prefer it in the solid special velocity range.
Yes i do all my own finishing. BLACK OXIDE Bluing, Niter bluing, Rust bluing, parkerizing and color case hardening etc. yes it is brass frame!
The front sight is a Marble Sheard #10 off a 1895 Winchester. The rear sight (I am waiting on) is a Fermin Garza two dogs #7. The grip frame is RW grip frames, barrel from a McGowen barrel blank, bulls eye ejector from Borchardt rifles. Chamber reamer from Manson reamers The rest is just lots of work and time!!!
Thank you for the compliment!
Ok after this morning i wont be on here for a few days. Going to be driving to then at a funeral. Then driving home taking our time. So never lost an ipad before…. So yeah i am laughing!
Okay guys, fully aware that all my mentioned performance can be covered by the 41 Mag, 41 Special and 10mm. But to my knowledge, no one makes a medium framed double action revolver, with light barrel, and the smaller K or L grip frame; that can do this. All of S&W’s 10mms and 41 mags are N frame guns. And I would want to stay with a six round cylinder as well? This was the main criteria I was concerned/interested in.
On a similar topic, and I think at least one of our famous gun writers has asked this question. With the modern steels that we have, why can Colt not make its SAA in 41 mag.? We have seen the sam revolver in 44spec safely loaded to fac std 44 Mag velocities and pressures. And more steel with the 41?
BW
Without sitting with the firearms engineers at the Colt factory, and then sitting with their lawyers (a huge deal today) it is only anyone’s guess as to why one company will or will not do a particular chambering, design, skinny pencil barrel or what ever else question that comes to our minds.
I have never done well with hypotheticals or guesses. I deal with facts! Just my nature.
SamL- “facts”…OMG…I can’t breathe, laughing so hard! Oh ho ho…never said I lost my IPad! Plus, something different from just what the major gun makers provide, is why most/many people purchase or have guns customized. How many orders would you have if Ruger, Colt, etc. made and sold 41 specials. And so far ‘the fact’ appears your 41 special doesn’t do anything the current 41 mag can. So, not only are you fact-less, you seem pretty smart-less as well. Sorry guys, I only tolerate so much unnecessary ridicule.
BW
