.41 mag question

[cruzerlou]

Hey guys ,I just lucked across a 1986 Factoty custom S&W 657 w/ a 3" bbl ,round butt w/ smooth finger grove grips and a smooth combat trigger .here's my question ,I want to load a round that mirrows the original "police load" of a 210 Gr bullet at 1000 F.P.S.., as I'll be carring this gun as my winter carry gun just for the extra bit of penatration I'll get with it over the .45ACP+ I can throw in some off the shelf hunting loads when hiking .I'l be using a 210 gr Speer Gold dot H.P. [now called a deep curl H.P.,but it's the same bullet as the defence bullet ,just a name change .I want to keep the load mild ,as this thing does just fine with 175gr Winchester Silver Tips at 1000 F.P.S. as far a mild shooting, low muzzle flash and plenty accurate it's like a hot 125 gr .357 from a 2 1/2 " bbl Model 19. .Any subjustions on what powder I should use and about what charge weight i should start with?
Thanks for any help you can give me ,
Your friend ,
Lou

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I like shooting 7.0gr of Universal or HP-38 and a 210gr Remington JSP bullet. That should chrono right around 1000fps. Should do the same with Gold Dots.

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

 

[Lee Martin]

7.5 of Green Dot should put you right around 1,000. And very nice find. Those 3" 657's from the first run are rare. I lucked into one years ago too:

 

[cruzerlou]

Yea ,I know I got real lucky ,This gun was on consignment at my budies gun shop,. He dosn't usualy do consignments unless it's something really nice or rare .Here's the kicker ,the gun is in 98% and has no marks or scratches on it ,not even a cylender ring ,and the grips are perfict + I forgot to mention that the gun has the best trigger of any S&W I've ever fired ,no doubt to the factory custom shop trigger job ,I bet it hasn't been fired 100 times .The best part is that all the guy wanted for the gun was $510.00 .so I really had no choice .This puppy shoots stright and like I said with the Winchester Silver Tips is very controable ,all in all a great defencive handgun .Here's a couple pics of it .Please excuse my bad photography,my camera is an older one and just dosn't do close ups well ,so the pics don't do the gun justice .
And thanks guys for the load info .
Lou

 

[Lee Martin]

You stole it for that price. I've seen similar condition go for over a grand.

 

[sixshot]

Lou, I hate you :wink: , great gun, either for carry or woods bumming, hunting, thats a great N frame & I know a guy in Idaho who would take it off your hands!

Dick

 

[cruzerlou]

Yea I know I stold it ,I feel kind of guilty ---NOT!!!!!.I think I have a new favroite revolver now LOL.I have a 1982 pinned and recessed 6" M29 that I got from Gunslinger hank thats a beauty too but it's just a bit big as a consealable peice but ;ol law dawg did a super trigger job on that gun too and it's super smooth and light in both doubble and single action .As to consealing this new gun no problem as I used to carry a Colt anaconda 4' in an I.W.B. but that went to hank for the M-29 .I'd alwawy wanted one of these factory custom N-Frame revolvers but could never find one when I had the money and the cailber didn't mattet that much to me ether as long as it started with a 4 LOL.I wasn't in the market for a new gun as I have 4 or 5 project gun going at once but when I saw this beauty I just had to have it .I put the project guns on hold and spent my meagar $100.00 monthly allowance on this ,Of course I won't be getting my alowance back for another 2 months yet ,it was worth it .Yep I think there's another .41 mag nut out here now ,I never knew what I was missing .Now I want a Model 58 too go with my 657,I believe Elmer Keith was right ,the .41 mag lead SWC in a 4' model 58 is the perfict service revolver cartrige + you can load it up and hunt boar,black bear and deer ,just a great all around cartrige .
Lou

 

[WESHOOT2]

3N37 and/or N350 offer superior defense ammo characteristics; ideal for your need.

Anti-personnel 41 Magnum high-performance loads can be readily made using the excellent Sierra 170g JHC over appropriate amounts of AA9.
Most highly recommend using new sized cases ONLY, CCI300, and really really knowing what you're doing.

 

[BIgMuddy]

Great find Lou....I know a guy that lucked into one of those too several years ago. It is the guy that I sold mine to. I have quite a few that I wish I had back, but none as much as that 3" 41. I let him have it because he was completing the set of the 3" N frame Smiths and only lacked the 41.

OH well.....enjoy yours! I really like the Speer Deep Curl in my 41's. Very accurate and maybe the ideal bullet for our white tails.

Dan

 

[cruzerlou]

WESHOOT2,
Yea that could be a good option for me .As I've said I want to keep the load mild 1000/1100 FPS at the muzzle to keep controlability but still get that little bit more penatration than the .45ACP in thick winter clothes.I'm going to buy new brass I can get 100 new Winchester cases for about 20 bucks at a LGS and I use CCI 300's anyway .I do have a question though, Are you saying NOT to reload the cases after ose use ? Since I'm trying to keep the load a mid range load I can't see any over pressure issues on the cases .I've gotten 3-4 loads out of the .44 mag and those were a 300 Gr XPT over 18.7 Gr of H-110 in my SBH and M-29 and thats a right stout load .I weigh each charge as all I have is a single stage press and just load hunting loads for my .44's and target loads for my M1A.I won't be pushing the envlope with the .41 and just want a good defence load .
Thanks ,
Lou

 

[WESHOOT2]

Specifically: Home made 'defense' ammo should be made in new sized cases only.

All subsequent uses of the fired case should be for 'fun' ammo ONLY.



For people-shooting ammo I suggest either the 170g Sierra at a minimum launch speed of 1270fps, using AA9 (for its moderate flash/blast signature, and modest recoil impulse), or the 210g Speer Gold Dot over 3N37 or N350 for 950--1000fps.
My personal preference is the 170g at 1350-1400fps. Except I ditched the 41Mag some years back.

 

[41manor44]

What a find! The right caliber and the right size. I picked up a 2 1/2 about a month ago and have only had it out once so can't really advize on a load. I shot only the 210-220 grain range in my 41s and just had True Blue recommended to me by a person much more into ballistics than I am. First time out at 25 yards they all staid on target so that's a start. I just might try mine for CC carry in the winter. Extremely nice find. Here's mine.

 

[cruzerlou]

Lee Martin and 41manor44,
Those are both sweet lookin .41 snubbies .I really like the lok of the non fluted cylender and squared off bbl on the new one,but at the same time like the classic lines of mine and Lee's .I've set up a shoulder rig for now to carry mine and it rides just fine .Had to run out today and carried it and it was like it wasn't there at all .Like I said ,I think I have a new favroite revolver .It takes me back to the days when my duty gun was a S&W 4'" 686 .Wish I'd never sold that gun .I've always had a thing for S&W revolvers especially the L and N frame guns .Now all I need is a 2 1/2' M-27 .357 and a .44mag mountain gun and I'll have a nice brace of S&W's .
lou

 

[Groo]

Groo here
I have used a 215 gr swc with Trailboss up to the base of the bullet.

 

[pistoleer44]

I also like the Remington 210 JSP in 41. I just wish that Hodgdon would list them in their reload data.

AND, while we're on the subject, I wish they would do some testing with the 41 Special. I have Taffin's data but would like more.