414 SuperMag Article

[Lee Martin]

I just finished an article on the SuperMag line of cartridges, focusing on the 414. I thought some of you may be interested:

http://www.singleactions.com/414SuperMag.html

 

[Rockrat]

Thanks, good reading. Still have my 357max Ruger and 445 SM D/W from my IHMSA days.
Just missed a 375 s/m D/W years ago.

414sm sounds interesting

 

[Robb Barnes]

Great job Lee, finally a compilation of load data a guy can use as reference points when developing 414 loads.

Robb

 

[Lee Martin]

Thanks Robb. And does that 500 Max base gun look familar?

 

[MaxP]

Nice work, Lee!

 

[Old_School]

I just finished an article on the SuperMag line of cartridges, focusing on the 414. I thought some of you may be interested:

http://www.singleactions.com/414SuperMag.html

Nice article, Lee! Thanks for doing the research & writing it up to share.

 

[Robb Barnes]

I was wondering if that was the same gun? :lol:

 

[Lee Martin]

Same one. I appreciate you sending it my way. It almost became a 414 SuperMag, but I went 500 Max instead.

I do plan on converting a Ruger to 414 this year though. May go 5-shot.

 

[THE .41 MAN]

Good article, Lee. I like the .414SM. I've got a bunch of the Gates stamped brass squirreled away. Right now, I've got a T/C barrel, a Dan Wesson, and a Ruger Maximum conversion. Next project may be a .414SM BFR revolver conversion. If it's a .41, it's fun!!

 

[deerman3]

Great time for the load data. You know I picked up that TC barrel you talked about on the s.a. forum. Thanks

 

[Lee Martin]

Glad someone got that TC barrel. Great price for NIB and who knows how long the Custom Shop will chamber 414. Let us know how it shoots.

 

[Lee Martin]

I posted this on my forum, but will do so over here too.

Starline 414 brass has been back-ordered for two years now. And I wonder if and when they'll do another run with so few 414's out there. Consider this.....Dan Wesson produced less than two-hundred between Palmer, MA and Norwich, NY. And I doubt that 100 custom revolvers exist. TC's Custom Shop chambers it, but I've only seen a handful on the internet. Sum it all up and demand can't be high.

So if anyone is interested, I'd be glad to lobby Starline for a group buy. I have plenty of 414, but would be good for another 1,000. If anyone wants in email me at [email protected]. And I'm not looking to profit off this.....just want to get another run done.

 

[UmpquaCharlie]

Nice article....thanks for sharing.
Charlie

 

[Ruger4Life]

Go one better for performance and penetration and get a .445 Supermag. Shoots .44mags and Specials as well. Outperforms the .414 hands down.

 

[Lee Martin]

Applying that logic, you might as well go with a 500 Maximum. Has way more power and penetration than the 445 SM.

 

[MaxP]

Go one better for performance and penetration and get a .445 Supermag. Shoots .44mags and Specials as well. Outperforms the .414 hands down.

Oddly enough, I haven't seen this play out between the .41 Mag and the .44 Mag.

 

[Lee Martin]

I haven't either Max. In my tests, the 414 pushed 295 grain SSKs to 1,350 from a 9.0" barrel. From a 12", no-gap Contender my 445 sends 310 SSKs to to 1,475 - 1,500 fps. Cut 3" off that tube and add a gap and you're around 1,350 - 1,400 (just like the 414). The 44 has more frontal area, the 41 has higher sectional density. All that aside, they penetrate about the same.

 

[Ruger4Life]

Question: With a wider meplat, wouldn't the 445 have more knockdown power and terminal performance than the 414? Or is the difference negligible? This is more along the line of what I was referring to.

 

[Lee Martin]

Caliber matters and bigger is better. That said, the difference on game between 41 and 44 is marginal at best (I'm sure this'll create a firestorm of replies). Remember, we're talking 0.410 to 0.429"....or 0.019". Two-hundredths of an inch isn't a big jump.

Never tested penetration with the 414 & 445. From experience with similar calibers and cartridges I bet the two bullets I cited above are close. Probably within an inch or two in wet newspaper. Again, the animal won't know the difference.