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41 Special

gregoryhart1
A co-worker told me that S&W once made a 41 Special revolver, but I've never heard of such an animal and a web search was of no help. Can anyone confirm if this gun ever existed?
GH1[:)]
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9 comments

Date Votes
  • gregoryhart1
    What is a 41 Special? Someone said it is a shortened 41 Magnum for a specially modified 5 shot Ruger single action. Anyone ever heard of it?

    Warren
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  • Herschel
    No .41 Special is listed in Cartridges of the World. I doubt that such cartridge ever existed.
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  • Tailgunner1954
    I have the following 41 revolver rounds
    41 Extra Short CDA
    41 Short DA
    41 Long double action
    41 Long Colt
    414 SuperMag
    41Rem Mag
    It could be one of the first 4, or your co-worker may be confusing it with the 44 Special (or one of several other earlier 44 rounds).

    Edit
    Hershel, you can't place a lot of reliance on COTW, they only show the best known rounds AND with each new issue they drop several older rounds to make room for the new ones.

    Gregoryhart1, Erlmeier & Brandt Vol 2 "Manual of Pistol and Revolver Cartridges" DOES show a 41spl, Catalog # 386 pg 138. To paraphrase: The 41 Colt Special AKA 41 Special. It was developed in 1932 to furnish police with a more powerful cartridge. This cartridge did NOT achieve commercial production

    I'd class it as an experimental cartridge
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  • SP45
    41 special is a shortened 41 mag, much the same as the 38/357, 44s/44m. made for guns that won't take the 41 mag pressures. used in custom revolvers like Hamilton Bown. I am not familiar with anyone offering it as a standard round.
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  • yearofspider
    41 Special ammo: http://shop.reedsammo.com/category.sc?categoryId=163
    This round can be fired from any 41MAG revolver in safe working condition. If you look for a member here by the name of Rocky Raab, he may be able to tell you more about the 41 Special. You can also do a search in the Competition Shooting & Reloading forum on the 41 special for reloading info.
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  • XXCross
    Didn't Herters market a 41 special at one time ? (very short lived)
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  • dfletcher
    quote:Originally posted by XXCross

    Didn't Herters market a 41 special at one time ? (very short lived)


    I think that was a 41 Powermag?

    The 41 Special's "best" use is turning 6 shot K frame Smiths into 5 shot 41 Specials and probably similar sized Ruger DA revolvers. The slower 41 Magnum loading of a 210 grain lead SWC @ 1,000 fps probably approximates the 41 Special loading.
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  • 5mmgunguy
    41 Special is a custom case made by shorting 41 Magnum cases by .135 inch. Custom pistolsmiths have put it into Ruger single sixs. 5 shot custom cylinder and lots of other work. I saw one at the range the other day, very nice, very expensive.
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  • gregoryhart1
    So it sounds to me like this gun doesn't exist, at least for all practical purposes. Obviously anything can be custom made, but he made it sound like it was a production piece from S&W, which doesn;t appear to be the case.
    Thanks for all the input everybody.
    GH1[:)]
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