The .41 Remington Magnum is not the cartridge you’ll overhear folks arguing about in every gun store or on every internet forum, but among the educated shooters, it’s earned a reputation that’s difficult to shake. It lacks the commonality of the .357 Magnum, and it never achieved the larger-than-life mystique of the .44 Magnum, but existing between those two has always been where its unobtrusive charm lies.
In 1964, however, legends like Elmer Keith and Bill Jordan were on the lookout for something new. They needed a cartridge with greater oomph than the .357 had to offer but less bone-rattling recoil associated with the .44. That cartridge was the .41 Magnum, which was made to serve double duty both for law enforcement officers and hunters.
With assistance from Remington and Smith & Wesson, the round was released in two versions: a heavy hunting load and a lighter one for police service. On paper, it looked like the ultimate balance of control and power.
When you fire a .41, you’re launching a .410-inch bullet downrange, usually a 210-grain slug traveling anywhere from 1,200 to 1,500 feet per second. That’s a lot of energy, but the cartridge’s beauty is how it releases it. It packs more punch than the .357, but doesn’t beat up the shooter the way a full-house .44 will. In a good, full-size revolver, the recoil is strong but wonderfully under control, and the trajectory is flatter than most would guess from a large-bore wheelgun.
Sadly, law enforcement never really caught on to it. The Smith & Wesson Models 57 and 58 were fine revolvers, but they were heavy N-frame pistols that were too large for convenient, everyday duty carry. Even the lighter police load generated more recoil than most officers—accustomed to their .38 Specials—were willing to tolerate. By the time departments started modernizing their arsenals, high-capacity semi-automatics already dominated the scene, and the .41 was left in their dust.
Hunters soon found the round’s true strengths, however. On the range, the .41 Magnum provides a nearly optimal combination of power and accuracy. It can easily drop deer, hogs, and even black bear while keeping the level of recoil at a point where shooters may remain accurate shot after shot.
Ballistically, it beats the .357 into submission and usually gets remarkably close to the .44’s performance, with the added benefit of being simpler to control. To many outdoorsmen, that was the happy medium they had been seeking.
Over the years, the cartridge gained a small but loyal following. Shooting enthusiasts who remain loyal to it sing not just its efficiency but also how it handles in the hand. It’s precise, reliable, and versatile, and for the likes of those who appreciate a revolver that can multitask, it’s the favorite go-to. Handloaders especially adore the .41 due to the enormous bullet weight range it is capable of accommodating, ranging from light defensive loads to heavy hunting bullets.
And though it never did come to preeminence, the .41 Magnum is by no means forgotten. Smith & Wesson still manufactures their old Model 57, and Ruger still chambers the Blackhawk and Redhawk in .41. There are also more than a few used revolvers from other manufacturers that continue to circulate, frequently for decent prices. Ammunition, in its once-rare state, is now readily available, with the big firms still making loads that range from modest practice rounds to full-power hunting cartridges.
The .41 Magnum’s legacy is one of humble perseverance. It was never headlining, never starring in Hollywood, or favored by police, but it carved out a niche for itself. Now, it’s revered and remembered as the Goldilocks of magnums—not too small, not too large, but comfortable in the middle where it just feels right.
Even sixty years on from when it was first introduced, those who take a chance typically leave wondering why more people don’t discuss it.
