I am looking real hard at a Blackhawk in .41 Mag with a 4.62 inch barrel. For those of you that have one, what do you think of them? Are they comfortable to shoot with heavy loads?
I don't own one but think it is an awesome revolver. I regularly watch You Tube videos and there are some good 41 mag Blackhawk videos there.
Oh yeah, I have one just like you are wanting. My first handgun was a SBH in .44 mag that I got used in 1976. I used it alot then with hot handloads and carried it as a buackup to a Ruger M77 in .270. Had loading dies for both and loaded hot as could. However, I found the 7.5" SBH to be too long and heavy. There weren't any that I knew of back then in 4 5/8" barrel. So I started looking around. Didn't care for the .357 Blk Hk much, wanted more power. Stumbled on the .41 Mag shortie at a gunshow used, almost no wear in 78. It was much lighter cause of the alloy grip frame and ejector rod housing. The barrel length was much better. It was easier to pack around. Heaviest bullets I handloaded in the .44 mag were 240 gr. and many times I used 200 to 220 gr. to get more velocity. The .41 used 220 gr. as the standard so I was already at the bullet weight I liked. And I did not get the nasty rap on the knuckle from the SBH's square trigger guard. I carried it alot and quit carrying the SBH as a rifle back up. And with the right handload, it was a super accurate shooter. As accurate as one SBH I had and more accurate than another I got later. Recently got a used Bisley .44 mag from a friend, but don't plan to use it any. I still have both guns, but I don't use them much. Went to a S&W 629 in 4" barrel in the late 80s. I mostly killed jackrabbits and a few javelina with the SBH and the .41 BlkHk. Only got 1 spike buck with the 629 at about 60 yds. Usually depend on the rifle cause the shots are over 150 yds. Don't hunt much now cause I can't see, but when I do go out I still carry the .41 over the other 3 of the .44s I have left. Last time I went to clear fences beforee hunting season at the other rancho about 30 miles south of here, I took a .270 and the old short .41 mag. If it looks good and is a good buy, get it. Especially if you are a handloader. Brass is a little harder to find around here as well as loaded ammo. But I don't shoot any of them much anyway.
Thanks Pancho. I do hand load. I have a S&W model 57 Mountain Gun in .41 now. It is my favorite cartridge. I have had an itch for a SA Revolver and thought the .41 Blackhawk might be a good choice.
It is and I like the short barrels. I had a "Liberty" model for a while in the 6.5" barrel. It was a bit long. Good shooter too. I had a Model 57 S&w for a while too. I got it cheap cause it had been fired alot with hot loads apparently. It had alot of play in the cylinder from side to side and front to back. It still shot well. I just didn't load it but to standard pressure and velocity. Have the same problem with a few Mod 29s I had with pressure. I usually could only load them at max pressure by the load manuals. If I tried using ammo I loaded for the SBH, the cases would stick and primers weould start to flatten. I quit doing that. I can just load the .41 up hot and do without the weight of he SBH. A pic of the old .41 Mag shortie. It is a new model, but it doesn't have the stupid warning on the barel, just he Ruger address. i liked that.
That is a beauty. I wish Ruger still put the wood grips on them. They put the plastic on them now. Thanks for sharing that pic and all your great info. I really appreciate it. I too like the shorter barrel guns. I have had S&W's in 6 inch over the years and just don't like em. I always gravitate towards the 4 inch models.
Hope the info helped. Try to keep most of my guns 4" or less. But I usually buy used and I can't be choosy about thnigs when a good deal comes up.
41 mag VS 45 Colt How do the two compare? I shoot a 45 Colt. (NBH convertible; 45 Colt/45 ACP.) The 45 Colt loads are pretty stout and I like the power. But I know it is far short of a 44 mag. I shot a 41 mag Smith years ago and the recoil seemed negligible. My 45 Colt has a lot more recoil. But I have to admit my memory may be off a bit. It was in '73 when I was using that Smith.
I can tell you that my OM 3-screw is, hands down, my favorite pistol. You can shoot it one or two- handed all day long. Buy it!
