.41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

First let me say I am a huge .41 magnum fan. It was the first "real" handgun I ever fired and I instantly fell in love. Not as much recoil as a .44 and very accurate. I am in a position to FINALLY be able to afford a new handgun and need some help from people who have fired both a S-n-W and a Ruger OR those who are in the know as to which one is more stout. I do plan on handloading in the future. Not that I am going to push the acceptable pressure limits, but I want to make sure it will stand up as it will be a hunting partner.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Ruger is generally regarded as one of the strongest. That's a reason why many loading manuals have "Ruger only" loads. Being another fan of the .41 mag I can say it's a great cartridge, I have two, both Rugers. Another i'd definately consider is the Fredom Arms, the king of kings of the single action revolvers.
Something to think about is if you want single action or double action?

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

About the only edge Ruger has in this discussion is a more solid build owing to the cylinder install. Most S&W's will shoot circles around them. But if you want to try a different flavor, Taurus is doing some neat pistols in .41 Mag with several models and sizes to choose from. Raging Bull and Tracker series are especially worth a look.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

I have heard that S-n-W is a better shooter but as I said, I plan on reloading so I am hoping I can tighten the groups up a bit with a homemade load.
I did consider Taurus. But after speaking with a couple local gun shops, it seems that Taurus has a less than stellar reputation when it comes to customer service. And that has as much to do with a gun purchase, for me anyway, as anything else.
I'd love to get a Freedom Arms, but I can get 2 or 3 guns for the price of one Freedom Arms, or one gun and a nice reload setup.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Not knocking S&W at all, but Ruger is strong and safe, especially looking at heavier loads. Although I struggle to see why you would need to soup up the 41 Maggie. I'd be interested in hearing what loads you are considering. It seems hunters keep that cartridge going. I don't think it caught on for police work. I really like the way SA Rugers behave being fired. Plow handles work good for the biscuit.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

I don't plan on shooting heavier loads. I just plan on reloading in the near future. Since it's not a main stream cartridge, reloading is about the only choice.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

If heavy loads are'nt in the probalbe picture, you really just gotta decide between sing;le action and double action. Make that choice and you've got your answer.
Keep in mind something, if you're to buy brnd new, the current production Ruger Blackahwks that are blued will have the internal lock and black plastic grips. No big deal to me but a cursed feature to some. You might be able to locate one of the .41 Acusport Bisleys and a recnet warehouse cleaning put a small amount of regular Bisley .41's on the market. There's also the .41 Hunter which Davidson's contracted. The non-Bisley model is still easily found. Just some other options to consider.
Regarding Taurus, I'd avoid unless you want issues that won't be taken care of.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

You won't be sorry with either a Ruger or a S&W in the 41mag. Excellent choice. I have a pretty good reload for my 41's(5 in total now), I've used for many years, if your interested? e-mail at [email protected]
Good shooting
Mike

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

I have owned both.I personally had rather have the S&W.Mine "Always "shot better than the Rugers.Like mike when you get started loading I have a couple of recipes that I will give you if interested.That being said I did buy a Taurus with a 2" barrel did not need it ,did not want it,did not really like it......BUT it was a .41 so I had to buy it..................;)

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

I'm getting a .41mag as well. I want a SA, so I'm going with the Ruger. If I had decided on DA, I would have gone with the Smith. For a while I considered getting the .357 since it comes with a 9mm cylinder, but I passed on a .41 once before and regretted it, so...

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

SA or DA isn't a big concern either way for me. I guess accuracy means more than "stoutness". Like I said, I'll be using it for hunting deer and hopefully a hog hunt is in my near future as well. Oh and the dreaded paper monster if he decides to rear his ugly head!

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Over the years the most accurate best handleing revolvers for me have been S&W's... Mine came right out of the box with good triggers, and havebeen life long hunting companions. They are easier to load and clean too.

Make mine a S&W please...

DM

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Now I have the unenviable task of trying to find a Model 657 OR wait till they start production again.
Either prospect is ugly....

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Here are a couple of pictures of my latest .41 WHOOOOO HOOOO.I finally posted a picture after nearly 10 years on this site.Finally I'm not an idiot.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

SD, your .41 looks like my .41. Should I go check my closet and make sure mine is still there? :D

Actually, I have a 6" bbl. Your's looks longer.

Great pistols!

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

turns green with envy..................[:'(]

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Pavomesa,This one has a 7 1/2" barrell.My other one that was stolen in the break in was a 657 "Classic Hunter" it had a 6 1/2"barrell.These two kinda confuse me.They seem like bastard length barrels for a S&W.I really like the non-fluted cylinders.



WHERE ARE YOU RUGERMIKE.........:D:D:D

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Maybe consider a Contenger or a Competitor. They'll both out shoot the S&W or the Ruger.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Bump for Ruger Mike ........:D

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Swamp, that's what mine is, the Hunter Classic with the non-fluted cylinder. I forgot about that extra 1/2 inch barrel.:) I talked to S&W about getting another one about a year after I bought mine and Smith told me they were not going to build any more. But that was years ago and I think this pistol is/was a sort of on and off thing with them. Thanks to the Clint Eastwood movies and the resulting 44 Magnum flurry of publicity, the .41 Magnum isn't even in most people's vocabulary. This is sad since most serious pistol shooters who have shot both guns a good bit consider the 41 the better of the two cartridges. And lets not forget that the "44 Magnum" is not really 44 anything with a bullet diameter of only .429. On the other hand, the .41 really is .41. For me it's just the perfect blend of a powerful, pleasant pistol that I can shoot all day and enjoy. It's the last pistol I would ever want to lose and I can't imagine feeling that way about anything Ruger makes.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

I have a 41 Magnum almost paid off on lay away. I went with the Ruger. When I want strength I buy Ruger when I want refinement I buy S&W. When it comes to Magnums, I want strength. JME.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Yeah Pavomesa,I hated losing the "classic Hunter".They finally caught the little prick that did it .I have to go to court in March.The .41 is the only way to go in my book.Seems like the .44s make the palm of my hand sore after a lot of rounds.Those .41s don't.They are still pretty impressive when they go off.My wife calls mine "That Thing" She always says "Are you going to shoot That Thing?...............:D


James,I like the Rugers It's just that the S&Ws just always felt better in my hand might just be in my head...:DI have shot some pretty stout loads in mine never had any problems.


NAVET,My dealer did have onelike pictured at his shop.I will check to see if he still does.It was relly pricey though.I could not believe it.If I am not mistakenseems like he wanted somewhere around $900.00 for it .That just seemed out of this world to me .

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

I've had both,worked on a bunch of each,and I think the ruger is the best built gun on market. I've never seen a ruger that won't group at least 2"-1.5" at 50 yards with a few tweaks and working up a good load. Honestly after several side by side accuracy comparsions,the rugers stays right with s&w.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

Well I went and did it. I ordered my gun and should have it this Thursday (21 Feb). I ordered a 6.5" Ruger Blackhawk and I cannot wait. I set aside a couple boxes of ammo allready so I can shoot it before the ink dries on the paperwork!! Luckily the store has an indoor range downstairs.
I wanted a SW but at a cost of almost 2x as much I went with the Ruger. That and not being able to find any Model 657's.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

You should have went with the S&W. If you need any 41 magnum dies, let me know. I have 2 sets of carbide dies for the 41 magnum that have never been used. I will ship you a set for $30 if you need them. Tom.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

I'm glad to see other 41 fans out there. I got mine fifteen years ago (Ruger Redhawk). I was looking for a 44 mag but found a scratch on this 41 and was able to get the store to knock fifty bucks off of it. I was easily able to use some blueing paste to make the scratch disappear. It already had Pachmar grips installed, so it fit my hand very well. I have never regretted buying the 41 instead of the 44. I use 250 gr HC Corbons to hunt with....they are powerful enough for anything I hunt.

I have owned S&W pistols and revolvers in other calibers and respect the quality there also. I don't think you can go wrong with Ruger or S&W.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

S&W have better triggers than Ruger. I have talked to gunsmiths who say action jobs allways turn out better on a S&W than a Ruger. Good luck.

RE: .41 Magnum - SW VS Ruger
 

This is one of many .41 Magnums I hope to aquire. We'll see.