NAVET

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.

Maine Shooter

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?

Pavomesa

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.

NAVET

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.

biscuit jake

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.

NAVET

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.

Maine Shooter

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.

RugerMike

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

Swampdog

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..................

BigTiny

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...