The uneeded .41 mag according to Petzel
I am still a .41 mag/special stupid.. but Why did the guys back in the 60's think we needed a new factory round?
As far as I am concerned the .41..429,430 factory rounds a 2 peas in a pod. You already had the .44 special which covered the perceived need for peace officers. ?
I was laid off and sold almost everything I owned gun wise, but because the Blackhawk was smaller framed and I had been given a really large amount of .41 brass, I just stayed with the .41. I have had a .45 Colt/.454, 38/357's but went back to the .41 mag. I have never had any trouble with powder, bullets primers or factory rounds. I have killed deer with a .41 with everything from 170 JHC to a 300 SSK. Then are the ground hogs and a lowly boar I shot with a .41 but none of them said to me "you should have used a .44." We have the round and one can find some virtues in it. Personally I am quite happy with my .41 GNR, ..41 GNR #2, and .410 GNR. and the old plain .41mag. If I want more, I will go big, like my son's .500GNR.
If you research the whole story...
in 1961 George Herter, who was a shameless self promoter with some whacky but truly innovative ideas, came out with the .401 Herters. A totally new ctg. not based on anything really, a true .40 caliber or 10mm if you will. The guns were made in Germany and while very sound in design as you'd expect, had a funky Germanic interpretation of what "Western Civilization" should want. (it's close to a cut off .30-30 case with a .400 bullet and smaller rim - you can make cases from them)
From what I can see Herter's was shunned by mainstream industry, and maybe some of it was deserved by his BS, I don't know. But his .401 Herters was actually a fantastic round smack dab in the middle of the .357-.44 Mag. scene. It was powerful but recoiled closer to the .357. Then Comes S&W and Elmer Keith proclaiming the .41 Magnum was THE answer to it all in 1964. The .41 was sold as a police officer's powerful sidearm for more remote officers in the field, doing double duty for sportsmen. Completely ignoring Herter and effectively killing the .401 with no other guns being chambered for it. The .41 is actually very close to the .44 Mag. which in reality is a .43. Pretty far from the .357 and too close to the thundering .44 Mag. for many. Elmer keith himself complained they went too far from what he was asking for in the .44 Mag.
I love the .41 myself but I like odd ones. I have a .401 Herters, and like the .400 bore too. It is a delight to explore them all and make my own preferences. What fun and it keeps me out of trouble.
![[image]](images/uploaded/201901311728255c53303995bae.jpg)