I read load data on all the forms for .41mag and when it get to the max. or hot loads a lot of the time it saids do not use in S&W ?what gives, arin't S&W good guns?

RML9MM,

S&Ws are generally excellent quality revolvers. But like every other gun design they have their limits.

In recent decades ammo reloaders have been pushing the envelope with modern up to date powders and heavier bullets. The old line ammo companies are still loading ammo to SAAMI specs, but the newer specialty and hi-performace ammo companies are also manufacturing factory ammo that is much much hotter than the SAAMI specs.
You'll see this in all the magnum calibers and some of the others.

The problem is, the S&Ws cant stand up to constant use of this hotter ammo. This is nothing against S&W, it's just that this hotter ammo exceeds the S&Ws abilitites.
Stick with what they are designed for and they will live a long life.

Joe

Smith & Wessons are great guns just not as durable as others. Smiths will take the pressures and beating of heavy loads without blowing up in your hands, But will sure wear out fast. When it comes to durability you cannot beat the Ruger single actions. The redhawks and supers are very good too. Just hold a Smith and feel how much lighter and smaller they are than the redhawks. That is why you should not shoot hot loads in smith. I am sure some smith fans will be biting my tail on this one.

I read load data on all the forms for .41mag and when it get to the max. or hot loads a lot of the time it saids do not use in S&W ?what gives, arin't S&W good guns?

Got to give up something to get the light weight of the S&W's...for a long while, they were the only double action big bore magnums. Are others now, but it started with people loading the Ruger Blackhawks to the limits....and Contenders can stand a good bit over that.

Same ammo will work in a S&W, just beat it a bit more severly than the bigger heavier guns. The S&W 57 is every bit as strong, and probably a little stronger, than the mod. 29 .44mag.

IF you goal was to load to the limit, then stopping at the .41mag. doesn't make sense. Like the round, one of my all-time favorites, but I don't see it as the one to hot-rod...if you need .454 power, better to buy a .454.

In my experience, the S&W guns that didn't stand up to the heavy silhouette loads were the 44's, not the 41's. Smiths may be a little more delicate in their lockwork, but I shot loads out of my Smith .41 that I would not recommend in anything else but a Ruger.

Dean Grennell (my favorite gunwriter) used to say that when he bought his second Smith 41 Magnum, it was not to replace his 20-year old Model 57, it was because he needed another. The original gun had digested loads "not sanctioned anywhere" without so much as a burp, and he had no qualms about loading it hot in that particular gun.

Having said that, if you plan on hot-rodding a 41, get a Ruger and a good insurance policy. If you ever have to replace the former, you'll likely need the latter! :eek:

Papajohn

Smith 44s came out on a design that was basically 50 years old at the time, and now it's close to 50 years later than that.

No one in the 1950s could conceive of a handgunner shooting a cannon like that enough to wear it out. Now the .44 is reduced to a pipsqueak, these days.

Sometime in the recent past, Smith came up with an 'endurace package' for their double-actions, and this largely cured the problems. One of the Smith shooters/collectors here can pinpoint the exact date/model numbers/etc.

No double-action is going to hold up as well as a single-action on the same frame size, that's just life, hence the many comparisons to the Ruger Blackhawks that tell you how much stronger a Blackhawk is (but not why).

The Redhawks are a larger frame size, so it's not entirely a valid comparison with the Smith. Ruger had the benefit of waiting a few decades to design their double-action 44s.

Smiths are really nice accurate revolvers. Have had 357's, 41's, 44',s. Put over 200,000 rounds thru the 44. two bbls and three sets of innerds. Shot the metal rams and turkeys for several years.

I Finally ended up with redhawks and super redhawks for the heavy loads. Love those Smiths and they will do fine with reasonable loads. They have beautiful lines and triggers. For a carry gun they are tops.

If you are going to push the envelope of pressure/velocity get the big Ruger or the big Smith 50. Both these guns were designed with high pressure/velocity in mind. The standard Smiths are a hundred year old design, the Magnums with updated steels can handle standard 357, 41 and 44 magnum loads, but will shoot themselves loose pushed hard.

Most important thing to remember when loading hot is you want to load hotter than the next larger magnum round then get a bigger gun. Either bigger cartridge or bigger gun designed for increased pressures/chamber length.

I love my Smith .41s no doublt about it. However, I realize my needs and wants. If I need more power then theres the 44//454/475/500s Mags or time to pick up a rifle. (Do have the TC Contender and Marlin 1894 both in 41 to increase that muzzle energy!)

CD