So, no pics since the gun is at S&W, getting its timing right, so to speak. I traded for a 2nd model Hand Ejector, in .44spl, of course. It was originally a 6.5" barrel, shipped in 1923. At some point, the tube was cut down to 3" or so. Finish is very worn, but it shoots extremely well, and is an ideal carry gun in many ways. Very happy to have acquired it.Originally Posted by SLG
@GJM & JHC - yeah my 41 Titanium Tracker has an incredibly effective grip that really tames hand smack. Its a nice shooting gun for its size/weight/power. I've only owned two Taurus guns (both revolvers). The little 41 and a 454. But I had to check out a lot of them before finding examples that were reasonably well put together. Got the 41 new and the 454 used but ANIB for a terrific price. That was years ago and I havent bothered with Taurus since.
My department was an early adopter of the .41. The gun/round were picked after some .38 Special rounds supposedly bounced off a car that held two runaways that killed an officer during the pursuit. There were a lot of 58s being carried when I hired on, and I sold my 66 to buy a Mdl. 57 so I'd have a "real gun," as my FTO called the bigger gun. I shot WW 210 SWCs that were lower velocity that were pleasant enough, but the 210 JSPs were no fun. Wound up using the 175 grain Silvertips that came out late in the game, they were nice shooters and impressive looking. I had the hard plastic Rogers/Safariland grips, and had the grooved trigger face smoothed and blued. I worked nights, so I had a prehistoric front night sight-had a guy take out the red ramp and replace it with white plastic. Had two different 57s with presentation boxes, both went when I needed to sell them to buy the new fangled "electric pistols."
Well just to help push you along.... I just picked up this sweet little 657 in order to complete my quest of having an N frame in 357,45 acp, 45 LC, 41 and 44 Mag....
She was born in '86.
Johnny Walker
That is an extremely nice looking revolver. It looks like a 3 inch barrel; let us know how the recoil is with that.
Jeep you are correct... 3" barrel. I will keep ya'll posted as to how she performs.
Johnny Walker
.41 Magnum revolvers tend to have external barrel dimensions identical to the same maker's .44 Magnum barrels, so there is a bit more metal remaining in the .41 barrel, therefore more weight/mass placed in exactly the right place to mitigate recoil.
I did, from 1985 into the early Nineties. An S&W Model 58 was my duty revolver from 1985 to 1989 or 1990. It had been an issued gun, belonging to San Antonio PD, before they surplused them in the early Eighties. I added another Model 58, a 4" Model 657, when they were released, and briefly owned a 5.5" Redhawk. I parted with all but the ex-SAPD Model 58 when I went with .45 ACP duty pistols, and .357 Magnum revolvers. I finally admitted to myself that I have K/L-frame-sized hands, not N-frame-size. When I returned to big-bore six-guns, in the late Nineties, it was with single-action revolvers, that fit my hands better, but thus far, I have stayed with the .45 bore size in my SA sixguns.
I may try a Freedom Arms Model 97 in .41, as a retirement gift to myself, within a few years. I very nearly bought a .41 FA 97 that had sat at a dealer for months. I went in, one day, to finally buy it, and found that someone else had just beat me to it.
I used factory 210-grain lead SWC, and 175-grain Winchester Silvertips, in my Model 58. Keep in mind that the Model 58 has less steel in the top strap, less steel on top of the barrel, and no steel around the ejector rod, so is much lighter than a Model 57 or 657. I think I tried other factory loads in the 657 and RH, but am not sure which ones. I have never handloaded, though the price of .45 Colt may prompt me to start handloading.
FWIW, I did buy a 4" Model 629, in early 1984, and actually carried as a duty revolver during my rookie year, until early 1985. Every Magnum load I tried was just a bit too brutal, and factory .44 Special of the time was loaded a bit too weak. The .41 Magnum Silvertips, in comparison, were exhilarating, but controllable.
As they say in some parts: "Fuggin' A, ain't dat da troot!"
Had my 57 Coupe in a tree stand on Tennesse's Highland Rim this afternoon stoked with 175 Silvertips. A young whitetail doe came by about 1515 hours that woulda been easy w my .358 Frontier carbine, but I was going rifle for bucks and wheelgun for does. She didn't get closer than 40 yards w lots of brush and branches so didn't squeeze on her...she or something like her may be a bit closer in morning.
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