Would anyone like to see a Charter Arms Bulldog Classic in .41 Special

[Captain O]

If you make that assumption, that is yours to carry. But again, if you ask a question on a firearm forum you have to expect answers from everyone. And from the responses thus far, the interest level for a commercially available .41 Special wheel gun seems to be entirely yours.

I think that there are a lot more shooters than there are on this site. (By a few million). There must be a substantial number of people shooting 4" and 6" .41 Magnum revolvers because they haven't ever gone out of production. Individuals handloading for the cartridge have been replicating Elmer's load since Remington and Winchester stopped loading it. It may not be a huge niche, but it is there. and people are paying $1.00 per round for the ammunition.

Resetting dies for the Special is easy. Handloaders will do this to save money.

 

[Kruel J]

I think that there are a lot more shooters than there are on this site. (By a few million). There must be a substantial number of people shooting 4" and 6" .41 Magnum revolvers because they haven't ever gone out of production. Individuals handloading for the cartridge have been replicating Elmer's load since Remington and Winchester stopped loading it. It may not be a huge niche, but it is there. and people are paying $1.00 per round for the ammunition.

Resetting dies for the Special is easy. Handloaders will do this to save money.

Oh believe me I know there is. And yes, the .41 Magnum is still a fairly "popular" round. But the .41 Special isn't. And as a major manufacturer with a really small target audience, retooling becomes a business decision. Plain and simple. Manufactures figure that VERY few consumers actually reload, hence why most of them make guns in commercially available "off the shelf" calibers.

Anyway, write Charter an email. If they decide to make a few of them, I hope you get the first one.

 

[gmerkt]

Not enough demand. Since the idea's been around for decades and hasn't flown, probably won't get very far now. .41 Spec. is essentially a handloader/tinkerer's cartridge. For non-handloaders, they can get a .44 Spec. that does the same thing. You won't see WW, RP, FC, PMC or any other major manufacturer tool up to make .41 Spec. Because one specialty house makes it available doesn't guarantee success. An option to shoot in existing .41 Mags? Which aren't exactly the hottest sellers on the market. Yes, have been made for years and are still made, but in relatively low numbers compared to more popular chamberings. As a matter of curiosity, I'd be interested to know the stats on .41 Mag production. One thing I do know, some similar models, they make a few thousand a year of less popular calibers, as against tens of thousands of the same thing in a more popular model.

As someone else said, you can get .41 Spec. performance in a .41 Mag if loaded properly, like 7.4 gr. of WW 231 and a 210 gr. EK cast SWC bullet. The extra room in the case, in my own experience, doesn't result in inconsistent ignition that I can tell. Very accurate load. But this arrangement isn't satisfactory for the gun you want the .41 Spec. for.

So you see, I'm not a .41 hater, I have two revolvers and a T/C Contender bbl. in .41 Mag. I'm not such a fan as to own a .41 Long Colt, however. But that's not really a .41, it's a .386.

 

[Captain O]

Not enough demand. Since the idea's been around for decades and hasn't flown, probably won't get very far now. .41 Spec. is essentially a handloader/tinkerer's cartridge. For non-handloaders, they can get a .44 Spec. that does the same thing. You won't see WW, RP, FC, PMC or any other major manufacturer tool up to make .41 Spec. Because one specialty house makes it available doesn't guarantee success. An option to shoot in existing .41 Mags? Which aren't exactly the hottest sellers on the market. Yes, have been made for years and are still made, but in relatively low numbers compared to more popular chamberings. As a matter of curiosity, I'd be interested to know the stats on .41 Mag production. One thing I do know, some similar models, they make a few thousand a year of less popular calibers, as against tens of thousands of the same thing in a more popular model.

As someone else said, you can get .41 Spec. performance in a .41 Mag if loaded properly, like 7.4 gr. of WW 231 and a 210 gr. EK cast SWC bullet. The extra room in the case, in my own experience, doesn't result in inconsistent ignition that I can tell. Very accurate load. But this arrangement isn't satisfactory for the gun you want the .41 Spec. for.

So you see, I'm not a .41 hater, I have two revolvers and a T/C Contender bbl. in .41 Mag. I'm not such a fan as to own a .41 Long Colt, however. But that's not really a .41, it's a .386.

They said the same the about the .35 Whelen. It finally became standardized by Remington decades later.

The firearms world is a strange realm.

 

[Captain O]

So many jumped on the "Dirty Harry" bandwagon in 1971 until they discovered how abusive the "N" framed .44 Remington Magnum shooting "full-tilt" hunting loads could be with target grips. Many owners would either sell their .44 Magnum handguns or feed it .44 S&W Special loads.

Not much has changed. Those with an inflated sense of machismo still insist that the loads aren't painful. They routinely schedule appointments with their orthopedic surgeons, whine and moan about how the recoil has damaged the nerves in their wrists and arms.

I think that mitigating recoil through modifying personal defense loads is a safe, sane, and intelligent approach for personal defense loads in medium to large-bore Magnum revolvers.

A calculated and rational load, such as the .41 Special in a .41 Magnum seems apropos.

 

[Captain O]

Graf & Sons is selling new 50-round boxes of PCI .41 Special (a 225-grain flat-point, round nosed, lead bullet) loaded in new Starline cases for $36.99 + shipping.

This seems as if it is a reasonable price for new loaded ammunition.

 

[JeremyK]

God.. all of you, here's the solution: Get a Glock!

 

[Captain O]

God.. all of you, here's the solution: Get a Glock!

When they ban semi-autos, you'll be serving new whine in old whine skins.

 

[orygun]

The .41 Special is a super neat round and would be fantastic in a smaller revolver, but is not easy to come by if you aren't a reloader. If anyone here is a .41 Mag shooter they know how obscure that round has gotten in the last decade or so.
Yes, a small(er) revolver in 41 Special would make a great carry revolver, but I'd bet the line of purchasers would be very short.
Ruger makes the 44 Special GP100 and S&W makes two versions of the Model 69 in 44 Mag. My ASSumption is that anyone looking for a large diameter bullet in a 5 shot revolver is going to buy one of these. I did.
FYI, with 44 Mag ammo this is the WORST, most painful handgun I've ever shot. I had a 5" S&W 500 for a few years and it's nothing like this. I had a 357 Snubbie that would smack the palm of my hand pretty hard, still, nothing like a light 44 Mag. One of the members on here has a S&W 369 (I believe) that he complained is painful to shoot and I thought, "Geeze, what a wuss!" I'm glad I didn't put it in print on one of his posts, because I'd surely be eating my words.

Big bullet, small gun? Be careful what you ask for!

 

[Captain O]

If you take the time to read the thread, you'll discover that Graf & sons is offering PCI loaded .41 Special ammunition as I write this. PCI brand 225 grain RNFPL loaded in new Starline brass. 50-round boxes is costing $36.99 + shipping.

Pay attention, people.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Yeabut you can get a box of 50 .38 Special for $5.

















probably. lol

 

[JeremyK]

When they ban semi-autos, you'll be serving new whine in old whine skins.

I'm confused by that... you're saying that this revolver will NOT be banned because it is NOT semi-auto?

 

[Captain O]

I'm confused by that... you're saying that this revolver will NOT be banned because it is NOT semi-auto?

Not much gets by you does it?

 

[JeremyK]

Not much gets by you does it?

And how long do you think before Dem's ad wheel guns to the chopping block?

I'm not understanding this increasing doom and gloom attitude coming from a lot of members on here, seems like lots have just accepted that Brownstain is just going to ban semi-autos and that will be that

 

[Kruel J]

And how long do you think before Dem's ad wheel guns to the chopping block?

I'm not understanding this increasing doom and gloom attitude coming from a lot of members on here, seems like lots have just accepted that Brownstain is just going to ban semi-autos and that will be that

I agree. Let's all just give up before it's even on a ballot.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I've always contended that their main endgame is to ban all handguns, be they revolvers or pistols.. long guns are just incidental and will likely take longer to ban entirely.
like that's news to anybody

 

[Captain O]

I agree. Let's all just give up before it's even on a ballot.

Oregon has been pulling a "California" for a number of decades. I have offered my services. Aside from that, this isn't the thread for this discussion.

 

[Kruel J]

Oregon has been pulling a "California" for a number of decades. I have offered my services Besides this isn't the thread for this discussion.

Agreed. So again, email Charter and ask them what they think about making a .41 special offering.

 

[Captain O]

I have already written Underwood and Double Tap (Mike McNett and I do know each other). I'll expect a response from them both because Underwood is making great .32 ACP ammunition (using 50-grain Lehigh projectiles).

Mike McNett is currently making 40 Super and .41 Remington Magnum loads. For Mike, it would be a simple adjustment of dies and some Starline .41 Special brass. That's a "piece of cake".

Nick Eckert and I are on speaking terms, perhaps he'll listen and make a 5000-pistol run of Bulldog Pugs in .41 Special. The Bulldog Pug is built to handle the .357 S&W Magnum. Putting them on the .44 Special frame would be easy. Whichever frame that will best handle the 25,000 CUP (peak) pressures best would be used.

The ammunition is there, now for the lightweight 5-shot revolver to carry this potent, yet effective round with a 4" barrel (Canada) and the "Classic" 3" barrel in the US is a perfect carry piece for the undercover police officer or CCW for the civilian that uses the .41 Magnum in the hunting field.

 

[Kruel J]

If they end up making one and you are able to get one, please let us know.