The Ruger GP100 .41 Special Part 2

04/14/2024 – This last snow storm, 15″-18″ two days before 50°F ambient temperatures, had a certain note of winter finality. However, the snow blower, and other equipment, will remain in place until all snow is off the ground. No, I am not being indecisive, just cautious. Like listening to Ina Forsman for two months, but still not willing to commit to liking, or not liking her vocals. Spotify labels her Blues, but I’m thinking Rockabilly.

I have a lot of unfinished projects. My supply has finally outstripped by capacity. I have firearms projects stacked up to the point I can’t see my desk from the shop’s front door. I have a telescope, cameras and optics spread out of the dinning room table. Mt home office is littered with boxes of motorcycle parts and accessories, awaiting installation.

If I do not stop adding to the pile, before completing a long list projects, I will officially be defined as a hoarder. I should never have purchased a big screen TV. It is not like favorite shows are consuming my time. It is all of those hours spent, before accepting, even with billions of streaming channels, there is still nothing worth watching on TV.

Let’s look at the 41 Special’s Pros and Cons

Cons – The 41 Magnum is often cited as having recoil halfway between a 357 Mag and a 44 Mag. Liar, liar, pants on fire.The .41 has more like 7/8th, 87.5%, the recoil of a 44 Magnum, which means it is stout. Muzzle blast, muzzle rise and power generated all follow suit. The .41 Magnum is a powerful handgun cartridge that, as a practical matter, can pretty much do what the 44 Magnum can do, with 1/8th less wear and tear on the shooter. All things the .41 Special cannot do. As a wildcat, the .41 Special must be handloaded.

Pros – The 41 Special is soft shooting, comes back on target quickly with follow on shots, exhibits moderate muzzle blast and muzzle rifle, It can drive a 200 grain bullet to 900 fps. It can drive a 210 grain bullet 1200 fps. Both are lethal defensive rounds. Both will stop medium size game. As a wildcat, the .41 Special must be handloaded.

So let’s give it an “E” for effort, because some of that is required

The .41 Special is a wildcat. Therefore, it has not undergone standard’s agency homologation, and does not have formal specifications used by reloading tool & die companies, ammunition makers, or firearm makers.

There is, however, enough .41 Special anecdotal evidence in the form of chamber reamers, custom die sets and custom firearms, to conclude that whacking precisely one-eighth inch (0.125″) off of a .41 Remington Magnum case yields the proper dimensions. Pictured Left-Right .41 Rem Mag, .41 Special (1.165″)made from a .41 Rem Mag case (1.290″)

Not long ago, Starline brass made a run of .41 Special with the proper headstamp, but has since ceased production. So, if you want brass, you have to make it. It can be made, in short quantities, with a manual case trimmer, but a power trimmer offers a less coma inducing process.

…and you will probably need reloading dies

There are many sources of dies. In the case of wildcat cartridges, virtually all die making companies offer custom sets. That is spelled e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e. If you created the wildcat and purchased a rougher chamber reamer, and had a lathe, you could reasonably make your own from 7/8″x14 threaded bar stock. If the wildcat cartridge to be handloaded is popular, dies may be readily available.

In the case of the .41 Special, I am aware of two factory die set solutions. In a three die pistol set for the .41 Remington Magnum, the expander and seater are two long to use for the .41 Special, and will bottom on a press’s shell plate before case expanding/bullet seating and need to be shortened 0.125″. An order can be placed with Lee Precision .41 Rem Mag dies and, for an extra $60 ($30 per die) they will machine them to the proper length. So under $100 for the whole deal.

Redding makes a full three die set (pictured above) for the .41 Special for $130, in round numbers. Redding also makes a profile crimp die for $65. However, since the roll crimp function is already incorporated into the seater die, in the three dies set…. I went with Redding within the context of this project, even though that is my out of pocket expense, because dimensionally, and functionally, Redding makes an excellent all steel product.

Details, details, details…

I was cruising right along, when I discovered I did not have the proper trimmer shell holder for my RCBS power trimmer. The .41 Rem Mag/.41 Special takes a #30, which is shared with one other cartridge, the 30 Remington AR. While there are a number of shell holders, press and trimmer, that will work in the press, or when manually trimming, #30 is required for stability and to prevent the case from spinning in the power trimmer.

Attempting to purchase on online, I found that RCBS had replaced the RCBS Trim Pro power case trimmer and it’s $8 dedicated shell plates, with a $75 universal shell holder conversion kit as used on the newer Trim Pro 2 power case trimmer 2. Wow! Don’t shop for trimmer bits and pieces for thirty years and, all of a sudden, things change.

Considering the newer Trim Pro 2 has an MSRP of $499.95 I just searched a little harder for the #30 plate and found it at a very helpful, considerate RCBS. I had a #18 that worked… sort of, but the rim recess was too deep and allowed the case to spin. If I could not locate the #30, the next step would have been to heat soften the shell holder, clamp it in the milling machine and shaved a few thousands off the backside.

Fortunately, I can feel a sense of satisfaction thinking through that process without actually having to do the work. Yes, I could have just flipped the shell holder around to the flat side held the case rim in place, but the case would not be stable to a measurable degree, and the case mouth would not be cut perpendicular to the case walls.

Being able to do light machining work is a big plus when handloading. I had multiple 0.400″ and 0.416″ trimmer pilots, but no 0.410″, and none could be located on line. So, in a few minutes, I was able to chuck a 0.416 in the lathe and turn it down to 0.410″. No wobbles, front or back support.

Uncooperative Maine Mud Season

OK, a couple of snow storms, immediately followed by rain… every day. Yes, I could mount the chronograph lights and shot from under cover, but the garage is in winter configuration. It would need to be emptied to provide enough space and view of the target area for safe shooting. I am not that ambitious. So let’s see how things develop this afternoon.

I did not have to wait 150 days, I sent out no doves and I am not inclined to become a farmer. Still, finally, a little reprieve from the rain.

And some dimensional guidelines and load data….

The subject gun is a 3″ barrel revolver, and performing about as intended. The .41 Special is on par with the 10mm Auto, but it feels significantly softer shooting, which I would attribute to the absence of an auto loader’s reciprocating mass. The GP100 is clearly more concealable and it is nice to have that 6th round in the cylinder.

Worst case, it is an interesting combination and a well done custom revolver. For anyone that likes firearms, that makes for an interesting experience. I did not shoot 25 yard targets. Everything outdoors was sopping wet, drizzle or rain was the earmark of the day and I did not feel like sloshing to the mess. 10 yard groups of 6 were inside playing card size with a two handhold and a door frame at my back.

Ammunition plopped right into the chambers and ejected as easily. The No.9 powder was a tad smokey, but not enough to matter.

Handload Comments

Handloading the .41 Special is very straight forward. Components and powder used are routinely available. Trimming and inside/outside deburring is the only labor intensive, time consuming step. Inserting the case into the power trimmer and letting it run, while concurrently deburring the previous case, took 20 seconds each.

I took a shot at sizing, trimming, deburring, and priming during the process dwell time, but there was a risk of transferring internal brass residue into the priming step. So I opted to trim and deburr, case clean, size, then prime. I don’t know why my trimmer is so under powered and slow. Hmm… maybe a future project, or I will change to the Hornady power trimmer.

Sub 200 grain component bullets were either not in supply or tagged with ridiculous prices. Basic 170 Sierra JHC Sports Master bullets carry an MSRP price $51/box, or 51 cents per bullet. Barnes 180 grain XPB-HP $21/Box or $1.05 per bullet. Lehigh 150 grain solid copper XTRM $52/Box, or $1.04 per bullet.

In 2023, both Barnes and Speer came under the ownership of one of the JDH Capital investment partnership, and Lehigh, which is owned by Wilson Combat. JDH Capital was created in 2017 to invest on behalf of the Hildebrand family of Houston and I would suspect a brisk ROI will only mean higher near future prices.

.41 Special Performance

Is the .41 Special a necessary cartridge? No more than is the .38 Special or .44 Special or 80% of the cartridge found in retail channels. For folks who don’t handload, it would make an excellent practice round… if an ammunition manufacturer would decide to make them.

Until then, the .41 Special is a wildcat handloader’s product, and the very nice, six shot, compact revolver remains a custom piece.