As fans of the .41 know, it's a capable performer that can do nearly anything the bigger .44 can do.

I always begin tests like this with a variety of factory ammo to establish baselines for both velocity and accuracy. There really aren't that many .41 Magnum factory loads but I was able to test four: Georgia Ammo's 210-grain lead semiwadcutter (863 fps, 1.5-inch accuracy average); PMC's 210-grain jacketed flatpoint (1,281 fps, 2.2 inches); Remington's 210-grain jacketed softpoint (1,389 fps, 2.0 inches) and Federal's 250-grain Cast Core 1,207 fps, 1.8 inches)

Generally I am not a fan of very light bullets in magnum cartridges, and while you can make them go very fast I favor the heavier weights for most uses. Still, it is fun to see what sort of bullet racing results you'd get, and browsing through various manuals I came across a maximum load in Sierra's of 21.5 grains of Accurate No. 9 with its 170-grain jacketed hollowpoint.

Since I had both components I loaded some and worked up. At the maximum charge I got a blazing 1,678 fps from the 657's 7.5-inch barrel. I went back to the manual to check what the load developers had used and found a velocity of 1,450 fps from their six-inch Model 57. It isn't often that our handloads exceed what it says in the manuals and I doubt that an extra inch, and a half of barrel accounts for the more than 200 fps gain I saw, but it sure was a sporty load. Lots of flash and noise.

Then I got more serious and began to work with bullets I've come to like: Remington's 200-grain JHP and the Speer 220-grain JSWC, a half-jacket style.

As I've said, I wanted to develop light, medium and heavy loads for both, so I worked up to maximum levels with three powders. I also did a couple of plinking loads using 215 grain lead semi-wadcutter bullets and Titegroup powder. While Hodgdon shows a maximum charge of only 5.5 grains, with that bullet the company considers it a Cowboy Action load and doesn't take it to a real pressure maximum.

All loads were assembled in Starline brass with CCI large pistol primers except for those identified with magnum primers which were also CCI's.

I've learned a lot since my early experience with the .41 Magnum. I know for sure that I still don't like short barreled magnums of any kind, but I got turned off on the cartridge because of a poor choice of revolver.

Had I been able to get a six-inch Model 57 way back then I might have felt differently, but I am also a much better shot now and more experienced in managing recoil so my reaction might be different. But S&W has also addressed those issues with a longer barrel and more weight.

The final question everyone asks is, "What's it good for?" Anything you can do with a .44 Magnum can be, with proper load and bullet selection, done with the .41. Handgun hunters like it, and it has a following among silhouette shooters. Obviously it could be used for defense, and it's a fun plinker so I guess the real answer is, "Anything you'd like."