Why No Love for the 41 Magnum?

Hey, Todd: I’m a long-time subscriber and a big fan of your magazine. In the last three or four years, the handgun manufacturers have been introducing new, better, faster, higher-capacity 9mm semi-automatics. Almost weekly. I know I’m nostalgic about certain firearms and certain calibers. My favorite handgun is my 1971 S&W 41 Magnum. Powerful enough with top loads, and I can load it down to baby-cakes power. The other is the 40 S&W, once the darling for the state police and local sheriffs deputies. Also, a lot of city LEOs opted for it because it works, and rather well.

Now we have the hand-held elephant cannons of blistering velocity and power. One needs a tripod just to support the 5 pounds they weigh. Recoil? OMG! I had a buddy offer to let me shoot his 460 S&W Magnum. I did. One shot. I’m an honest 6 feet tall and 230 pounds, and that blast made me step back before I fell on my ass. No thanks!

Anyway, lots of us old farts grew up with the 41 Magnum and went to the 40 S&W for capacity. But we don’t see any articles about these cartridges and guns. Oh, yeah, the 10mm is making a come back after numerous years being considered obsolete. You’ve had two separate articles about those this year.

You might consider an occasional article about those other-caliber firearms, Todd. There’s lots of us who have them and love them. Keep up the good work. — Bill

Hey Bill: I do program some articles on the other cartridges, but I use recent ammo sales figures as a guide to frequency. As you might guess, 9mm Luger way outsells all the other centerfires. Rimfires dwarf the 9mm totals, so I slot them in pretty often as well. But it’s been a while since we covered the powerful 41 Magnum (“Big-Bore Snubnose Revolvers in 44 Magnum and 41 Magnum,” November 2014), so I’ll see what we can find chambered for it. Thanks for sticking up for the round. — Todd Woodard

Re Firing Line, September 2023

In the Firing Line issue above, Reader Joe Friday comments about a Gun Tests article from the August 2023 issue, “Gun Security in Automobiles.” He makes a case for the false security of gun safes in autos and leaving an unattended firearm in an auto being a risky idea. He inadvertently makes a case for universal carry in all venues. Military installations have a sign posted at the entry gate prohibiting firearms but offering no storage accommodation. The same is true for medical facilities. The courts — federal, state, and local — have firearms restrictions for non-LEO people.

Also, many states have no reciprocity, so as soon as a state line is crossed, one is in violation for having a firearm in the automobile with no accommodation. Or, how about public schools? I can list many other instances where carrying a firearm is an impossibility during the course of business, medical events, recreation, and other activities. Unfortunately, a choice can only be made to carry during the day and hopefully have no contact with a firearms-prohibited entity or, alternatively, not to carry for the day because one has a planned engagement with one of the above-mentioned sites. Sure would be nice to see that addressed properly. — DB

Hey DB: You’re right. Concealed carriers have to pay close attention to where they go. Universal carry would be a grand solution, but one that will likely never happen in New York, California, and several other carry-squeamish jurisdictions without national legislation or a national-carry Supreme Court ruling. Ain’t holding my breath for either. — tw

Hey Todd, regarding Joe Friday’s comments in the September issue: Unfortunately, because not all of us are retired law enforcement, many law-abiding citizens are restricted from carrying in certain locations. We either need a car safe for short-term security, or we have to leave our carry guns at home. — Al

Hi Todd: I also struggled with securing a handgun inside my vehicle for quick access and presentation in an emergency, and this is my “handy guy” solution, which works wonderfully for me. I drive an SUV with a center console and an upper tray that can be positioned in different areas of the console (forward, back, or somewhere in between). I bought the least expensive Sneaky Pete holster for my SIG 365, modified an old-fashioned metal bookend, securely fastened the bookend to the tray, snapped the metal clips of the holster onto the bookend, folded the flap backward over the bookend, and voilà! Out of sight, and very quick access that I hope I never need. As an aside, this rig was made originally for my P365, but I have replaced it with a P365X. Instead of ordering a new Sneaky Pete, I modified the one I had so the longer grip sits in a cradle in the side of the holster. I know, somewhere there’s a lawyer licking his chops. Best to you and your team! — David

Hey David: Thanks for sending the idea along. — tw

Hello All: I would hope that Joe Friday realizes that in this imperfect world, the need arises to leave our weapons behind us, stored safely in our vehicles. I can’t predict when I have to enter a hospital or bank with metal-detection equipment preventing me from entering. Hornady Gun Safe to the rescue.

Also, I think you might have suggested to Patricia to have a qualified gunsmith look at her P365XL and consider a slide-spring replacement to enable her to rack it, or to put on an assist device. I have a friend who has done the same with hers, and that simple spring exchange allowed her to carry her favorite shooting iron as her CCW.

Thanks for the great review of 10mm pistols. My daughter in law, son, and I love our RIAs. She’s 5 feet 1⁄2 inch tall, and the only thing she has a hard time with is racking the slide, but with a slide assist or the edge of the bench, it’s all good. — Frank