57 Magnum Pistol - In this week's Wheelgun Wednesday we take a throwback look at a revolver with a common look, but a very unusual chambering. The wheelgun we're talking about is the Smith & Wesson Model 57 .41 Magnum, and the example we have is from 1984. The forgotten is not given much love. 41 Magnum, but we'll cover what makes it. Special and what drew me to buy one for myself almost a decade ago.
Many people are familiar with the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum as they are still very popular in revolver circles today. A forgotten cartridge from the past is the .41 Magnum that was born out of a unique collaboration between Remington and Smith & Wesson. In the "Lyman 50th Edition Reloading Handbook" he explains in great detail how the .41 Remington Magnum cartridge was made:
57 Magnum Pistol
Remington and Smith & Wesson introduced the .41 Magnum in the Model 57 revolver in 1964. The original factory arsenal was offered in two performance levels. The first was a full power load with a 210 grain jacketed soft point bullet, and the second was a 210 grain lead semi-conductor "police" load. However, the police market never really developed for the cartridge. The urban market was better, but never really big. Pistol hunting is the area where the 41 Magnum has the largest following. Hunters find it as effective as the 44 Magnum, with a slightly flatter movement.
Smith & Wesson Revolver Modell 686 (kaliber .357 Mag.)
So, while the Smith & Wesson Model 57 may not be the most popular or sought-after revolver for collectors, it does have a claim-to-fame for being the first revolver chambered in .41 Remington Magnum. The particular revolver in my collection hit the market 20 years after its debut in a Minnesota gun shop named "Burger Bros." It sounds like a great place to grab a milkshake and cheeseburger, but it was actually a very popular gun shop in MN at one time (but that's a story for another day).
Most of us are familiar with the plastic box that Smith and Wesson revolvers come in these days. Back in the day though you received your wheelgun in a blue cardboard box with metal trimmed corners for strength. I'm a young revolver nut at 33, but maybe some of you remember or have the same boxes (or remember that reloading bullets are packaged the same way, but just smaller). Inside that shrink-wrapped, cardboard box, I still have the original owner's pamphlet (not the full manual; simple times again). These are the features listed in the original box pamphlet from 1984:
For me, it's fun to read that pamphlet, just to remember the nomenclature and verb that was used back then. The stocks grip equally...the number of shots is a long form of saying cylinder capacity...and they actually go to explain the serrations on the barrel and sight rib (for those who didn't know that why they were even on the modern.revolver).
So, the question is still why? Why does this cartridge even exist? Why?... Lyman does a good job of explaining the origins and how it was an accident in the 1960s trying to conquer the police market. I was also told another story, though an old man had a revolver collection considerably larger than mine. Take it with a grain of salt, but I found it interesting.
Preowned, Never Fired, S&w Model 57 Revolver, .41 Magnum, 6″ Barrel, 6 Rounds, Checkered Square Butt Walnut Grips, Bright Blue Finish: Sold
This collector told me that in the early 1960s the .357 Magnum was popular for recreational sports because of its moving velocity and its versatility to shoot, even with .38 specialty loads. Then there was the .44 Magnum that plowed like a truck and kicked like a mule. There had to be a middle ground. So, the .41 Magnum came to split the difference. You had the mental flat trajectory of a .357 Magnum with the power of a .44 Magnum in your hand. Then, with a twinkle in his eye and a smile, he softened his voice to say, "The .41 Magnum is the gentleman's cartridge."
Did Remington and Smith & Wesson make the .41 Magnum; So, the Smith & Wesson Model 57 for life? The world may never know, but if there is anyone in this world who loves the .41 Magnum more than I do, it was surely the old collector who told me that story.
If the .41 Magnum is out of place in today's world, it's one of those unusual cartridges you can find in gun shops with great regularity. Add in the fact that you can still reload your own ammo or hunt for cheap stuff at local gun shows like I do from time to time, and it's not too hard to come by. This round may not belong in a 9mm where you want to shoot its cases for a year, but I can see where it got the nickname of the gentleman's cartridge as it is unquestionably accurate, powerful and comfortable to shoot. is
I have lobbed 200+ rounds of lead downrange with mine and successfully hunted wild boar. It was a one-shot, knockdown hunt whereas in comparison a few years later I tried a 10mm, and it took 3 well-placed rounds to take down a wild farmer as opposed to one. This revolver walks and talks like it should be a Model 586, but it steamrolls targets and animals just like Dirty Harry wants.
Smith & Wesson Model 57 41 Mag
Although a cleaner, used revolver like this is becoming less common every day, you can always relive that vintage magic with a brand new Smith & Wesson reproduction. They make this revolver in its old school glory as part of their Smith & Wesson Classics series. MSRP for brand new is currently set at $1,018.
My love for revolvers did not stem from the revolver manufacturers making today. On the contrary, it started with such old dogs. Learn about their history, their uses, and see how well made things were back then. I now have an appreciation for new and old, but oddballs like this Model 57 excite me. What do you and the girls among the readers think? Is it too far in left field? Do you own a .41 Magnum yourself? Would you be willing to get one? Tell us all your thoughts in the comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
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