Rupp’s .41 Magnums include a Ruger New Model Blackhawk Bisley (l.) and a Smith & Wesson Model 57. (J. Scott Rupp photo)
August 04, 2026
By J. Scott Rupp
The .41 Remington Magnum is the Rodney Dangerfield of revolver rounds. It gets no respect, unless you count a small but dedicated cadre of fans. The .41 Magnum was another Elmer Keith brainchild, with assists from such luminaries as Bill Jordan and Skeeter Skelton. Keith intended the cartridge to fill the gap between the .357 and .44 magnums for law enforcement officers, providing more punch than the .357 but with less recoil than the .44.
Keith’s idea was to offer two loads for the .41: a 200-grain at about 900 fps for police and a stouter 210-grain at 1,300 to 1,400 fps for sporting use. But in 1964 the firearms world was perhaps even more enamored of powerful magnum...
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