As far as S&W was concerned, the right gun was the Model 58. In many ways it was a throwback to the big .44 and .45 Hand Ejectors of the early twentieth century: a massive, service-gripped N-frame with a fixed blade front sight and a non-adjustable rear sight milled into the topstrap. Why monkey with adjustable sights on a gun intended for up-close use? And to top it off, the Model 58 would feature a four-inch barrel that could be drawn from a holster in the blink of an eye.
Short barrels on magnums look good on paper, but only on paper. I’ve done a lot of shooting with S&W N-frames, and the sight of a four-inch barrel on one still gives me the willies. (My hair is now permanently parted on the right side, thanks to a four-inch Model 29 .44 Magnum that I persisted in shooting one afternoon a few years ago.)
S&W and Remington anticipated that recoil and blast might be a problem with the Model 58, so they cooperatively introduced two .41 Magnum loads for the big new revolver: a 210-gr. lead-bullet version with a muzzle velocity of around 1150 fps and a 210-gr. jacketed version at around 1400 fps. As might be expected, however, sooner or later the high-velocity jacketed load intended for the Model 58’s longer-barreled, adjustable-sighted counterpart, the Model 57, ended up in the Model 58. When police tried the new Model 58 with full-house jacketed loads, the noise and muzzle blast were so ferocious that even old-school troopers found it a bit much. Nevertheless, the Model 58 hung on in S&W’s lineup until 1977, when the semi-auto revolution finally deep-sixed it for good. Total production was around 23,000 units, or about 1750 units per year on average.
So what’s it like to shoot a Model 58? Actually, it’s not that different from shooting a Model 29 in .44 Magnum. Recoil and blast are perceptibly less, but not enough to make much of a difference. Target reacquisition is a tad bit faster, perhaps, but when you touch one off, there’s no doubt that you’re shooting a big, hairy revolver. I’d feel well-turned-out with a Model 58 on my hip this deer season, which is exactly where mine will be come next November.
The Model 58’s fixed sights aren’t as much of a handicap as you might think. With that four-inch barrel, the effect of barrel time in raising point of impact is negligible, so lead loads and jacketed loads all shoot pretty much to the same point of aim. I wouldn’t compete in a tournament with a Model 58, perhaps, but I’m sure that anything I want to shoot with a Model 58 within 30 yards or so is going to end up with a .41-caliber hole in it.
Part of the appeal of the Model 58 is that it was made during a period when S&W’s quality was absolutely second to none. Bluing was as deep and glossy as a freshly-opened can of black enamel paint; cylinder chambers were counterbored; barrels were pinned into place. Now that my hair is gray, I suppose I qualify as an old-timer. As such, I can say without fear of reprisal that I prefer Smith & Wesson’s older, forged-and-milled revolvers of the ‘60s and ‘70s to today’s MIM or stainless-steel ones. There’s no doubt that S&W today makes the fi nest double-action revolvers Today, Model 58s are among the most collectible S&W N-frames, with Excellent-condition examples starting for around $600 and peaking at over a grand for boxed examples. Heady stuff! But then again, all N-frames are escalating rapidly in value. Shockingly so, in my opinion. Even the humblest of the N-frames, the matte-finished Model 28 Highway Patrolman -- which sold for as little as $250 only a year or two ago -- now goes for upwards of $500 for a nice one. It’s worth it, too, in my opinion. generally available, but a nice Bangor Punta-era S&W really takes my breath away.
In general, .41 Magnums do pretty well on the used-gun market -- if you can find the right buyer. Marlin’s early Model 1894 -- the 1980s version, not the 1890s version -- chambered in .41 is eagerly sought-after by Marlin fans, and Ruger’s Redhawk in .41 Magnum is increasingly collectible, too. I’ve seen some examples sell for upwards of $600, which doesn’t really surprise me because there’s something appealing about such a massively over-engineered revolver with a .41-caliber hole in its barrel. (The .357 Redhawk is a nice find, too.)
What does the future hold for the .41 Magnum? Not much, I think. Ammunition will no doubt continue to be manufactured for the foreseeable future -- too many guns out there for it to be dropped -- but I wouldn’t look for too many more new loads. After all, there really isn’t anything the .41 can do that the .44 can’t do even better. Even if you somehow whipped up a 275-grain super-hot load for the .41, it would still play second-fi ddle to the 300-grain .44 Magnum load, and recoil and blast would be almost as fi erce.
As for police use, the .41 Magnum is as dead as Jacob Marley. Modern .40 S&W loads approximate the original .41 Magnum police load, and they’re available in super-capacity autopistols as well. I don’t know of any active-duty police officers who carry revolvers nowadays, no matter how powerful they are. As for sporting use, I can’t imagine why you would take a .41 Magnum deer-hunting if you had a .44 Magnum close at hand.
Unless you prefer the unusual, of course. Unless you like the off-beat. Unless you’re exactly like me.
AIRGUNS BY TOM CACECI
The 2010 SHOT Show had many new products of interest to anyone using an airgun. Modern airguns are serious, high-performance tools for target competition or sport hunting. New technology and production methods have created air weapons that are affordable, easy to use, and typically free from most of the restrictions imposed on firearms. At the same time, they’re powerful enough to use effectively in pest control operations or serious small game hunting. What’s out there today isn’t a “kid’s BB gun” any more.
AIR ARMS from the United Kingdom has introduced the EV-Z MARK IV rifle for target work. It has an adjustable palm rest and a poplar stock that can be finished in a wide variety of colors to suit the taste of the buyer.
BEEMAN, another UK manufacturer no stranger to US airgunners, has introduced the dual-caliber ELITE X-2 rifle with interchangeable barrels.
BELTFED is a brand-new name in the airgun world, with a product that is unique. Everyone loves full-auto fire: while BB guns and softair guns simulate it, this company’s .22 is a CO2-powered pellet gun, firing actual pellets at the astonishing rate of 12 shots per second or 720 rounds per minute. As the name implies, it’s belt fed: the belt is enclosed in a drum-type housing that gives the Beltfed the look of a “Tommy Gun” to go with its performance. Power is provided by a large CO2 reservoir that connects to a tank adapter. Magazine capacity is up to 125 rounds, and velocities are comparable to other CO2 powered guns. No word yet on when this product will be on dealer shelves.
BSA is one of the best-known brands of airguns in the world, usually associated with pump-pneumatic and break-barrel rifles, but they have introduced a new line of PCP (precharged pneumatic) rifles to the American market this year. The Ultra Tactical lowest priced PCP rifles on the market, no doubt making it even more attractive to new airgun enthusiasts.
CROSMAN, America’s most famous airgun manufacturer, displayed many new products, and an entirely new technology for break-barrel guns, the Nitro Piston Magnum power plant in their Trail NPXL series rifles, available in .177, .22, and now .25 calibers. The Nitro Piston mechanism replaces the conventional spring of the typical break-barrel gun. The heart of the Nitro Piston is a gas-filled cylinder, which offers numerous advantages compared to a spring. Crosman claims it is 70% quieter than a conventional spring, requires less cocking force to achieve the same level of power, and most importantly, can be cocked well in advance of shooting. In a spring-powered rifle, cocking too far in advance of the shot will result in the spring taking a “set” and the result is diminished power: not so with the Nitro Piston system. The gas cylinder is also unaffected by outside temperature so that velocities are consistent from shot to shot. Another advantage is a reduction in recoil compared to spring power.
The display screen used on Daystate Rifles, and their patented Harper valve system.
Alan George, General manager of Air Arms, holds their EV-2 Mark IV Rifle, a target gun with adjustable