.410 GNR Questions

[beekay]

I have a project. It's a .41 mag Ruger SBH Hunter and I'd like to have it re-chambered to .410 GNR.
Has anyone here who's familiar with that chambering got any critique to offer as far as things like case life or set-back issues?
I'm also thinking about having an Encore or a rifle chambered in the same. How do the cartridges that have been fired in a revolver work interchangably in a breechloader?
Those are the main questions I have that I'm able to think of now. But if this conversation gets rolling, there will probably be others.

Thank you in advance
Happy 4th of July!

[2 Dogs]

Mine never gave me any set back issues and I loaded mine pretty hot trying to get some real speed out of my 5 1/2" barrel 5 shot. Go with a longer barrel. A case that big needs more than 5 1/2" of barrel. It is also extremely accurate. From an Encore it might really shine.

Go over to Reeders forum and you will find a slew of 410 GNR fans.

[COR]

Keep in mind that has to be a 5 shot gun, 454 based. The .410 GNR has been done successfully in rifles, each gun is different so it's hard to say of they'll just drop into each other but theoretically they should with samebrass. No setback in an Encore. Never heard of it mentioned in revolvers.

[beekay]

Thanks for the replies.
One of the things I was curious about was the .410 GNR performance from a 5-1/2" barrel, because I've shortened the barrel on my Hunter to that length.
I like the balance better- The Hunter was the only stainless .41 available at the time, for anyone wondering why.
I'm still researching before making the commitment. I'd love to rent a .410 GNR to try out for a week before deciding, but that's an unlikely thing.

[2 Dogs]

If anyone wants some correctly marked 410 GNR brass, I am pretty sure I still have a few hundred new and unfired cases ready to be necked down. I would be willing to trade for some new 41 magnum brass as I have a ton of everything else....

The 410 GNR is truly so easy to form it almost doesn't qualify as a wildcat.....

[beekay]

I noticed that you mentioned that on a different thread 2-Dogs. I may take you up on that.
At the present time I don't own a .410, but I'll be deciding if there may be one in my future, soon.
I have a bunch of once -fired .41 cases

Since you had a 5-1/2" .410 GNR - as my own revolver is - In your own experiences, did you find a mid velocity load of maybe 1250 - 1300 fps that produced good accuracy and had a tolerable level of muzzle flash?
I really enjoy shooting my .41 mag Hunter with it's bobbed barrel using 210gr bullets and about 10 - 11gr of unique.
Someone mentioned that 4227 is a good powder to use with lead bullets.
Have you tried some loads using that powder?

[2 Dogs]

Well Sir, I'm not sure I wouldn't rather use my standard 41 Mag for 1250-1350 fps loads. I pretty much searched for high end loads with the 410 GNR, and while the recoil was actually fairly moderate the muzzle blast was pretty impressive. Most non all the time shooter guys who tried it had issues and would start flinching almost right away for the blast. I did find the 410 GNR would pretty much shoot a heavy 41 bullet almost as fast as I could drive the lighter 41 slugs.

There is another called the 41 GNR that is actually a bit more efficient and may be an all around better choice in a revolver.

A tightly chambered 38-40 is also very impressive.

I have shot alot of 4227 however I only used H110 in the 410 GNR.

[glynn410]

28-29 of IMR 4227 shoots well have not chroned it yet-- not as much of muzzle blast
be sure load the round as GNR recommends
good crimp and heavier bullets help with the blast-- i shoot a 252gr cup point or 255-260 WLNGC
30+ gr with a 212 cast HPgc is pretty boomie
the chrono as said the heavier bullets are more efficient-- no surprise

[beekay]

Thanks for the info.
I was considering the .41 GNR as possibly a better choice for my 5.5" revolver barrel.
I'll join the group on Gary Reeder's site and find out more

[rjm52]

"There is another called the 41 GNR that is actually a bit more efficient and may be an all around better choice in a revolver."

..negative...don't waste your time. I have a 5.5" custom 5 shot that Gary built for me in 2002. Wonderful gun that has both the .41 Magnum and .41 GNR cylinders. The most efficient bullet and Gary's favorite hunting bullet for the caliber is the 170 Sierra JHC. If you look at his loading data for the .41 GNR it runs about 29-30 grains of H110 with the bullet. Using 26.0 grains of H110 in standard .41 Magnum brass the velocity is only 30 fps short of the GNR load with less muzzleblast. The extreme spread of the two overlap... The same load in my 6.5 " Blackhawk is 50 fps FASTER than the GNR.

I talked to Gary in person in 2013 about rechambering the .41 GNR to .410...he said no problem since my gun was a 5 shot. A few months ago went over the the Reeder Forums and made some inquiries about chronographed velocities with a 5.5" barrel with a .410 GNR...no one including Gary had any... For now I am not going to bother doing the project.

My 250-255 grain loads are running in the mid-1400s from the Reeder and a 6" Freedom Arms......what else does one need... GNRs need a long barrel or a closed breech to take advantage of the extra powder.

My apologies for being so negative but I don't like to see people waste their money...

Bob

[2 Dogs]

Jul 6, 2017 17:01:37 GMT -5 rjm52 said:

"There is another called the 41 GNR that is actually a bit more efficient and may be an all around better choice in a revolver."

..negative...don't waste your time. I have a 5.5" custom 5 shot that Gary built for me in 2002. Wonderful gun that has both the .41 Magnum and .41 GNR cylinders. The most efficient bullet and Gary's favorite hunting bullet for the caliber is the 170 Sierra JHC. If you look at his loading data for the .41 GNR it runs about 29-20 grains of H110 with the bullet. Using 26.0 grains of H110 in standard .41 Magnum brass the velocity is only 30 fps short of the GNR load with less muzzleblast. The extreme spread of the two overlap... The same load in my 6.5 " Blackhawk is 50 fps FASTER than the GNR.

I talked to Gary in person in 2013 about rechambering the .41 GNR to .410...he said no problem since my gun was a 5 shot. A few months ago went over the the Reeder Forums and made some inquiries about chronographed velocities with a 5.5" barrel with a .410 GNR...no one including Gary had any... For now I am not going to bother doing the project.

My 250-255 grain loads are running in the mid-1400s from the Reeder and a 6" Freedom Arms......what else does one need... GNRs need a long barrel or a closed breech to take advantage of the extra powder.

My apologies for being so negative but I don't like to see people waste their money...

Bob

Bob, I personally appreciate the voice of experience.

[glynn410]

Sorry I Missed your asking for MV over at Gary's
Gary says he does not care about them -- but he does -- maybe just less so than us normals over there...
He playfully fusses at me for publishing my velocity--- for some one contracts him and say Lynn's gun is faster than mine..
Andy's .410 load 255 .410 GNR= 1480-1500
My top load for my conversion which will become a Stealthhawk is 30.5 gr of H110
with a 255 LWNgc I cast from my Mountain Mold. It will go 1630 fps in my 5.5"er// I normally load 28.5 for around 1480 to 1500 i have shot nothing but my cast-- here is a 212gr Penta point cast over 32 H110 =1660
My .41 GNR 5.5"er would go 1340 with the same bullet and 24 gr H110
My .41 GNR 1720 with the 170 JHC-- over 29 gr H110-- I took it higher but only gained a little --mine peaked at 29
AA#9 was faster-- but twitchie so never used it-- anyway mv was 1788 with 800X
i personally have never had a .41 revolver even with a long barrel go that fast --8 3/8" gave 1640's with the one 170 and my 10'' TC gave 1750s' 6' DWA 1520
used 20.5 gr of AA#9 at 1320 fps to take a 270+ Lb hog i have owned and clocked two .41 TC, 10" and 14"
The 14" was very fast.
the .41 GNR I had = a 41 mag in a 10"

[beekay]

Thanks
The info here has been quite helpful
Looking back on things and reviewing my mission statement for the entire project, The thing I had in mind was to possibly make up for the velocity that I lost by removing 2" from the barrel by increasing powder capacity.
It looks as though the .41 GNR will accomplish that much and being able to keep my cylinder in the original chambering is a plus, for purposes of playing around with lighter loads.

[rjm52]

Thank you glynn....

As stated before, I have a 5.5" 5-shot Reeder custom and a 6" Freedom Arms 654 (83) standard .41 Magnum brass.

300 grain Mountain Mold/ 19.0 H110/Reeder 1276/FA 1267

255 Cast Performance/ 22.0 H110/Reeder 1350

250 Accurate 41-250L/ 22.0 H110/Reeder 1413/FA 1444

250 Accurate 41-250F/ 22.0 H110/FA 1430


.41 GNR 170 Sierra JHC 5.5" Reeder custom

29.0/1524
30.0/1570
31.0/1580

Same bullet in .41 Magnum case 26.0/H110

5.5" Redhawk/1536
6.5" Blackhawk/1600
10" TC/1800
14" TC/1990
20" Marlin/2100

Just not getting near the velocity you are from the .41 GNR...

[beekay]

Jul 8, 2017 7:45:39 GMT -5 rjm52 said:

Thank you glynn....

As stated before, I have a 5.5" 5-shot Reeder custom and a 6" Freedom Arms 654 (83) standard .41 Magnum brass.

300 grain Mountain Mold/ 19.0 H110/Reeder 1276/FA 1267

255 Cast Performance/ 22.0 H110/Reeder 1350

250 Accurate 41-250L/ 22.0 H110/Reeder 1413/FA 1444

250 Accurate 41-250F/ 22.0 H110/FA 1430


.41 GNR 170 Sierra JHC 5.5" Reeder custom

29.0/1524
30.0/1570
31.0/1580

Same bullet in .41 Magnum case 26.0/H110

5.5" Redhawk/1536
6.5" Blackhawk/1600
10" TC/1800
14" TC/1990
20" Marlin/2100

Just not getting near the velocity you are from the .41 GNR...

I'm slightly confused
It looks to me like the four groups of numbers at the top of the post are for Std .41 brass fired from a FA 6" and a Reeder 5.5"
Am I reading that correctly?
Just making sure

Thanks for posting - Very Helpful

I have an old Sierra reloading manual and the numbers I see more recently are much more impressive than max loads published in my manual.
My manual shows 1300 for a max load with a 210 jacketed bullet from a 6" revolver using 20.6 gr of H110
Kinda seemed like they were trying to discourage .41 mag sales.