For anyone interested, here's the link to the SASS rule book. There's a section in the rules covering equipment.
Good luck trying to figure out what you want to know from the Shooter's Handbook. I have been shooting CAS for almost 20 years and still have to search through multiple pages to find exactly what I want to know. Good luck to a Newbie.
First of all, I have no knowledge or experience with CAS but have a couple thoughts/questions. First thing, is a .41 mag an acceptable cartridge if loaded properly? Second thing, are Henry’s an OK rifle to use since they are available in .41 mag? My main plinking load with any 210-220 gr bullet is 8-8.4 gr of Green Dot, not sure of the MV but I’d think it would be well under 1000fps. I’ve also loaded as low as 4gr of Green Dot and it’s a real *****cat so if the caliber is allowable it could definitely be loaded down to qualify. My point being with the right components the .41 mag is a very versatile caliber and I don’t recall where I saw it but I know the softer CAS type bullets are available. But like most things .41 mag, being a hand loader is what makes a great cartridge most usable from an economical standpoint.
Here is the Shooter's Handbook definition of what makes an acceptable revolver cartridge in CAS.
"Must be centerfire calibers of at least .32 caliber and no larger than .45 caliber or percussion calibers of at least .36 caliber and no larger than .45 caliber. Must be in a caliber commonly available in revolvers. Examples include, but are not limited to, .32-20, .32 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .38 Special, .44 Magnum, .44-40, and .45 Colt."
Notice the examples listed are not a finite list, just a few obvious ones. Also notice it does not say acceptable cartridges must have been in existence during the 19th Century. 44 Mag and 357 Mag did not exist in the 19th Century. So yes, 41 Mag would be acceptable as a revolver cartridge as long as it was loaded with lead bullets and velocity was under 1000 fps. (under 1400 fps when fired from a rifle) Those are the general rules for the least restrictive categories. As categories change, ammo requirements can get more restrictive, for instance all cartridges must be at least 40 caliber in the Classic Cowboy category. That means no 38s in that category, but 38-40 is actually 40 caliber, so it is OK in Classic Cowboy. Too much information, I know, but I have been doing this for a long time.
Here is the Shooter's Handbook definition of Main Match rifles:
"Rifles or carbines used in the main and team matches must be original or replicas of lever or slide action rifles manufactured during the period from approximately 1860 until 1899, incorporating a tubular magazine and exposed hammer. Rifles with box magazines may not be used. Certain shooting categories require a specific type of rifle and ammunition to be used."
Here is the information about Main Match rifle ammunition. (When it says Main Match, that is what we are talking about, not the 'specialty' events such as long range precision rifle matches. Those are different events and do not usually happen at a regular monthly match)
"Must be centerfire of at least .32 caliber and not larger than .45 caliber. Must be in a caliber commonly available in revolvers. Examples include, but are not limited to, .32-20, .32 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .38 Special, .38-40, .44-40, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt. The only allowed exceptions are the .25-20 and .56-50. No rifle calibers such as .30-30 or .38-55 are allowed. Buckaroo/Buckarette Category competitors choosing to utilize .22 caliber firearms must use standard velocity .22 caliber rim-fire ammunition only."
Notice it says cartridges commonly available in revolvers. That's why we call them 'pistol caliber' rifles. Cartridges such as 30-30, which will not fit in a typical revolver cylinder, are not allowed in Main Match rifles.
When you ask about a Henry rifle, particularly one chambered for 41 Mag, I assume you are talking about the Big Boy. When the Big Boy first came out it was not approved as a SASS legal rifle. There were those who said with its brass frame it looked just like a Winchester Model 1866, so it should be allowed. There were others, myself included, who said no way, even with its brass frame the Big Boy was not a reasonable replica of the Winchester 1866. To make matters worse, Henry Repeating Arms began promoting the Big Boy as a SASS approved rifle when in fact the Territorial Governors had not made a ruling on it, so there was a lot of confusion. A couple of years later the TGs revisited the question and specifically included the Big Boy as a SASS legal Main Match rifle, however it is not legal in the Classic Cowboy category. Frankly, there are much better choices of rifles for CAS than the Big Boy. Yes, I have fired one. They are heavier than most other rifles, and do not always function very smoothly. But if you are wedded to using 41 Mag, it is the only rifle I am aware of chambered for the cartridge.
By the way, there is nothing saying you revolvers and rifle have to be chambered for the same cartridge. I have been shooting 45 Colt in my revolvers and 44-40 in my rifles for years. I just have to pay attention not to try to stuff 45s into my 44-40 rifle, which would leave me in a heck of a fix.
If you consider a different caliber for your rifle, it opens up a lot more possibilities than the Big Boy. At one time Marlin was chambering their Model 1894 for 41 Mag, but not anymore.
