What would happen...

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john1911

New member
...firing a .41 mag cartridge in a .44 magnum revolver? I think it would fire, accuracy would be sub-par as well as velocity. I don't know if the fired cartridge would bind the cylinder. Anybody have any experience with this situation?
 
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Tamara

Moderator Emeritus
You would have a spectacular case failure, could damage the gun, and might be picking brass shrapnel out of your hand and face in the E.R.. Magnum revolver cartridges contain fairly serious powder charges and can generate very high pressures, it's not like the simple split case mouths you get when shooting a .22LR in a .22WMR in a pinch...
 
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azredhawk44

Moderator
+1 to Tamara.

Cartridge expands @ 25K psi or higher, bursts the brass, sends brass shrapnel outwards against cylinder walls. Cylinder walls rupture, pieces of steel start to move at high speed. This is generally a bad thing.
 
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nutty ned

New member
I think the case would split and press against the recoil shield, thus
binding the cylinder and preventing it from opening without excessive force.
Once or twice may be no big deal except for the trouble opening the cylinder.
Shoot pistol snake shot with moonclips in a revolver so set up and you will
get the same result. Also, if you shoot enough, some day you will have the right caliber brass split causing the same problem.
 
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Majic

New member
Shoot pistol snake shot with moonclips in a revolver so set up and you will get the same result.
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How will shooting snake shot for a semi-auto with moonclips in a revolver cut for the clips cause case failure?
 
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nutty ned

New member
How will shooting snake shot for a semi-auto with moonclips in a revolver cut for the clips cause case failure?
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Pistol snake shot such as .45acp or .40S&W, not nec 9mm if they have the blue caps, have an alu case necked down to simulate a bullet for feeding simplicity. When this type rnd is fired it tries to expand to the shape of the revolver chamber. It cannot without splitting and mangling in the front. During the firing process the case recoils against the revolvers recoil shield, moonclips or not.
The mangled or split case stays pressed against the recoil shield as well as the unfired rnds in the moonclip, thereby jamming the cylinder from turning or opening.
That is why there is a warning on the box of pistol snake shot not to use them in revolvers.
<
Don't ask how I know this;)
 
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oystermick

New member
...firing a .41 mag cartridge in a .44 magnum revolver? I think it would fire, accuracy would be sub-par as well as velocity. I don't know if the fired cartridge would bind the cylinder. Anybody have any experience with this situation?


My question would be: why would anyone do that?
 
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john1911

New member
My question would be: why would anyone do that?
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And why would anybody even think of doing that?
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I don't plan on doing it. Just thinking about situations where one would absolutely need to shoot something and all he had was the above combination. I guess you could say it was a purely academic question.
 
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Kreyzhorse

New member
I don't plan on doing it. Just thinking about situations where one would absolutely need to shoot something and all he had was the above combination.
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Making sure you had plenty of .44 mags handy would work a lot better for things that needed shooting.
 
4

44 AMP

Staff
Also for your education, purely academic...

People have also tried firing a .41 Magnum in a .410 shotgun, thinking that the .41 caliber hole in the barrel will be ok with it. Considering that the chamber of the .410 is larger than the .41 mag case (note the combination barrels .45 Colt/.410 for the Contender), AND that the .41 mag has nearly double the chamber pressure of the shotgun, results can be ...rather exciting. And not in a safe or good way! DO NOT DO IT!
 
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Tom2

New member
I cannot think of a situation where you might have alot of the less popular 41 ammo lying around anywhere if you own a 44. I think you are thinking too hard. Now 44 specials will just be fine in there. There are published lists of interchangeable ammo and some that are not even expected like some folks fire 32 auto in 32 revolvers in a pinch I guess. But we are not talking magnum pressures. Best not play games with that high pressure ammo. Some people fire the wrong ammo in rifles occasionally. Sometimes there is not much damage and the gun survives intact miraculously. Sometimes it blows the #*@! out of the gun and takes part of the shooter with it. Screwing around with wrong ammo is not smart.
 
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KyJim

New member
Just thinking about situations where one would absolutely need to shoot something and all he had was the above combination.
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Now I get it. Something like Mad Max had to do.
 
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oneounceload

Moderator
why would someone even consider this scenario???....if you have that much time, read the comics - at least they'll put a smile on your face.....
 
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Majic

New member
Another question about the snake shots. The revolver's chamber is no different than the semi-auto's chamber. They both use the same reamer. Why doesn't this case failure happens with semi-autos?
 
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B.N.Real

New member
That's one of the actions that causes failures to handguns that get the medias attentions.

"Man's revolver explodes,loses hand."

They never mention that the guy used the wrong ammo.
 
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