.41 magnum, .44 magnum, or .44 special?

[Guest Law of Thirds]

The S&W 696 or 396 or 296 provide 5 shots of .44 special in an L-frame. Add in the 296's enclosed hammer and some of those are actually pocketable.

[GTODALEP]

Had a .41 mag in a Thompson Contender Super 14, back in the '80s. Used it for hunting. Had quite a kick, even in a 14" bull barrel. Could not imagine that in a snub.

[Moped]

Dang Leroy! Good read, but you must have been typing the whole night!

Love large bore snub nose, but to call them pocket pistols is a misnomer, unless your planning on wearing your pants down around your ankles, cause ain't no pocket going to hold such a beast. Not in a magnum any way. Got to go with belt holster or a shoulder holster. I guess, in my mind, the .44spl is the way to go in a smaller revolver.

[I_Like_Pie]

That is good information, but anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of firearms will know this. This is common knowledge. There is nothing secret about these guns and there is no mystery about them.

The fact is that if you had to start with a blank slate...sure you would make a big bore gun as more power + bigger hole = higher success. You get to a point, however, where a high powered hunting round is not the ideal round for self defense. Most people simply can not shoot high powered rounds like a .41 magnum or .44 magnum very well out of a lightweight gun.

One can reload to get the balance right, but that would eliminate the need to ask the question in the first place.

Will they work...Yes. Are they the best choice for a pocket gun. Not unless one is dead set on them or they have really big pockets. That being said....a .44 special is the only one that would be even close to practical and without a compromise.