41 bullets in 38-40

[neb]

I am contemplating a 38-40 build.  I would really like to run the 215 Grain Keith Hollow Point in this gun. Has anyone sized a 41 Keith bullet down to .401 and run it in a 38-40?  If I go this route, any suggestions on starting loads?  The base gun would be a New Vaquero, so I am not sure if Lee's or JT's Ruger Only loads would be responsible.  Of course, I could build it as a 5 shot...

[Deleted]

Thats a long ways to squash a bullet down, I'm certain you're going to distort it. This is the 21st century, you can have bullet moulds made any way you want them. I believe Dustin Linebaugh has been making hot rod 38-40s, why don't you try contacting him for loading information, and build your gun to match, or perhaps even have them build it for you?

www.dustinlinebaugh.com/gallery_006.htm

[cas]

Some years back I had Mountain Molds make a Boser Bullet (more or less) for me.

Unfortunately there were a couple issues... one was that one of the cavities was cut slightly off center and it wouldn't drop the bullets. Another was it just didn't want to shoot well at all. MM was great though about the bad cut and replaced it with another. This time cut more "Keith-ish". So it's not really Elmer Keith's bullet, nor is it Gordon Boser's.

[mart]

I have sized 41 mag bullets down to .403 for my 401 Powermag. They make the crimp groove a bit small but still leave enough to get a good crimp. They shot well in my revolver. I've tried 220 grain SWC, 230 LFN, 250 WFN, 250 LFN, 255 WLN, 265 WLN and 280 grain WLN bullets.

Here's three I had handy and ran through a .403 Lee push through die. All 41 mag bullets, a 220 SWC, 230 NOE WLN and 280 LBT WLNGC.

[jt]

Jun 15, 2017 17:50:31 GMT -5 mart said:

I have sized 41 mag bullets down to .403 for my 401 Powermag. They make the crimp groove a bit small but still leave enough to get a good crimp. They shot well in my revolver. I've tried 220 grain SWC, 230 LFN, 250 WFN, 250 LFN, 255 WLN, 265 WLN and 280 grain WLN bullets.

Here's three I had handy and ran through a .403 Lee push through die. All 41 mag bullets, a 220 SWC, 230 NOE WLN and 280 LBT WLNGC.

Regarding that gas-check; was it "on" when you ran those bullets through the .403 sizer? (And sized down that much too)

Reason I ask, I'm just getting into gas-checks.. I size my current/lead 41's down to .409" to match the throats in my Colt... barrel's .408" so all works out. Anyhow, have some concerns whether sizing gas-checked bullets down was going to work once I'm ready for it. Looks alot like what you are doing, just not-quite so many thousandths!

[mart]

The check was on when I sized the bullet. I've done a bunch like that. I sized a large batch of .431 44 magnum 300 grain WLNGC bullets to .424 for my 10.75x57. I've never had any trouble resizing the bullets with checks.

[Deleted]

I must not be trying hard enough. I've never gotten away with trying to size anything down that far, yet everybody else can do it!

[hardscrabble]

Look for a Lyman 401452. I used to use one for my 38-40 handguns. Very accurate. Won't feed in a lever action, however. Two different loads for the same caliber got old. Eventually ended up using the rifle bullet in the handgun.

[Cholla]

The 38-40 is such a splendid old cartridge! I have three 1st Generation Colts and two OLD original 1873 Winchesters. I cast a 192 gr. RNFP from an RCBS mould and even with black powder MV with this bullet easily exceeds 1400 fps out of the rifles and crowds 1000 fps out of the revolvers. So in a Ruger, you should be able to really soup it up.

Tom, at www.accuratemolds.com will make whatever you want. However, he has cataloged a mould similar to what you want: www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=40-215G-D.png

Have him cut it as a SWC, send it to www.hollopointmold.com to be converted to an HP design, and you're all set.

Cholla