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Post by magnumwheelman on Mar 26, 2018 14:37:25 GMT -5
yep... it's been done before... called the Herter's 401 Powermag... what was once old, is now new... having a custom cylinder for my 40 caliber Ruger was actually pretty reasonable... to do it the easy way, buy already remade 401 cases ( these are either formed from 30-30 or 41 magnum ) I made mine ( not the easy part ) but reloading is surprisingly simple... I also load for the 10 mm Magnum, & the Accurate loading manual actually states, that the 10 mm Magnum is literally a rimless 401 Powermag... after I got my cases done, reloading was almost easy, using a standard 10mm die set ( mine is a Hornady )... I had to get a 41 Magnum Shell Holder, as I used Starline 41 magnum cases to form my 401, & since it's in a custom Ruger cylinder, ( the original Herters gun has recessed chambers, so the rim would need to be turned down to use a Herters gun ) I left my rims factory 41 magnum size... bullets were super easy, I bought a box of 500 180 grain 38-40 bullets... my 1st loads are from mild to warm charges of AA#9... everything was super easy as far as reloading... & the 40 magnum is a better split between the 357 & the .429 Magnums BTW... rumor has it that Ruger has a few new 40 caliber revolvers out now... mine was a Buckeye Blackhawk, & I chose to have an extra cylinder made rather than reaming one of the factory cylinders to 40 Magnum... not sure if I'd do that with one of the new ones with a 40 S&W cylinder   yep... one of these, send the 40 S&W cylinder out & ream & you're good to go... EASY www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/0476.htmlor if you're partial to the longer barrels www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/0474.html |
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Post by magnumwheelman on Mar 29, 2018 6:10:27 GMT -5
A few newer pictures... 401 Cylinder ( still in the white ) installed... & a couple cartridges   |
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Post by mart on Mar 29, 2018 15:24:02 GMT -5
Here's a bullet I like in my 401. It is an LBT 240 WLN. The bullet next to it is a 340 grain .452 WLNGC. My Herters Powermag really likes the 240 grain. I haven't shot it at game yet but will carry it again this season hoping for a poke at a caribou. Now if I could get an MP 403640 in a similar weight with the pins for hollowpoints I would be one happy camper.  |
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Post by mart on Mar 29, 2018 15:29:19 GMT -5
I was lucky with my 401 in that I haven't had to turn down the rims on any of the 41 mag brass I've reformed. The batch of Starline I have fits my Powermag's recessed cylinder perfectly.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Mar 29, 2018 15:34:47 GMT -5
I like the looks of those bullets... the ones I bought were standard weight for the 38-40... but I also like a heavier bullet, & a wider meplat...
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Post by mart on Mar 29, 2018 15:37:15 GMT -5
I'll check my inventory when I get home from the slope next week. If I have some made up, I'll send you a few to try. If not I'll cast some up on my next session.
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Post by waterboy on Apr 2, 2018 9:35:38 GMT -5
You know the old Indian trick using a LEE .401 push through sizer to take any .41 Magnum bullet and squeeze it to .401 is easy. I've done it a bunch. I have some of Todd Corder's moulds and he makes the bullets for sale of course. Great 200/230/270 gr. improved LBT looking FNGC. I too used .41 Mag. cases to make ammo for my old Herter's .401. The rims generally do have to be turned down to fit the recesses and my case length is pretty strict about being 1.270". Most of my .41 Starline brass was over 1.3". I also had to turn off (using my lathe) the little belt at the web which the shell holder covered using my carbide .40 S&W sizer. I asked Dave Manson about making me a reamer to allow for the belt and open the recessed cyl., allow chamber length to 1.34 or so, just to make things more simple. It would still do fine with .401 Herters, as if you would find any. But we never finalized the project. He was willing and had a plan.
Making cases was the fun part.
I also have and shoot .38-40 and Reeder's .401 GNR on the .44 Mag. case.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Apr 2, 2018 9:46:04 GMT -5
I'm still working on getting 500 cases completely ready... did the lathe work on the case on the last 200 last weekend... didn't have time to knurl & flatten to remove the 41 magnum headstamps, but my buddy wanted to make a tool to do both in one step, & we tried it out last time, & it needed a few adjustment... I left a handfull of cases over there, & he got that tooling perfected... so next time over, I'll be removing headstamps on as many as time allows... I definitely like loading & shooting better than production lathe work... but I do get to spend some quality time with an old friend, & we chit chat while I'm working on cases, so it does take a bit longer... |
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Post by rleprechaun on Apr 3, 2018 4:07:41 GMT -5
I have a Ruger Buckeye special in 38-40 and 10mm. I sent it to Reeder to have a .401 GNR cylinder made. Much anticipate getting it back.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Apr 10, 2018 7:12:47 GMT -5
so... making the cases doesn't fall into the "easy" part... but I have about half of my 500 ready to load... here are the 401 cases made from 41 magnum cases, with the headstamps removed... ( knurled, & then flattened on the lathe )   |
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Post by magnumwheelman on Apr 30, 2018 8:05:52 GMT -5
Again this does not fall into "doing it the easy way" I thought I'd show the process of removing headstamps that my buddy came up with... this is tooling he made, that both knurls, & flattens in 2 steps, without removing the case from the collet... Knurling... ( on the top wheel )  Then flip the lever & flattening... ( on the bottom wheel )  after a wet tumble ( to remove any loose brass flakes ) the result is the cases in the box in the above post I have a little over a 100 cases left to remove the 41 magnum headstamp, then my 500 cases will be complete... |
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Post by win1894s on Apr 30, 2018 11:06:14 GMT -5
I have a question.Is a rimmed 10 mm the same as what you building? I am a 38/40 fan.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Apr 30, 2018 13:11:48 GMT -5
these are 401 Powermag... which is in essence a rimmed 10 mm Magnum... & these were made from 41 magnum brass untrimmed
I'm doing the same process ( & trimming ) to 41 Special cases & forming them into 10 mm rimmed, those would fire in my 401 Powermag cylinder... but I'm having a GP-100 specially chambered for rimmed 10 mm, instead of using a moon clip like the traditional conversions...
I'm thinking I could use the rimmed 10 mm in the 10 mm auto cylinder for my Buckeye Blackhawk, as that doesn't use the moon clip like a double action... but will have to look at the head spacing, since they didn't build that cylinder for the rimmed cartridge, it traditionally headspaces on the case mouth...
BTW... Dave Clements is building my 10 mm Rimmed GP-100, & he mentioned that he was going to get a different chamber reamer for the 10 rimmed cartridge, to insure proper headspace...
for more on the 10 mm rimmed read the thread "go to bed MWM" in the double action section
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Post by magnumwheelman on Apr 30, 2018 13:15:29 GMT -5
actually on the 10 mm rimmed stuff, if I check everything, & adjust my case length, I should be able to shoot the same 10mm rimmed cartridges in the 401 Powermag cylinder, the 10 mm auto cylinder that came with my Buckeye, & the GP-100 once converted ( which is what my goal is )
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Post by ddixie884 on Apr 30, 2018 13:32:27 GMT -5
Kool........
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