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Post by tonyrumore on Dec 16, 2019 20:18:38 GMT -5
Back in the early 90's I was collecting quite a few oddball guns and one happened to be the Herter's 401 Power Mag. Unfortunately, I was unaware at the time that the bore size was .403" and my hand loads with 10mm bullets were cartwheeling into the target. I promptly sold the gun. No real loss, since it looked like the gun had been "fanned" excessively by a teenager, was completely beat to hell, and extremely loose. It was a complete POS by anyone's standards.
Fast forward 25+ years and I bought another one. This particular example is surprisingly tight considering my first go-round with the earlier Herter's. The cylinder lockup is tighter than any of my Rugers, but of course not quite in the Freedom Arms category. Loaded with the correct size bullets it actually shoots very well. Most of the load data I found on-line is quite dated and for cast bullets, but here is what I worked up so far. All with Herters cases and CCI 350 primers.
18.0gr 300-MP, Reed .404" 210gr HP 1102fps 19.0gr 300-MP, Reed .404" 210gr HP 1304fps 19.5gr 300-MP, Reed .404" 210gr HP 1355fps
I'm sure I could take it up a bit more, but I hate to loosen the primer pockets on my vintage Herter's brass.
Tony
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Post by magnumwheelman on Dec 16, 2019 20:22:57 GMT -5
Yup... I have a 401 power mag cylinder for a buckeye Blackhawk 😁 Powermag Cylinder in my Buckeye...  |
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Post by Lee Martin on Dec 16, 2019 20:35:59 GMT -5
I have a few original .401 Powermags. Liked them enough to convert a Blackhawk to the cartridge.  What are you doing for brass? -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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Post by tonyrumore on Dec 16, 2019 20:38:53 GMT -5
I have about 150 pieces of original Herter's 401 brass that came with my first Power Mag that I bought in 92.
Tony
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Post by contender on Dec 16, 2019 22:22:16 GMT -5
I have some 401 ammo that was reloaded by a deceased buddy of mine. I need to pull the bullets,, and double check the dimensions,, as he MAY have thought they were for a 41 mag.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Dec 16, 2019 23:15:19 GMT -5
Mine are all custom made from 41 magnum brass...  Thinning the web to control brass flow during swagging...  Forming / swagging cases...  Swagged case... rim is slightly larger, so if putting into recessed chambers, the rims would need turning... chambers are not recessed on my Buckeye cylinder, so that step is not needed  401 Powermag, & 10mm Magnum are near identical, except for the rim... a 10mm Magnum & 401 Powermag both sitting on the case mouths of a S&W 610, that is reamed for 10 mm Magnum  |
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Post by jwstanfi on Dec 17, 2019 16:18:44 GMT -5
I certainly love mine. I have a good supply of original Herter's brass as well as about 100 cases made from Starline .41 magnum, which are relatively easy to form (with proper tools) but time-consuming.
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Post by Aeroscout on Dec 17, 2019 16:46:30 GMT -5
Never messed with a Herter's anything. But you reminded me that I need to try 300-MP in the 41 magnum. That 19.5 load is a rocket!
Maybe a Tromix produced Herter's revolver clone in the future??
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Post by Lee Martin on Dec 17, 2019 18:07:14 GMT -5
Magnumwheelman and I learned a few things about Powermag case forming. I ran a batch for him on Starline .41 Magnum a couple of years ago. In doing so, I used this forming process: www.singleactions.com/401HerterPowermagCaseForming.htmlI swaged, trimmed, and FL sized before shipping them to him. After swaging, I tried them in a couple of my Powermags and they went right in. Never thought to test them again after sizing. He called and said they wouldn't chamber and were too thick at the base. I dug into the problem and found Starline was harder than Remington; which I had always formed mine from. Once swaged, the brass sprung back post sizing. So I took a few Starline cases and proved this out. I also formed another 100 from Remington and the softer brass held form post-swaging. The base turning he illustrated above is required if you use Starline. Also, rim thinning may or may not be required. Herter's cylinder recesses vary a bit. Two of my Powermags need thinner rims, two will take .41 Mag thickness. -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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Post by mart on Dec 18, 2019 13:33:27 GMT -5
I really like mine. Enough that I had LBT build a 240 grain WLN mold for me. I also have the Arsenal 200 grain SWC mold and had Mountain Molds make a 160 grain SWC mold for me. Mine is an accurate revolver. I started out making brass from Starline 41 magnum but have since lucked into about 700 rounds of original brass. Here's a few target pictures, 25 yards.
410459 resized to .403
.411 280 grain WLN resized to .403.
Arsenal 200 grain SWC
The 240 grain .403 WLN
Another 240 group
This is the drawing for the 160 grain SWC. I have the mold but haven't cast anything with it yet.
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Post by rjm52 on Dec 18, 2019 18:31:11 GMT -5
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Post by reflex264 on Dec 18, 2019 20:44:14 GMT -5
I passed on a near mint one years ago because of the brass issue. Now that brass is available again I might jump on the next one.
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Post by Lee Martin on Dec 18, 2019 21:57:39 GMT -5
I passed on a near mint one years ago because of the brass issue. Now that brass is available again I might jump on the next one. The brass isn't readily available. Most of us are forming it from .41 Magnum. Roberson Cartridge Company (RCC) does sell it new, but it costs $4.07/case: www.rccbrass.com/product/401-herter-powermag/-Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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