To Have A .41 Long Colt

[Good Cheer]

What's the best way to go about having and shooting a .41 Long Colt?
Find a pristine antique ?
Or get a .38 Special modified to .41 ?

If one does get something modified to shoot .41, why not have a barrel of smaller bore and groove diameters?

And why not have a groove diameter front of the boolit and a hollow base instead of either / or?

This is just something I got to thinking about seeing as I have three .41 Long Colt molds and no .41 Long Colt boolit shooting guns except for a muzzleloading rifle.

[Wayne Smith]

I think Uberti still makes one. I'm not sure anyone is importing it, though. Cimarron said mine was one of the last they had and they were not getting any more?? Bernie at Old West Molds has everything you need to shoot heeled boolits. I only use a Lee special order 200 gr HB Heeled boolit that I got from HarryO - he was in on the original order.

I also have an NEI mold that Buckshot modified to make the heel shorter and give a greater amount in the barrel. What molds do you have?

[ATCDoktor]

I have a couple of 41 Long Colts and have been loading and shooting them for a couple of years.

I am far from an expert but I’ll try and answer you’re questions as best as I can.

First, the easiest, least expensive way to get into a shooter 41 Long Colt is to find a good shooter quality Colt Army Special chambered for the round.

Colt single actions and Bisley’s are too expensive and the New Army & Navy’s (circa 1895-1902ish) are just Too fragile for any serious use.

Thunderers are an option but they are somewhat fragile as well and will generally run you more than an Army Special.

You don’t say what type of bullet molds you have (heel based or hollow based or solid based) so I don’t know what you’ve got to start with (component wise).

Reference a custom built 38 bored out to whatever size bullets your molds cast; if it were me, And I was gonna bore out a 38 special to 41LC, I’d have the cylinder and barrels bored out to match the as cast bullet size of any hollow based that I possessed.

Certainly the new cylinder throats should be a little smaller than the bullet size but you know why I’m getting at reference throat size and bore diameter.

That would make it a whole lot easier to load for and get accuracy with than anything I have loaded for in the caliber.

My new Army & Navy with black powder loads at 15 yards:

Case full of Goex 2f (around 20 grains) and a 200 grain .386 diameter hollow based bullet:


Here’s my Army Special purchased several years ago from a hundred year old gentleman at the crossroads show in Phoenix AZ ($400 plus a box and a half of old Winchester ammo)



Chambers on both are bored straight through and measure .408”.

I get the best accuracy out of the Army Special with a store bought 200 grain Heel based bullet that’s .408” above the heel using Unique as propellant.

It’ll group into 2” or so at 15 yards offhand if I do my part.

[Good Cheer]

I just put one of the molds up for sale.

About converting a .38 Special, having .386 groove diameter barrel and the chambers not straight cylinders always seemed to me the sensible thing to do.

I know I've read about how the .41 Colt ended up having straight cylindrical chambers, some where some time.
Maybe a carry over from the rim fire?

the molds I have are #386178, the NEI #198-388 and NEI #.41-205. I just put the last one up for sale as it doesn't fit my muzzleloading rifle.

[Good Cheer]

Anybody know why no molds are made with a groove diameter front and a hollow base?
The same way as in a .22RF.

[Good Cheer]

ATCDoktor, those are some very nice looking pieces.
Thanks for the pictures.

[ATCDoktor]

If you haven’t seen HarryO’s 41 Long Colt loading page you should check it out

http://www.harryo.sixshootercommunity.org/

It’s got just about all the info there is (in modern times) reference 41 Colt cartridge loading and guns.

[Piedmont]

Good Cheer, I think going to a smaller barrel diameter and throat diameter makes sense, too. I've looked into this and one detractor is how darned expensive the brass is even from Starline. Then you have to ask yourself if having a .385 diameter bullet is really enough of an advantage over a .358" diameter bullet to follow through on the project.

[Ajohns]

Not easy either, but you could find a 38wcf (38/40) Colt single action and buy a 41 cylinder from Peacemaker specialists. They usually have a cylinder for sale, its the right bore size, plus you could have a dual caliber revolver. I've contemplated doing this for some years.

[Outpost75]

Anybody know why no molds are made with a groove diameter front and a hollow base?
The same way as in a .22RF.

Not a hollow-base, but Accurate makes molds for heeled bullets in several calibers. I have this one for .38 Long Colt and use it in the Howell conversion for my Pietta .36 Remington.

Attachment 264521Attachment 264522

[Blkpwdrbuff]

Good Cheer,
I am in the process of having a .41 Long Colt built on a Ruger Blackhawk .357.
I am also having extra cylinders made in .38/40, .40 S&W and 10mm.
I originally had John Gallagher doing the work, but he passed away earlier this year.
So I now have my local gunsmith finishing up.
We are putting a new bull barrel on and John already had the .41 Long Colt and .38/40 cylinders done before he died.
Also, Mihech has made a beautiful .41 Long Colt hollow base mold, and Starline has brass, Redding has dies.
So, there you go.
I am impatiently waiting. This is going on 6 years now.
Blkpwdrbuff

[smkummer]

Yep, an Army special can be had if your patient for starting at 4-$500. Heeled bullets will work but you have to shorten modern brass slightly ( intended for hollowbase bullets) for the army special. When one tires of loading boringly easy cartridges like 38 special, then learning the finer points of heeled bullets or hollowbase may be just what is needed.

[Gray Fox]

There's an as new Uberti .41 Colt birdshead for sale on the Georgia Outdoors Trader. It's been there a couple days and I have no relationship with the seller. GF

[Drm50]

A kid I know has inherited a 41 Colt bisley. The gun is in the box with receipt from a HWD store about 25mi from here. The story goes boys great grandpa purchased gun new in 1927. With box of shells for his gas station. They still have partial box of shells and plain jane bisley with black comp grips. Gun is in beautiful condition, not for sale.

[Wayne Smith]

The Uberti 41 Colt is their version of the Lightening/Thunderer but with the reduced size Single Action Army action. Thus all have birds head grips and are single action, but strong actions rather then weak.

[ddixie884]

The problem with the .386 or .388 chamber throats is that there are no .386 or .388 barrels available from any source foreign or domestic........

[onelight]

Not a hollow-base, but Accurate makes molds for heeled bullets in several calibers. I have this one for .38 Long Colt and use it in the Howell conversion for my Pietta .36 Remington.

Attachment 264521Attachment 264522

I certainly accept your report on that bullet working but that is one strange looking bullet with a grease groove on the heel part

[Good Cheer]

Follow up on the large diameter front and hollow base smaller diameter rear (as with a 22RF)...

This is a Lyman #450229 with the hole for the hollow base plug at .445" diameter. A base plug as drawn would allow the tail to slip into the undersized Pietta chambers and have a hollow base to expand with relatively light charges. I'm debating on ponying up for the replacement base plug. That's the kind of design I was thinking could work well in a .41 Colt; full diameter front and a hollow base for the part inside the cartridge case.

[ranchman]

Old West has a damn good 41colt mould in a 200gr heeled design, actually throws them about 205gr. If your barrel is in the neighborhood of a .401" diameter the way those old 41's were supposed to be, you'll be in for a surprise shooting these bullets vs the hollow base varieties.

With it, loading for Colt SAA guns, I've found power pistol to be even better than unique or bullseye behind the old west 205 heeled lead. Chronograph'd a full 900fps out of it actually, and get 1-2" groups to 20yards with a couple different powder charges 775 to 900. Switching to heeled bullets has convinced me that as obsolete as the 41colt is, (its bullet/cartridge design included) it CAN nonetheless be handloaded fairly impressive if components, tolerances and gun selection is right. 200+ grains @900fps is nothing to sneeze at... and my numbers were shot through a short 4,3/4" barrel.. I'd love to clock these bullets & loads through 5.5 & 7.5-inch barrels some day. I wouldn't be terribly shocked if the 900-load from my 4,3/4" would touch 1000fps through a 7.5" barrel screwed into a good SAA Colt.

[ddixie884]

I had not even considered PP for use in .41Colt. The extreme amount of gas it generates may act much like BP. This is all much food for thought.........