Herters SA 44 mag

[GSP7]

I just recieved my Herters SA 44mag that I bought. Got a real good deal on it.

Anyone have one of these?

They were made in germany buy JP Sauer.

[Potsy]

Back in college, a buddy had a JP Sauer .44 Mag Single Action.
Nice pistol as I recall. From what I knew about guns then it seemed well put together. We shot it a bit and I never recall lead spitting or anything like that.
Accuracy was...well....as good as it was gonna get with 19 and 20 year olds shooting a .44 Magnum.

[GSP7]

When I recieved it the quality, design and craftsmanship is beter than I thought from the picture.
Very nicely made german / JP Sauer gun.
I like the narrow feel of the grip also, the front of the grip is shaped simular to a old colt bisley and the back strap abit like a combo bisley/super blackhawk long grip

Rick

[CJR]

I have one for many, many years and really like it. The only thing I had to do to it initially was increase the cylinder/barrel gap and then true-up the barrel throat/taper lead-in. Reason? At the time I was using half-jacketed bullets and when fired the barrel cone would shave off copper and wedge it between the cylinder/barrel. After that, the cylinder could not be rotated and the loaded gun had to be taken apart. Not cool! Increasing the cylinder/barrel gap slightly, re-coning the barrel, and going to all lead bullets solved the problem. Slicking up the action and making grips for it turned it into a fine weapon. As you are aware, this is a classic SA like the Colt and not the Ruger, therefore you need to carry it with the hammer resting on an empty chamber. It is wise not to trust the safety notch in the hammer in order to carry six rounds. They have been known to break off. There are all kinds of loading techniques to get the hammer on an empty chamber. What I do is put a dot of red paint in the cylinder flutes on both sides of a chamber. Then I load every chamber except the empty flute marked one, rotate the cylinder until I see a paint dot on each side of the frame top strap and lower the hammer on the empty chamber. Works real well for me.

I forgot to mention two other things. If you intend to shoot full power loads, as I do, the thin grips don't cut it for handling the recoil. You'll need more hand filling grips. Likewise, after awhile the cylinder pin will peen and start to come out of the cylinder towards the muzzle. Reason? The cylinder pin has a groove around it to engage the frame mounted cross pin. This gives a s small point of contact which leads to cylinder pin peening. Fix? Install a Ruger cylinder pin which has no circumferential groove, but a straight groove. The straight contact surface between the Ruger cylinder pin and retaining cross pin is therefore larger and this prevents peening.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

CJR

[TCLouis]

I was in a pawn shop across from Ft. Campbell in KY and they had two of those in 357.
Shorter barrel and 7.5" as I remember.

They looked unfired.

Oh well can't buy short gun out of state, so I thought I was out of luck. A month or so later and I find that they would have transferred it to one of their Nashville stores for free.

Dang coulda got em for less than 150 bucks each and they were sure built "hell for stout".

[GSP7]

CJR, After examining mine when I got it I see the same things you mention. I was thinking about getting a notch only base pin with a lock screw. And comparing the barrel lead in tapper to my Colt , looks like the herters could use a tapper hone job.
Im making new grips out of some english walnut rifle blank cut offs.
When I load, insert one round, skip one and load 4 more, then you are set on an empty chamber

Is your cylinder bushing free floating or tight press fit. Mine is tight, dont know if its supposed to be that way or just stuck from soot from not being cleaned. I tapped it a little with a brass punch and it moved, but left it as is, not sure if its supposed to be a press fit or not. My colt cylinder bushing floats and falls out easy when I remove the cylinder

Rick

[CJR]

Rick,

Initially my cylinder bushing was tight, but after many rounds down range it is now a tight slip fit. I am familiar with the different loading techniques, but prefer my paint dots in the cylinder flutes. I get a better "comfort level" before I shove it into my holster. Likewise, if I decide not to take a hunting shot and let down my cocked hammer , the paint dots are quick to use to get the hammer on an empty cylinder again. My cylinder is recessed for the cartridge rims, so you can't look in from the side to see where the rims are located.

About grips. There are a number of good books describing how to make grips for heavy recoiling pistols. In my view, proper grips on heavy recoiling pistols are everything. I made three different grips until I got it right for my hand. Keep modifying the grip until the grip fits your hand like a glove, it is important. You will be amazed at how docile your 44Mag becomes with proper fitting grips and full power loads.

Best regards,

CJR

[Gripmaker]

To All Concerned: The JP Sauer SAs are some of the strongest revolvers in existance. I have had many of them and all are usually quite accurate and butter smooth from the factory. I am speaking of the old models only. Some of the new models weren't quite as good and some folks made them even worse by trying to slick them up themselves. The normal barrel length has always been 6.5" and the 44 mag. will shoot 44 Russioan, 44 Colt and 44 Spl as well. I have an old model that has had the barrel shortened to 4.75" and the forcing cone Taylor throated. Front sight is from an old Mexican peso and she shoots POA at 100 yds with two bullets but same load, ie 200 RNFP and 265 Keith with 7.5 gr. Unique in 44 Spl. This is my serious outdoor gun and with 300-310 gr bullets you can handle about any situation. (Randy Garret's 320 gr hard cast bullets have even taken elephants) Can you guess that I am impressed enough to stake my life on this gun?

[GSP7]

Gripmaker,

Can you give more detailed info on Old Model and New Model? Mine is a 1968

Havent found that much info on them.

Haws Firearms Co sold JP Sauer Western and Deputy Marshall versions . Best I can tell these had no target type sights versions and grip and style more like 1873 colts


.

[x101airborne]

Seem very similar to the Virginian Dragoons. I looked on Gunbroker, what is a 401 powermag?Is that just a German designation of something or is that a little known caliber?

[wills]

It was a Herters proprietary cartridge.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z149/AtomicPinUp/401PowermagHerters2.jpg
http://www.gunblast.com/images/Fryxell_Herters401/Figure4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/mkk41/PC150001.jpg


Just reporting what I found:

“Herters option
________________________________________
If you have a loading press, 41mag shell plate, Dillion 10mm sizing die & case trimming tool you can make .401 PowerMag rounds from .41 Rem Mag brass. This works quite well.

1. Trim brass to .401 PM length (measure factory case.)
2. Warm brass (I put it in an oven @ 170 for 10 minutes.)
3. Bottom sizing die in press with the ram raised with no shell plate
mounted. Remove center stem from die.
4. Squirt 10mm sizing die w/ Hornady's One Shot.
5. Size brass all the way into the die, lower ram, use large (as large as will
fit into the sizing die) brass rod and hammer to punch out brass.
6. Check primer pocket and flash hole for deformation (I've never had any.)
7. Load ammo w/ .41 Rem mag shellplate, 10mm sizing die, bell die and
seating die
8. 10mm bullets & call Accurate Arms for .401 PowerMag loads.
9. Champhor (sp?) cylinder charge holes SLIGHTLY w/ a dremmel.”

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=66671

[x101airborne]

Neat..... I never knew anything like that existed. learn something every day!!

[wills]

Neat..... I never knew anything like that existed. learn something every day!!

If you never had a chance, as a kid, to peruse the Herters Catalog, you have missed something!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wwgXxAjQedA/Sm4Zo-Y6u2I/AAAAAAAAB1U/CVOOxI5INjc/s400/Herter%27s+Cover.jpg

http://neveryetmelted.com/categories/herters-catalogue/


http://thetrad.blogspot.com/2009/07/herters-of-waseca.html

http://www.chezza.co.cc/herters-parts.html

Go to Google and search images for 'Herters Catalog'.

[Gripmaker]

The standard JP Sauer SA was imported by Hawes, Hy Hunter, Herters and another "H" named company back in the late 60s. The gun shown above was the Powermag model that was made only for Herters and I believe was actually made by Hammerli out of Suisse (Switzerland). The standard models looked like the Colt Model P but with a larger frame...somewhat like the Ruger but with 1st Gen. Colt sized gripframe. The Old Models had a hammer with a little more meat than the New Model and that was about it. Have no idea why the hammer shape was changed but it didn't seem to affect anything. With a 1968 mfr date it is an Old Model. The centerfire versions were and are still H#%% for stout and should handle anything you would put through a Ruger SA but not the Redhawk or Super Red Hawk. I have shot a number of heavy bullet, high velocity loads through mine with no adverse affect. HOWEVER, that is my gun. Treat yours as any other when building useable loads...load down and go up SLOWLY. They will take a lot but C-4 will destroy any gun.

[x101airborne]

Man, Im getting excited. A new cartrige and a new handgun. VERY tantilizing. Now to find one under 300.00.

[CJR]

For the record, my 44 Mag Herters SA has target sights as well.

Best regards,

CJR

[GSP7]

This be mine. Photo lighting makes the blue look worn, but its a nice deep black blueing. Im makeing some walnut grips and glass bedded the plastic ones, they were cracked arond the locator hole etc
Grip frame is long and front looks like a old colt bisley shape

They sure are ugly with that hump on top at the rear sight :Fire:

http://pictures.auctionarms.com/1889225950/10127171/img_0282.jpg_thumbnail1.jpg