1894 Colt New Army

[tbierley]

found a Colt New Army on Armslist yesterday the guy wanted 300 for the pistol. He said his mother and father found it a desk in a house they torn down 40 years ago. He said it still the ammo in it. His father gave it to him 20 years ago he said he and his father have never fired it. The last patent date on the barrel is Mar 95. It is in 38 Long Colt. I talked him down to 250 for it. All numbers match and a very good bore. He though it was a 38 special. I need a good idea of value. I took the old girl out today and shot her. I took a 158 SWC mold and “beagled” it to drop at .363. I loaded 20 with Red Dot at 2.8 grs and 15 with FFF black powder. The black powder rounds were hotter than the Red Dot rounds. At 25 feet the black powder rounds shot around 4in low but were grouped around 3in. The Red Dot rounds shot point of aim at 25 feet and grouped around 2in. Love the old girl. Here is a better pic.

[Harry O]

The chambers on that gun are bored straight all the way through. .38 Special brass will fit, and even .357 Magnum brass will fit. Do NOT use full power .38 Special cartridges (let alone .357 Magnum ones), though.

You can (and I have) use factory .38 Special hollow-base, target wadcutters. They will expand to grip the rifling. When reloading, you should also use hollow-base bullets, either wadcutters or semi-wadcutters. The lead should be 40:1 (dead soft).

The original used heel-based bullets. There are a few moulds out there, but I have never seen one in real life. The ones on the auction sites are expensive.

[tbierley]

Yes I slugged the bore and it is 361. After I mod my mold it drops 363. The load of 2.8 to 3.0 of red dot is pushing it at around 760. And cup pressure is around 10000. I am cutting 38 Sp brass to 38 LC specs.

[9.3X62AL]

There is a Colt D/A revolver very similar to the pictured example in the LGS right now, in 41 Colt. 12-15 years ago, I might have delved into rebated-heel bullets and all the foofahrah involved with loading the 38 or 41 Colt.......now, not so much. The charm that some elements of obsolete cartridge tech once held for me has vanished. Too many component shortages, too many greedy/avaricious/full-of-BS retailers, I'm somewhat burned out. More power to anyone willing to herd and manage such beasts, I have enough Trivia Questions in my ammo cabinet to last me.

[Good Cheer]

It is a labor of love.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/386179_zps244d3a3b.jpg (http://s791.photobucket.com/user/SNARGLEFLERK/media/386179_zps244d3a3b.jpg.html)

[9.3X62AL]

Beautiful tool as well! Yes, those reloading ventures I still pursue remain a labor of love, I'm just less prone to delve into the arcana than I once was. I mean, look at my nom de plume--9.3mm isn't exactly "mainstream" in North America. I might feel better outside California, too--the comprehensive disincentives here to shooting and hunting annoy me in no small measure. Forgive me having a moderate case of the a--.

[tbierley]

Here in the south if you dont hunt or shoot annoy other people.