401 WSL via 7.62x39mm

[15meter]

Hi, welcome.

Lot's of info here, as you get used to the site, you'll start picking up on a few details. This thread has been dormant for almost a year, you may or may not get a response. Especially with a fairly uncommon round like the 401.

Not a bad thing to resuscitate a semi-dead thread, I've done it myself on more than one occasion. I like the idea of trying to keep all the data for a particular cartridge together. Makes life easier if you're researching a cartridge that is new to you.

Especially ones that 98% of the world has never heard of. Like a 320 Bulldog or a 280 Ross.

[Battis]

For the 32 WSL brass, I use 32-20 brass.
35 WSL I use 38 or 357 brass.
351 WSL I use 357 brass.
401 WSL I use 414 Super Mag brass.

I don't cut extractor grooves in any of the brass, and they all eject perfectly. These rifles are pretty forgiving. Accurate Molds has a mold for each rifle.
The trickiest part is reducing the rim sizes without a lathe. A drill press and file work fine.
Make sure the buffers and springs are in good shape or things might crack.

[missionary5155]

We went the 7.62 x 39 route as there were no excess 414 SM brass available. We shoot the 414 SM in a Dan Wesson, Contenders and a Marlin 36 bored by JES.
The 7.62 x 39 brass is easy to form up.

[missionary5155]

You also want to consider a brass catcher as those 1910's throw brass near as far as a cast slug.

[Battis]

Is this the method you use to form the cases from 7.62x39?
I tried with no luck at all. I'd like to try again.

"7.62X39 to .401WSL.
1. Run the well lubed 7.62X39 case into a .41 mag. sizer die...it won't go all the way, just up to the solid head of the case. When you withdraw it, will look like a mini-belted mag. case.
2. Remove the belt. Lathe would be nice, but you can do it with a drill press and a file. DO NOT reduce the rim size...with the body reduced, that rim-less case will be come a semi-rim and you need that semi-rim to headspace.
3. Fire form load: 7gr. of Bullseye, fill with grits (or cream of wheat), plug with bulllet lube to compress it slightly, point in a safe direction, and fire. NO BULLET! You'll eject a nearly perfect .401case.
4. Trim the cases to an even length. This is usually a bit less than the 1.5" recommended, but it's better to have them all even at 1.45" than uneven at 1.5"."

[lar45]

Just saw mention of the 400 Legend, haven't looked at case dimensions yet, but would this be an option for 401WSL? the 400 Lgd is supposed to be based on 30 Rem...

[Battis]

Here's the dimensions of the 400 Legend. I'd like to compare them "in person", but the length looks good, maybe a little long. I trim the rim on my .401s to .460. If I'm reading the diagram correctly, it looks like the Legend's rim might be smaller.
Anyone find the price of the 400 Legend cases?

https://saami.org/wp-content/uploads...2023-01-30.pdf