I have a 401 and 2 of the 351s all 3 were first year manufacture.
I have some old ammo for all of them but make brass out of several different calibers. I have molds for boolits when I don't have jacketed ones.
I loves these old guns, first semi automatic assault rifles and the craftsmanship is fantastic not like the grainy black plastic **** today.
I guess you could call them take down as the rear thumb screws takes it apart.
IIRC some single action revolvers were made or modified to fire the .351 cartridge and perhaps the .401.
Never saw one so I don't know if the case was left full length.
I think Herters sold some.
I'm not sure but believe the Herter's 401 PowerMag was a different cartridge - irc made from the 30-30 case?
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
I'm sure you are correct. I had heard of the revolvers in .351 and .401 and had assumed the .401 powermag was one of these. Perhaps it used the same range of bullets.
PS
I found this.
"In 1924, Joplin, Missouri gunsmith "Pop" Eimer cut down some .401 Winchester Self-Loading cases to 1.25" for use in a Colt Single-Action Army (some reports say the case was based on the .30-40 Krag, but the net result is basically the same). He fit his revolver with a .403" .38-40 barrel and manufactured a custom cylinder for his wildcat. This round became known as the .40 Eimer Special (but one also occasionally finds it referred to as the .400 Eimer, or the .401 Eimer). "
http://www.gunblast.com/Fryxell_Herters401.htm
Last edited by Multigunner; 12-14-2017 at 10:36 PM.
Is it hard for you guys to find original ammo? I just bought a .351 last year and only fired one shot. I want to save my brass for whenever I reload it, but the **** thing ejects them so far I had trouble finding my one case. The same day I bought the rifle, I picked up 2 boxes of CIL ammo for a decent price. I got a good price on the rifle because it has two different receivers. The bottom one is 1907 and the top is abit later. I dont really care tho since it seems to shoot great
The Herter's 401 Power Mag is a .40 caliber cartridge. Case length is the same as .44/.41 Mag.
New brass can be made by running a 41 Mag case all the way into a .401 size die, all the way to the rim. Then using a rod to knock the case out of the die. Like using the old Lyman size dies.
Next the rim needs to be turned down about .003". I chucked the cases in a drill press and lower them to a carbide lathe bit held in the press vise.
Ken
I've had several 351s and one 401. I did shoot a deer with a 351 but it wasn't one of mine. A buddy has a mint condition 351 that was bought new by his uncle in early 50s. The speciments
I got ahold of were rode hard and put away wet, being prison guard guns. A lot of State Police
had one in their trunk until they were replaced in 70s by Rem 308 700s. I know we're a 401 is
right now, in poor shape for crazy money.
Hello, long time lurker - first time commenter. I own 2 1910's and a 1907. I have managed to amass a significant supply of ammunition for them by surfing auction sites and looking through the odd table at gun shows. I have hunted with mine for quite some time, I have killed several deer and got an elk with the 401 last fall at 180 yards (2 shots, both through the chest quartering away). I wholeheartedly agree with the gentleman who suggests to stay away from hotrodding them at all - watched a beautiful 1910 turn into scrap from such a venture. I devised a leather shield that directs the brass at my feet which works quite well. I would really like to know how to keep the forend from splitting, I bought 2 repro pieces that I put on for use, but even one of those I see has a small split starting from the whack of that weight. Any suggestions would be great!!
I appreciate your forum a great deal - fun topics!!
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I have my grandfathers 1910 .401SL. He passed away in 1939 and his sons kept it and used it as a deer rifle in northern MN for years. The last time it was shot was approximately 35 yrs ago. I'll have to dig it out, clean it up and run a few rounds through it.
To repair a split or cracked forend, I use a piece of fiberglass and West Systems two part epoxy for reinforcement (on inside).
Also, make sure that the spring is still strong, and replace the buffer(s) if needed.
I shot my first two deer with a 351 back in 1962, 30 miles north of Klamath Falls Oregon while stationed at Kingsley Field. Compared to the whiz-bang ammo people think they need to down a critter now days, the 351 was and still is a very viable cartridge.
You guys with your 401's are so lucky to be able to make ammo out of 7.62X39 brass. The brass coming out of the chamber was like a secondary projectile and get lost too easily.
N.R.A. Life Member
30-odd years ago as I was perusing the used stuff shelf in the gun department at the Kittery trading post in Kittery Maine I came across a partial box of 351WSL ammo which promptly want into my shopping cart
at the time I had ideas of breaking it down and trimming it to length to chamber in my 38super (pre series 70) that was as precise as a slingshot, but I managed to get a national Match barrel before I got around to doing anything with those old cartridges, I recently discovered I still have them seventeen of them.... Not enough to justify buying a rifle that they'll fit, but...
At the Kittery Trading Post, I have bought a .351 WSL, a .35 WSL and a .401 WSL. I got a .32 WSL about a half hour away in MA. I recently bought another .351 in NH that I tried to trade at the Kittery Trading Post for a Marlin 1889 but they wouldn't give me what I wanted for it. They had a full box of factory .351 ammo last spring for $80, and a box of .351 brass for $90 (which made no sense - the brass was more than the loaded cartridges).
I still make my .35 and .351 WSL ammo from .38 and .357 brass, using 38/357 dies. Works great.
case diameter and rim size of the 38 super and the .351 are nearly identical. I don't imagine this is a coincidence. I had many .351's over the years. Should have kept a few. All of the self loaders are gone except the .35 SL my grand mother shot a deer out of the kitchen with 100 years ago.
Too bad the M1 carbine wasn't chambered for the .351! 😕
After reading about these I may have to go to a local auction next week, has four of them! Years ago I traded into a beautiful .401, but could never find ammo, so traded it away
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |