Colt New Line

[41 Colt]

This thing is sweet, it is so clean, even has some case colors on the frame. Functions fairly good but the hand appears to have been bubba'd so I'll need to fix it or get a new one. Has a 2-1/4" barrel so it's a "prohib". Cal is .41 Colt Centerfire, I'll be shooting blackpowder through it.

Size comparison.

 

[Tyockell18]

Thats a ###y little rimfire you got there.

 

[41 Colt]

Oh yeah, it's .41 Colt centerfire, but shorter rounds.

 

[billdick]

Depending on the year isn't it an antique?

 

[oldiron]

That's a fine looking Colt. I think they were built before 1880,should be antiqued. looks like a fun shooter.

 

[41 Colt]

Depending on the year isn't it an antique?

The prohib thing was a joke, it was made in 1876.

 

[Musketfire]

Nice set, I like them both.

Size comparison.

 

[green]

Flayderman gives date of manufacture as 1874-79 and since 41S is not on list of calibres you should apply for an antique status letter.

 

[dingus]

I had one just like it but it had a Loading Gate it was 41 Cf to.
Very nice guns them newline colts id love to get another one.

 

[starpuss]

dam.. thats nice. i had one in 41 rimfire and i wish i never sold it. right after i sold mine i picked up 200rds of NEW 41 rimfire ammo... that pissed me off. (i sold mine for 500.00)

i think i may have a new hand somewhere ill pm you if i can find it.

 

[41 Colt]

dam.. thats nice. i had one in 41 rimfire and i wish i never sold it. right after i sold mine i picked up 200rds of NEW 41 rimfire ammo... that pissed me off. (i sold mine for 500.00)

i think i may have a new hand somewhere ill pm you if i can find it.

Got mainspring too?? It just broke.

 

[starpuss]

Got mainspring too?? It just broke.

i had a look , i cannot find my box of colt newline parts. but i am going to keep on looking.

 

[41 Colt]

I ended up getting some spring steel for a new mainspring from my work. It's dimensions are a slightly different at 0.311" wide x 0.043" thick while the original measures 0.240" wide x 0.057" thick.

I bent up the new one and tapered the end where it fits into the frame, like the original. I tried the action and it works quite well, I was figuring I would need to put a stiffer temper in the spring as the original is quite hard and yielded a heavy SA #### and trigger pull. I'm not sure if this spring is too light and will fail to ignite primers though.

Note how it has to go around the screw lug, hence the funny shape.

 

[starpuss]

looks like it will work fine, you should make some youtube videos shooting it,

are you going to shoot smokeless or bp in it?

 

[dingus]

You should make up a few more of thos while you got that one to copy! thats a good job you did if you heated the steel to bend it then reheated it just right after a red hot oil bath
Other wise if it was heated and not redone just right it will bend be weak and not work good.
If its close to the orignal and has that spring strength thats a really good job!

Thats a beauty 41 New line you got!

 

[41 Colt]

Thanks, but I didn't heat it at all, I only bent it over some forms in a vise. It's spring steel to begin with, just not as rigid as the original. I have four made right now.

 

[dingus]

Thanks, but I didn't heat it at all, I only bent it over some forms in a vise. It's spring steel to begin with, just not as rigid as the original. I have four made right now.

Well if they fire the primers off and keep doing so then your good.

 

[vviking]

Following this 41.
you guys impress the h*ll out of this newb.
Learn something new on CGN every day.

 

[41 Colt]

I cast up two kinds of hollow base bullets both from a Rapine 386185. The first has a small hollow and with the bullet nose cut off in full length cases should produce bullets weighing about 140-145gr. The second I cast with a large hollow but shortened overall pin so the bullet is longer (the part that will go in the case). These should produce a bullet about 160-165gr which is closer to the original I believe. I'm gonna guess they will both hold around 15gr of blackpowder.

My current load for .41 Long Colt is 19gr crammed under a large hollow bullet weighing 184gr which I recently reduced to 17gr with only minor compression. I'd like to keep the pressure as low as possible due to the age and thin cylinder walls. I'll be loading in the next few days and should be at the range by next week and will report back.

 

[41 Colt]

This is what my rounds will look like, the one on the left, compared to a normal round on the right. I don't want to trim my brass so I will trim the bullets instead.

The next photo shows an empty full size case, a trimmed round and regular round in the cylinder.

The last photo shows the two bullets I am testing. The left is a typical Rapine 386185 with small hollow weighing about 202gr and next to it the trimmed version weighing about 145gr. Next is the large hollow but with a pin 0.103" shorter overall. Out of the mold these are around 220gr and the trimmed one about 162gr.

With the 145gr bullet a case holds 14.5gr without compression. I find this out by drilling out the flash hole of a case, seating a bullet and filling it with blackpowder from the flash hole. I will probably try 15.5gr.

The 162gr bullet sits on 12.8gr of powder and I will probably try 14gr. I think this one is closest to the original .41 Short Colt in weights although they were heeled bullets not hollow base. I also think they will be more accurate being longer.