Most powerfull antique status revolver ?
- Thread starter XperienceDUDE
- Start date
38 LC cylinders are not worth much anyhow. Everyone seems to think that 38 LC is a shorter version of 38 spl. I would disagree. They are slightly larger in cartridge diameter than a 38 spl...and weaker? What would the draw be...free cylinder?
NorthCoastBigBore
CGN frequent flyer
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- Northwest BC (Rural) 103-I-##
Exactly, the .38 Special has more in common with .41 LC. Heeled bullets... And agreed, neither the .38 (or the .41) are exactly..... "magnums" (to say the least).
They were designed to kill folks at relatively short ranges. The 41LC was an abortion of a cartridge. Colt never really decided the diameter of the bore until the very end (.386), I made hundreds of 41LC cartridges out of 38Spl cases. After shooting they looked loke the old quart milk bottles. I finally got some starline brass from a friend of mine and then promptly cracker the forcing cone. I now have three 41LC molds to dispose of. The heel based bullet for the 41LC the hollow base and the mold for the 41 Short Colt. They were pricy when I bought them and remain so today.
Take Care
Bob
I like the more period look of the heeled rounds.. but never really shot them. A fellow sent me a small bag of heeled bullets. As the 41 LC brass ( Starline of course) get the odd cracked neck...I trim the others down a bit and put the lighter load of Unique under the heeled bullets. Not entirely gung ho to shoot them though. For about the same reason as you put forth. Because it works well with one... doesn't mean that it does with the other.
The 38 LC is a weird one. I've shot mild 38 special rounds through them. Here is where everyone loses their minds about it. Um, logically Colt used one batch of steel for a run of cylinders. So the 41 LC; with more power and thinner cylinder walls holds up fine. But the thicker cylinder walls of the the 38 LC can't hold in a mild 38 special load?
The 38 special cases worked better than Starline 38 LC cases! The 38 LC disformed and cracked occasionally. The 38 Special would go to a coke bottle shape...but still worked.
I use a HB base Keith style bullet of medium grainage...147 maybe?
In truth my coke bottle 38 special rounds probably are less stress than a decent loaded 38 LC...bigger case. Also I don't have a 38 special to get +P rounds mixed up with... and the powder coating Keith bullets are distinctive at a glance.
But they are crappy guns... beg pardon to any fans out there. I've 2 92's... parts guns at best... an inferior design on it's better days IMO
tokguy As you know the case lengths aried with the 41LC and the heel based bullets required a shorter case than the hollow based bullets. It wasn't until i got a Lee FCD that I was able to get a decent crimp on the heel based bullets. Orior to getting the die I ran the cases back through the sizing die which reall didn't work properly but did help a bit. I initially contacted Lee about such a die and was told by their head tecky it was impossible to make such a die. Well as luck would have it I found and bought exactly what he said Lee could not make....a 41 LC collet crimping die. At that point the shorter cartridges could not be used as they could not reach the collet. There is a gentleman in the US that makesm what I would describe as a shell liffter for the 41LC. I got the part and the crimping of all my 41LC cartridges was achieved. Accuracy was improved especially using the heel based bullets.
It is with some irony that within a year of obtaining the crimping solution the damn forcing cone would crack and the rest as they say is history.
If any of your hammers from your 92's becomes available I might be interested in ourchasing it. The hammer on my gun is worn on the tip resulting in infrequent misfires.
Take Care
Bob
It is with some irony that within a year of obtaining the crimping solution the damn forcing cone would crack and the rest as they say is history.
If any of your hammers from your 92's becomes available I might be interested in ourchasing it. The hammer on my gun is worn on the tip resulting in infrequent misfires.
Take Care
Bob
Thanks Bob. Yes I was aware of the need for shorter cases...that's why I kept weeding out the ones with a shallow crack.
I have not real hurry on the 92's but when it gets to be that time...I'll be dewatting the frames and keeping all else.
Is your 41 a 89 or a 92? Some 89's can be upgraded to the ...cough, cough... improved system on the 92's...some not.
The HB bullets have to be easier on the pistol...but cannot be as accurate.
As we both said...p*ss poor system at best.
