Colt double action in 41 Long Colt Shooting the 41 Long Colt
The 41 was brought out in 1877 for the Colt Lightening model and later introduced in the New Navy and Bisley models. It was brought out as a self defense round and with the relatively blunt 200 grain bullet it was considered adequate. Many old west characters liked it due to ease of carrying. It was said that Billy the Kid favored it. Just for the record there is a 41 Short Colt round which is a shortened version of the long with a lighter bullet. It is very obscure and was underpowered and would qualify as one of the 3 most useless cartridges in existence. I have tested the 41 short and it is pathetic. If you shoot someone with it you better be able to whip or out run them as it will only make them angry. The original load was black powder propelling an outside lubricated bullet at about 730 feet per second producing 230 lbs of energy. Later on they used a 386 diameter inside lubricated slug at about the same velocity. Because of varying dimensions it wasn’t accounted very accurate. However I have found in a solid gun with good ammo it shoots pretty decent. It did win the 1908 Palma match so I have to believe even then they knew how to wring out good accuracy. After about 1910 popularity started to wane giving way to the 38 special which was more accurate and versatile. In recoil the 41 feels similar to a full size 38 with the police load which means that it’s not hard on the hand. Like many of the double action revolvers of the period the trigger pull is a beast. In the single action mode it is serviceable. It has fixed sights as was common in the day. They are ok and close on with factory equivalent loads in both of the revolvers shot. If they are off for you it would be a good time to learn Kentucky windage.
41 Long Colt AmmoThere are some 41 Colts out there so it’s worth while to develop some load data. A few years ago brass was very hard to get. The only supplier was Bertram and unfortunately the brass was expensive and of poor quality. I had a lot of problems with it from no flash holes in the primer pockets to the rim coming off when attempting to prime it. Since the maker is in Australia it was hard to return it. The only other way to get cases was to size down a 41 magnum and cut its rim. Not only was that labor intensive but they weren’t the best cases either. Anyway happily Starline now sells quality brass at an affordable price. The bullets were a problem but a call to N.E Molds solved that. It is the 2 diameter bullet being 386 and 401 up front. Also Huntington Die sells a hollow base version which shoots fine. Both bullets shot to the same point of impact at 10 yards. At 15 they shot into a silver dollar size group which I don’t consider too bad for an old gun and shooter. Both bullets are soft which without a doubt contributed to the accuracy. Even at 75 yards I was able to hit the iron pig as long as I did my part. We noticed that the gun has a split at the rear of the barrel. Continued shooting didn’t hurt the gun or the accuracy. I also have a Colt Police Positive in 32-20 that also has a split. I guess they are getting old.
41 Short Colt AmmoI worked up a few loads for it and here they are. They were chronographed 10 shots at 10 feet from the muzzle. A chrony was used for these tests. If you use these loads approach the max from below. There is nothing to be gained by using max type loads and will wear out the gun faster. Since I have no control of how this data is used I take no responsibility in its use.
LOAD ET VELOCITY COMMENT
4 X Unique 192 grain cast 630 mild
4.2 X Unique192 grain cast 639 accurate
4.2 X Unique197 grain 674 accurate
4.4 X Unique 192 grain 643 ok
4.4 X Unique 197 grain 662 accurate
4.6 X Unique 192 grain 730 near factory
14.5 X Pyrodex 192 grain cast 676 accurate
3.8 X 231 197 grain 685 mild
4 X 231 197 grain 687 most accurate
4.2 X 231 197 grain 707 clean
4.4 X 231 197 744 max
4 X Red Dot 197 814 accurate
4.2 X Red Dot 197 853 not for old gun
4.4 X Red Dot 197 875 too hot!
10.5 X Blackhorn 209 200 grain HB 642 accurate
Bullets suitable for 41 ColtThe 192 grain is hard cast as opposed to the softer 197. Overall the 197 was slightly more accurate due to the lead upsetting in the bore. There are not a lot of bullet weights or styles available as there are in other calibers. However I don’t consider that a major problem. The bullet sold by Huntington is hollow based and soft which allows the base to expand upon firing. I have obtained another 41 Colt revolver with a 6” barrel that I have tested with various loads. Unlike the other one there is no split at the forcing cone and it is pretty tight.
Bob Shell
Closeup of 41 Colt cylinder
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To the Board of Directors,
Gentlemen I`am writing to present you with an idea that i think you may possibly find advantageous to your company. As i`am sure you are aware there is a great interest in whats called "Cowboy Action" shooting in this country and more and more guns of yesteryear are being resurected by the companies that make reproduction firearms.
The sport is growing constantly and the gun makers are constantly looking for ways to take even more advantage of this ever growing market. Guns like the Henry rifle,Spencer carbine, Colt and Remington conversion revolvers and the Colt 1872 Open Top and others are on the market and doudtless other guns of history will be made in the future.
The arms makers try to be as authenic as possible in their copies but one thing keeps them from being "true" copies.The majority of these guns are being made in calibers that the original guns were never made in.The Henry, Spencer,the majority of early Colts were made in rimfire calibers. Ammunition that has`nt been made by American companies since the 1920`s and early 30`s.But with the resurgence in interest in the old guns of our history and boost in ammo sales that go along with it i think it is time to resurect the original ammo these guns used as well. I ask you to think about it and concider this.
The new guns are generally offered in 2 and sometimes 3 caliber options, none of which were ever used in the originals to begin with. If the original rimfire calibers were offered as an addtional caliber option and the ammo for those calibers were available i believe both the guns and ammo sales would skyrocket.
Authenticity is what it is all about with the cowboy action crowd and the collectors and other shooters of these guns.What could be more "authenic" that having a repro in it`s original
chambering rather than a caliber that never was used in the original? Not to mention the fact that if ammo were available once again people that own originals like myself would love to be able to shoot them as well.
i believe that if arrangements could be reached between the gun makers and your company in that they would make the guns with their original calibers as options and you in turn make the ammo available i think it would be a boost in sales for both. I ask both of you to do this.
The gun makers offer the guns in their original calibers as a limited trial. You in turn make a limited run of the ammo. you both market the availablity of guns and ammo and see how it works. I believe you will find a gold mine has been discovered.
About 20 yrs ago i wrote a letter to your company asking that you concider making various rimfire ammo available again for people like myself who own antiques and would love to shoot them if ammo were available.My letter made it into the hands of someone { can`t recall who}
but he was a higher up in the company at the time.
He wrote me back saying he personally thought i had a good idea and he had presented my idea before the board and they turned it down saying they did`nt believe there was enouht of a market out there
Well things have changed quite a lot since then and i think that my idea might be worth concideration once again. I hope you agree as well.
Sincerely,
Robert Heins