Herters 401
Picked up a Herters 401powermag, looking for dies or any other reloading supplies for .401. Its missing the ejector housing. I found a repop for a Hawes, should be the same thing? Thinking ejector rod from a Colt clone or Ruger will work. If i can get a 357mag cylinder could it be rechambered to 10mm?
Dan, common 10mm or .40 S&W dies work fine.
The Herter's .401 is simply a rimmed 10mm Magnum case 1.25" long. There is a little trick to making cases from .41 Remington that requires lite lathe work. That is the easiest I've found. The thick web portion at the base is held in the shell holder and cannot be swaged down in a normal press. So I simply lathe turn that little belt off. The cases also grow in length to something over 1.3" and need to be trimmed. I usually check them but mostly the rims fit the recessed cylinders, but they too could be adjusted if needed. Once you have usable brass they last a long time. You'll just have to check for Colt or Ruger part swapping. The too narrow Herters rear blade can be swapped for a Ruger part, I did mine. IF you could find a cylinder that could be fitted in theory it certainly could be rechambered. The dimensions are close to a Colt SAA cylinder in robustness, just different steel and treating. Another option I would kind of regret but is rational is to re-chamber the .401 Herters to the easier to live with .38-40 Win. There are only so many .401's out there. I have a cylinder so chambered for mine.
Is your barrel marked "Single-six" that has been X'ed over? Mine is.
Have fun and let me know if I can help. waterboyark at yahoo.
Thanks
Ill look for some 40 or 10mm dies. Ive read you can use 30-30 or 41mag brass ill keep a eye out for .41 remington> I tried a ejector housing from a new model blackhawk just a touch to short. The Herters where made by Saur & son as was Hawes and i found the one for a hawes on Numrick. Think ill take a chance its the same or close. Numrick also showed a 357mag cylinder or a Herters. I would want to do another cylinder and keep the .401 for sure. The sight elevator screw is also missing it looks as if the underside of srewhead would have notches for clicks as you turned it.
Right side of barrel: HERTERS SINGLE
.401 CALIBRE
Left side: HERTER'S WASECA MINN. USA
MADE IN WESTERN GERMANY
marked with a 65 i beleive is the year.
The Hawes was made by the same company
but nay not interchange exactly you'd just have to see. They made sort of a SAA clone AND a Powermag Clone in .44 Mag and .357 called the "Western Marshall".
I'd try a Ruger screw if you have one to check.
Mine is an early one that got into the Ruger lawsuit that was a cease & desist order over their .22 name copywrite.
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