Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns ..well I went and did it...

As probably everyone knows I am a .41..Freak, Addict, Cult member...use whatever kinda slur you want...I represent that remark...

One of the guns I have always wanted but was never made was a .41 Colt SAA...as in Magnum or Special not the old Long Colt that was really a .401...but nothing was ever made.

A few years ago there was a spark of hope... While visiting US Firearms having a Flat Top Target tuned I was shown a prototype of their new Shooting Master. Basically a SAA with a slightly heavier 7.5" barrel, bead front sight and a rear sight adapted from the early Colt 1911 ACE .22 target gun. The gun was to be offered in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .41 Short Mag. .41 Short Mag was really nothing more than a .41 Special. When I asked "why" since the gun could handle .44 Magnums wasn't it just going to chambered in .41 Magnum...the reason.. Some big name Cowboy Action Shooters wanted something unique and that is what they had lobbied for... So I asked if a standard Flat Top Target could then be ordered in .41 Special and was told it could be...once they had some .41 barrel blanks in house. And for that matter they would make it in .41 Magnum if I so wished.

So every few months I would call but no blanks came in...then the Shooting Master disappeared and then so did all the SAAs...so that dream went up in smoke without a shot being fired...

Fast forward to Sunday... Out with friends we stopped in a few shops I only get over to once or twice a year. In the second shop there was...a .357 Shooting Master LNIB.... And so the plan was hatched.

Was able to get the gun for a very reasonable price considering the only ones I have ever seen have all sold between $1200-1500.00 and that was when USFA was still in the SAA business. After some thought an email was sent to Dave Clements of Clements Custom Guns asking the possibility of have it converted...and the very quick reply..."yes it can be done".

And at the same time I was also emailing with a friend in Az. who just happened to be emailing with someone who had worked at USFA. From him I was able to get an extra .357 cylinder...

So now the plan is to ship the gun and extra cylinder to Mr. Clements, have the barrel and original cylinder saved and the new cylinder fitted, timed and rechambered. The new barrel will be 5.5" long to match the Flat Top Target .22 and Clements Keith Long Range front sight installed.











...so that is the plan...hopefully it will be back by Thanksgiving to take hunting.... I had thought about having a .41 barrel made to match the factory as Dave said he could take the front sight blade and mount it on the new barrel. But after putting the gun in a Bianchi 1L found that 7.5" guns are for shootin' not carrying... I have several nice holsters that will fit the 5.5" barrel so that is the way I am going..

.41..it is a disease...as CF Members Ron and Dave have found out...don't stand to close to Bob or you will catch it too...

Bob