Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns New Thread - Herters Powermags

I am enjoying the new threads invitation Wade started. Thank you sir for doing that. It's a nice diversion from the cacophony of all that is going on now.

Though it might be interesting to look at the 401 Herters Powermag

Like most avid hunters, trappers and fishermen who grew up during the 60’s and 70’s, I looked forward every year to that encyclopedic outdoor catalog from none other than the famed Herters Company. Every new issue was reverently perused until it was nearly memorized. You wanted a particular top water bass plug, a hunting knife, or perhaps a dozen #2 coil spring fox traps I could have turned to their respective pages in a heartbeat. It’s a shame I didn’t study my school work as diligently. By the time the next year’s edition rolled out the previous year’s catalog would be dog eared and tattered.

Some brief history on the Herter’s Powermag is in order. Herters imported the Powermags from a German company, J.P. Sauer and Sohn. They were offered in 357, 401 and 44 Magnum. The 401 was developed in 1961 and preceded the 41 Magnum by three years. You’re likely to hear adjectives like unsightly and ugly when someone describes the Powermag. I might go as far as homely but not ugly. That’s a bit harsh. The grip is a large flared version of the more common plow handle but I find it rather comfortable. I prefer Ruger’s Bisley grips to their standard grip and the Power mag, while shaped differently than the Bisley, offers a very hand filling grip. The Powermag, while unusual in appearance, is a well-made and strong gun.

A friend found mine for me while exploring some shops near his home. He called me with the contact information and shortly the 401 was on the way to Alaska.

Bullets were going to be a bit of a challenge. Bullets for the 40/10mm or the 38-40 will work but many do not have a crimp groove. And most are lighter than I like. I did find an Arsenal mold for a 40 caliber 200 grain SWC that looks like it was designed for the 401. It even drops out at .403 with is what I diameter I like for mine as it has a groove diameter of .402. I size bullets for the Powermag to .403 and they shoot very well. I thought I should have a couple of molds, one heavy and one light and had LBT turn out a four cavity 240 grain WLN and Mountain Molds made a nice three cavity 160 grain SWC. I haven't had a chance to test any of them yet. The 240 shoots really well and ought to be a great big game bullet.

I was fortunate through some diligent searching online to find a few hundred pieces of original 401 brass. Norma made the brass. It is possible to make it from 41 Magnum brass and I'll explain that in a following post. Dies are available from CH4D. You might luck into a set of RCBS or Herters dies. I have a set of Herters and CH4D dies and use a Lee 38-40 factory crimp (collet style) die.

I did resize some 41 Magnum bullets to .403 and they work fine. The crimp groove gets reduces a bit but they still crimp and load fine. I even resized some heavy 280 grain 41 bullets. They shot really well. I've been rambling too much. Here's a few pictures. All the targets were shot at 25 yards from a Ransom Rest.

My three Powermags, 357, 401 and 44.




Resized 41 Magnum bullets


Arsenal 200 grain 40 caliber SWC




An LBT 401 240 grain next to an LBT 45 caliber 340 grain.

Sweet collection of some obscure revolvers. I remember the Herters co., great catalog, that and Gun Digest every year would really keep you poor. Still probably have some Herters stuff around. Loved the bombastic over the top descriptions of their products.
Having a Power Mag in .401 is kinda special I think. Sure looks like it shoots very well. Again very nice collection.

I remember those Powermags. I think I had one in 401 on order for almost a year and never did get one, Same with the Herters J9 mausers. That was probably in the mid 60's.

I was buying some .403 hard cast bullets from Dardas Bullets for my 38-40,,but I guess he is out of business now. I sold about 500 recently to a member here.

Another hard one to find is the Ruger Blackhawk in 38-40. Ruger made a special one for Buckeye Sporting Goods in Ohio. I had my FFL then. I bought one for my brother..Should have bought one for me also

Great story....and always loved the old Herter's catalogs...

If the .401 had not had the Herter's name attached to it, it would have probably become one of the greatest rounds of all time and there would have been no need for the .41 Magnum...

But because Herter was looked upon as the P.T. Barnum of the guns/outdoor sports world no one wanted to touch his round... It was just the round that Keith-Jordan-Skelton wanted as their ultimate police revolver round....just make one of the loads a 180 grain cast at 950 fps and it was done...

Really too bad as it would have been the perfect round for the Python/Trooper... Colt even had a .40 caiber project going and dropped it...twice from what I have read...

Best article I have ever seen on the .401....

https://gunblast.com/Fryxell_Herters401.htm


The Colt .400....

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/862863452


With all the 10mm bullets around Ruger is missing the boat not bringing a round like this out in their GP-100...

Bob

Great thread mart. I shouldn't have read it. I don't need one as I have a .41 already... I could always get a ruger blackhawk 10mm/40 and have a cylinder converted. Good thing the gun budget is bankrupt now

If Smith and Wesson had brought out the round there's no telling how well it might have been received. As far as I know Elmer never wrote a review of the 401.

The few factory rounds I've come across have been 160 and 180 grain bullets and pretty soft lead. Some accounts I have read indicated the 401 was bad about leading. Judging by the originally published ballistics coupled with soft bullets, it's not surprising they had leading problems.

I have long coveted the Buckeye 38-40s. I doubt I'll ever get one. Recent events have caused me to re-prioritize and I believe I'll cut back on the gun buying, sell some of the ones I never shoot and have more fun with the ones I truly enjoy, enjoying them with the people I really enjoy spending time with. The 401 is one of those I truly enjoy and I think it's time to make more memories and have less stuff.

A friend and coworker I was talking with yesterday said when we come out the other side of this he plans on gathering all those he loves around him and plans to take lots of funeral pictures. Those picture they show at funerals of someone smiling and enjoying life with the people they loved.

I don't recall Elmer ever writing about the round either...for that matter most any of the well known gun writers either...

Very cool. I've read about them, but usually gun writers write about them in passing, rather than an article about the cartridge at the top of its game. I've seen a few of them laying around at gunshows but have never shelled out for one.

Mart ,, Great story.. Best of luck with what ever is up.. Greatly enjoy your posts..

Brass is the limiting factor when considering a 401 Powermag. Fortunately it's pretty simple to make from 41 Magnum brass. I use a modification of a method that Lee Martin over at the Single Action forum wrote about.

Originally I used a 40 S&W die with the depriming stem removed. I faced of a shell holder to give me a flat surface and pressed the case into the die until the top edge of the rim bottomed out on the mouth of the die. I have since had a 7/8-14 bolt drilled and reamed to .426 so that I can drive the case all the way to the rim and don't end up with any bulge in the case. I drive the case out with a piece of 5/16 drill rod. For lube I used the Hornady Unique lube. I made 150 cases this way with Starline brass. It worked well but I have since found enough 401 brass to last me the rest of my life. However if a guy has one and needs brass, it is an option. My 401 will except the Starline 41 Magnum rim with no hang ups. I've read of a few cases where guys had to turn the rim a few thousandths to fit the 401 chambers. They are recessed.

Here is the shell holder faced off flat. In these photos I am using a 40 S&W die as I hadn't gotten the bolt made up yet. With the die I had to use a 3/6 drill rod to tap the cases out.



A new Starline case about to be run into the die.


The case run all the way in until it contacts the bottom of the die.


A tap or two and the case is out.


Sorry it's a little fuzzy but this is the resized case. With the die it ends up with a tiny bulge just above the rim which hasn't interfered with chambering in my revolver. Using the bolt that was reamed to .426 gets rid of that altogether but it does require an extra step of sizing the case slightly in a 40 S&W die so the case mouth will enter the reamed bolt. The 40 S&W die has a little taper and allows a 41 Magnum case to enter. The bolt has a square flat base and the mouth has to be sized to allow the case to start in. It's a little time consuming but you end up with good case that will last for years.

Thank you sir.

Mart what are getting for velocity?
Great thread

I'm working remote and away from my loading notes but the 240 grain can easily make 1300 fps with H110. I normally run it about 1200 fps with 2400. With the lighter 200 grain with moderate loads of Unique I like to try for 1000-1100 fps which makes a very fun soft shooting load. Or I can make those 200 grain really zing with 2400 and H110 easily going 1400. I haven't tried the 160 grain bullets yet and they could really fly but I had that mold built to have a light bullet to drive subsonic and use for small game like rabbits and grouse. I will try it fast just to see what it will do.

Great write up.

I went through those Herters catalogs till they were nothing but rags back in Jr. High. Planned out quite a few builds using the J9 and U9 barreled action with their rough shaped stocks, was sure wishing they offered classic instead of the Weatherby style.
Still use a Herters 4x rimfire scope on the Rem 582 and the Herters lube/sizer for cast bullets.

My Herters catalogs were the same way. Barely holding together when the new ones arrived. In a fit of nostalgia recently, I bought a couple of their old catalogs in good condition. What a wonderful stroll down memory lane. Takes me back to being a kid and dreaming about all the outdoor adventures that lay ahead.

few years ago, found a blackhawk 38wcf/10mm at an estate sale. had the 38wdf cylinder, not so the 10mm. ruger was good enough to make a 10mm for me to match the revolver.
with that long tube and a blackhawk, you can really smoke those 10mm if one wants to.

I have Herters revolvers in .44 mag and .401 Herters. Haven't shot them much in a while - need to get back to them. Fun guns!

Mike Holmes

Yes they are fun. I was surprised to find their somewhat oversized grip handles recoil very well. On a par with Ruger's Bisley grip frame. At least that was my impression.