1895 Colt .41 ammo

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Bluecthomas

New member
Got an old old family heirloom Colt 1895 .41

Definitely not your standard everyday 9mm. Want to pick up some ammo for the very rare occasion it will get fired.

No clue on length of casing or anything except old Colt in .41
 
Possibly .41 Long Colt. Components are still sold. So is ammunition, but it's pricey.

I'm not sure if it's advisable to shoot smokeless rounds in a 1895 gun, though.
 
I'm assuming it's a Single Action Army.

If it's 1895, I think it's still black powder.

Mike Venturino in Shooting Colt Single Actions has a section on the .41 Colt.

He now writes for American Handgunner.
 
Well, it could also be a Colt Model 1892 Army Navy Revolver, as well.

As others have said, .41 Colt components and ammunition are available, but are not common and are expensive.

I believe the Model 1892 was designed from the outset for smokeless powder ammunition, but I'm not 100% sure of that.
 
Family heirloom gun. Currently in my dad's possession. And since I won't get til he's gone, no hurry to own it...
But he's bringing it up for a tune up from my smithy.

And I'd like to take it to range while he's here.

Pretty sure it's not an actual 1895 production. Bit it does clearly say 1895 on barrel.
As I will be 5th generation owner, it's definitely not a reproduction.
 
Shooting a 19th Century revolver may damage it, so have it checked out by a smithy who knows Colts, first.
Line drawing of the cartridge.
http://stevespages.com/jpg/cd41longcoltda.jpg
Read this. http://harryo.sixshootercommunity.org/
It uses a heeled .386" or .387" bullet. Western Bullet sells 'em. Cheap too. $23 or $15 per 100. $98.00 for Redding dies.($168.99 for RCBS from Midway, Redding's from them are a tick less, but are on back order) A #1 Lee #6 or 27 RCBS(depends on whose list), #1 Hornady, #2 Lyman shell holder.
Starline sells the brass. 250 for $158.00.
Ultramax 200 grain FP ammo from Midway runs $75.99 per 50. $64.95 for Precision Cartridge 200 grain lead via ammunitiontogo.com.
 
Bluecthomas said:
Family heirloom gun. Currently in my dad's possession. And since I won't get til he's gone, no hurry to own it...

But he's bringing it up for a tune up from my smithy.



And I'd like to take it to range while he's here.



Pretty sure it's not an actual 1895 production. Bit it does clearly say 1895 on barrel.

As I will be 5th generation owner, it's definitely not a reproduction.
Click to expand...



Is it a single-action or double-action? You might get a ballpark idea on the production date by entering the serial # on Colt's website. (Do you have any photos?)
 
If the gun has a marked patent date of 1895, it is not the old Thunderer. The .41 Long Colt (so called to distinguish it from the .41 short "derringer" round used by Colt in its derringer pistols) was quite popular in its day,being the fourth most popular caliber in he SAA, after the .45 Colt, .44-40 and .38-40. It was always considered below par for accuracy, for the reasons mentioned in the second article cited by T. O'Heir.

Jim
 
I've never seen a Single Action Army with an 1895 date on the barrel, but I was only a hobbyist when I was collecting them, not an expert. If it is a SAA keep in mind that Colt did not certify their Model P for smokeless powder until after 1900. This despite many believing the replacement of the cylinder pin retaining screw through the front of the frame with a cross bolt signifies the transition from black powder to smokeless.

Dave
 
A .41 LC stamped 1895 is surely that variant of the Colt New Army and Navy double action series with models in 1892, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1901, and 1903, also the 1905 Marine. I don't know how long it took them to get the next patent date on the guns, but it could well be a genuine antique made before 1899.

I think a box of shells at a dollar fifty a pop might be a lifetime supply.
 
"But he's bringing it up for a tune up from my smithy."

Just noticed this.

If it is not in working order, the chances of A) being able to find parts and B) finding a gunsmith who can actually work on these old Colts is pretty iffy.

If your guy doesn't have a lot of experience working on Colts this old, I'd suggest not letting him do so.
 
Howdy

Regarding 41 Long Colt ammunition being currently available:

That depends. When the cartridge was first introduced it used a heeled bullet, the same diameter aw the cartridge case. Just like a modern 22 Rim Fire. Bullet diameter was nominally .408. The chambers of a revolver chambered for the round would have had no 'step' for a chamber throat, they would have been the one diameter all the way through.

In this photo the cartridge in the center is an old 41 Long Colt. You can see how the bullet is the same diameter as the cartridge case. The cartridge on the right is a 44 Colt, which also uses a heeled bullet. The cartridge on the left is a 45 Colt, which always used an inside lubricated bullet that slid inside the case.

You can see the lube grooves on both heeled bullets, you can also see how there is none left.

45C41LC44C.jpg





Heeled bullets were a pain in the butt, they needed to have their bullet lube on the outside of the bullet where it would be in contact with the bore. Because of this, the soft bullet lube tended to accumulate dirt and grit. Ammo makers finally woke up to the fact around 1895 and reduced bullet diameter for 41 Long Colt to about .386 so the bullet could be inserted inside the case, with the lube also inside the case. In order for the small bullet to engage the rifling, the bullet was hollow based so the skirt would expand to engage the rifling.

I am pretty sure any modern 41 Long Colt ammo you buy will have the hollow based .386 bullet. No idea who effectively it engages the rifling.

Regarding shooting an old Colt with Smokeless powder, yes, Colt did not factory warranty the SAA for Smokeless powder until 1900. I never shoot my antique Colts with Smokeless.

Also agree, good luck finding a gunsmith today who is familiar with the old Colts and knows how to work on them.
 
"I am pretty sure any modern 41 Long Colt ammo you buy will have the hollow based .386 bullet. No idea who effectively it engages the rifling."

Colt redesigned the cartridge sometime in the 1890s to drop the heeled bullet and go with a single-diameter modern style bullet, and started manufacturing guns designed to use the new bullet.

BUT... Colt didn't reduce the barrel diameter the whole way... Which means that the new hollow base bullet is still too small, and the base needs to obturate.

That's probably one of the big reasons why the .41 Long never had a reputation for decent accuracy.
 
I recall reading that USFA made a .41 LC with .386" groove diameter for exclusive use of inside lubricated bullets. Wonder what would happen if you loaded a .402" heel bullet. Wonder if the chamber would even accept it. I no longer have the gunzine that described it.
 
Family heirloom gun. ....As I will be 5th generation owner, it's definitely not a reproduction.
Click to expand...

I found this kinda amusing- by now you should have a whole pile of empty brass for it at the least. A century's worth of shooting, and no brass. :D Funny how gun accessories and accoutrements, etc., never seem to stay with the gun, even if they stay in the same family.
 
There was or is about a dozen rounds for it still. But I'm not even gonna try them.

My GPA was a shooter. My dad's not, at least not in my lifetime.
My uncle inherited all the other guns. This one being passed on through many gens has always gone to oldest son.

Working order, but mostly untouched for decades. Want to say double action and long Colt. But I'd need to get it my hands to be sure.
Same with a photo. I personally haven't even seen it in a decade or so.

Btw, the 5 gens with me is a certain thing. Has 3 sets of intials on the butt. Need to get my dad to "sign" it too before it's mine.
 
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