.38-40 revolvers

[David LaPell]

Since Smith & Wesson has not decided to bless us with a revolver in .38-40 I have been thinking of buying a copy of the Colt SAA (I can't afford a new original Colt). Does anyone have any experience with any of the clones in .38-40 at all? I'm not sure if I could ever comfortably shoot a Colt New Service in that caliber.

 

[scooter123]

A while back someone posted about the 610 revolver in the 38-40 caliber, something I was completely unaware of until I saw that post. Apparently a small batch was made for a distributor and sat unwanted for a good while until the distributor slashed the price and finally sold them out. Definately an oddball caliber for a modern revolver but I bet one day it may become a hot collectable.

As for the caliber itself, the 10mm basically dupicates the ballistics and is a lot easier to find guns and ammo for. It's just a shame that nobody has ever figured out that the 10mm would probably make a pretty good hunting caliber in a rifle.

 

[Andy Griffith]

I bought a couple of 6" .38-44 barrels a bit back and sent one of them off to clearwater reboring and redone to .400" bore so I could shoot .40 S&W, 10mm or .38 WCF out of the gun when finished...

I'm still working on the project. I just can't bring myself to change a nice one from .357 to .38 WCF. I hope to find one with a ringed barrel for a good price and then work on it. The quintessential beat up 28 for $150 would work nicely...but they are elusive.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Have this modern Colt in .38-40, it's actually closer to the .40 S&W in velocity than a 10mm. A LOT of fun to shoot!

I use an El Paso Saddlery holster, and feel like a TV cowboy.

I don't shoot it much, too many others, but it is a favorite.

 

[Alpo]

My 38/40 Smith.

Model 28, after a little trip to Alan Harton, in Texas.

Now, I"ve got 5 38/40s (6, counting the 1889 Marlin I don't shoot). That one, a 1916-vintage 92 Winchester, a 1916-vintage New Service and a pair of US Firearms SAAs.

They have, apparently, changed the chamber dimensions in the last 80 years. All five guns shoot factory ammo with no problems. I have dies by both Lee and RCBS. The Winchester, the Colt and the converted Smith take my reloads, but the USFA won't. The sizing die does not push the shoulder back far enough. A simple solution is to shorten the sizing die a little bit (approximately .100"), but I haven't done it.

The guns, themselves, are beautiful, and extremely accurate. But the factory stuff is costly, and since the reloads don't fit, they don't get shot as much as the Smith and (dare I say it?) the Colt.

 

[Cyrano]

I've been involved in 38-40s a long while. I have my great-grandfather's Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle in this caliber. It's the first center fire rifle I shot. I wanted a handgun: got an EMF single action. I didn't like it: it shot about 3 feet high at 25 yds, and the metal was so soft it showed wear in the little use I gave it; I was lucky to find a buyer for it. Then I got a Colt New Service, but I wanted a modern revolver. I found a barely used Highway Patrolman at a gun show, just before they discontinued the model. I sent it to Bowen Custom Arms and 12 months later I got it back. It wears Herrett's now. It's a real tack driver and has plenty of power for almost anything.

 

[haggis]

I'm not sure if I could ever comfortably shoot a Colt New Service in that caliber.

David,

I suspect you would be OK with the Big Colt. I got this .38WCF "across the street" and it shoots rather well.

I generally change the grips to shoot it - I don't want to crack the originals. A set of repros with a grip adapter, or a set of Pachmayr Presentations, allow me to comfortably shoot DA with it if I want.

Buck

 

[Wyo]

Ruger made a run of Blackhawks some years ago with dual cylinders in 38/40 and 10mm and they can still be found occasionally. I have a friend who has one and it's a fun gun. He used to shoot a lot of carp with it, and it was very effective!

 

[Andy Griffith]

He used to shoot a lot of carp with it, and it was very effective!

I wish he'd a shot a whole lot more!!!
I hate carp!

 

[Muley Gil]

" I just can't bring myself to change a nice one from .357 to .38 WCF. I hope to find one with a ringed barrel for a good price and then work on it. "

If you're interested in a 4" HP ringed barrel, let me know. I'll let one go, cheap.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I bought a 4" Model 28 that had been converted to .38-40 by an unknown (to me) gunsmith. It seemed to not have been completed but my local gunsmith cleaned it up and it now runs very well.

I also bt. one of the Ruger convertible 10mm/.38-40s when they came out as Buckeye Specials. The cartridge is a good one but handloading can be hard on the brass due to the thin case neck. Most ammo available is wimpy 'cowboy loads' any real cowboy would be embarassed to shoot.

 

[DodgeCity1951]

I have a Cimarron model P (SAA Clone) in 38-40 with a 7 1/2 barrel. The trigger pull is a little rough but not bad enough to have it worked on. For the money it's a good gun and fun to shoot. Reloading has gone pretty well so far, though I do use a single stage press and take it slow.