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Thread: The Mountain Gun S&W should have built

  1. #1

    The Mountain Gun S&W should have built

    Friends,

    A buddy shipped out a couple of his handguns for me to use for load development. He also gave permission to carry them as I wished, though that will be on a somewhat limited scale as they are irreplaceable as far as I am concerned. One is an S&W .41 Magnum N Frame and the subject here, as it is precisely what I have contemplated building a great many times in my mind, only chambered for a different cartridge.

    Anyways, my friend Bob shipped this out, just saying he was shipping a .41 out.






    Needless to say I was pretty excited, even if it is just on loan!

    Note the barrel says S&W .357 Magnum. That is because it is a 27-2.

    This started life as a standard 27-2. Apparently it was in fairly rough shape, and you can see a few rough spots on it, making is absolutely perfect for a conversion, then for field use. I personally love guns like this. A bit of rust on it, some scuffs here and there. All of which will clean up. It is not a collector's gun, and you won't mind carrying it hunting, camping, fishing, etc.

    This one had its 5" barrel rebored by JES, and Bob's gunsmith fitted a Model 28 cylinder to the gun, cut the shank back and forcing cone, then re-blued it.






    I have long thought that the 5" is the sweet spot for N Frames for the way they balance, as well as the shootability characteristics of them. While I love my 5" 29-2, I always wanted to build a 5" "Mountain Gun" which is basically what this is. This tapered barrel, which is what Smith used on many of their old guns balances very nicely. Truly a shame they went away from it.

    This 5" Smith is what the factory should be offering, in cartridges such as .357, .41, 44 Special, .44 Mag, and .45 Colt.

    Smith did actually offer what I would consider the ideal version. A 5" skinny barrel, just like what is shown above. It was chambered in .44 Special. It was the 1950 Target Model, though there were just a few built. I have no idea about the numbers and have never seen one in the wild.

    Anyways, thought I would share pics of this seriously cool old 5" Mountain Gun.

    Cheers!

  2. #2
    If you play around with Starline's 41 Special brass, would you mind sharing load development? The component shortage still has my brass on indefinite standby.

    And I even love the plowhandle Goodyears on that thing. Asuch as I love my 6" 57, that with the shorter tube to make sitting easier and skinny trigger has my full interest.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by SCCY Marshal View Post
    If you play around with Starline's 41 Special brass, would you mind sharing load development? The component shortage still has my brass on indefinite standby.

    And I even love the plowhandle Goodyears on that thing. Asuch as I love my 6" 57, that with the shorter tube to make sitting easier and skinny trigger has my full interest.
    Funny you mention .41 Special.

    I have 2K pieces of Special brass coming and will be doing up some loads for that in the near future.

    I plan on running a 215 SWC for the Special and a (when I can get the Mag brass) 240 Keith SWC for the Mag.

    My friend has been loading .41 Mag for decades and I consider him an SME on all things related to loading .41s and .38 Super. I actually call him "Mr. 38 Super". So I will use some of his data to start with.

    The other gun he sent out is an old Colt Combat Commander .38 Super that was his carry gun for years. 1950s era as I recall. Nice old piece. He really wants me to load both .41 and .38 S for commercial sales and I told him (and others) that I can't/won't load something that I have not thoroughly vetted, so I have to have guns chambered for those cartridges. That is how I ended up being sent the toys.

    Another gent that has picked up a good bit of ammo, after doing so offered to send me one of his .41s if I would load for it, and others have asked as well, so I figured I had better start doing so. "If you build it, they will come!"



    Those old Camo Pachs feel great, and I like the look for an 80s era gun.

  4. #4
    Abducted by Aliens Borderland's Avatar
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    Still waiting for a 4" 44 Special from S&W. I might even buy one even though I've said I swore off of S&W's with a lock. I'd probably just sell my 625 because I would have no use for it with a 44 Spl.

    Hell, S&W even discontinued the 625.

    41 Special? Never knew it existed until just now. I guess people are going to create what they want, like the 45 Cowboy Special, regardless of the dip shit gun mfr's bean counters.

    I think it's great that you can help people with the custom ammo.
    Last edited by Borderland; 01-17-2022 at 01:30 PM.
    In the P-F basket of deplorables.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Lost River View Post
    He really wants me to load both .41 and .38 S for commercial sales and I told him (and others) that I can't/won't load something that I have not thoroughly vetted, so I have to have guns chambered for those cartridges. That is how I ended up being sent the toys.
    I have a 686 chambered in 38 Super that I shot in IDPA and USPSA for a while before they both changed some rules. I was loading heavy bullets to 168-170 power factor for major. I found some loads that were published in valid manuals. Message me if you are interested in the load data.

  6. #6
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    That is a neat revolver, right in the Goldilocks zone for barrel length.

    There is a pinned thread on the .41 Mag & Spl over on the Castboolits forum. I’ve banned myself from reading it because I don’t need another caliber to load.
    I don’t need another caliber.
    I don’t need…

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by BN View Post
    I have a 686 chambered in 38 Super that I shot in IDPA and USPSA for a while before they both changed some rules. I was loading heavy bullets to 168-170 power factor for major. I found some loads that were published in valid manuals. Message me if you are interested in the load data.
    I seem to recall a 6-shot 686 that had been rechambered to .41 special as a wildcat endeavor that seemed like it made a lot of sense at the time.

    Isn't the .38 super case slightly wider than .38/357? I wonder if that would still work with the 7-shot cylinder.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by jh9 View Post

    Isn't the .38 super case slightly wider than .38/357? I wonder if that would still work with the 7-shot cylinder.
    There's a little difference but not much. I was shooting .357 bullets in my Super.

  9. #9
    Abducted by Aliens Borderland's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SCCY Marshal View Post
    If you play around with Starline's 41 Special brass, would you mind sharing load development? The component shortage still has my brass on indefinite standby.

    And I even love the plowhandle Goodyears on that thing. Asuch as I love my 6" 57, that with the shorter tube to make sitting easier and skinny trigger has my full interest.
    Starline is showing 41 Spl. brass as being available now. Don't know what their actual situation is but I know they're shipping some 44 Spl. brass. I just got some yesterday.
    In the P-F basket of deplorables.

  10. #10
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lost River View Post
    Those old Camo Pachs feel great, and I like the look for an 80s era gun.
    I got rid of my N frames, but I have an old black Pachy grip sitting around just in case. I dig the Harlequin look, too.

    Kinda wish Hogue would do some no-finger-groove GP stocks in their Ghillie Green. That stuff looks really nice against stainless.
    .
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    Not another dime.

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