TTv2
Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 5,045
Yeah, a 250 grain .401 full wadcutter would be nice.There are plenty of revolver bullets designed for the original 10mm, the .38-40. Problem is they're the same weight as . 40/10mm auto pistol bullets. Beartooth has a 200gr WFN and that's as close as it gets to something useful. There are halfway decent 220gr bullets but they're designed to feed through a semi-auto. We really need a proper 220-250gr WFN/WLN.
We're probably more likely to see a new proprietary cartridge that mimics the .401PowerMag than a resurrection of the 10mmMag. As I said before, if there were more useful bullets, I'd build one. Until then, I'll probably do a .41 Special and not have to worry about any of this.
I agree that .401 Powermag is gone for good, but I feel that the cartridge that could mimic it well would be a rimmed 10mm Magnum, maybe even one that is slightly lengthened to use 250 grain and heavier bullets. The lack of an extractor groove in the "10 RimMag" would strengthen the case slightly, so it could hold up to higher pressures, but the real selling point for the general, low information buyer would be the revolver could also shoot cheap .40 and 10mm Auto off a moon clip.
To get revolvers sold in offbeat calibers it's a really smart thing to design it so it can shoot cheap, available, and lower recoiling ammo like 9mm or .40 to appeal to people. There's a reason .357 is so popular and it's not just because it's a capable and fairly powerful caliber, but because it also shoots cheap, low recoil, and available .38 Special.
Unless the .401 Powermag or whatever proprietary cartridge that replaces it is able to shoot .40 S&W/10mm Auto, it will be doomed to fail.
I hope you understand my point that you're not going to see the bullets you want made for a .401 Powermag type revolver until the gun gets made and even if such a revolver was made you still wouldn't buy it because the heavy bullets are not available yet, so when you do that it gives the gun makers zero incentive to bother and until the guns exist in enough numbers the bullet/ammo manufacturers aren't going to be all gung ho to start cranking them out for guns that don't exist in enough numbers to make a profit.
It would really take a Ruger/Federal type approach like they did with .327 to make it work.