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Tanfoglio Giuseppe SRL GT 41 AE
nomorehits
Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
I have this pistol and im having trouble finding ammo and conversion kits. I know that its hard to find the ammo and its expensive but i cant find anything. I was also wondering what the value of the gun is. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
Comments
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=259294
When Smith brought out the 40 S & W it blew the 41 AE out of the water. Either your going to have to reload, or get a 9mm barrel to make the pistol usable. As the 41 AE was a rebated rim cartridge with the same rim and base dimensions as the 9mm Luger, a barrel and perhaps some mags is all that you likely need to get it running.
Tanfoglio Giuseppe is the name of the company.
.41 action express is the caliber, and its not in current production. Its possible to reload [for] it, though personally, I wouldn't bother.
Confirming what Rufe said, and without knowing anything else about this pistol, the most feasible (and probably only practical) conversion would be to 9mm luger, since the 41AE was designed with a rebated case rim the same size as a 9mm luger on purpose to facilitate the conversion.
A picture would be really helpful, but I'm about 90% sure your "GT SRL" is similar to the model later sold in the USA as the "Witness" (previously, TZ-75 and others).
Yours would be built on the "small frame" which has been discontinued. That doesn't really matter. The only thing you'd need to do the conversion is an old style 9mm luger barrel, and a 9mm luger magazine. Both these things should be findable. You almost certainly could use a 9mm CZ-75 magazine, but you could probably also use an older small frame EAA Witness magazine or an IMI Jericho/Baby Eagle 9mm luger magazine.
If you can't find a Tanfoglio barrel, you well might be able to get away with a IMI Jericho 9mm luger barrel.
Again, if I'm right about what you have value of your gun will depend on condition and frame material. Again, picture would be helpful. Unfortunately, for obvious reasons .41AE isn't very desirable.
I'll guesstimate $275 for your gun, if in blue steel and average shape, but it could be worth a bit more depending on what comes with it (ie original box, nice wood grips, etc).
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=8661
Keep in mind there are items on the parts list you can not use such as 45 ACP, 10mm & 38 Super barrels, slides and mags. The small frame (picture CZ75) has some parts interchangeability but the 45 ACP,10 mm and 38 Super do not (picture CZ97).
I bought a 9mm barrel, it works fine - dropped right in. I bought a 9mm recoil spring also, perhaps it is not needed but WTH. This gets you a well shooting DA autoloader and plenty of ammo.
Since I reload and am stubborn, I bought Hornady 41 AE dies that are nothing more than 41 Magnum dies with a longer seating plug included for the shorter round. Penn bullets makes a proper diameter 170 grain bullet designed for the AE, I scrounged 3 boxes of loaded ammo off someone and found a few hundred more empty brass cases for reloading. I carry a baseball bat with me at the range and will club anyone who tries to take my AE brass .....[:D]
Regarding magazines, for the 9mm CZ75 magazines almost always work. For the 41 AE, CZ 40 cal magazines almost always work, you may lose one round of capacity though. On the 40 I've encountered some that don't work (mag catch doesn't quite engage) so if you can take the gun with you and check that is best. Probably fixable but I didn't want to bother.
EAA does sell a 40 cal slide and barrel that will work with the smaller frame and has a 22 rimfire conversion unit fits also, be certain to tell them it's for the older small frame.
Having received much of the same advice on my Tanfoglio 41 AE and following it, I'd suggest a 9mm barrel from Numrich - see link:
Was I the one who provided that advice last time? I think so. . . I remember finding one of these barrels on the Numrich site and posting the link to it earlier. . .Anyway. . .
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=347309
For what its worth, EAA is (to put it politely) not known for excellent customer service.
Edit: But when I spoke with sales dept today, I did get excellent customer service.
My understanding is that EAA no longer stocks or sells **ANY** parts or accessories for the older small-frame Witness guns. I wish I could speak with them to confirm this. . .see above. If you know or hear differently, please let me know.
Edit: Spoke to them myself and yes, they have small frame uppers in 9mm luger, 40SW and .22LR all in stock right now at roughly $240 a pop.
In theory, yes, you might be able to convert your gun to .40SW, if you could find a conversion upper for sale. Note that I'm not 100% sure about this. . .the late generation "small" frame Tanfoglio guns were caliber convertable, but I don't know about the earlier ones.
Doing so would require a SLIDE, BARREL, SPRING, and MAGAZINE. Springs and magazines are easy to find, but in practice conversion barrels and slides are fairly tough to come by nowadays. Before you go spending $200 on a conversion, consider that entire .40SW small frame guns can probably be had for about $350.
As to a .22LR conversion. . .they do exist. . .good luck finding one for sale. They're fairly scarce and the people that have them don't want to sell.
I don't know if the current Czech-made CZ-75 "Kadet" .22LR conversion might be adapted to fit on an OLDER Tanfoglio gun, but I am told they will NOT work on the small frame EAA Witness guns.
Since the ORIGINAL Italian Tanfoglio guns had substantially more parts similarity to the authentic CZ-75 than the new ones, this MIGHT be possible with the original TZ-75 clones. Then again, at over $400 new, the CZ-75 "Kadet" .22 conversion is so expensive that even if this could work, I probably wouldn't do it anyway.
Since some filing is necessary to get these kits to work, you probably can't try one out then return it if it doesn't work.
Lastly, on .41AE, I understand its possible to create brass for reloading by turning down the rims of .41 magnum revolver cases then trimming them.
Edit: For Rufe, yes, obviously there is more to it than just trimming the cases. I've never done it, and I'm never going to do it, but here is a reference indicating that its possible, for what its worth:
http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/p41ae.html
For Dfletcher, the "Grr" was for the lack of picture. Thanks for the update on EAA. Do you know when your friend spoke to them?
Again, I've been told (I'm pretty sure it was by EAA directly, actually) that they no longer carry ANY parts for the small frame guns, but I'll see if I can raise a live human being on the phone and try again.
Lastly, on .41AE, I understand its possible to create brass for reloading by turning down the rims of .41 magnum revolver cases then trimming them.
It strikes me that making .41 AE out of .41 Mag brass would entail significant more work then just turning down the rims. Either two tool bits would have to be used, or a form tool would have to be specially ground to both reduce the head diameter of the .41 Mag brass, and to cut a cannelure for the .41 AE extractor to function.
quote:Originally posted by dfletcher
Having received much of the same advice on my Tanfoglio 41 AE and following it, I'd suggest a 9mm barrel from Numrich - see link:
Was I the one who provided that advice last time? I think so. . . I remember finding one of these barrels on the Numrich site and posting the link to it earlier. . .Anyway. . .
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=347309
For what its worth, EAA is (to put it politely) not known for excellent customer service.
My understanding is that EAA no longer stocks or sells **ANY** parts or accessories for the older small-frame Witness guns. I wish I could speak with them to confirm this. . .see above. If you know or hear differently, please let me know.
In theory, yes, you might be able to convert your gun to .40SW, if you could find a conversion upper for sale. Note that I'm not 100% sure about this. . .the late generation "small" frame Tanfoglio guns were caliber convertable, but I don't know about the earlier ones.
Doing so would require a SLIDE, BARREL, SPRING, and MAGAZINE. Springs and magazines are easy to find, but in practice conversion barrels and slides are fairly tough to come by nowadays. Before you go spending $200 on a conversion, consider that entire .40SW small frame guns can probably be had for about $350.
As to a .22LR conversion. . .they do exist. . .good luck finding one for sale. They're fairly scarce and the people that have them don't want to sell.
I don't know if the current Czech-made CZ-75 "Kadet" .22LR conversion might be adapted to fit on an OLDER Tanfoglio gun, but I am told they will NOT work on the small frame EAA Witness guns.
Since the ORIGINAL Italian Tanfoglio guns had substantially more parts similarity to the authentic CZ-75 than the new ones, this MIGHT be possible with the original TZ-75 clones. Then again, at over $400 new, the CZ-75 "Kadet" .22 conversion is so expensive that even if this could work, I probably wouldn't do it anyway.
Since some filing is necessary to get these kits to work, you probably can't try one out then return it if it doesn't work.
Lastly, on .41AE, I understand its possible to create brass for reloading by turning down the rims of .41 magnum revolver cases then trimming them.
Actually mine was a later thread. I thought that's what the "Grrr" was for - flashbacks from many pat Tanfoglio thtreads .... [:D]
Your info was most helpful and appreciated. Cost of 9mm barrel - $72.00, just a few $$$ more than some folks are asking for 50 rounds of 41 AE.
There are evidently TZ 90s in addition to the TZ75 - no idea what the real differences are, my box is marked TZ90.
I spoke directly with EAA, they stated they had some 40 cal slides & barrels available for the small frame. A friend just bought a 22 lr kit from them also. The reason for me getting a 40 or 22 conversion would be that in CA the Tanfoglios are not "CA OK" and importing one is a challenge. Given a choice between buying a whole gun or a conversion unit I'd buy the whole gun, seems the more economical way to go.
Edit: My friend got his 22 conversion kit about two months ago, don't know who he dealt with. I spoke with a lady, asked her a question and she put me on hold for a minute while she asked someone else about the 40 slide/barrel - don't know her name, but she said they had a few.
Edit: My friend got his 22 conversion kit about two months ago, don't know who he dealt with. I spoke with a lady, asked her a question and she put me on hold for a minute while she asked someone else about the 40 slide/barrel - don't know her name, but she said they had a few.
Wow. I just got off the phone with European American Armory. Took me one phone call, and the woman I spoke with was both friendly and knowledgable. Tel. (321) 639-4842
She told me the following:
-After being out of them and back-ordered for several months, they currently have in stock .22 conversion units for the older (small frame) Witness. All are blued steel. Cost is $240 (or so) with one mag. .22 mags cost $25 each if you buy more than one. I just bought the kit plus two extra mags.
-They currently have in stock both .40SW AND 9mm luger uppers for the small frame gun. Again, cost is $240. $10 more if you get the "Wonder finish".
If you don't know, the "Wonder" finish is a nitride based finish similar to Glocks "Tenifer", SIG's "NITRON", and Smith's "Melonite". The functional difference is that unlike the others Tanfoglio doesn't blacken theirs, so it looks like bare metal. . .even though it isn't. I'd strongly recommend this finish if you are getting a different upper. I'd also suggest getting a spare upper in a DIFFERENT COLOR than what you already have, to help avoid confusion if/when switching calibers!
-I didn't explicitly ask about 9mm barrels *ONLY* but they may be willing to sell one (clearly they have them, since they have entire upper conversions). Don't know. . .
-They no longer stock 9x21 or .41AE conversions and do not intend to get any more. (I know, my heart was broken too [;)] )
I have (800) rds of new primed brass, about the same number of once fired brass, (400)-175 gr jacketted bullets, several thousand hard ball lead bullets (175-210 gr), 3-pc 41AE dies in a Dillon die holder for the Dillon 550B press, and reloading data worked up using a speed trap.