BA, that's a Caliber that's on my list. Do a thread on the build or at least keep us abreast on how it's going. I have a 303 Brit Martini that I would like to reline to 32 S&W long but my idea of what caliber to make it changes every month. I wanted to go 327 Fed Mag with the 30 Luger liner but starting to feel that it's to much CUP for the barrel and action. Some say it is, some say it's not!!!! Keep shooting Gents.
Roy
Hooker53
I've just seen a picture which might be of interest to Cadet users. It is an addition to the standard trigger which permits adjustment of the trigger pull and creep by adjusting screws, one bearing on the trigger spring and the other on the sear. You just tap the holes then cut the slots and partly close them, producing a fit for the screws that stops them vibrating loose. I'd attach it by silver soldering, which means rehardening.
I'm quite sure that would be fine as regards strength of the receiver, as long as it was a British military and unimpaired one. The size of the firing-pin and its hole, and the thickness of the breechblock face, should be OK if it is an official British military conversion, or done by someone else who knows the business. Some early .303 blocks had a strip of harder steel dovetailed in, but others were one-piece. If the serial number links the block to a government .303 barrel it should be fine.Originally Posted by Hooker53
Thanks B in S for some more good info. I will tear mine down and take a good look at that Breech Block. That trigger work photo is also good info. Might have to take a look at that as well. You know any tricks like that for the big block Martini's? That .303 I been talking about has a heck of a heavy trigger.
Roy
Hooker53
As regards the trigger, Cadet and large Martinis are about the same, and you could use a similar device. It wouldn't be hard to make a complete new trigger embodying it, which would let you out of the soldering. The BSA Martini-International target rifle (at least the MkII onwards, but I don't know for sure about the MkI) has a self-setting multi-lever trigger which would be hard to better on any firearm. But I don't know if there is room to fit a home-made version in the original Cadet receiver.
I should already know this but at first glance I must ask. What's the roll that screw T plays compared to E? That would be a neat as well as fast way to improve a simple sear set-up!!.
Roy
Hooker53
T tensions the coil trigger-spring, and E limits the overtravel after release.
That picture reminds me, a sobering thought, that it is 45 years since I shot a Martini-International. What I don't remember and can't make out from that diagram, though, is just how the extractor works. Clearly it is powered by that large V-spring. but I don't know whether it is a kicking extractor, liberated by a sort of sear, or just moves as the breechblock comes down, or its movement is forced by the lowering of the lever. If the latter doesn't happen, it might not have enough extractive effort for a round which needs it more than than the .22LR.
I have never liked the idea of high pressure conversions of this action, with its cut-down action side, right or left handed. But this could be another reason not to.
0
A friend's daughter was a member of her university's rifle club when the university was shocked to discover people were shooting guns on the premises. (Mine had a range in the mortuary of a Victorian hospital they had taken over, and the white tiling made for superb shooting light, but that is another story. They decided to close down the club, and didn't want to profit by sale of the equipment, so she got a free Martini-International. I don't believe they realized that some sports equipment is more expensive than others.
I'm going to have to try that BIS. Why, I don't know. I pulled my Cadet out today and fired a few rounds and you just could not ask a gun to do any better. With the RCBS heeled and the 32-20 fac crimp die I modified the length on and 4.5 grns of Trail Boss it's just a pleasure to shoot. Don't know why I keep looking at different guns to buy. I should just look for another Cadet. Lol. Keep shooting folks.
Roy
Hooker53
Long thread. Anybody have a suggestion for quick and painless method for trimming of the 32-20 brass to .310" length? Thanks fellas.
Hate is a poison which one consumes expecting another to die.
Stubi. It's easy. Just send it to me and I will trim it for you. I use a lathe and a dial indicator. PM me if you need to.
Roy
Hooker53
Ok, an update on my trials, and tribulations...
As stated, earlier (for those just tuning in), I have a Cadet that is market 32-20, yet, when 32-20 rounds are fired, the cases come out with a straight taper, all the bottleneck being gone.
Fire-formed 32-20 brass is trimmed to 1.246", and opened-up to take a .318" cast bullet. At present, I have used the 110gr RCBS 8mm Nambu, and the 105gr Lyman 31905, sized .318".
This is where the new intel comes in!
I discovered, quite by accident, that One can use the 30 M1 Carbine dies to process the cases. Only change being a .318" expander. No need buying a custom dies set.
Have worked up a pretty decent, and accurate, load with AA 1680.
Rights, and Privileges, are not synonymous. We have the Right to Bear Arms. As soon as the Government mandates firearm registration, and permiting, then that Right becomes a Privilege, and may be taken away at our Master's discretion.
I've been looking a rimless extractors and found this beauty. It allows the use of BOTH rimmed and rimless 222R cases in the same rifle!
Hold Still Varmint; while I plugs Yer!
Challenger-I, mine fire forms to the same tapered shape. The 310 Greener is much straighter then a stock 32-20. Your trimmed length is .001 longer then mine so your on the money with that. My best Cadet holds the best groups with the RCBS heeled Boolit tumble Lubed with Lee L Alox and 4.5 grns of Trail Boss. I use two Diff hardness of Boolits. One is soft, almost sheet lead soft with just enough tin and Antim to get a good cast. The other is Clip on Wheel Wts sweetened up with enough of the same for good casting. I get right good groups with 4 to 5 Grns of Unique. My second best loads are with a hollow based Boolit I get off of GB. I must admit, with the hollow critter, I do get a flyer every blue moon. With all the older single shots i have, i enjoy this Cadet more then any. Keep us posted on your loads and thanks for posting.
Roy
Hooker53
Wallace. Good to see ya around. Have you tried that extractor yet? That looks close to something I been thinking over for a Stevens 44 with a rimless case. Let us know how it does after you try it.
Roy
Hooker53
For case trimming I use a pipe cutter for most of the length. Put a 308 jacketed bullet inside the section being cut off and they work better. Cut them down to 1/16" too big then trim the remainder as normal.
I made up a lube-sizer top punch to allow me to turn 8mm bullets in to 310 cadet heeled bullets. It is a cup shape 14mm outside diameter and 8.2mm inside diameter. Depth of hole is sufficient to leave 1/4" max of .323 dia bullet after sizing (so 8mm if leaving the top 2 bands and gas check of a lee 175gr bullet).Run the bullet (I used a lee 175gr mould that was modified to cast shortened bullets) nose first in to a 30 calibre lube sizer until the top punch stops on the top of the sizer. This sizes the bullet nose and the first band down to 311 and turns them in to the heeled section. Fire them backwards.Probably won't work with long bullets due to stability and case capacity problems.
Some people use a simple steel block as a guide to trim cases and file them flush. But like an expensive trim die, it will blunten a file. I milled mine, but it can be epoxied from piece of steel as shown. The file teeth don't touch steel in the shallow central recess, and the bit that gets bluntened on the slight shoulder never has to touch brass. Once you have the device made, case-trimming takes time, but it is television-watching work.
Last edited by Ballistics in Scotland; 09-30-2016 at 01:49 PM.
Ok, I am officially jealous!
I've been looking a rimless extractors and found this beauty. It allows the use of BOTH rimmed and rimless 222R cases in the same rifle!
Rights, and Privileges, are not synonymous. We have the Right to Bear Arms. As soon as the Government mandates firearm registration, and permiting, then that Right becomes a Privilege, and may be taken away at our Master's discretion.
Glad the hollow-base bullets are working out for you! Pastor Howard & I did a whole lot of fiddling to finally get a hole in the bottom of a bullet!
While sizing 32-20 cases, in the 30 carbine die, I made an interesting discovery: on my rifle, I can load a full-length 32-20 case, sized in the 30 carbine sizer, seat my 110gr 8mm Nambu bullet that is sized .318". Drops right in. Made 5 test rounds, and fired them, with no extraction issues, and the cases came out with no deformities. Loaded-up 10 more rounds, and did an accuracy test. All went successfully.
So, my life just got easier, as I can use full-length 32-20 brass. I be tickled!
Rights, and Privileges, are not synonymous. We have the Right to Bear Arms. As soon as the Government mandates firearm registration, and permiting, then that Right becomes a Privilege, and may be taken away at our Master's discretion.
Hey now that's good news. What where you trimming your 32-20 cases too before you found this out? Yes. Those HB Boolits that you and the Paster came up with, do work well in my Cadet and in my Marlin 27. Which reminds me. Not to far from now I'm gonna have to order some more. Ha. Have a good week.
Roy
Hooker53
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| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
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| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
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| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
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