More Cadet Talk

[Hooker53]

Hello fellow casters/Shooters. I have a new Cadet or at least, new to me. Ha. It's a model 4 in 32-20. Best I can tell it was one converted. Y Birmingham Arms. Here's the problem I need help with.

After shooting it yesterday with just some off the shelf Remington 100 gn lead, I know right than I wanted to setup to do some casting and loading for it. Ok, got up this morning and slugged it and to my wondering eyes, the slug mic'ed around 323/324. I'v seen Boolit molds for anything from 312 to 316 in the 32-20 range. Does this mean the Remington off the shelf stuff at .312 are not getting good seal in my barrel? Sure shoots well not to.

Also, if I cast .324 Boolits say from the mold maker in the downunder, would they e en load up or chamber in my 32-20 cases? A little confused on this one.

What has some of you encountered on this problem? Thanks for your input ahead of time on this.

Roy

[barrabruce]

What's the inside diameter of the case neck after firing.
That would determine if you can load them straight in.
It sounds like you have a greener I think .310 with a 32-20 chamber.
I'm not right up on it all and someone with more knowledge than me will probably pipe in soon.
If it's got a slow twist I think you need short projo's like 110 120's to work well.

It may depend on the case thickness that can vary abit from brand names.

Hope it helps
Barra

[Hooker53]

Hello Barra. The inside case mouth after firing is showing 312 on the Remington brass. As far as the twist, I will measure that shortly to see what it's showing. The lands and grooves are. Rips and very nice so don't thing I have one that's shot out. Thanks again. Maybe some more folks will come on board and thanks for answering.

Roy.

[skeettx]

Size a bullet to .313 and seat it in the fired brass, now, will it chamber in the rifle?
You only know if you test it out.
If it seats, then go to .314, and then .315, etc
Sounds like the Remington stuff is upsetting upon firing to fill the bore.
I use the
http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/236...rain-flat-nose
Mike

p.s.
You might try to find some lyman 313493

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...492-amp-313493

[Hooker53]

Mike. That sounds like a good wy to step it up and experiment. Before buying a pile of Boolit moulds, what I might have to do is put out a feeler and buy a few of them sizes from folks that's already molding them to load up and try. I wondered myself if the Rem stuff was upsetting on the fire side but also fig that still could not be to good if the intire Boolit was not upsetting but slso that some sealing is better than nothing ha Just some thought. Thanks for your info. Keep it coming folks. Just good stuff.

[Rimfire]

I had a cadet that shot the lyman Ideal 3118 very well, if it was paper patched. Ended up getting one of the RCBS heeled bullet molds, and it shot even better groups as it fit the bore better.

[Hooker53]

Rimfire, was your Cadets barrel a stock .310 Greener that had been rechambered to 32-20? That's what I have accessed mine at being. Looks like I will get the best results as you did, loading a heeled Boolit and have no problem doing that. I just have to narrow down which one to try first. Going from what I'v read, it's looking like 125 Gn Boolit so far of either a CBE or a RCBS. I like what I'm seeing in the CBE line so------- on we go. Ha. Thanks for your input Rimfire.

[Outpost75]

Many rifles imported into the US were rechambered to accept .32-20, but the barrels are actually .320 and won't shoot well with US .32-20 ammo.
You should use the RCBS heeled bullet for the Cadet rifle, or alternately, use a .32-40 neck and throater to increase the chamber neck diameter so that you can load .320-.323" bullets. Huntington Die Specialties can provide dies for the 8x33R, but they are custom and expensive. Cheapest fix is to use the Cadet heeled bullet in a .32-20 case. These barrels have a slow twist and will not handle bullets heavier than about 130 grains, so keep that in mind.

[358wcf]

By all means go with the heeled boolit from RCBS- I use them very well in my two unaltered .310greener Cadets- great accuracy for a rifle over 100 years old with iron sights and old eyes!
If you care to, PM me with your address and I will provide you with a few heeled boolits to try-
Take Care-
Chuck
358wcf

[Hooker53]

Outpost. You are correct in advising to use the Heeled Boolit and stay away from throating this gun. As much as I would hate to, I would do an occasional regiment of just 32-20 rounds before getting into that. Ha. I would I deed not want to go beyond a 130 Gn Boolit and have settled down to 120 so far.

Chuck, I think I'm fighting the same battles you are with the aging eyes. Lol. I will PM for sure and thanks loads for the offer. I love this gun and have for years. The one I took charge of yesterday is as good as they come in preservation for like you say, a gun well over a century. It's all original and untouched. Even the Finnish on the wood has the very small crinkled effect like an old antique in a few small spots. The best I can tell, it was made in July of 1925. I went back and read the part one and two from the cadet master on the mould makers website down under Thanks both of you for answering. Just good stuff here

Roy

[calaloo]

The RCBS heeled bullet mold for the Martini Cadet is 310-120-RN. It will solve your problems. If you want to try some PM me.
Calaloo

[pworley1]

+1 for the 310-120-RN It works very well for me.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/172...ain-round-nose

[Jon K]

I used a Heeled Boolit mould from NEI .323-120-310 #93b

Jon

[Bad Ass Wallace]

To call the 310 conversion at 32/20 is very confusing, it should be a .310 Magnum, being a longer case in the original bore size. The photo shows a .310 against a fireformed .310Magnum and a case which has been expanded and loaded with a .317 boolit.The original BSA barrels were .316 diameter and Greener won a contract to supply replacement barrels which were oversized being .319/.320.

The use of heeled boolits was to counter this bore change but if you unload some original copper jacket ammo from 1910 it measures .316 dia.

[Hooker53]

Wallace. You are very correct in stating it has been confusing in pinning down what I have. I gentleman on the forum here helped me greatly behind the thread to fig out what I have and it looks like what I have is one of the later barrels you have mentioned that just had a .310 Greener reamer turned a little deeper to use the 32-20. Brass. After taking a closer look at my off the shelf and fired ove brass it has endeed fire formed a lot of the 32-20 shoulder out of the brass. I plan to Cerrasafe the chamber later to get a better look

I did slug the barrel yesterday and rolling the slug between a slack jawed dial caliper, it's coming up .323 on the grooves every time. I looked at the CBE site with antisapation of buying the correct Boolit mold but all Jim was showing in a .323 boolet was a reduced heel under .310. My case mouths after firing are all comi g up .312 to .314. I think he would make an adjustment on this for me though. Thanks for your helpfull input Wallace.

[seaboltm]

Can the barrel be rebored to 357 magnum? JES could do the work. I have a cadet in 357 magnum. Shoots great. I am pretty sure it is the original barrel rebored, but I could be wrong.

[Hooker53]

Hello Seaboltm. I'm sure this Cadet could be reworked to .357 as I'v seen many that have. I would not dream of doing it to this one though as I'm a realist in keeping the historical value of the Cadet intact. I would rebarrel a Cadet over to .357 in heartbeat if the barrel was shot out or the Cadet was beyond preserving and needed to have the action an all reblued and gone through. I have a lever .357 Mag and love the round shot in a rifle though. Thanks for stopping in and your help.

[barrabruce]

I think the 323 mould is so as it will fit the throat of the bore at the end of the 310 case.
What I can gather they are more or less a taper from rim to muzzle.
You will have to do some figuring out what size will fill the throat and shank diameter.
Then you can cast finger seat and shoot with out sizing the brass....Well in theory anyway.
But there are more than one way to skin a cat also.

Bad *** Wallace know a thing or 2 about them martini's.

Barra

[Hooker53]

You are correct in all your thoughts Barra and you are right not only about Bass A--- ha but all of the folks that's came on board here has helped greatly. Here's what I want to do today and thought I would put this out for some that's done this to these guns.

I want to Cerrasafe the chamber of this gun later today but was wondering where I stop my plug off at in the barrel? I know the throat so to speak tapers on these guns and I want to see all I can about that but also know if I cast a plug to long it will be the devil to extract out. Ha.

I thought about pushing the slug I got out of it yesterday back in it to about .250 ahead of where the normal loaded round with boolit would sit. What's everyone's thoughts on that? Thanks for stopping in Barra.

[seaboltm]

Hello Hooker53. Just my lowly opinion, but the Cadet lost a great deal of originality when it was re-chambered to 32-20. So you have two sides to the same coin: an unoriginal 32-20, or an unoriginal 357 magnum. Like I said, just my lowly opinion, but I do have several Cadets.