Does anyone here have a lathe? Making 43 Mauser from 45-90

[Gunfreak25]

Anyone here have a lathe that could help a guy with a small project? It's a simple machine job, seen it done just can't contact the folks who have done or else i'd have them make me one, shops here want entirely too much for their time. Basically, I need a small piece of round bar machined to match the 43 Mauser "A" base beveled rim. Then you take cheap 45-90 brass and using a shop press which I have, swage the rim down in the base die. This is the way that Buffalo Arms makes their brass from .348 Winchester.

Here's a couple pictures of the Mauser A base, and another picture showing the base die machined to match. I'll gladly pay for someones time if it's not too outrageous, and I have a fired original 43 Mauser shell casing I can send your way for measuring.

[adcoch1]

Pm incoming

[ascast]

You shooting a '71 or '71/84? or what?

[enfield]

I made some from 45-90 and with light smokeless loads they worked fine ( a little bit too much headspace ). but when I did a full load of BP the cases split down the sides ( they are too small for the chamber ). The brass was annealed and that's the first brass that has split on me. I switched to 300 Win Mag for my experimental brass and it works great.

[Gewehr-Guy]

Enfield, I am curious about your split brass, did it split near the base or the neck? I have been making mine out of 45-90 Starline, and have loaded them at least 6-8 times, although only with smokeless . The first shot with new brass they would sometimes expand more to one side because they are about.014 undersized. To fix this i put two wraps of masking tape around the cartridge which centered it nicely in the chamber , no more bulged cases. A friend uses aluminum tape on his and just leaves it on, but I remove the tape after the first fireforming. Does the .300 mag have enough rim to extract?

[corbinace]

I am watching this thread with interest.

[sharps4590]

Bertram did make 11.15 X 60R, (43 Mauser) brass. It was/is flippin' pricey but it was available from Buffalo Arms. I grudgingly bought a box and it's worked fine.

I have some Buffalo 11.15 X 60R brass from the 348 WCF and it's worked fine for close to 20 years. Given the age of my double rifle all I've used is BP. Loose chambers can drive a fella to drink....so can tight chambers.

[Gunfreak25]

Adcoch1 is making the base forming die for me, very reasonable price too. I will let everyone know how it works out, yes this is for my 71/84. I refuse to pay the Bertram price and have always been kind of a do it myselfer. Also form 577 450 martini that's pretty easy and very inexpensive as apposed to formed ready to go. I shoot at a lot but don't make a lot so it's not really a choice!

[enfield]

The splits in my brass start about 1/2 way up and are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long on both sides. I had shot them several times with about 18Gr 4759 loads with no problems, just a slight bulge. This time about 70 ish Gr of 2f. Also note that the splits happened in a 71-84 barrel ( I installed on a Swedish rolling block, and set it up with very little headspace ) and the other times the brass was shot in a 71 carbine with sloppy headspace due to the thinner rim.

[abunaitoo]

How did you make the rim with the 300 Win Mag????

I made some from 45-90 and with light smokeless loads they worked fine ( a little bit too much headspace ). but when I did a full load of BP the cases split down the sides ( they are too small for the chamber ). The brass was annealed and that's the first brass that has split on me. I switched to 300 Win Mag for my experimental brass and it works great.

[adcoch1]

Once the brass gets here I'll get started and throw up a few pics if anyone is interested.

[dogmower]

I'm doing the same project as you guys, but, my rifle is a 71/84 that, I think, was re-barreled at some point for 43 Spanish. the bolt face was not changed and therefore, it needs a .586 rim, not the larger one on the 43 Spanish. I have fireformed 45-70 and 45-90 (trimmed to 2.25) and they both work great with the lyman 350 grain .446 boolit over 30 of imr4198. I also tried some 43 Spanish cases with the rim trimmed to .586. these were even more accurate. it's relatively time consuming to cut and bevel the rims on a lathe
my question is to the original poster - where in az are you located? I'm in Tucson and have a lathe. i'd like to see the specs on the swaging tool and I could make one for both of us.
shoot me a pm if you are around my area

[enfield]

For 300 Win Mag just run it up in the 43 die and keep trying in the rifle until it will just chamber. that way it uses the shoulder and not the rim to head space. If you size the neck too far down it will not set off the primer. The cases size after the belt is removed is a very good fit in the chamber. I suspect the brass should last a long time.

[Gunfreak25]

Dogmower, I am in Yuma and Adcoch1 above is making the die for me, i'm sure he'd gladly make a second while he's at it. I have no idea how well this will work, if my 12 ton shop press has enough power to swage the base or if the whole contraption will want to shoot out sideway's while trying to press it. We shall find out, but there's a solution to every problem.

Accurate makes a mold for paper patching I will probably order from them, or use a .43 Spanish mold, size it down to .433 and then patch up to .446. I do shoot grease grooves but enjoy the extra time and nostalgia with paper patching.

[dogmower]

sounds good, keep me updated, please.

[samari46]

Just a question. If a lathe is needed why not just turn the outside of the rim to match the mauser "A" base. Probably could grind a tool bit and slowly feed it in to get the bevel. Or if that won't work, machine the face of the bolt flat and silver solder a spacer that will accomodate the 45/90 case with no base cutting just size the case till it fits your chamber. Just curious. Or instead of silver solder use one of the paste high strength tin/silver solders. While I realize the mantra that says "work on the cheapest part first" in this case the 45/90 case. There was a good thread regarding reworking the french gras bolt head by machining the bolt face then installing a spacer and trimming it so the case 45/70 could be used in the conversion of the gras from the french caliber to 45/70. And my search fu stinks as try as I might cannot find that particular thread. Frank