30-06 pmvf/ccc

[CKent323]

My Grandfather was Edward Baden Powell (who also went by E. Baden Powell and Baden Powell). He and Ralph Waldo Miller co-invented and patented the Powell Miller Venturi Freebore (PMVF) design (patent 2,455,080 Nov. 30, 1948).

They accomplished this by rechambering an existing rifle to accommodate an oversized case machined to their design. They set up a company rechambering rifles and selling dies.

Interestingly, Roy Weatherby ordered a .270 PMVF based on the .300 H&H Magnum case, and he was so impressed he later asked Miller to assist in developing a new line of “magnum” cartridges to be used in custom-ordered rifles.

In the meantime, Powell and Miller sold their company to Hollywood Gun Shop. That company offered the same service but gave the concept a different label—the CCC (Controlled Combustion Chamberage) designation. Weatherby subsequently partnered with another machinist, and they produced the .375 Weatherby.

I know that Lyle Corcoran, who owned Hollywood Gun Shop, was an acquaintance of my Grandfather and his company made CCC dies but I am not sure if he rechambered the rifles or if that was done by another company. VARD is stamped on the rechambered firearms and I do not yet know if VARD, Inc of Pasadena, who produced drafting machines, calipers and other measuring equipment made them under contract of if there was another company named VARD that did the machining.

The CCC cartridge was available in many different calibers from the .218 Bee though the .375 H7H magnum including .219 Zipper, .223, .243, 250-3000, .270., 30-07, .300, 6mm, 7mm and others. I have seen CCC dies marked Hollywood Gun Shop and others marked RCBS (these may be the original PMVF dies).

My brother and I own Winchester model 70 rifles chambered in CCC. One is .300 CCC and the other is .375 CCC. We have dies for both made by Hollywood Gun Shop.

Neither of us has fired these rifles but my Father did when he was working for my Grandfather as part of E. Baden Powell and Sons. They did a significant amount of ballistics testing in the 1940’s and my Grandfather wrote a technical bulletin containing graphs and charts, based on the ballistics testing, entitled "Killing Power" which was published by the NRA in 1944.

E. Baden Powell had several other firearm inventions and patents mainly for shotguns (he competed in .410 and 12 ga trap and skeet and was well regarded). He is probably best known for the invention of the Power-Pac which was marketed and sold by his friend and bsiness partner Frank Pachmayr of Pachmayr Gun Works.

The information here on the PMVF and CCC was corroborated, and some details filled in by, the following articles:

“.375 CCC Reloading Data” by Lane Pearce, March 18, 2019 - Shooting Times

“Don't Be Afraid of an Obscure Cartridge: The obscure .375-CCC wildcat round is eerily similar to and has a historical connection with the .375 Weatherby Magnum” by Lane Pierce Feb 9, 2019 – Shooter’s Gallery: THE RELOADER

[CKent323]

Doing a bit more searching I found the an article entitled " The Weatherby Connection" by Wayne van Zwoll on the development of the Weatherby cartridge.

https://www.africahunting.com/thread...nection.15735/

He asserts that VARD was the name of the company that Powell and Miller formed (I am not sure that is correct). Here is an excerpt from the article:

"While the subsequent success of Weatherby rifles resulted mainly from Roy’s hard work and brilliant salesmanship, his early magnums probably owe a great deal to fellow Californian and wildcatter R.W. Miller. In 1940 Miller was loading the .300 Hoffman, dropped from Western Cartridge Company’s line seven years earlier. Western claimed the steep Hoffman shoulder hiked pressures, and that, loaded to acceptable limits, it wouldn’t exceed the velocity of the parent .300 Holland.

Miller figured if he replaced the angular neck junctures with rounded, or radiused ones, powder gas would flow more smoothly, directing more energy at the bullet base. This done, he lengthened the throat to reduce pressures as the bullet accelerated. After he wrote letters to The American Rifleman about his work, the magazine sent authority E. Baden Powell out to take a look. Powell advised Miller to straighten the case body, reducing bolt thrust and preventing premature escape of powder gas. The new cartridge was called the PMVF: Powell Miller Venturi Freebore. In 1944 the two men went into business under the shingle of Vard, Inc. But short of money, they sold in 1945 to Hollywood Tool and Die, which renamed the cartridge CCC: Controlled Combustion Chamberage.

About this time Roy Weatherby carried a .270 PMVF on a deer hunt and liked it. Weatherby asked Miller to help put the radiused shoulder on his rounds. Miller demurred. Roy went next to George Fuller, a machinist friend who had fashioned the reamer for Weatherby’s .220 Rocket. Fuller countered that a radius at the base of the shoulder would be hard to tool for – but he capitulated. Weatherby followed with a marketing package that would bring his venture lasting success."

[dverna]

Interesting read

[littlejack]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone have dimensions for the 30-06 PMVF case compared to the 30-06 AI case. Seeing as how both of the cartridges headspace on a factory round the same, and if the case dimension at the junction of the shoulder and case body are the same, or very close, a 30-06 AI sizer die may work if adjusted correctly.

[BrassMagnet]

This may come out of left field, but ask CH4D if one of their 30-06 improved sets would work well enough. They seem to have every possible angle of improved there is for 30-06.

[mdatlanta]

This was/is an interesting read and insight into a bit of firearms history. Thanks for posting, everyone!