My wildcat project.... Need cheapish 30 cal barrel blank source.

[G. Blessing]

Good evening,

Anybody know of a site that lists 30 cal barrel blanks for less than about $150? (midway and brownells lowest prices) Only need 20" max, no chamber, and ~ .921 to 1" at the reciever end (measurement from my win94 in 30-30), profile don't mater, I can lath it if it needs changed. Don't mind old surplus...... Would have lover a green mountain octagon, but wouldn't you know it, .30 is about the only cal they don't list? :roll:


I've got a wildcat project going, got the cartridge forming, and powder/balistcs all figured out, just need to get an action and barrel for it. I don't plan on spending more than $250 to $300 at the most for the doner gun, so I don't need a $200 match grade barrel......

Would be great to find one made to fit(but un-chambered) a winchester or marlin 1894... or even a 336.

THe project is the .38spcl/.357mag case necked to a 30 cal bullet. Going to start with a .38 or .357 lever gun, so the action and mag tube is already set to feed that lenth and dia. of cartridge. them re-barrel to 30 cal. with custom chamber.

The whose thing is waiting on my finding a 38/357 doner gun that I can aford.

Any ideas on where I might find a barrel listing?

Gary

[danski26]

A blank for cheap might be tough to find. If you could get away with cutting down a 30-30 take off barrel cheap would be easy. There is one on flea bay off a 336 for $25 right now. I don't know if you would have enough diameter to cut off the old chamber and fit the reciever after re-chambering though.

I'll look around and see if the local shop has a longer 30 take off laying around for cheap. A bull barrel take off 25+ long should work with some lathe time.

[Buckshot]

...........Have you looked at GPC? They had some NOS Marlin 36RC 20" bbls (chambered 30-30, 4 groove, dovetails cut) for cheap.

.............Buckshot

[dubber123]

Another vote for Gun Parts Corp. in N.Y. Sometimes you have to look through the back pages, but they have alot of stuff. Usually pretty cheap too.

[Hackleback]

$79.99

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=121851

[waksupi]

I'll look around. I believe I have a .30 Bauska blank around here. If I can find it, you can make an offer.

[Frank46]

Just a suggestion, look in either shotgun news or small arms review. They usually have dealers selling israeli 7.62 browning machine gun barrels for the 1919A4. Cut off approx 2" to get rid of the chamber and the rest is your barrel. They have no taper but two cylindrical sections where the bbl jacket goes. Some are new and the others are in VG condition. Less than 100.00 I bought two from sportmans guide some years back for about 50.00 each. But with the barrel ban the prices have gone up some. Just a thought. Frank

[G. Blessing]

$79.99

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=121851

Not sure how I missed that... At least now I have something to fall back on if converting another one doesn't work.

Thanks for all the help guys. :drinks:

Gary

[Hackleback]

There are some Parker Hale "bull" barrels floating around out there that might work as well. One of the parts houses still has some. Just another thought

[lar45]

Browse on Ebay, you should be able to find several 30 cal barrels on any day. Sometime back, Centery Int had 30-06 barrels for Mauser 98s for under $50 new. I don't know if they still have them. I picked up a Rem 721 30-06 barrel for about $40ish on ebay and it looks great inside.

If you get your 30-38 or 357 done, please post details and pics. I've been thinking of doing a 30-38spl on a Rossi M92 levergun. The 30-38 can be formed and loaded with 7.62x25 dies. Just run the 38 special case in the size die and you're done. The case has about the same capacity as the 32-20.

If you go with the 38 case, you might be able to shoot 7.62x25 surplus ammo in it also. No rim and short neck so the accuracy might be questionable, but...

GPC has 30-30 and 307 Win barrels. I think they are mostly 20", but you might be able to find a 24" 30-30 by browseing around.

Sounds like a great project.
Good luck.

[lar45]

http://cgi.ebay.com/WEATHERBY-RIFLE-BARREL-30-06-SPRINGFIELD-SS_W0QQitemZ260126636528QQihZ016QQcategoryZ31709QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here's a Stainless weatherby 30-06 barrel for under $20 + shipping.

[G. Blessing]

Yeah, about 25 seconds(realy!) after I posted this thread, I got a PM sugesting several barrels, from Rem. 700s on the 'bay..... Did some measuring of my Dads 700- 30-06, and it would work fine. IF the barrel dia at the receiver is the same on Win. 357s as on a 30-30.

I'm bidding and watching several on there now...

Thanks to all who have contacted me about selling a barrel, I apreciate it. I hate to say this but, Please, no more offers. I got hurt, some muscles in my ribs, back, and hips at work saturday.....

Going to be layed up and out of work for a bit, so I can't have any cash flow outward for a few weeks. :(

Seems like every time I get started in a project this year, I get messed up.
Thats life, I guess.

Gary

[G. Blessing]

If you get your 30-38 or 357 done, please post details and pics. I've been thinking of doing a 30-38spl on a Rossi M92 levergun. The 30-38 can be formed and loaded with 7.62x25 dies. Just run the 38 special case in the size die and you're done. The case has about the same capacity as the 32-20.

If you go with the 38 case, you might be able to shoot 7.62x25 surplus ammo in it also. No rim and short neck so the accuracy might be questionable, but...

GPC has 30-30 and 307 Win barrels. I think they are mostly 20", but you might be able to find a 24" 30-30 by browseing around.

Sounds like a great project.
Good luck.

I had not heard of 7.62x25..... went and looked it up, (ammoguide.com is great for this stuff...) I somehow missed it in my re-search. The round actualy looks quite intersting in itself.

I did a lot of looking, and reading forums, research when I thought of necking the 357 to .30. Figured that I would be fairly close to re-inventing the .30 mauser (7.65x21), so I was going to use it for load datta. I couldn't find much information on anybody trying this before(probably missed something), I'm glad I'm not the only one who had the idea. :drinks:

Using an existing sizing die would be great! Would save a great deal of work... I was planning on cutting down a 30-30 die for the same use, or possible just lathe turning a new piece for a die.

My main idea with this was, a comparable bullet weight to the 357, say 200 grains, at around the same velocity of the 357, but the .30 being a longer, more aero-dinamic(I know thats spelled wrong...) bullet, would have better trajectory, than the fatter bullets. The secondary idea was that I wanted to develop my own round from scratch. :mrgreen:

Hit the local used gun shops, not a single lever action 357 or 38 to be found. Thats the next big step. Finding one.

Got a couple shooting buddies that I'm going to run this by, I think one of them might know where I could get one. The nice thing about this project, is that it doesn't necisarily have to be in great condition......

G.

[Hackleback]

Take off barrels are to be had at most gun shows, around here they go for $25-50. Might contact yuor local gun smith, he might have one for cheap. Just more ideas

[Frank46]

Gary, sarco is listing two flavors of parker hale 308 bbl for sale. One is supposed to be in very good condition and they have some with some rust on the outside for about $50 bucks. Coles distributing has 1919A4 israeli 308 browning MG barrels in excellent condition for about the same amount. If you have acess to a lathe the rust on the outside and excellent on the inside ones might be just what you are looking for. Also, check ebay as they sometimes list take off barrels. If you are planning to use the marlin as a repeater maybe a regular sporter style bbl would be just what you need. Would have to remove less metal. Ofetn wondered how a marlin would shoot with a heavy bbl on it and without all the stuff like the mag tube hanging off it removed. There was a article some years back where the author had made up a single shot on a marlin action, He had installed I believe a springfield bbl and palm rest and schutzen type buttplate. From what I remember
it shot very well. Frank

[lar45]

For the chamber, you could probably rent a 7.62x25 reamer and then get a neck and throat reamer to cut it longer to fit the case.
When I first made mine, I used an extended rod in the shell holder spot and ran a 38 spl case up inside a 30-06 size die, then pushed it out with a punch from the top. It formed the cases fairly well. I didn't think about the 7.62x25 until much later.
There is a 30-357 AET(?) that is out someplace. The 38 special case has the same capacity as a 32-20, so load data will be everywhere.

Sounds like fun, keep us posted.

[G. Blessing]

Thanks guys,



Sounds like fun, keep us posted.

Good info to have, thanks! Will do. :Fire:

G.

[G. Blessing]

Got me a barrel. Its off a 30-30 winchester. Depending on what the reciever hole dia. is on the doner gun, it might or might not work for dia. after chamber removal. I've got a fix figured out though, regaurdless of the difference in the two.

Have decided to get a Navy arms '92 for the donor reciever, the MSRP is less than the price of used winchesters and marlins around here...

I know where i can get a reamer made, but whats a good place to rent one from?

Gary.

[Four Fingers of Death]

There are some Parker Hale "bull" barrels floating around out there that might work as well. One of the parts houses still has some. Just another thought

If those PH bbls are phosphate finished, they would be replacements for the sniper rifles. They shoot gooddddddddddddddddd! My friendly gunsmith came accross a batch a few years ago, Aussie army surplus. I dropped in his shop ten minutes after he sold the last one :( I have a few friends who bought them, shot real well.

You would probably be easier buiding it on a bolt action or an old Cadet and using a 30 target bbl that a target shooter has discarded, they are usually free or cheap.

[SwedeNelson]

Have chambered a 30 Carbine Ruger to 30-357 Paxton
Dies are around too, but hard to find.

Swede Nelson

[TAWILDCATT]

any one ever research the 7.62 X 25 no one seems to realize its 30 mauser.my russian friend was asked about it and as he used all 3 guns he should know.the guns mauser broomhandle/ppsh41/torkorev auto.:coffee: :coffee: :Fire:

[G. Blessing]

Have chambered a 30 Carbine Ruger to 30-357 Paxton
Dies are around too, but hard to find.

Swede Nelson

Hmmmmm........

:roll: Every time I think I've come up with something original, research and find no info whatsoever.... 2 or 3 monthes into development, THEN I find out its been done 2 or 3 times over..... ( thats the third 3-357 variant I've heard of since I started this venture....)

Rant over... [smilie=1:

Well, when I'm done, there will be another variation for the next guy to come along and think of this... :mrgreen:

G.
:drinks:

[G. Blessing]

any one ever research the no one seems to realize its 30 mauser.my russian friend was asked about it and as he used all 3 guns he should know.the guns mauser broomhandle/ppsh41/torkorev auto.:coffee: :coffee: :Fire:


hmmm.... Yes, it is extremely close... Gives me anothe option for dies, if i have trouble getting some made for the 7.62 X 25, i can try for the mauser.

http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/ai.cgi?sn=VfmCkFoDlc&catid=216

http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/ai.cgi?sn=VfmCkFoDlc&catid=90

Came across this too;

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Gorge/4653/x25ammo.htm


G.

[floodgate]

TAWILDCATT:

I regularly shot .30 Mauslicher factory ammo in my 1944 (crude, but totally functional) TT33 Tokarev. It seemed to operate the action reliably, but a bit slowly (BANG!.."clink"..."clank" - - "BANG"... etc. etc.). I had a set of .30 M dies for my 310 tool, but never retrieved enough empties to make it worthwhile to look up a mould.

The 7.62x25 and .30 Mauser are generally considered interchangeable (the Russian a tad hotter), but too hot to be safe in the dimensionally-similar 7.65 Borchardt or Mannlicher. My only "Kuhfusspistole" (I like the German nickname "cow's-hoof pistol" better than "Broomhandle") was a "parts" C-96 with a "Red 9" barrel, so I never tried the Mauser version.

Swede Nelson / G. Blessing:

Bob Paxton, originator of that version of the .30 x .357 was my friend and gunsmith back in the '60's; now retired near Fernley, NV. It was made up for use in 310 Martinis, of which he rechambered several. He also did a shorter .30 on the .38 Super case for the 1911. Both worked very well.

floodgate

[G. Blessing]

floodgate; Is there any documentation of the round availible anywhere?

I've exausted google, and a few forum searches with no luck.

Thanks,



G.

[G. Blessing]

Almost forgot!

Got my .30 barrel today, good bore, a bit of light external rust, and needs re-blued. At least i won't be ruining a perfectly bood blue when I start cutting on it. Its only 20" long, but if I'm careful, I'll end with 17", just over the trapper lenth I want.

I'm going to go ahead and cut it down, cut a reamer or two and chamber it, crown it, and mount in a temp. falling block action. This way I can develop the cartridege, and get dies made, and do some testing without having to wait for the final action.

First thing I need to do is contact Navy Arms, and find out the reciever to barrel size and thread. So I can go ahead and put it on the barrel and build the temp action for it.

G.

[floodgate]

G. Blessing:

It's an OLD round, and is written up (briefly) on p. 223 of Volume 2 of the P. 0. Ackley "Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders", 1966 Edition (maybe a different page in the current reprint edition), under "Pistol Cartridges" (???). But there are many versions, differing primarily in case and neck lengths, nothing "magic" about any of them.

floodgate

[Willbird]

Also have a look at 300 whisper, aka 300x221 fireball. Dies are off the shelf, midway sells reamers as well. If you positively need a rimmed ctg you can neck down 357 maximum to make rimmed 300 whisper. I have a 17" of pacnor 1x8 twist 30 caliber bbl and a 310 martini that are going to go that way :-).

Bill