looking for help

[tlegu]

This is my newest purchase, a 1870 Leopold Gasser in 6.8x19.6 mm.
I would love to find a way to shoot it and I found some more data on the cartridge but I have been unable to find
even a SINGLE cartridge. Any ideas about how I might manufacture some?
thanks
tlegu

91039

[bhn22]

I see 10.8 Gasser, but nothing in 6.8, which is approximately a .270 bore. Yours appears to have the small frame, could it be a .32 caliber? There was an 8mm Rast-Gasser. Yours looks a bit small to be an 1870, which were truly huge guns with 11mm or 10.8mm bores.

[tlegu]

nope..the .32 s&w will not even go in, the .25acp falls right through.
apparently there is a reference about this round in a reloading/cartridges book by someone named Brandt
unfortunately I dont have that one..so...

it is in structure identical to the bigger bore Gasser revolvers, even the safety is the same
it is just the small frame and smaller round.. I imagine this was considered a pocket pistol or perhaps even a ladies muff pistol
lol..

[rintinglen]

Sounds like fun times ahead. First, order some Cerrosafe from Brownells and make and measure chamber casts from all six (or seven, or eight) chambers. Slug the bore to determine the bullet diameter you need. Chances are excellent there is some modern case that can be modified to work. My best guess is that you will be looking at either the 32 long colt brass, or cut off 22 hornet brass. You will still have to modify your parent cases, sizing the Colt cases down, or trimming and necking up the Hornet cases. This is going to be labor intensive in the extreme. I think you can modify a 25 acp sizing die, once you get you dimensions, to allow you to size you brass. A lee Universal expander should take care of your neck expander needs. Seating may be a problem, but a decent machinist can modify your 25 ACP seating die to allow you to seat and crimp your boolit. You will need to make a mold--I know of no one who will custom make a 270 65-80 grain round nose boolit. Though you might be able to find and modify an old Ideal 280-468. When you finally cobble together a few dozen cases, load them with 8-10 grains (SWAG) of fffg black powder, lube them with one of the BP lubes, and boom away.
Good Luck.
You'll need it.

[bhn22]

Yup, there was a 6.8mm Gasser revolver cartridge from the 1890s. The dimensions are 2/3rds of the way down the first block. http://www.cartridge-corner.com/revolver.htm

Now I want one....

[cbrick]

Welcome to CastBoolits tlegu,

May help if we knew the groove diameter & chamber/throat dimensions including brass length. I just looked through the "Handloaders Manual of Cartridge Conversions" by John J. Donnelly and found two references to Gasser rounds. One is not it, a bottle neck cartridge that's nearly two inches long.

The other one is the "8mm Rast-Gasser", Australian Military cartridge from 1873. It's a straight wall rimmed case 1.037" long, bullet diameter of .319"- .320".

I also looked through "Cartridges of The World" 12th edition by Barnes and Simpson and again only found reference to the Rast-Gasser. I don't have a book by Brandt so no help there.

Interesting project, please keep us informed to whatever you find out.

Rick