28-30-120 Stevens

[Danth]

Anyone come up with a way to make 28-30-120 cases?

[uscra112]

I've got two .28-30s myself so I've researched this pretty thoroughly. There's a rare Norma case, 6x70, that is pretty close. A long skinny case meant for drillings. Huntington's had some a few years ago.

I've heard it said that it can be made from .30-06, but I have trouble believing it.

Personally, I bought batch of original UMC cases on Gunbroker about a year ago, (at scary knockdown price), so I'm set.

Best bet today is suck it up and buy machined cases from Rocky Mountain Cartridge. http://rockymountaincartridge.com/ Helping a fellow .28-30 shooter up in Michigan, I got to see and measure some, and found them very good.

Another source for machined brass is: https://www.rccbrass.com/

Phil

[DonHowe]

Bertram maybe?

20+ years ago I went to check out a Schuetzen match I had heard of. A gent greeted me and asked if I had come to shoot. I said I had no appropriate rifle and just wanted to see what they did there. To this he said, "But you have to shot something!" To shorten a long story, I was allowed to fire a few shots, breechseated, thru a rifle built by Harry Pope. The bullet were cast in the mold Harry made for the rifle and loaded using tools he also made. The caliber was .28-30.
That one encounter with .28-30 is the extent of my experience with the long skinny Stevens case but the hankering is still with me.

Seems to me it would be easier to make a .28-30 case from a brass rod than from .30-06 brass. For that matter, if one breechseats only a few cases are required.

[uscra112]

With a CNC lathe it's no great problem at all to make them from bar stock.

Something I discovered while helping my Michigan friend is, unlike every other cartridge of the day, Stevens cut their .28-30 chambers very tight. Just .002" oversize at the neck and the cartridge won't go in at all.

[Danth]

Phil: yes, I turned a few cases and they worked out fine. I was hoping someone had and easier alternative. My 28-30 is a Steven's Tip-up. Now that I'm retired, I'm shooting some of the guns I've collected but never really worked on accuracy. In another thread I mentioned my 255 Dean. I'm finding although not a tack driver, it's a good beer can gun at 100 yds, and gets quite a bit of attention at the range. I've got high hopes for the 28-30 as it's got a 30 inch barrel and someone went to the trouble of making a very nice tang sight for it. Haven't determined if it's been throated but I have a breech seater all made up and ready to go if it is. Also found an old capper/decapper unmarked except for the owner's initials and caliber. Looks like the tool made by Pope.

[uscra112]

Now THAT'S unusual, since the .28-30 wasn't introduced until several years after Stevens stopped making the Tip-up models. Never say never with the Stevens products.

[BrassMagnet]

Can this be made from 30-06 basic?

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?364557-Small-lots-of-rare-brass-7x64-7x66SE-Basic-forming-large-Euro-Cals&highlight=

I have since acquired more than the 7 pieces listed in this thread.

[uscra112]

I've read that it has been done. Would take an hydraulic press and some substantial dies. I've made .25-20 SS from .223. but this reduction of .30-06 from .470 to .356 base diameter would be even more violent than that.

[samari46]

Don't know if this would help, but check out Grafs and or Quality Cartridge or case company. Ain't cheap if they have them. Frank

[Texas by God]

Just for reference here.
LtoR- 25-21, 28-30, 30-06
I can see no way to reach 28-30 from 30-06....https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220611/6408e1a9110a92477addfb6156bd1949.jpg

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[DonHowe]

Not going to say never but to get to base diameter from ~.470 it seems to me IF you could swage all that web down there would be no primer pocket or flashhole left and almost certainly lathe work to be done.
Now I KNOW everyyhing upt .577 Nitro can be made from .30-06 brass but I'm just not sure .28-30 is one of them.