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Thread: Educate me on the .310 BSA cadet I just purchased, bullets, brass, dies etc.

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Educate me on the .310 BSA cadet I just purchased, bullets, brass, dies etc.

    Ok I purchased a good specimen with great blue and near perfect bore. I have not measured anything, just got home with it. I did notice the # 32 stamped on top of the reciever by the barrel. For a stock gun, what is the usual bore, land/grooves, what can I make brass out of and what bullet diameter/weight do I need, assuming it is stock. like I said the bluing and bore is great, the wood has no cracks or breaks, but has lived a rough life, and the buttplate is shiny bare metal with no bluing on it.w I know a lot of these were rechambered for 32/20 when leaving down under. All feedback appreciated.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master trails4u's Avatar
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    I would start with a chamber cast....with the #32 stamped on the receiver I would hazard it's been converted.

    If it is still an original .310 cadet chamber....PM me for info on brass. I can make some for you much more affordable than trying to buy it.

    You can also buy the proper heeled bullets for it (assuming .310 cadet) from Matt's Bullets.
    "Do not follow where the path might lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" Ralph Waldo Emerson

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Cases can be made from .32-20's just shorten them by .20" and 4.5 grs of unique is just about perfect for the powder charge. Both rcbs and arsenal have molds that copy the original bullet .322" diameter 120 gr its a heeled bullet like a .22 rf so for lube you can use lee's liquid alox.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy challenger_i's Avatar
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    7.62x58 Nagant makes a good parent case, as well.
    Rights, and Privileges, are not synonymous. We have the Right to Bear Arms. As soon as the Government mandates firearm registration, and permiting, then that Right becomes a Privilege, and may be taken away at our Master's discretion.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master trails4u's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by challenger_i View Post
    7.62x58 Nagant makes a good parent case, as well.
    This is how I make mine!
    "Do not follow where the path might lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" Ralph Waldo Emerson

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    I have a few but only 1 is still a 310 cadet chambering. The others have been converter to 32 20, and even 1 was converted to a 32 40. I would suggest you do a chamber cast first if you are not sure what you have. They are great rifles and fun to shoot.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    About the only difference between cadet and 32/20 is rim thickness ....I dont think rechambering would touch anywhere bar cutting the rim recess ......In any case ,many of the 1908 Greeners will chamber 32/20 without any alteration at all...........the BSA second models (vernier windage sight) may need a slight rim recess cut...........In general,a Greener will need a 316 bullet,a BSA will need a 321 bullet...(deeper cut rifling)...all have 310 bores ,and so will barely engage a 32/20 bullet at 312 dia.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master Bad Ass Wallace's Avatar
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    John K., I think you are a bit confused. In Brian Labbuta's comprehensive book on the 310 Cadet, BSA rifles had 310/316" bores and indeed Taipan bullets used to make a jacketted boolit of 0.316 diameter.

    When barrels wore out the replacement contract went to Greener who made bores between 0.319" and 0.321". This proved to give very poor accuracy and an engineer from the Colonial Ammunition factory (in South Australia) came up with the infamous "Heeled" boolit, which was a great improvement to accuracy. I have unloaded a number of wartime rounds and found FMJ's of 0.316" and original lead boolits of 0.317".

    An original BSA will have a matching serial number stamped on the barrel and receiver, where it has a secondary number stamped on the action (under the original) it has been rebarreled with the oversized Greener barrel.

    I have 6 Cadet rifles, 5 are BSA's and shoot a convential cast bullet sized to 0.317", the remainder a Greener needs a heeled boolit sized 0.322".

    There is a lot of difference between the 310 and 32/20 besides the 0.200".The conversion typically involved running the 310 reamer into the depth of the 32/20 followed by a 32/20 reamer to cut a deeper rim recess.

    Fireformed in the Cadet rifle, you finish up with a 310 Magnum (1.320" from 1.120" in length), (much the same as 38/357) which still requires either a 0.317" or 0.322" boolit to suit the bore.

    I have been a collector and shooter of these little rifles for many years in both original and sporting forms and among the treasures is an extremely rare WW2 Martini Cadet bayonet, made for the 'home guard' in Western Australia.

    Last edited by Bad Ass Wallace; 05-14-2023 at 06:22 AM.
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  9. #9
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    Mr. Wallace that bayonet is a real treasure.

    All of my Cadets are moded, back when they were a lot less expensive than today.
    “There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
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  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Not confused ,just wrong maybe ........must admit ,I never paid more than $30 for a cadet,and must also admit Im not in the habit of paying more for a book than the gun.....so I must remain forever uneducated ........However ,I am somewhat interested to know how US importers could chamber a BSA Cadet to 32 Win Special ,which fired a 321 dia jacketed bullet at considerable velocity thru a 316 bore .....without blowing the whole lot up.....or at least locking the action?

  11. #11
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    My Martini Cadet .310/.32-20 is a sweet little rifle. My first one had been rechambered/bored to .357 magnum but had been sporterized. I sold it. The .310/.32-20 is still in it’s correct wood. Heres what my .310/.32-20 ammo and a cerrosafe chamber cast looks like. It does take some effort to create the ammo. I use a 150 gr .321 bullet from Western Bullet Co and a combination of 32-20 dies and 30 carbine dies.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Baltimoreed; 05-14-2023 at 10:58 PM.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by john.k View Post
    Not confused ,just wrong maybe ........must admit ,I never paid more than $30 for a cadet,and must also admit Im not in the habit of paying more for a book than the gun.....so I must remain forever uneducated ........However ,I am somewhat interested to know how US importers could chamber a BSA Cadet to 32 Win Special ,which fired a 321 dia jacketed bullet at considerable velocity thru a 316 bore .....without blowing the whole lot up.....or at least locking the action?
    https://forum.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb...1402521904/all

    https://oldarmsofidaho.com/product/c...ester-special/

    https://forum.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb...m=1249484677/0
    Last edited by M-Tecs; 05-14-2023 at 11:31 PM.
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  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    I looked at the references ,and they are probably more confused than I am......not saying that Im confused in any case ...because I havent seen every Cadet ,and havent taken a great deal of notice of the ones I have had..............they are a nice kids gun,and I have happy memories of plinking with a Cadet and the distinctive smell of Ballistite.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    Beautiful little guns! Some were converted to 32 Winchester. Which uses bullets of the correct diameter but the cartridges are difficult to load and the recoil can’t be pleasant in such a light rifle. Mine had been converted to 32-20 but the bore on most run .321. Several mold maker have the correct bullet design, Accurate, NOE. Enjoy the little darlin’! Tim

  15. #15
    Boolit Master


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    I have the RCBS and two CBE molds for the Cadet. After you get your chamber cast and know what your bore diameter is, and want to try some different bullets, Let me know. As mentioned in a prior post, Lee alox is your friend.
    “Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”
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  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy challenger_i's Avatar
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    One of the Cadets I have was "rechambered" to 32-20. It would blow the case out to a straight wall. Also, it would "pattern, not group" with any 32-20 I fed it. I made a cast of the chamber and throat, slugged the barrel (came out at .317") and determined I could make ammo by using the fire-formed 32-20 brass, or trimming back 7.62x58 Nagant brass. I used the RCBS 8mm Nambu cast bullet, sized .318" (bought a custom Lee sizer for the task). Using 30 Carbine dies to load, and AA1680 powder, she makes a very good tack driver.

    I have another Cadet that was rechambered, and the brass comes out looking like 32-20 brass. This rifle shoots accurate with J words, but not so much with cast (riddle me THAT one!).

    As for the 32 Winchester Special? Shoots nice, makes a good brush gun for white tail, but it has a VERY sharp bite with the original stock.
    Rights, and Privileges, are not synonymous. We have the Right to Bear Arms. As soon as the Government mandates firearm registration, and permiting, then that Right becomes a Privilege, and may be taken away at our Master's discretion.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    My .32-20 conversion is a BSA, and the bore slugged out at .3185", which has me originally shooting .320" sized bullets, but the new custom tumble lube mold is going a little bigger at .321-.322". As I recall, the twist is about 1-20 or 1-21, but it's stabilizing a 150gr bullet just fine. Having great luck with AA #9 for propellant in Starline brass.

    If yours is still in the original .310, that's a heeled bullet round, which I'm unfamiliar with the sizing/seating steps for. My inclination would be to check a fired case's neck for heel diameter, chamber and bore slug for nose diameter, and have Accurate create a mold with tumble lube grooves on the nose section.
    WWJMBD?

    In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.

  18. #18
    Boolit Bub
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    For some reason I just like the Cadet rifles, and would like to find one, even if it has been altered. They seem like real trim rifles, just right for "woods loafing". Good Luck Chris

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy challenger_i's Avatar
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    I warn you, sir: they are addictive!
    Rights, and Privileges, are not synonymous. We have the Right to Bear Arms. As soon as the Government mandates firearm registration, and permiting, then that Right becomes a Privilege, and may be taken away at our Master's discretion.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    If it is an original chambering then 7.62 nagant revolver dies are so close to that you can use them for sizing.

    Sizing bullets is easy. Tumble lube in Lee allox and push them through a Lee sizer.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check