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Have a question about rimmed bolt action rounds

2K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  cornbelt 
#1 ·
Which if any rimmed military rounds IE 7.62x54R, 303 British, the two I can think of right off hand, match rim diameter with 45-70? In order to facilitate a referral job with out slot of work on the boltface
 
#3 ·
I'm coming up blank! 45-70 has a .608 rim diameter, 762X54 has a .567 rim diameter and 303 Brit has a .505 rim diameter.

The 303 is close to the 444 Marlin with the rim being a bit thicker. I have made 410 shells out of the 303 Brit cases. However unless I'm missing something I think the 45-70 is all by itself.....I'll research a bit when I get done moving snow.
 
#5 ·
The Siamese Mauser used a rimmed cartridge (8mm something IIRC) that was close to the same rim diameter as the .45/70. Back in the day Navy arms sold a bunch of them that they converted to .45/70.

At least I ASSUME the rim diameters were close to the same because it was a popular conversion when the surplus Siamese Mausers were plentiful.
 
#8 ·
You might want to look at the rim diameter of the .450 Marlin to use, instead of the 45-70. Once you have the "ingredients" the performance of both is pretty much identical. I believe that the .450 will also function much better through most any bolt gun's magazine as well. Both Steyr and E.R. Shaw offered the .450 in a bolt gun. And it also functions well in a detachable magazine ala my BLR/.450
 
#9 ·
I don't recall that the 303 Brits had any bolt face work. True the bolt face of the 303 Brit is a tad smaller than that for the 45/70 but it is a open flat face with only the extractor intruding. The extractor may or may not need some work but the 303 Brits were rebarrelled to both 45/70 and 45/90.

I know that the Chilean and Siamese Mausers were rimmed but I'm not sure if any of the Siamese Mausers came in the 45/70 caliber although I have seen the conversions. I have also seen conversions to the 444 Marlin caliber and either caliber would be a hoot, if you can get them to feed........
 
#10 ·
I've seen ruger Americans in 450 Bushmaster for under $400 on gunbroker.

I agree with Bad Mike, the feeding could be a big issue. I have never had a rimmed anything in a bolt gun that fed very well even when judiciously stacking the rounds so that the rims stair step in the magazine. Recoil would on occasion shift the top round in the magazine so that it's rim was stacked behind the next one in the magazine. I had problems with a 30-30 in a 788 remington and even a 220 Swift which is semi rimmed in a Ruger 77.
 
#11 ·
The local gunsmith has converted several SMLE rifles to .45/70. Same bolt, same mag. Headspace is more important than rim diameter.
An interesting story from Bell, the elephant hunter is that his group had several single shot .404's, but after the Great War, .303's were all you could get, so they shot .303's in the .404's, since headspace was the same. Not for elephants, just camp meat like guinea fowel.
For loading .410 in a single stage press, a .303 shell holder works.
 
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