https://thegreatmodel8.net/

Below is the information I have gathered in my efforts to build ammo for my Model 8. Some of the info was gleaned from the forums here, some of it from other sources. I hope you find it useful. I must point out that I have only done the work for .30 Remington and have not tried the methods for the other cartridges, although I believe the information to be correct.

I would highly recommend annealing the cartridges after forming them or you may find that they have a short life before splitting. These type of reforming operations will very quickly work harden brass. I used a small wood lathe for the turning operations; any reasonably well made lathe with a smallish runout should work fine. Use a collet or die to hold the case.

Reference material:
The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions, John J. Donnelly, copyright 1987, ISBN 0-88317-138-4.
http://saami.org/specifications_and_inf ... ad/206.pdf

.25 Remington - pg. 206 Donnelly - http://www.armorypub.com/2001/4-01.htm
.30-30 Win. or .225 Win. Turn rim to .422" dia and cut extractor groove. If using .225 Win., taper expand to .270". FL size, trim to length, chamfer.

.30 Remington - pg. 308 Donnelly - pg. 55 SAAMI
.30-30 Win. Turn rim to .422" dia and cut extractor groove. FL size, trim to length, chamfer.

.32 Remington - pg. 368 Donnelly - pg. 67 SAAMI
.30-30 Win. Turn rim to .422" dia and cut extractor groove. Taper expand to .330". FL size, trim to length, chamfer.

.35 Remington - pg. 412 Donnelly - pg. 73 SAAMI
.303 British or .30-40 Krag. Trim case to 1.95". Turn rim to .460" dia. and cut extractor groove. FL size, trim to length, chamfer.

.300 Savage - pg. 341 Donnelly - pg. 60 SAAMI
.30-06 Springfield. Anneal neck, FL size w/out expander, trim to length, I.D. neck ream, chamfer.

SAAMI info for potential parent cartridges:
.225 Winchester - pg. 42 SAAMI
.30-06 Springfield - pg. 56 SAAMI
.30-30 Winchester - pg. 57 SAAMI
.30-40 Krag - pg. 58 SAAMI
.303 British - pg. 63 SAAMI

edited to emphasize what I have actually done - Steve.

Excellent post, the kind of detail and references our members need

Phyrbird wrote:Excellent post, the kind of detail and references our members need

Carl, I completely agree! Great informative post, srs!

As I am in the same camp as Mitch - gearing myself up towards reloading on my own - (had to include you in this post, Mitch!) the download SAAMI pdf was a great thing to review.

srs, whatever your Christian name may be, I thank you for guiding me back to the SAAMI specs website. I took a few seconds, and downloaded the shotgun, rimfire, and pistol specs pdf's as well to add to my reference library.

Adam

srs,
I think this here you wrote down was interesting:

.35 Remington - pg. 412 Donnelly - pg. 73 SAAMI
.303 British or .30-40 Krag. Trim case to 1.95". Turn rim to .460" dia. and cut extractor groove. FL size, trim to length, chamfer.

so, other folks here - does this seem realistic - turn out .35 Rem cases via .303 Brit cases? Maybe the dimensional aspects could work - but is .303 case construction, from metallurgic standpoint, up for the task?

I ask because I do not know!

Thanks, Team Great 8!
Adam

Those instructions are straight from the Donnelly book. I have not tried making a 35 Remington case because I don't own a rifle that chambers it. If the quality of the parent case is in question, I would not use it. Aren't there some .303 Brit cases that have been made in recent decades? If so, those should be fine.

-Steve

PS. If you are interested on modifying existing cases to make obsolete cartridges, I highly recommend buying the Donnelly book. I found a paperback edition on Amazon this morning by searching for the book title.

Adam Lee wrote:srs,
I think this here you wrote down was interesting:

.35 Remington - pg. 412 Donnelly - pg. 73 SAAMI
.303 British or .30-40 Krag. Trim case to 1.95". Turn rim to .460" dia. and cut extractor groove. FL size, trim to length, chamfer.

so, other folks here - does this seem realistic - turn out .35 Rem cases via .303 Brit cases? Maybe the dimensional aspects could work - but is .303 case construction, from metallurgic standpoint, up for the task?

I ask because I do not know!

Thanks, Team Great 8!
Adam

Adam,
303brit's SAAMI operating pressure (45,000cup) is higher than .35Rem and really the only modification to the 303Brit is to turn off the rim and cut a shallow extractor groove. At 35rem pressures, the modification should present no issue if done right. There are several 'modern' manufacturers of 303brit that one could source brass from.

303brit dimensions:
http://s10.postimg.org/m4ijeucc9/303_Brit.png
reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.303_British

For more interesting downloads you might try these:

http://stevespages.com/page8.htm

http://stevespages.com/page7d.htm

Just avoid downloading a book by "jolly Roger" the atf and others track it

srs wrote:Those instructions are straight from the Donnelly book. I have not tried making a 35 Remington case because I don't own a rifle that chambers it. If the quality of the parent case is in question, I would not use it. Aren't there some .303 Brit cases that have been made in recent decades? If so, those should be fine.

-Steve

PS. If you are interested on modifying existing cases to make obsolete cartridges, I highly recommend buying the Donnelly book. I found a paperback edition on Amazon this morning by searching for the book title.

Adam Lee wrote:srs,
I think this here you wrote down was interesting:

.35 Remington - pg. 412 Donnelly - pg. 73 SAAMI
.303 British or .30-40 Krag. Trim case to 1.95". Turn rim to .460" dia. and cut extractor groove. FL size, trim to length, chamfer.

so, other folks here - does this seem realistic - turn out .35 Rem cases via .303 Brit cases? Maybe the dimensional aspects could work - but is .303 case construction, from metallurgic standpoint, up for the task?

I ask because I do not know!

Thanks, Team Great 8!
Adam

Thanks, STEVE!

"Steve" just works for me a bit better than referring to "srs".....that's just me!

And I do like this thread - we are all working around brass shortages, even if the ammo is not completely extinct, in the .35 Rem example.
My fave "work-around" is morphing .30 Rem via 30-30 ammo, which is one of the most generic rounds, thankfully.

.303 British rimmed ammo is still in abundance, thanks to the UK's diverse empire - Indian ammo, Pakistani ammo, heck it's around.

Guys I just learned I have to drop 2 grade levels next year to make up for changing numbers in enrollment, I am not exactly happy - since that means it's back to fourth grade. Again.

I am looking at a transfer to middle school 6-8. We shall see. Not a happy camper today.

Adam