Author Topic: Rechamber of Handi 22 Hornet to 5.45x39 (Read 4684 times)

briannmilewis · « **on:** December 31, 2010, 12:58:31 PM »

I decided to look thru every cartridge and caliber and find their price for ammo, in order to find the cheapest centerfire rifle cartridge to shoot.

Well, the Russian 5.45x39 jumped right out of the pack at about 12c + per round, roughly 60% of the cost to reload a 22 Hornet if you have the brass.

I will be happy to clean the barrel and chamber with soap and water after each range trip if the powder is corrosive. Also, I can get more expensive hunting rounds when I want to go afield.

Has anyone done this conversion before.

wookie76 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 31, 2010, 04:44:49 PM »

I'm afraid it's pretty much AK only. Which is a shame because the print dimensions look so attractive. There were rumours of an East German bolt action, but otherwise relegated to spray-and-pray type affairs.

Unfortunately it uses an odd-ball .220 bullet. IIRC some slapped together AK-74 kits (early CAI?) with standard American .223 barrels gave dismal accuracy. Consequently, neither of the two main rental houses show reamers, so you would have to commission one.

The other commie alternative would be a Handi or Rossi 7.62x39 rechambered to 7.62x54r.

Or you could give in to the real deal

:
http://shop.peachstateguns.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=5.45x39

briannmilewis · « **Reply #2 on:** December 31, 2010, 08:34:55 PM »

Thanks for the info. I did some more research and confirmed your information.

Looks like I would have to do a barrel stub job on a Handi centerfire frame to make it work. Nothing wrong with that.

Cheers

wookie76 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 31, 2010, 10:09:25 PM »

Lothar Walther shows it on their build out page.
http://www.lothar-walther.de/114.php

You could pick up a cheap Savage Stevens 200 and swap the barrel, but you'd still have to open up the bolt-face.

Most intriguingly, Savage show the chambering on their gun finder page, but nothing comes up, yet.
Conversely, the 11 FCNS shows 7.62x39, but doesn't come up on the gun finder app with a chambering search.
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/11FCNS

Most likely, all will become clear after the SHOT show.

Catfish · « **Reply #4 on:** January 01, 2011, 11:20:18 AM »

If your wanting alittle more from you Hornet you could always make it a K-Hornet. You could hand ream it to that.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #5 on:** January 01, 2011, 11:42:04 AM »

I've been wanting to rebarrel a Stevens with a 5.45x39 barrel for a while. It just hasn't made the top of my priority list. If they sell it from the factory, it will be a huge seller. The price of the ammo makes it an easy stock up.

The 5.45 round really has potential. All the cheap, corrosive commie surplus has got peoples attantion. Now Hornaday is making steel cased ammo with their V-Max bullet sitting on top. That's huge. It's just a matter of time until US made brass and components are available, along with some non AK rifles to shoot it through. The cartridge has excellent accuracy potential. It could be a viable varmint round.

A few American manufacturers jumping on the band wagon could keep this from being another flash in the pan cartridge of the week.

briannmilewis · « **Reply #6 on:** January 05, 2011, 07:52:42 PM »

Unless someone has already done this and can make a post, I will eventually buy a sampling of rounds and mic the bullet diameters, just to see what the "real world" diameters are.

Rechambering the 22 Hornet is not a problem just to see if it works and is accurate without a special barrel. The rifle can always be rechambered to any of the long 22 calibers like 22-250, 220 Swift, 225 Winchester, 219 Zipper.

wookie76 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 08, 2011, 09:35:39 AM »

Sorry, bad news.

A gunshow is in town and I bought a paper pack of 5.45 out of a spam can. A quick check with my chinese calipers, the bullets measure .219-.220. Sample rounds of prvi match .223 I have on hand, measure .222-.223.

Hmm, change gears maybe? Maybe try a .22 Rimfire barrel as a donor? Pac-nor, mcgowen, and shilen list them @ .222.

jedman · « **Reply #8 on:** January 08, 2011, 01:27:35 PM »

Maybe someone that has a rimfire barrel that has slugged it will know what there bore measures.
I seem to remember someone posting that they bought a Rossi combo with a rimfire barrel that didnt shoot 22 LR very well and they slugged the bore and it was something like .218 ??
There are many here on GBO that have rechambered rimfire barrels to centerfire. Jed

briannmilewis · « **Reply #9 on:** January 08, 2011, 08:47:49 PM »

Could we make a slightly modified reamer and die set that opens the neck a few thou?

wookie76 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 08, 2011, 10:15:40 PM »

Well...no. The 5.45 only exists as a varmint round...bipedal varmints. As far as I can tell there is no source of brass casings, there is only the steel.

briannmilewis · « **Reply #11 on:** January 09, 2011, 07:35:58 PM »

PRVI makes brass but...

From:    Kim VanTassel <kim@grafs.com>
   Subject:    Re: Grafs.com Contact Form Submission
   Date:    December 14, 2010 7:53:27 AM CST
   To:    Brian Lewis <brianlewis@earthlink.net>
   Reply-To:    Kim VanTassel <kim@grafs.com>

We do not carry this caliber brass and are unable to special order from PRVI as we have to order such a large amount.

Thank you
Kim

wookie76 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2011, 03:43:25 PM »

Savage's 2011 pdf catalog is up!

Model 25's now available in 5.45x39!

http://www.savagearms.com/

briannmilewis · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2011, 08:20:08 PM »

If we can't reload for it, then they must have tuned it for the cheap ammo, do you think?

I hope they do not have a "no surplus ammo" warning. At 12c-13c per round, why bother to reload if we get 1MOA?

Also in Hornet, 222 and 5.7x28! The 5.7x28 is a modern Hornet, same case capacity.

Maybe someone will import the prvi brass for the 5.45 if they sell enough rifles.

jeepmann1948 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2011, 01:23:11 PM »

If you want a 39mm case with a 224 bullet go 22PPC super accurate and cases readily available and easy to form from 7.62 X 39 cases.While the PPC uses a small primer some 7.62 cases are available with it, if I remember correctly.

briannmilewis · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2011, 07:21:15 PM »

Quote from: jeepmann1 on January 24, 2011, 01:23:11 PM

If you want a 39mm case with a 224 bullet go 22PPC super accurate and cases readily available and easy to form from 7.62 X 39 cases.While the PPC uses a small primer some 7.62 cases are available with it, if I remember correctly.

The 22PPC and 22 BR are excellent rounds, if you don't want to do full case forming for the PPC then the brass is bloody expensive. However, if you read the 6mmBR forum folks, you can get astronomical case life with moderate loads...were talking multiple dozens of reloads with neck sizing only and tight chambers...so they were one of my very first ideas for a H&R 22 Hornet rechamber, and maybe they are still the most logical. However, I will keep track of the Savage 5.45x39 reviews and range reports with cheapo ammo.

jon f · « **Reply #16 on:** April 08, 2011, 01:12:16 AM »

Why not get a 5.6x39 which we call .220 russian.

briannmilewis · « **Reply #17 on:** April 08, 2011, 01:20:41 PM »

No cheap ammo.

Nobade · « **Reply #18 on:** April 10, 2011, 04:32:44 PM »

I just looked at the Savage site, I see the 25 is coming in 5.7x28, but not 5.45x39. Did I miss it?

briannmilewis · « **Reply #19 on:** April 10, 2011, 09:52:48 PM »

The 5.7x28 is pretty much a modern day Hornet and I think would be a fun round if you didn't own a Hornet already. 50 rounds for $20 off the shelf isn't too bad, much better than Hornet which I think is not much under $40 for 50 rounds now. Can still reload the Hornet for $10/50 if you do not count brass cost.