Author Topic: Winter months, nothing to do but think! (Read 1071 times)

LONGTOM · « **on:** January 21, 2011, 02:04:57 PM »

Indulge me a little here.
I hate winter, to much time to sit around and dream.

I have been kicking this around all summer.
I want a 50cal cartridge gun.
I picked up some new 50/70 brass from my hunting buddy at his yard sale.
I don't want to pay the price of a rebore so I was thinking, (I know, a bad thing) (starting to sound like Richard, ATLaw).
Anyway, what about taking a 500S&W and rechambering it for the 50/70 brass but still using the .500 bullets.
Would end up with a slite bottlenecked case.
If it would work what a nice toy.
Just wish they made the 500 in a longer barrel.
Am I totally crazy?

LONGTOM

Hit or Miss · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2011, 02:17:42 PM »

If you start now you could probably get it done before the spring gopher season gets here!

Jimbo47 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2011, 02:43:42 PM »

Yes!.......But this IS the Handi forum and it's allowed!

Big Blue · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2011, 03:02:08 PM »

Quote from: LONGTOM on January 21, 2011, 02:04:57 PM

Just wish they made the 500 in a longer barrel.
LONGTOM

I cut mine down to a 16.25" barrel so I have several inches of barrel I could send you so you could make yours longer.
As for being crazy? Any project you can dream up and have an interest for is worthwhile in my book.
Don

mechanic · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2011, 03:04:51 PM »

Do you HAVE a 50/70? If not, obviously you need one. Case closed.

Ben

jon f · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2011, 04:25:22 PM »

Its good to be different. I love my 50/70 replica Sharps ( Marcheno with a Shiloh barrel ).
Go for it !

gcrank1 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2011, 05:33:06 PM »

I've heard that it really was the 50-70 that was 'the' buffalo gun'; and a couple of friends with them like them over the 45-70 a lot.

OSOK · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2011, 06:24:19 PM »

I say go for it.
I've shot a .50-90 Sharps my buddy in Alaska has, and it was an absolute hoot! The time delay at 200yards between the shot and when you heard the gong ring was worth all the black powder clean up later!
Is there enough thickness in a BC barrel to rebore it to a true .50-70? If so, you'd have the long barrel, prettier wood...and the butt plate to properly enjoy shooting a big bore!!!

quickdtoo · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2011, 06:35:09 PM »

There's plenty of barrel for a BC to be rebored to .50, you're only making the barrel wall ~.026" thinner. Been thinking on having Wayne rebore and make my extra BC barrel a 50-140, then I'd have a matched pair of big bores with my 45-120 BC!

I forgot, Wayne did a 50 Alaskan for a member here with a 45LC Carbine barrel which has a muzzle diameter of ~.715", the 45-70 BC barrel is .800" at the muzzle.

Tim

bilmac · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2011, 06:43:53 PM »

How much does RCBS charge to make custom dies anymore or do they even do it now. A set of dies might cost as much as your shooter.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #10 on:** January 21, 2011, 06:58:54 PM »

50-70 dies aren't expensive, CH4D makes custom dies, they want $163 for 50-140 dies, about half the cost of a rebore.

Tim

50-70 Dies

http://www.ch4d.com/catalog/?p=36

Lon371 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2011, 12:12:19 AM »

How about $65.33 + shipping for dies. Hurry only one avalable.

http://www.shootersofamerica.com/catalog/product.asp?ret_id=1157679&pid=73094

Lonny

bikerbeans · « **Reply #12 on:** January 22, 2011, 02:29:33 AM »

LT,

I believe your 50 cal project would put you one up on AtlLaw. Do you accept the challenge Richard?

BB

jeepmann1948 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 22, 2011, 04:55:17 AM »

If you bore out the 500 S&W you would have to use custom dies or be creative to re-size the cases for the smaller neck diam bullets, but it is a nice idea for the non recoil sensitive, "my bullet is bigger than yours" guy

LONGTOM · « **Reply #14 on:** January 22, 2011, 05:02:50 AM »

I was just looking at that on ammo guide.
Would it be possible to resize with the 50-70 die then run it up a little ways in the 500 die to make a reduced neck from .515 to .500?
Custom dies would cost!
Was looking for a cheap way of doing it.

LONGTOM

quickdtoo · « **Reply #15 on:** January 22, 2011, 05:19:02 AM »

Quote from: Lon371 on January 22, 2011, 12:12:19 AM

How about $65.33 + shipping for dies. Hurry only one avalable.

http://www.shootersofamerica.com/catalog/product.asp?ret_id=1157679&pid=73094

Lonny

Both Grafs and Midway have dies for less than $50.

Tim

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/13657

Quote from: quickdtoo on January 21, 2011, 06:58:54 PM

50-70 dies aren't expensive, CH4D makes custom dies, they want $163 for 50-140 dies, about half the cost of a rebore.

Tim

50-70 Dies

http://www.ch4d.com/catalog/?p=36

gcrank1 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 22, 2011, 05:25:52 AM »

Maybe a more pertinent question is what chamber reamer to use to meet the bore criteria, if you use a 500S&W.
FWIW, once brass is fire formed to your chamber you may not have to resize at all, or only neck size a tad if the bullet dia. is correct for the throat and bore.
Ive had, and still have, several single shots that I have done just that with, and it is soooo sweet.

LONGTOM · « **Reply #17 on:** January 22, 2011, 05:33:38 AM »

Might have to have a reamer made.
50-70 body with a slite bottleneck to 500 S&W neck?

LONGTOM

gcrank1 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 22, 2011, 05:50:25 AM »

Am I thinkin' correctly that a std. 50-70 reamer could be reground a bit to do just that?
With some threaded rod of std. reloading press threads you could bore and use the same reamer to make a sizing die on the cheap. Polish well and caseharden and with decent care, clean cases and good lube it will probably outlast you.

knight0334 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 22, 2011, 06:19:39 AM »

With the 500 S&W barrel you can make a .500 Martin. Its just a .50 Alaskan necked down slightly from .510" to .500".

Here is some tidbits on it.. http://www.singleactions.com/500Martin.pdf

LONGTOM · « **Reply #20 on:** January 22, 2011, 07:40:25 AM »

Quote from: gcrank1 on January 22, 2011, 05:50:25 AM

Am I thinkin' correctly that a std. 50-70 reamer could be reground a bit to do just that?
With some threaded rod of std. reloading press threads you could bore and use the same reamer to make a sizing die on the cheap. Polish well and caseharden and with decent care, clean cases and good lube it will probably outlast you.

Now there's a man doing some thinking.
The reamer idea sound good.
That just might work.
As for making the sizing die I would leave that up to someone that had a good machine and new how to use it.
I know there are some on here that could do this after reading and seeing some of the things that have been done to handy barrels.
Any takers?
This might not be as big of a project as I first thought.
More comments welcome.

LONGTOM

manatee1947 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 22, 2011, 08:58:40 AM »

I know that I had a lot of trouble finding 500 S&W load data that was not maxed out, and I wound up using 50/70 load data and it worked out just great. How easy is it to get cases for ?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #22 on:** January 22, 2011, 10:28:53 AM »

Quote from: manatee1947 on January 22, 2011, 08:58:40 AM

I know that I had a lot of trouble finding 500 S&W load data that was not maxed out, and I wound up using 50/70 load data and it worked out just great. How easy is it to get cases for ?

As easy as placing and order with TOTW!

But if you're gonna do it, I'd get on the stick now, Grafs and Midway are both backordered from Starline, probably right up there with 445 Supermag brass! $:-\$

Tim

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/partList.aspx?catID=18&subID=212&styleID=1140&as=1

gcrank1 · « **Reply #23 on:** January 22, 2011, 10:35:08 AM »

I also think that the brass issue would define it for me, in both cost/stick and availability, if I'd go 50-70 or the Alaskan based Martin. The Martin has the advantage, I should think, of an available reamer without the cost of buying and modifying a 50-70, though once done it could maybe be another 'forum reamer'?
This brass availability thing really cramps our style.......

colonelsanders · « **Reply #24 on:** January 22, 2011, 03:33:44 PM »

I went the opposite direction. Have a 50-140 barrel for my T/C that was 36 inches. Cut it down to 17(thats one hell of a fire ball). Plan to have a Handi stubbed to 510 S&W. 510 bore with 500 Smith brass because that brass is everywhere. There is enough case capacity with smokeless to duplicate blackpowder balistics. Should be able to use 50-70 dies to open the neck of the 500 Smith to 510. In my reloads there is only .005 inch difference in case necks, thats just a little bit of fine polishing the chamber to fit.