The Accurate Reloading Forums
.550 Rifles Aboriginal and 28 Guage From Purgatory

This topic can be found at:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/292109597

14 January 2008, 09:05
RIP
.550 Rifles Aboriginal and 28 Guage From Purgatory
Christian Sharp's original sporting rifle from the 1850's had a .550 groove and .540" land diameter.
Falling block breechloader with paper cartridges (roll your own), black powder, and percussion caps.
It was called a "54-Caliber Sharps Sporting Rifle."

The 1859 Sharps Military Carbine had .552" grooves and .540" land diameter.

The 28-guage, which might have been a rifled 28-guage/28-bore rifle with .550 grooves, by someone, somewhere ...

The 55-100 Maynard of 1882, according to COTW:

"This cartridge is for the Maynard Improved Hunting Rifle No. 11, 1882-type. The 55-100 listed here was introduced the same year as the rifle. This is a little known and seldom encountered round. There was also a shotshell version."

Sounds like a .550"-grooved barrel to me:
The 55-100 Maynard used a .551" diameter cast lead bullet of 530 grains, 1410 fps, 2340 ft-lbs.
Case length 1.94"
COL 2.56".
Base diameter .590".
Rim diameter .718".
Neck diameter .582".
14 January 2008, 09:36
Macifej
That's pretty heavy brass for that old banger. (.016" wall at the snout)

Nothing like reinventing the wheel eh?
14 January 2008, 09:42
RIP
Yep,
55-100 Maynard (T. Krebs):

Looks like a 2" brass 28-guage shell with a roundnose slug sticking out of it.

Note the minimal taper of the straight case. Typo? Eeker
14 January 2008, 10:34
boom stick
soooo similar to the 550 magnum 2" but the newest version will work in lever and turn bolts at higher preasure Big Grin

I am reinventing the wheel again Roll Eyes






577 BME 3"500 KILL ALL 358 GREMLIN 404-375

*we band of 45-70ers* (Founder)
Single Shot Shooters Society S.S.S.S. (Founder)
14 January 2008, 11:18
Macifej
You need to thnk outside the box Boomer!! Bigger!! Bigger than .550"


14 January 2008, 20:16
Idaho Sharpshooter
glad you posted Macifej, I was going to ask you about a .750NE 3.5" case. Need about a 1100gr solid...

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...
14 January 2008, 20:16
Grandpasez
Think longer like our 28GA FH.Longer at
3.25" is so much easier to get big power from
at lower pressures. First loads with slowest
powder I tested hardly expanded at all.Ed


MZEE WA SIKU
14 January 2008, 22:13
Macifej
.750 is too big for a 700 NE case and really too big for a BMG case unless you want a zero taper case. Even 12 bore (.727") doesn't leave much room for a proper shoulder to headspace.

Have to make a bigger case (no problem) or graft on a rim like Ed does.
15 January 2008, 00:36
boom stick
ok this leads me to ask...

what is the optimal size of a fully expanded projectile for dg????

if it is 3/4" or 1" than use that and no need for softs or high velocity.

if big bore is 1/2" and up where does the mega bore start?

I think the good thing about the 700 is I dont think you need any expansion...

2000 grain 700 Bulet @ 2000 fps is tops dont you think?

hell a 800 grain 700 bullet with a good meplat should go through 2 buffs snooter to tooter if you line them up right.

So how about a 2.75" case 3.6" oal single stack 700 bolt gun.
a 3" can be done too. Chop the bmg case at the shoulder and form brass.

no belt just a simple minimum taper to maximize shoulders to give about 25 thou shoulders.

Lets give it the working name of 700 Tembo 2.75" and 3"

Has it been done?

might be good for a savage 210




577 BME 3"500 KILL ALL 358 GREMLIN 404-375

*we band of 45-70ers* (Founder)
Single Shot Shooters Society S.S.S.S. (Founder)
15 January 2008, 01:25
Macifej
Sure it's been done a bunch of different ways. If it were me I'd leave the case full length and sharpen the shoulder angle to 45 degrees, blow the body out to .784 from .714, and neck it up to .666" Big Grin

Call it "Der Teufel 666"
15 January 2008, 01:30
boom stick
I think my hands will be full with the 577 BME.

but a mid size 700 seems kinda cool.


577 BME 3"500 KILL ALL 358 GREMLIN 404-375

*we band of 45-70ers* (Founder)
Single Shot Shooters Society S.S.S.S. (Founder)
15 January 2008, 04:02
Grandpasez
Boomie-That is our 700H 3.25", with
825 gr at 2500 in the Enfield, or if in
a PH when one gets going, same slug at
2800 plus.Ed


MZEE WA SIKU
15 January 2008, 04:29
boom stick
The 700HE is belted right???

This was a shoulder headspace idea.

The straight belted cases make the most sense in these bigger boomers but thought the shouldered case would be easier to form kinda like rich and his 550 magnum.

I just had never seen someone doing a 700 with a shoulder on the bmg case is all.

like I said...My hands are full with our 577 BME wave


577 BME 3"500 KILL ALL 358 GREMLIN 404-375

*we band of 45-70ers* (Founder)
Single Shot Shooters Society S.S.S.S. (Founder)
15 January 2008, 04:51
Macifej
Der Teufel .666" looks like a giant Gibbs. Big Grin
15 January 2008, 04:55
boom stick
Will you be using a 16 gauge rifled barrel???

The devil will be in the details...

Macifej...you have quite a few projects...

mega lever action
multiple bullets
Macifej PH action
several wildcats...

Do you have a time machine?


577 BME 3"500 KILL ALL 358 GREMLIN 404-375

*we band of 45-70ers* (Founder)
Single Shot Shooters Society S.S.S.S. (Founder)
15 January 2008, 05:04
boom stick
Can you post a pic of this devil?


577 BME 3"500 KILL ALL 358 GREMLIN 404-375

*we band of 45-70ers* (Founder)
Single Shot Shooters Society S.S.S.S. (Founder)
15 January 2008, 05:06
Macifej
Clone Machine needed.........

The bullets and cases are easy.

The actions from scratch are but of a job.

The Reloading press for the big cases is a PITA too! (trying to make it affordable)
15 January 2008, 05:12
Macifej
Yahoo or the other address?
15 January 2008, 07:06
Grandpasez
Rob built a full length 700 RGB with a shoulder
on BMG cases. Jongmans in AUS did a 12ga
same deal. But as long as I can make cases,
it saves on bucks and wear on cases to get
belted case instead of shouldered. Reamers and
dies much easier to build. With no shoulder to
work cases good for 50-100 reloads.I've had
shouldered bmg cases here with 585 ,620, all
kinds of bullets,for looks. Maybe if your
gonna do shouldered cases, use brass 14.5 mm
Russian cases.Like this pic of 585 and 12ga
in 14.5 case.Ed




MZEE WA SIKU
15 January 2008, 07:28
Macifej
Too big Ed!!

Can't make a 14-15 lb rifle with a 14.5 or 20mm case.

BMG cases are dirt cheap!! I don't think anyone is gonna be too worried about over using a case of that size. If they're good for 5 loads that's more than enough.