Anyone have any experience with the Ackley Improved version on the 30-40 Krag. I'm looking into having a 15" Encore barrel made and the 'smith recommend the 30-40AI. I want a rimmed 30cal but something different than a 307 or 307AI. He has the reamer and has made other barrels for me that I have been VERY pleased with. My only concern is that I have heard the 30-40 Krag brass is very weak, is this true? Thanks!

Something I've been considering that would be very similar to what you're looking at, would be to take the .303 Epps and neck it down to .30 calibre. That cartridge could give you 2800 fps+ with a 180 grain bullet. As I recall, the 30-40 has a greater length case than the .303. so you may be able to crank it up a little more than the Epps variation, because you can seat the bullets farther out.

In his 1962 book "Handbook for shooters and Reloaders" P.O.Ackley called the 30/40 Krag Improved one of the best "Improved" cartridges.He stated "Due to the wide rim and relatively strong case, it handles pressure well and loads equaling the standard 300 Magnums have been used for a long time by owners of rifles chambered for the cartridge."

I have a rifle I built on a Mark-X action chambered for this cartridge. I have had it to the range only once and have not worked up loading data as yet.

When chambering for this cartridge it is essential that the case is headspaced using the rim. This is accomplished with an extension on the barrel tennon to hold the case back against the bolt face.In fire forming the shoulder is moved forward about .156" and the body taper reduced. For this reason the case can not be headspaced on the shoulder.
In a single shot like a Ruger No.1 or a contender the case will be headspaced on the rim.

I think this could be a fun cartridge and as soon as I get a little more time I will find out. Jerry

.30/40 Krag brss is VERY STRONG!!

It is NOT weak! Just take a look at the amount of brass in the .30/40 case head/rim. It is thick and tough, and the web is thick also.



In a Ruger No.3, the .30/40 can be safely loaded to produce over 2400 FPS with 220-grain bullets from a 22" barrel, and in the P14 Enfield or strong single-shot actions, the .30/40 AI will duplicate .300 H&H Magnum performance with about 10 grains less powder!!

A friend has had a 6mm Krag on a High Wall for a long time. The cases suffer head separations with just a few shots.



The only so called improved cartridges that don't suffer insipiant head separations are the ones that headspace on the shoulder. At least this is my experiance. Of course if some particular cartridge headspaces on the rim or belt but the case body fills the chamber to the shoulder then it should not weaken the case body and separate.



If I were to bother with such a project on a normal rifle that has barrel threads I would design a rimmed or belted case to chamber on it's shoulder just as a rimless improved one does.



As to break open guns I see little hope to improve the headspace in any way. I would rather have the body taper on such guns and even then load them light.

The loader of any rimmed cartridge can, with care, size it to headspace on the shoulder. That is almost always preferable. Separations will generally cease to be a problem unless one is grossly overloading in a "springy" action. Then you have other problems.

Hobie and everyone else for that matter,

It has been my experience that there is NO cartridge easier to head space a barrel for than a RIMMED cartridge! You will get MORE case stretching by head spacing off a shoulder than you will off a rim.

ASS_CLOWN

If the 30-40AI is done it will only headspace off the rim the 1st firing. That should prove to be pretty awsome in a Contender.

Hornetfan

I just rechambered an XP-100 from 35 Rem to 358 Win for a customer. Test firing that with a 250gr full load was really AWESOME. The fired case checked out fine so I had no need or desire to shoot it again. Jerry

Thanks for all the info guys! Any idea of what kind of velocities I can expect with, say, a 165g bullet out of a 15" barrel (It's going to be an Encore pistol barrel)?