I have an idea for a project rifle... to buy a Handi Rifle in 22 Hornet and redo it to 218Bee...

I already have a '92 in the Bee, and the dies, cases and so on - I would just like to be able to use pointed bullets... if it works, I'll get rid of the '92.

I'd prefer to use a Brno Fox or CZ action for this project, but they're scarce as hen's teeth out here.

Bear in mind that I'm in Australia, so shipping a rifle back to the States, and then getting it back out here is cost prohibitive...

If I were to buy a HR in 22Hornet, would my local (very good) smith be able to set the barrel back and open up the chamber?

Alternatively, if anyone has a Sako L461, Brno Fox, or CZ 527 action laying around that would be suitable, please let me know... condition isn't important, (as long as it's not covered in rust) as this won't be the basis for a 'custom' rifle, but more or less for a truck gun.

Cheers

I would think there would be serious problems with trying to set back a barrel on a Handi Rifle. Not to mention extractor cuts and forearm mounting points. I have no idea how the barrel is mounted to the block.

A quick looks seems like you might just rechamber and leave the neck of the chamber long. 1.345 vs 1.403

To me the cost would be to high to justify re-barreling a handi-rifle.

Hello

I've used a Handi to do a cartridge I wanted to "play with" (303-25, wanted to try it outside of the SMLE platform !!) and at the moment am just in the process of gathering parts for a 218 Bee, to be based on a Low Wall action - so I sorta know where you are coming from.

There are two options with the Handi, lots of early Hornets and Bees were built on .22 RF barrels, so if you could score a Handi .22 LR or .22 WMR barrel it would be a simple rechamber job. I've never done this or heard of a Handi so treated, but there is a lot of stuff on the net about this use of .22 RF barrels.

The other way is to have your smith cut the barrel off the Handi ahead of the lugs and drill out the stub to take a new barrel. Thats how my 303-25 was done. Its not a real cheap option but very doable by a competent smith, and gives a very good result with cartidges with a relatively small diameter - like 218 Bee. The "stubbing" option is also on various places on the net, the best is to look at the Handi forums on Gray Beard Outdoors (GBO).

Cheers - Foster

PS - For a centrefire make sure the "Frame" is an SB2 type, the shotgun (and possibly .22 RF) Handis are a cast SB1 frame and much weaker

Hey Rugeruser, Are you aware you can Down-Load a 223Rem to 22Hornet and 218Bee levels? And I don't mean with the Blue Dot loonacy.

The 223Rem I have is amazingly accurate with Down-Loads, Safe MAX Loads and inbetween Loads.

But, if your heart is set on a 218Bee, best of luck to you.

Rugeruser

I have rechambered a Handi-rifle from Hornet to .219 Donaldson Wasp. From memory - re-ream chamber , headspace etc , replace extractor with one to fit 30-30 Win.

Extractor fitment requires opening out the extractor groove in the receiver but not a major task with the right gear.

Mine works fine as a 219 DW , extracts fine , no worries. But of course , the .219 DW was longer in the case than the Hornet to begin with , so a rechamber was pretty straight forward.

What about a Rossi Pomba? Same single-shot principle , bit cheaper , tho more prone to derision from your buddies ( envy , I suspect ).

Or a BSA Martini type .22 target rifle rechambered and breechblock filled and drilled to centrefire? Or a Cadet action ?

Thanks fellas, some good ideas (as always) and it seems that my idea isn't as simple as I thought.

Hot Core, yeah, I know the 223 can be downloaded, but I tend to be a 'one load one gun' type of person... I hate mucking around with sights and so on... once any of my rifles are sighted in to a particular load, you'd be taking your life in your hands if you tried playing with the sights..

Muzza, you and Tentman have given me an idea I hadn't thought of... get one in 22Mag and rechamber... I'll have a yarn to my smith.

I'd still prefer a repeater, but small actions a few and far between and tend to be very expensive...

Thank you all

Always a pleasure to help out a disadvantaged West Islander there mate.

Hope it all falls into place for you.

I have a 218 Bee Cadet rifle that is pretty cool fun to use .

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Always a pleasure to help out a disadvantaged West Islander there mate.

Hope it all falls into place for you.

I have a 218 Bee Cadet rifle that is pretty cool fun to use .

GAGF Muzza.... sometimes us in Godzone like to let you people east of the dutch feel good about yourselves...

Yeah, I really like the Bee, quieter than the 223, and easier to reload than the Hornet.. and great for foxes and hare.

Thought about putting a Martini together, what's the access to the loading port like? What I'd really like is a Brno Fox action.

I hope recent events over there don't have any negative effects on your laws... hopefully your mob in charge have learnt from the stupid waste of money that was spent here with the 'buyback'...

Cheers

Your reasons for wanting a .218 Bee are spot on.

There are some No.1's around in .218Bee. It would probably be cheaper to find and buy one than re-do a handi-rifle.

Code4,

yeah, I love the little round... I've used both the Hornet and the Bee, and I just prefer the Bee.

I loaded up some 50g NBT's and single loaded them in the Winnie, and they were deadly on foxes without blowing the skin to smithereens, also some Sierra (I think) soft points that were great on bunnies 'out there' without wrecking too much meat.. But my Winnie has an aperture sight, which is pretty useless at night using a spottie.

Because it's top eject, a scope is a hassle, and spitzer style bullets won't feed through the loading port or the magazine... plus, even when single loaded, the cases are ejected with so much force they get lost at night... hence my desire for a single shot or small bolt action.

Hmmm.. buying a No.1 would be nice, but a shame.. too nice a rifle for me to own... LOLOLOL

Rugeruser

nice to see your humour is still intact ...

The martini action can be altered by milling down the right hand side of the action wall to enhance access if you have a scope. Not a biggy , although it does make the action look a little "uneven". My Cadet has aperture sights so its not an issue for me. My Cadet-actioned Hornet has a scope but is not milled in the wall and loading isnt a big issue , but the Hornet case is smaller as well.

Time will tell if there are any spin-offs from the recent events in Napier - already the anti groups are mumbling so no doubt there will be noises made in the future. Rumour has it that the now-deceased gunman didnt have a firearms licence anyway so tightening the laws wont have any effect on unlawfull actions , just appease the hand-wringing do-gooders consciences.

What about a Model 7 Remington ? You should be able to find an older one of them for a good price , and rechamber ?

A Martini cadet rifle has a certain charm to it that others dont , that would be my first choice.

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Rugeruser

nice to see your humour is still intact ...

Yeah... my life might be in tatters, but the day I can't laugh at myself and the world will be the day when I stand at the wrong end of a barrel... let's face it - when the most fun a man and woman can have together is to bump and grind and work up an almighty sweat for 30 minutes or so and then spend the next 18 years paying for it...

If that ain't funny, I don't know what is...

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
The martini action can be altered by milling down the right hand side of the action wall to enhance access if you have a scope. Not a biggy , although it does make the action look a little "uneven". My Cadet has aperture sights so its not an issue for me. My Cadet-actioned Hornet has a scope but is not milled in the wall and loading isnt a big issue , but the Hornet case is smaller as well.

Interesting option...

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Time will tell if there are any spin-offs from the recent events in Napier - already the anti groups are mumbling so no doubt there will be noises made in the future. Rumour has it that the now-deceased gunman didnt have a firearms licence anyway so tightening the laws wont have any effect on unlawfull actions , just appease the hand-wringing do-gooders consciences.

Hmmm... please don't be complacent - neither did Bryant.. in fact virtually everything he did was outside the law (apart from the obvious)... the do-gooders here don't give a crap about law abiding citizens, it's all about removing firearms from the community... and virtually every 'firearms related incident' since then has also involved un-licensed users.. it'll start with a 'small step'... FFS, don't let it happen over there!!

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
What about a Model 7 Remington ? You should be able to find an older one of them for a good price , and rechamber ?

Now that's an idea!! I'm not normally a fan of Remmy's, (I like to see an extractor in the raceway) but I've always lusted after a 600 or similar... you've given some ideas. There's bugger all difference in rim diameter between the Bee and the 223, so it should fit a 223 Rem bolt face with little or no mods... Thanks for the idea

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
A Martini cadet rifle has a certain charm to it that others dont , that would be my first choice.

Indeed they do.. light, handy and charming... but I'm becoming an old curmudgeon... a quick follow up shot if needed is a good thing... LOLOLOL

In this thread ZERMEL has started with 223 bull barrel handi rifles and converted them:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=948104206#948104206

Thanks tnekcc, however what appears to being discussed would be very expensive here... assuming I could find a smith willing to do the work, and do it before I shuffle off this mortal coil...

If I pursue the handi rifle option, I'll look at getting a 22Mag and reaming that out.. if I can't do that, I'll either wait until I can pick up a CZ/Brno/Rem and take it from there..

I silver soldered a skinny $40 surplus .223" one in 16" twist 4140 Chrome Moly barrel from Numrich Gun Parts corp into 98 Mauser barrel stub as a sleeve. I reamed out the chamber to .223. That rifle shoots sub moa with 35 gr Vmax. Don't do that unless you are good at welding Mauser extractors.

Next I want to try Loctite.