Oddball calibered guns

[mc5aw]

Swiss K-31 chambered in 7.5 x 55.

I almost picked up a mint French Mas 49/56 last year, but I could not locate any French 7.5 x 54 ammo, thus I left it for someone else.

 

[Cyrano]

Here are some of the calber's I've loaded for. I don't have guns in all of these calibers now.
236 USN.
25 ACP.
6.5x54 Mannlicher.
7X61 Sharpe & Hart.
7.5mm Mle 29 French.
7.5X55 Swiss.
32 ACP.
7.62 Nagant Revolver.
8X50R Austrian.
8X56R Hungarian.
8mm Mle 92 French revolver.
8mm Nambu.
8mm Lebel.
9mm Browning Long.
9mm Mauser Revolver (DWM #6).
9mm Browning Long.
9.3X62.
44 Russian.
10.4mm Reichsrevolver.
11mm Mle 73 French revolver.
450 Revolver.
50-70.

I'm thinking of getting a nice 280 Ross rifle that's appeared at several of our gun shows.

It's amazing what you can make ammo for if you reload.

 

[2152hq]

I like the older guns, odd calibers, metric calibers, ect.
I've been playing with the 401WSL again lately.
7.62x39mm brass seems to be the easiest to form that I've tried.

A .256 Gibbs Magnum on a M/S action is the next challenge I think. A chamber cast is the first step for that one.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have some guns in ;
450 3 1/4 N.E.
43 Reformado
43 Spanish
41 Swiss RF (no dies)
8x52 Siamese (no dies)
8x52 Label
8x56 Hungarian
45-90 Winchester
50 AE
50-50 Carbine
264 Win Mag
32 RF (no dies)
221 Fireball
22 Remington Bench Rest
6 PPC
6x284
275 Rigby/7x57

I have dies for a few odd ones as well;
22 K Hornet
219 Donaldson Wasp
219 Zipper
22 Rem Jet
6.5 Roberts and 1 box Factory Ammo
444 Marlin
44 Evans Extra Long
45-120 Winchester

With a honorably mention of 404 Jeffery, 401 Herters Power Mag, and 505 Gibbs. I'm almost ready to start loading these 3. Ivan

 

[desi2358]

A Swiss Vetterli, converted from 41 rimfire to 41 centerfire makes for a fun (and different) shooter. Also loading for a 50/70 trapdoor, 7.62 Nagant revolver a Lee Enfield 410 musket (brass case, not rechambered for modern 410's) and a slew of old pocket pistols for which ammo, when available, is simply more expensive than I want to pay.

I also scout the shows for those I can't load such as 32 and 41 short rimfire, 25 Stevens and 22 Winchester auto. Some of those have been reproduced in recent years. I've considered buying the brass cases that use a 22 blank for ignition for the 41 and 32 though I'm not sure how well they would work in the revolvers.

Over the years I've gotten more than a few oddballs, for me part of the fun is getting them out shooting again.

 

[OFT II]

8x52R for the Siamese Mauser? That has to be on the outer limits.

I've had one of those for over thirty years. I don't know why I bought it but it only cost twenty dollars. I keep thinking I'll have it chambered for 45/70 but haven't got around to it yet.

Also have two 8mm WWI French Mannlicher Berthiers. One is a 1907 rifle and the other is a 1916 carbine. I have shot these a few times.

 

[pownal55]

All I have is a 28 ga shotgun and 17 mach 2 rifle for offbeat calibers. The 17 ammo is much harder to find than 22 rimfire.

 

[Nframecollector]

Swiss K-31 chambered in 7.5 x 55.

I almost picked up a mint French Mas 49/56 last year, but I could not locate any French 7.5 x 54 ammo, thus I left it for someone else.

I have a K31 and its the most accurate rifle I own. I have been looking at a French rifle here in south Texas for awhile now and I have found a LGS that sell 7.5x54 ammo! May have to pick it up this weekend!

 

[ArtyGuy]

I have an Italian Carcano that was passed down to me. Its caliber is 7.35x51mm.

 

[Nframecollector]

I shoot an 8x56r Steyr carbine. I also cast bullets for it. Fun to shoot.

 

[williamlayton]

I won't mention anything I might sell---i shouda thought before I typed.
There are a number of pistol calibers out there today that really are only duplicates, performance wise, of long existing calibers that will do the job.
I am not discussing things like the .357 or .357sig because the .357 needed the .357sig to function in a semi.
Included in this not duplicate are any of the mags really. Why the .41 when there is the .38 and abouve the .41 is the .44. really why the .44 when there is the .45---so maybe the .44 is the odd-ball.
I got a feeling some folks just like to tinker around--course that is better---and cheaper than another woman.
I did like the 28 guage for birds though.
I wish I still hunted birds !
Blessings

 

[deadin]

Cyrano, Good luck with the Ross if you get it. If it is one of the Commercial Ross Model they are a beautiful piece of hardware. I had one years ago and wish I hadn't let it go. As I remember they can be a bit of a hassle to load for. To get the true performance out of them requires jacketed bullets and none were available in the Ross bore size. It was a case of shooting cast (which can't be pushed any where near .280 velocities) or making up some kind of a swaging die and forming your own jacketed. Maybe somebody is making the correct diameter currently.

 

[Andy Griffith]

.33 Winchester
9mm Flobert
4mm rimfire
12.7x44R Swedish
.50-70 Govt
.45-90
.32 Rimfire
.351 Win SL
I really have a hanker'n for a .44-100 What Cheer.

 

[Kanewpadle]

.33 Winchester
9mm Flobert
4mm rimfire
12.7x44R Swedish
.50-70 Govt
.45-90
.32 Rimfire
.351 Win SL
I really have a hanker'n for a .44-100 What Cheer.

Just get it over with a and get a 45-120.

 

[Toyman]

I have a rifle and several handguns in 22 Long rifle caliber since I can not find ammo does this mean that is a oddball caliber now ??

 

[Snapping Twig]

I shot an old Sharps 50-140 IIRC.

I load for and use as my hunting rifle a 6.5-06. Amazing caliber, shame it's not more known.

 

[MattNH]

Winchester Model 70 in .225 WIN.

 

[Bill Bates]

Right now the only firearm I have chambered in aa kind of oddball cartridge would be a S&W Model 53 chambered in .22 Rem. Jet.

I have a 28 gauge, 16 gauge, a couple 20 and 12 gauges with 2 1/2 inch chambers but I don't think of any of them as odd ball. I'm kind of hoping the right 2 inch 12 gauge side by side comes along one of these days.

To the OP...if the price is right and the shotgun sound a 24 Gauge might be a ton of fun. Fiocchi does 24 gauge ammo.

 

[M29since14]

To the OP...if the price is right and the shotgun sound a 24 Gauge might be a ton of fun. Fiocchi does 24 gauge ammo.

Yes, they do, and I am surprised by how often I see it in retail stores. Not sure what to make of that? (They do 32 gauge too.)

Generally the offbeat and oddball stuff is only a problem if you are not a handloader.

I used to be a lot more interested in that sort of thing when I was a young lad but these days I admit I could get along quite well with a .223 and a .30/06, and a 12 gauge and a 28 gauge, and a .45 Auto and a .357 Magnum, and a...

 

[jaymoore]

18 Ga backlock SXS, mostly because it's got my surname on the backlocks. Lengthened the chambers a bit and use 20 Ga light loads. Have never seen shells for sale.

.577 Snider
6,5mm Daudeteau

But the .35 S&W looks like it might be a challenge. Just picked one up with a box of ancient ammo, which won't get shot, so need to see if there's something a little better than .32 ACP.