HARVEY .224 KAY-CHUK

[Brian in Oregon]

Here are photos of my Harvey .224 Kay-Chuk, built on a modified 6" K-22, s/n K327xxx, dating to 1958.

From this side it looks like any other 6" K-22 from that era.

From this side the altered barrel marking is readily apparent.

A close up of the barrel marking along with a comparison of a .22 LR cartridge with the .224 Harvey Kay-Chuk cartridge.

The gun was converted by Bennett Gun Works in Delmar, New York.

A comparison of the .224 Harvey Kay-Chuk to other cartridges. From left to right:

.22 LR

.22 WMRF

.224 Harvey Kay-Chuk. The parent case is a .22 Hornet, which has been shortened and "blown out" (ie "improved") in P.O. Ackley fashion.

.22 Hornet

.22 Remington Jet, which S&W chambered in the Model 53.

Unlike the .22 Remington Jet, the .224 Harvey Kay-Chuk does not have cylinder lock up issues from case setback. This is due to the straight case walls being able to grip the sides of the chamber during firing. I had several Jets, and all but one locked up constantly. The one that did not a previous owner polished the inside face of the recoil shield until it was like a mirror, destroying the value but at least making the gun work.

The original bullets were lead with a zinc washer base. I've run out of these and need to find a suitable bullet. I have not loaded for this gun for many years, but would like to take it squirrel busting. There's just something sad about a varmint gun that collects dust.

I don't recall the velocities I measured back in the day, but they exceeded the .22 WMRF by a handsome margin, and came close to the .22 Jet in a 6" barrel, but not the 8" barrel. (The Jet is a bit overrated for velocity, especially in anything other than the 8" barrel.) Accuracy was close to the Jet, and much better than my 6" Model 48.

My understanding is Jim Harvey made about 30 of these guns before selling the rights to Bennett Gun Works, who made 300 between 1956 and 1959. Most apparently were 6". I saw a 4" at a local gun show about two decades ago, and it was scoped (and it looked odd with a scope over a 4" barrel).

I missed out on the nearest modern version of this, the 647 in .17 HMR. S&W only makes the long round barrel hunter model now. I hope they make the heavy underlug version like the 617 again, I'd like to pick one up as a companion piece.

 

[moosedog]

Very cool gun. I've seen a few of these over the years and all owners have had good things to say about them. A true "pioneer cartridge".
Yours appears to be in very nice condition.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

That is a great gun. I always wanted one. By the way the Model that takes the .22 Jet is a Model 53, not 63

 

[Brian in Oregon]

There are two small blueing blems on the finish. One can be seen in the MADE IN U.S.A. area, overlapped by SPRINGFIELD. The other is a small blem in front of the trigger guard.

And thanks, I edited it to 53. I've had several 53's, but was cleaning my wife's 63 while writing this, and didn't proof read well enough. Dyslexia of the fingertips.

 

[keith44spl]

Are the bullets for the Kay-Chuk sized .224 or .222 for the .22 Long Rifle bore size?

Just curious....


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[Brian in Oregon]

The correct bullet diameter should be .222, since that is the bore size on a K-22. But .223 bullets will work. I'm not going to try .224 bullets, despite the name.

The original zinc based lead bullets I used measured just under .223 in diameter, but I've long forgotten exactly what the measurement was. I also tried some .22 Jet bullets, which are .222. These had to have the nose trimmed for clearance. Also tried some .223 Hornet bullets. I don't know about today, but back in the 80's Hornet bullets came in two diameters, .223 for prewar guns and .224 for postwar guns. So used the .223 bullets. Never loaded enough of either to get group sizes on paper and the gun has collected dust in the safe for about 20 years.

Wanted to cast pewter bullets in a .222 mould, but never got around to it. Pewter has changed over the last few decades anyway. Most modern pewter contains much less, and some even no, lead.

Hornaday has a Jet bullet that lacks a crimping groove, and is less tapered than the original Jet bullet. It's .222, but I don't know if it will clear the cylinder face on a Kay-Chuk.
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Rifle :: Choose by Caliber :: .222 22 CAL

 

[nutsforsmiths]

I have a 4" Model 53 and I have not had a lot of problems with the cylinder lock up. I have been able to shoot almost an entire box of 50 rounds before having to clean the cylinder and under the extractor star!

I also was lucky enough to find a used Model 647 just about the time they went out of production in 2006. It is a pretty neat pistol too.

Thanks for the nice pictures of your Harvey Kay-Chuk.

 

[M29since14]

Thanks for the info. I always wanted to try one of those but the only one I ever saw for sale was in such poor shape and priced so high I was not interested. I did have a .22 Long Snapper made on a J frame gun. The 22 L. S. is a shorter, less blown-out cartridge similar to the Kaychuck. I never found any "published" data for it so like the Kaychuck it is fly by the seat of your pants.

I think you could easily use the Hornady Jet bullet in your Kaychuck. The bullet is very short and can be seated to almost any depth you might require. I wouldn't be the slightest bit frightened to try .224 Hornet or Bee bullets in your gun, but I seem to be alone in that sentiment - at least as it applies to the Jet. Of course that's not a "recommendation," and I doubt any of those I favor have a short enough nose for the Kaychuck.

 

[bullmack]

I have s/n K857 that was modified by Harvey into a Kay-Chuk. In its original K-22 configuration my gun was shipped from the factory April 14, 1947 to Larson Hardware Co., Sioux Falls, SD.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

Many years ago, my wife and I attended a gun show in Brattleboro, VT.
In the very first row the was a Harvey Kay-Chuk. The guy wouldn't budge from his asking price of $450.00. I wonder if he still has it? By the way, that gun show was in the school.

 

[keith44spl]

I re-size commercial jacked bullets down to .222 for my Jets,

the 224 dia. just flattened primers and gave me sticky extraction.

Haven't had and tie-ups are back-outs since I started swagin' em down.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1961-1980/223291-me-my-jets.html


Got a spare 53 cylinder and fixin to chamber it to Super Jet.



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[M29since14]

Please be sure to let us know how the Super Jet pans out.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

I'd like to get another Jet, but I'd probably hold out for one with the aux .22 LR cylinder and an 8-3/8" barrel, just to make it more fun and useful. Shudda kept the beater Jet (the one with the polished recoil shield) as it made a nice field gun.

 

[keith44spl]

Please be sure to let us know how the Super Jet pans out.

I will, Dave Mason is grinding me a reamer....expecting it any day now.


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[delta-419]

.224 Kay-Chuk

I have a Harvey Kay-Chuk that does not have any ID markings at all on the barrel or frame save those from the factory (22LR). The conversion was well done and I have had no problems with .224 dia. bullets of 45gr or less weight. I don't know who did the work, but they were great gunsmiths. I picked it up a year or so ago in a Pensacola gun show. It is a brown gun and came home for around $350. Shoots great, serial number is K243461.

 

[silentflyer]

I have a Model 48 8 3/8" I have been toying with the idea of changing it out to a .22 Kchuck.

With the cost of .22 magnum of late and the problems finding it, I have been wondering if anyone still does these conversions. Anyone know of a gunsmith that does this type of work?

 

[Homie]

FWIW- Don't forget that Harvey eventually dropped the original blown-out case in favor of the factory Hornet case shortened .050" due to unspecified "reloading problems", per his brochure dated January '63.

 

[M29since14]

I have a Model 48 8 3/8" I have been toying with the idea of changing it out to a .22 Kchuck.

With the cost of .22 magnum of late and the problems finding it, I have been wondering if anyone still does these conversions. Anyone know of a gunsmith that does this type of work?

If you have a gunsmith do this job it might be less expensive for you to start the project with a Model 14. Hamilton Bowen can handle it. You'll need a barrel and a cylinder of course, but half the fun of a project like this is scrounging the parts. They're out there ... somewhere.