Wildcat Cartridges E-Book

Fred Zeglin

• Herausgeber: Z-Hat Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 488

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The Reloader's Handbook of Wildcat Cartridge Design is a must have for all shooters regardless of their experience. For the hunter with one gun or collector with many, you will find valuable information on accuracy, designing, building, loading and shooting wildcats. Calibers start with the tiny .10 ranging to some brawny .50 calibers; there is something for every interest.

Self reliant shooters and gunsmiths will learn how to make their own reamers and reloading dies in this book. Time and money are both saved when you make your own tools. If you desire to try out a new cartridge design you can be testing the new design in a day or two instead of weeks or months.

Dimensioned drawings and loading data accompany cartridge descriptions. Historical cartridges as well as the newest and most popular designs are included. Chapters about important cartridge designers like P.O. Ackley, Jerry Gebby, Rocky Gibbs, and Charles Newton are important resources for the reloader and shooter alike.

Publisher Larry Root says, "After 15 years and nearly 30 titles as a publisher, I have found this book a great project with new and useful information rather than a rehashed often incorrect and untested writing that seems so common today. "

"Fred has illustrated his book well, with neat line drawings and photos you probably won’t find anywhere else. It’s a rare technical treatise that draws you in with illustration, or that keeps you with an easy flow of chat that, were it lifted from print, might pop up at any gun counter or handloading bench. Fred Zeglin has done well with this book, giving wildcatters – indeed, all rifle enthusiasts – an overview of a culture often mentioned but little explored on the page." Wayne van Zwoll

"For anyone interested in wildcat cartridges, this is a "must have" book. It's thorough, and it's up to date." Larry S. Sterett, Gun Week

"One of the problems collectors often encounter when they purchase custom-made sporting rifles is the absence of commercially made ammunition for those arms... This book offers hope to just those collectors.

Written by a professional gunsmith and cartridge maker, it examines the history of "wildcat cartridge" development. In addition to discussing vintage designs, such as those developed by P.O. Ackley, Jerry Gebby, and Charles Newton, the book covers more recent work carried out by Estergaard, Gibbs, Z-Hat, and more." Herbert G. Houze, Man at Arms Magazine, Vol. 28, No. 4, 2006

"This is a fantastic book on American wildcats, US loads and much more. A must have for wildcatters and gunsmiths." Big Bore Journal, No. 18, June 2006

Leseprobe

WILDCAT CARTRIDGES

RELOADER’S HANDBOOK OF WILDCAT CARTRIDGE DESIGN

FRED ZEGLIN

Z-HAT CUSTOM INC.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

About the Author

Wildcat Cartridges

Reloader’s Handbook of Wildcat Cartridge Design

FRED ZEGLIN

Copyright © 2005 Fred Zeglin

432 E Idaho St., Suite C420

Kalispell, MT 59901

All Rights Reserved. No reproduction of any part of this book is permitted without express permission of the copyright holder.

ISBN: 978-0-9831598-1-0

This book is dedicated to my family.

To my Dad, Dewain M. Zeglin.

He taught me by example, how to be a man, and less importantly introduced me to the shooting sports, which lead to a lifetime of enjoyment and a great career. I’m still watching Dad.

To my Mom, L. Diane Zeglin.

She taught me when to speak up and when to remain silent. A lesson I am still working on Mom.

To my wife, Colleen, our children, Angie, Quinton, and grandson Riley. For encouraging me to finish this project, even when it took too much time.

FOREWORD

Before you write about something, you must know a little about it. Before you write a book, you must have enough passion for the plot or topic to grapple with it tirelessly for weeks, months, even years.

I can’t say how much time Fred Zeglin committed to “Reloader’s Handbook of Wildcat Cartridge Design,” but I suspect the project irritated his wife and hunting partners and put his pets and children on orange alert. Books aren’t for the weak-kneed, even if you know the subject as well as Fred knows wildcatting.

We met some years ago, while I was writing for Rifle and Handloader magazines and keen to find out about the Hawk line of wildcat cartridges. Fred chambered rifles for the Hawk line in his garage, and loaded ammunition that delivered eye-popping results on the chronograph. He welcomed me into his home. Because he was at that time a gunsmith and not a writer, his family still treated writers hospitably. Fred barreled a Mauser for me in .411 Hawk, and stocked it in birdseye maple. He did a very nice job. I took the rifle north and shot a caribou with it.

Writing about the Hawk line was easy. Bob Fulton, who at that time ran the Hawk bullet business from his home east of Fred’s Casper digs, proved a big help. Bob and Fred showed the passion for wildcatting that I knew would someday result in a book. But I didn’t warn them.

Pleased now to have been so negligent, I’m recommending this book to you. Why? Not because Fred is an accomplished rifle-maker with take-down M70 and M95 Winchesters to his credit. Not because he’s handloaded for decades without blowing himself up. Not even because he’s learned the nuances of cartridge design, case forming and pressure testing. I think this book is worth reading because it is interesting.

Fred tells you here about the tools and processes of cartridge development, about what makes a useful cartridge and how to work up loads. But there’s more. The cartridge must match the chamber, so there’s a lot here about cutting chambers and throats, headspacing and getting die dimensions just right. You’ll learn what eats throats and why accuracy, not velocity, is a veteran wildcatter’s target.

A sucker for anything historical, I’m intrigued by Fred’s review of significant work in wildcatting - by Newton, Ackley, Gibbs, Gebby and others. I like too his careful explanations of terms commonly misunderstood, and a glossary of words too seldom defined. There’s enough math for an under girding in elementary ballistics, but not so much as to snow fellows like me who spent eighth-grade algebra pining for the brunette in the second row.

Fred has illustrated his book well, with neat line drawings and photos you probably won’t find anywhere else. It’s a rare technical treatise that draws you in with illustration, or that keeps you with an easy flow of chat that, were it lifted from print, might pop up at any gun counter or handloading bench. Fred Zeglin has done well with this book, giving wildcatters - indeed, all rifle enthusiasts - an overview of a culture often mentioned but little explored on the page. It’s not all you ever wanted to know about wildcatting, but his family tells me it’s as close as you’re going to get in one volume.

Wayne van Zwoll, April, 2005

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

All these folks helped make this book a reality.

Dean Arnold Murray State College

Mike Brady North Fork Technologies

Don Cantwell Wood Products

Pete Cardona Quality Cartridge

John Cargill Kaltron/Pettibone

Mike Comstock

Kenny Dickerson. 4D Products

Robert Dunlap Pacific International Service Co.

Max Dunlevy

William Eichelberger

Phil Filing Glenrock Blue

Robert Fulton

Eric Gala

Ken Green SAAMI

Doug Gregory

Andy Hill Hawk Bullets

Mike Horstman Snoozin Moose Guide Service

Ken Howell

Bill Kemmerer

Ken Kempa

Dave Kiff Pacific Tool & Gage

Todd Kindler Small Caliber News

Jeff Lawrence Lawrence Rifle Barrels

Jim Leahy James Calhoon Bullets

Dave Manson Manson Precision Reamers

Angela Morris

Greg Mushial GMDR Inc. (RCBS.Load)

Bruce Nichols Mountain Sun Photo

Raymond Oelrich Big Game Adventures Magazine

Dan Pedersen Classic Rifle Barrels

Michael Petrov

Ron Reed RAR

Ed Reynolds AEM Software

Jim Ristow Recreational Software, Inc.

Dave Scovill Wolfe Publishing

Graydon Snapp

Ed & Deb Stevenson Sheep River Outfitters

Gary Turner Talley Mfg.

Wayne van Zwoll

Dave Webb

Dick Williams

Steven Wright

INTRODUCTION

Did you ever wonder at what point a shooter crosses the line and becomes a Gun Nut? Most wives would argue that the crossings over takes place somewhere between the acquisition of the second and third firearm, then you’re an official “Gun Nut.”

Another obvious definition of a gun nut is; when the mild mannered gun enthusiast is overcome with an uncontrollable urge to design a cartridge all his own. In other words, if you are reading this you have in all likelihood, already crossed that line, becoming a certified “Gun Nut.” Welcome to the crowd!

The purpose of “The Reloader’s Handbook of Wildcat Cartridge Design” is to help the would-be cartridge designer along the path to success. No other book has ever provided the reader with the necessary information to properly design a new wildcat cartridge. In these pages you will find dimensions, and information that literally took years to assemble in a useful form. Even if your not planning to design your own wildcat the information is this volume will be invaluable to your reloading and shooting experiences.

Every effort was made to collect accurate information for this book. In many cases the original or at least the earliest published data was used to insure correct information is provided. The author preferred to spend more time locating details to repeating long standing errors found in earlier works. With all that said there are likely still errors in this book, human hands assembled it after all.

Reloading is a hobby which offers the gun nut a way to spend numerous additional hours with his favorite rifle, or newest toy. Wildcatting extends that hobby even farther. When you begin loading for a new wildcat with no published load data available, it takes long hours of careful testing, and provides for long hours of enjoyment as you prove out your cartridge. Hopefully this book will help gun nuts everywhere to discover exciting new territory in the hobbies of shooting and reloading.

Here’s to many happy days a field and at the bench!

CHAPTER1

What is a Wildcat?

Good Question. In gunsmithing terms a wildcat is any cartridge that is not now a factory offered caliber. Occasionally cartridges make the jump from wildcat to a factory offering. In rare cases cartridges that were once factory offerings become wildcats when the factory drops them, but they hang onto or later develop a following. In other words, there is no factory source for their brass or ammo.

A1 Miller in “Wildcat Cartridges” offered another definition of wildcatting. He said, “Exactly when the terms, “wildcat cartridge” and “wildcatting” were first applied and who applied them is anybody’s guess- but the practice is as old as the metallic cartridge itself. Basically, the history of cartridge development is the history of wildcatting. From the very beginning, ballisticians, military ordnance experts, gunmakers, and others interested in improving small arms ammunition based their experiments on their predecessors’ success. Each military or commercial cartridge introduced served as a point of departure, spurring improvements, not only in case shape and bullet construction but in primers and propellants as well.”

In the simplest explanation, wildcats are an opportunity for “gun nuts” to express themselves, ballistically. Every gun nut has a pet caliber, or pet project that they wonder (often allowed) “Why doesn’t the factory do this, it’s so obvious!” The truth is that in many cases these pet projects would have appeal to a limited number of shooters and therefore are not likely to attract the attention of the big factories. On the other hand there can easily be enough interest to keep an individual custom shop busy.

Wildcat all the way.

Cartridges that fall into this category have never been factory cartridges, and probably never will. There are many reasons why a wildcat will not attract the factories as a new production cartridge. First and foremost is marketability, the factories want a cartridge with pretty broad appeal, often wildcats are specialized cartridges that attract a relatively small portion of the shooting public. The second most important reason factories avoid wildcat designs is for mechanical reasons. Cases with sharp shoulders and minimum body taper do not fit well with the methods factories like to use for chambering and production of ammunition.

Modem production ammunition tends to run close to the minimum specifications allowed by The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI). Factory Chambers tend to run toward the maximum limits of SAAMI specifications. This system works extremely well with cases with shoulder angles of 30 degrees or less and a fair amount of body taper; it’s a forgiving combination. This has become so pervasive in the industry that shooters frequently have concerns about how the web of the case is swelling when fired in their gun; the cause is minimum dimension brass. Cases designed with minimum body taper and shoulders sharper than 30 degrees must be held to closer dimensions, so they become more expensive in a production atmosphere.

Wildcat to Factory.

An example of a wildcat becoming a factory cartridge is the 243 Rockchucker; it was the most popular of the 243/6mm wildcats available, prior to Remington introducing the 244 Remington in 1955.

The original Rockchucker was based on the 7x57 case necked to 243, with a 32-degree shoulder. Remington chose a 26-degree shoulder for the 244. In the same year, 1955, Winchester introduced the 243 Winchester with it’s 20- degree shoulder as a factory answer to the popularity of the 243/6mm wildcats that were thriving at the time, this along with Remington’s offering spelled death for the 243 Rockchucker, although there are still people shooting that wildcat today. (Barnes, Frank C. Cartridges of the World. 3rd edition. (C) 1972.)

Some wildcat cartridges break this rule of no factory production, through no fault of their own. The 35 Whelen was a wildcat for about 75 years before Remington decided to standardize it in 1987. Unfortunately, this can damage the reputation of a cartridge. In the case of the 35 Whelen the ammunition that is factory loaded for it today produces relatively low velocity by reloading standards, some reloaders say, “You could use a sun dial instead of a chronograph on such loads.”

Of course that’s an exaggeration, but Remington publishes their factory load for the 35 Whelen with a 250 gr. bullet at, 2400 FPS. A quick check of published loading data revealed numerous listings for the same weight bullet over 2500 FPS. That is not to say you should jump straight to that level in your gun, use appropriate testing methods, see Chapter 17.

These factory loadings some would call anemic are designed for two totally valid reasons, first to accommodate the fact that the most recent factory gun manufactured in 35 Whelen was a pump action, a relatively weak design when compared to modern bolt guns. The second reason is that many of the guns built in this caliber over the past 75 or so years are of questionable strength. Headspace may vary some on these wildcat rifles built over the years. By offering low pressure ammo the manufacturer minimizes liability. A well-built modern commercial bolt-action rifle will handle substantially higher pressure and therefore give much better ballistics. Still reloaders should use common sense, if the 30-06 is loaded to 60,000 PSI according to an Oehler Model 43 then any variant of the 06 case is limited to the same “factory pressure”. Since the Oehler system is limited by its design and cannot tell you the precise correct pressure for any given load it is used as a comparative tool. Where factory ammo is available you can use it as a standard, if you never exceed factory pressure you should be within safe limits.

Another example of a wildcat finding its way into factory production is the 300 Remington Ultra Mag, which arrived in 1999, soon followed by its brethren.

Popular wildcats preceded the Ultra Mag in the market place, North American Shooting Systems and Dakota Arms both offered their own cartridges based on the 404 Jeffrey case; the 300 Canadian Magnum, and the 300 Dakota respectively. Some would argue that the Dakota offerings are not wildcats, however, since they are only available in semi-custom, or custom built firearms it is safe to call them wildcats.

Heavy Express was a group of wildcats based on the 348 Winchester case with the rim modified to a rimless design, comparing it to the 300 WSM it’s not hard to see the similarity.

Factory to Wildcat

Charles Newton had a great idea for a line of cartridges in the first decade of the twentieth century. Newton was many decades ahead of his time; he designed the first high velocity commercial cartridges. The most famous of which are the 256 Newton and the 30 Newton.

Newton succeeded in convincing more than one ammunition manufacture to produce ammunition for his cartridges. The reasons for his failure as a firearms maker are varied.

Apparently, he was a genius as an engineer and ballistician, but lacked good business acumen. As a result the rifles produced under his name were diverse in quality, from beautiful well-built rifles to cheap junk that will put any business under. Newton also built very lightweight rifles for his cartridges, which have respectable recoil (especially the 30 and 35 Newton), this only added to the marketing problems. Eventually the reputation for heavy recoil and questionable quality rifles killed the company and ammunition makers dropped the ammo from their lines.

Newton’s cartridges are good designs even by today’s standards, but they are relegated to wildcat status, by the lack of available factory brass. For more details see chapter 19.

Modern Wildcats...

Wildcatters these days seem willing to spend far more than in the past on their pet cartridge. One example of this is the 470 Mbogo. This cartridge is based on the 416 Rigby case.

The designer has a web site devoted to this cartridge with a surprising amount of information about the development and loading of the 470 Mbogo. Not to mention the story of its first major field test in Africa.

The web address as of this writing is: http://www.470mbogo .com unusual effort by the designer went into making correctly head stamped brass for the 470 Mbogo. The designer, Dave Estergaard had a bunter made (the stamping tool used to put the headstamp on the brass). Not many wildcatters go to this extreme for their baby.

The 19 Calhoon and 19-223 Calhoon are examples of cartridges born out of one mans interest in a challenge and his abilities as a designer. James Leahy well known for his Calhoon bullets, was looking over the results of the 1970’s NATO ammunition trials. He noted that the British had entered a 4.85mm cartridge in the competition and it had faired very well. Unfortunately for this .19 caliber offering, that was the same trials where the Germans offered the SS109 loading for the 5.56mm NATO. When all was said and done the 4.85mm had performed well but the difference between it and the SS109 were not enough to convince NATO to change to a new cartridge, which would have necessitated either rebarreling all the 5.56mm guns in the arsenal or replacing them with new guns in the 4.85mm.

Leahy saw in the test results some interesting data. The .19 caliber offered superior sectional density with ballistic coefficients similar to the .22 caliber. Add to that the velocities, which approach the 220 Swift with far less powder, and therefore longer barrel life and less recoil. Two cartridges emerged from Calhoon’s efforts; the 19 Calhoon is a 22 Hornet necked to .19 with the shoulder blown out to 30 degrees and the body taper at minimum. This little darling will send a 27-grain bullet down range at 3600 feet per second (fps). The 19-223 Calhoon will send a 32-grain bullet out at 4100 fps, and a 44- grain bullet at 3600 fps. While Leahy did not invent the .19 caliber bore he saw a missed opportunity and developed some respectable cartridges to fill the niche.

Hawk Cartridges are a line of wildcats, eleven in total. Originated by Robert Fulton of Hawk Bullet fame in 1988, Bob started with a 375-06 Improved and was not satisfied with the results. He attempted several variations on the chambering until he finally had a case with minimum body taper and the shoulder moved forward. When he was done the 375 Hawk (so named for his company) had about 9% more case capacity than the parent 30-06 cartridge he had started from.

Trends in the industry at the time were toward large capacity magnum cartridges. As a result some shooters began to see that big muzzle blast, heavy recoil, and belted cases left something to be desired. In effect, a market for cartridges with moderate case capacity and decent ballistics was created by the factories moving toward large capacity cases. In 1995 a client, Graydon Snapp, introduced the author to the 375 Hawk/Scovill and Bob Fulton. It was just a few months later that the whole fine of cartridges was developed around Bob’s original work, with his blessings. The Calibers range from .240 to .411 and offer something for nearly every shooter or hunter. Success for the Hawk line came from the fact that they filled a niche in the market, low recoil, magnum velocities, no belt, they work in a standard length action, and inexpensive common brass can be used to form them.

That gives you three examples of successful wildcats; note they represent three totally different ways of looking at wildcats. The cartridges can be used for anything from small varmints on up to Cape buffalo. Availability of brass, bullets, barrels, actions, and accessories has expanded greatly; today there is more to choose from than ever before. Consequently, new wildcats are inevitable. You’re only limited by your imagination.

“Why bother?”

This is the second most common question concerning wildcat cartridges, “Why bother?” Well, there are as many excuses as there are wildcats. Like most excuses, some are good, some are not so good, and some outright stink.

The best excuses are those that involve a new combination of a specific firearm and a caliber that the factory will not produce any time soon or more likely never produce at all. Look back at our earlier examples to see what the excuses for those wildcats were. The 243 Rockchucker came about in the years following World War II. In those days the factories did not build rifles or ammunition for 243/6mm cartridge in the United States.

During the 1920s the British worked with a number of 6mm cartridges. In the early 20’s Holland & Holland introduced the 240 Magnum Rimless, also know as Holland’s 240 Apex.

At the same time, Holland introduced a rimmed version of the cartridge, which of course is the 240 Magnum Flanged. These cartridges boasted a 100 gr. bullet at 2900 feet per second (fps), in the factory loadings. In 1923, Kynoch, in conjunction with Manton & Co. introduced the 242 Rimless Nitro Express, originally marketed as the 242 Manton. Factory data indicates that this cartridge would push a 100 gr. pill at 2800 fps.

Earliest of all 6mm cartridges came from the Germans. All the way back to about 1895, the 6x57 Mauser was the earliest know commercial endeavor into the 6mm bore. As the name indicates the 6x57 is based on the 7x57, which was first introduced in 1893.

Now back to the U.S. Factories on this side of the ocean largely ignored small calibers with few exceptions, until the end of World War II. The 6mm Lee Navy, originated in 1895 was one notable entry from this side of the ocean. The last factory ammo for this caliber was probably made around 1939. The most successful of the prewar small caliber cartridges is the 220 Swift, still in production today.

Following World War II gun folks found themselves in a unique position. With the post war economy people had more time for leisure, so hobbies were on the grow, including hunting, shooting, and reloading.

During the war years it was necessary for shooters to learn to make do with what was available. As a result many gunsmiths had learned to make tools, reloading equipment, and even bullets. One such person was Fred T. Huntington. Fred became an expert at making dies and of course started RCBS. On a visit to Huntington’s in Oroville California in 1983 Mr. Huntington took the time to show our group some bullet making dies that he had made in the 1940’s. A customer had donated them back to Mr. Huntington for display in his store. Fred talked about the tools he had designed and the reasons they were necessary at the time.

In those post war days military surplus powder became available, and not long after commercial powders followed. For the first time reloaders had a choice of powders which would allow for more experimentation. Prior to the war, the gunpowders available were not capable of delivering the burning characteristics that cartridges smaller than .308 need to perform at their best. Armed with these new powders Mr. Huntington and many other wildcatters developed several new wildcats, among the most successful was the 243 Rockchucker.

At the time Fred Huntington developed the 243 Rockchucker, there was little in the way of competing cartridges on the market. The correct time and place had come together for the 243 Rockchucker to become a success. Gunpowder by that time was available to deliver good ballistics. Not to mention the 257 Roberts was popular, so the interest in smaller bores was present, ready to be exploited. In the case of the Rockchucker, the cartridge actually filled a niche for the shooting public.

It would be several years before Remington and Winchester recognize the opportunity the 6mm bore offered them for marketing.

Now lets bring this full circle... Why bother?

First, to fill a perceived need. Second, to take advantage of changes in technology, whether it is in firearms, brass, or other components. Third, you see a combination of a gun and a caliber that would work well together for a specific purpose. Finally, just because it’s fun.

Who can design a wildcat?

Anybody who has the desire and the wherewithall (is that a word?) can design a wildcat cartridge. Designing a wildcat is a way of having something that no one else in the whole world has. It's a challenge to work out the details. It’s interesting to try to design a cartridge that will do something that no other cartridge will do in that same way. Wildcatting is just plain fun, and is the natural full embrace of your shooting hobby.

What do you need to design a wildcat?

Nothing, well almost nothing. You need a goal, what niche do you want your cartridge to fill? Then you need some basic knowledge, what type of firearm will work with your wildcat? Seek advice from a competent gunsmith, keep in mind that not all gunsmiths are experienced wildcatters.

A chamber reamer will have to be made to meet your needs. Then a test gun is built, its OK to make it a nice gun because even if the wildcat turns out to be less than you expected you can rebarrel it to something else, no one will ever know but you.

Then you will have to work up loads this can take a lot of time; with a true wildcat there is no reloading manual to follow (some manuals contain data for the more popular wildcats). It is exciting to test a new wildcat and get more than you bargained for.

There are now some easy to use software products that can help you design the cartridge of your dreams. RCBS.Load contains a “Cartridge Designer” which is simple to use, and future releases will contain a load estimator. Then Quick Design, from Neco is another product that will be useful to the wildcatter for designing the cartridge. The advantage to these software products being used for design is that they will provide information instantly that you would spend a fair amount of time calculating. For instance, case capacity, and in the case of Quick Design it will import data directly into Quick Load, the internal ballistics software from Neco. More on Software later, see Chapter 8.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Wildcatting!

CHAPTER2

Whatchamacallit...

or Nomenclature (What’s the correct name for that thingamabob?)

Widgets, whogeewhats, and thingamajigs are commonplace in conversation. But, to tell the truth it seems no two of these figurative items is ever the same when pointed out. That’s because words mean things. The words above are used when we can’t think of the correct name or simply as a placeholder in the conversation so we can concentrate on the concept rather than a specific product or item. So what does this all have to do with wildcatting? Again, words mean things; we have names for cartridge components and they serve to allow for concise and specific communication in an article, discussion, or written report. Below is a collection of terms that reloaders and wildcatters will often use, along with diagrams to display and name the various parts or cases and bullets.

Action: The portion of the firearm which performs the action of handling and firing the ammunition.

Bell: To flair a case mouth to receive a bullet easily.

Bolt Face: Forward face of the bolt which rests against the back of the cartridge when the firearm in loaded. Also called the breech face.

Bullet: A projectile formed from various metals such as lead, copper, or bronze. They may be homogenous or an amalgamation of various metals.

Bullet Swaging: To form a bullet in a die.

Caliber:

Approximate diameter of the bullet or gun bore.A specific cartridge design, i.e. 30-06 is one caliber, 25-06 is another.

Cannelure: One or more grooves cut or rolled into the circumference of the bullet where the crimped case mouth can grip the bullet.

Cartridge: A completely loaded ready to fire piece of ammunition.

Case: A metal cylindrical container that holds the primer, powder and bullet. Also called brass.

Case Forming: To form cases for one cartridge case from a different case.

Case Head: Solid portion of the case at the breech end. Also called the base of the case.

Chamber: Breech end of the guns bore which receives and supports the cartridge for firing.

Chamber Reamer: Same as finish reamer.

Chamfer: To ream or bevel the case mouth, primarily inside.

Chronograph: An instrument used to measure velocity of a bullet.

Components: The parts which make up a cartridge.

Crimp: To bend inward the mouth of the case to grip the bullet. Used only with bullets having a cannelure or crimping grove.

Datum Line: Point along the shoulder where the length of the camber or case is measured for headspace, varies from one cartridge to another. Specifications can be located from SAMMI or from your reamer maker.

Deburr: To remove the small metal burrs from inside and outside the case mouth.

Decapping: Removal of spent primers from fired cases.

Decapping Pin: Slim needle-like rod in the resizing die, which actually pushes the spent primer out of the case.

Decapping Rod: Normally found in the resize die, the decapping rod carries the expander ball and the decapping pin.

Diplock’s Syndrome

In an article by Samuel Clark Jr. originally published in “Twenty-two Caliber Varmint Rifles’’ by Charles Landis, 1945, Clark tells a story about shooting accurate rifles and the good natured jabbing and poking that will inevitably erupt among shooting buddies. Here is an excerpt:

“The writer (Clark) had often remarked how frequently it is that we read of rifles capable of shooting into a minute of angle or how often we hear of 3A” or even Vi” groups shot from rest or a machine rest at 100 yards, or 2” or less than 2” groups at 200 yards. It has also been frequently noted that although shooting, as just described, causes no great stir among the shooting fraternity, nevertheless, such shooting even in the hands of well-known experimenters, equipped with the most accurate rifles obtainable, has not been the rule on the range described above—in fact far from it—actually, quite the contrary, and if all groups fired by each individual shooter were averaged, the result would indicate the progress along the lines of accuracy was a very dubious matter indeed.

Among visitors to the range who had not neglected to observe this point, was Clark’s good friend and genial shooting companion, John Dip lock. In fact, Diplock had so often been disappointed when rifles which were described as tack drivers failed to shoot in the vicinity of the tack, let alone shooting group after group measuring 1” or under, that he had lost a great deal of faith in the expressed opinions of his fellow man.

Another illusion, which Diplock had learned to discount about 99%, was that of the dependence that could be placed in the 5-shot groups as a test of accuracy. The whole matter had been discussed from all possible angles and the opinion was firmly held that a group of 10 shots fired from any rifle from bench or machine rest at 100 yards, which measured 1” from center to center of bullet holes farthest apart, was still a mighty fine group, and despite claims to the contrary, that the rifle and rifleman, who could sit down and do such shooting when the chips were down, with spectators present, and continue to do it for 10 shot group after 10 shot group, just had not come along yet.

Diplock, sensing an opportunity to turn the weekend into a payday, pounded his fist on the loading bench and stated that he had listened to all this 1” talk he wanted to, and he had seen all the selected groups he wanted to see, but what he did want to see was a shooter who was man enough to demonstrate before witnesses and with money on the board, what he could do about this 1” business... Peeling a big bill off his roll, Diplock laid it on the loading bench and announced that he had “had his say.””

Why repeat all this here? Well, for years gunsmith’s have had the reputation of being grumpy, opinionated, old duffers. It is the author’s (Zeglin) contention that the story above is a good explanation for the attitudes displayed by many long time gunsmiths. Professional gunsmiths are forced to endure amazing tales of accuracy, and hunting prowess, most of which no 5 year old would believe. After some exposure to such comments, stories, statements, anecdotes, yams, legends, and/or outright lies even the kindest heart will become hardened to these tales. This hardened condition the author has dubbed Diplock’s Syndrome. By the way, Diplock lost his bet... nobody is perfect.

Expander: The part of the die that expands the case mouth to receive the bullet. Also called expander-ball.

False Shoulder : When forming a wildcat from parent brass of a larger neck diameter, a new shoulder is formed in a sizing die at the correct point to properly headspace the new case in the wildcat chamber, for fire forming. Pictured below.

False Shoulder

Finish Reamer: Chamber reamer, reams the chamber to final dimensions. Often referred to simply as a chamber reamer.

Fire Forming: The process of fully forming cases, by firing them in a larger chamber. Headspace must be observed.

Flash Hole: The hole in the center of the primer pocket that allow the fire from the primer to ignite the powder in the case.

Form dies: Dies used to form brass to a new shape, such dies are common to wildcatting.

Forming: The process of shaping brass in form dies.

Full Length Sizer: A die used to resize the full length of the case to minimum specifications.

Handloading: The process of loading ammunition by hand. Also known as reloading.

Hangfire: Slang term for any detectable delay in cartridge ignition.

Headspace: Measured distance from the bolt face to a predetermined point on the case. Rimmed cases headspace on the rim. Rimless, semirimless, and rebated cases headspace on the shoulder of the case at a point called the datum line. Belted cases headspace on the belt.

Headspace Gage: Solid steel tool made to measure headspace for specific cartridges by inserting the gage in the chamber and checking fit.

Ignition: The action of setting the powder charge on fire.

Jacket: The outer skin of the bullet, normally copper alloy.

Lands: Raised portion of the bore not cut away, creating rifling.

Misfire: Failure of the cartridge to ignite after the firing pin has struck the primer.

Neck: Portion of the case, which retains the bullet. In bottle neck cases that portion of the case forward of the shoulder.

Neck Sizer die: A die used to size only the neck of the case.

Ogive: Curve of the bullet ahead of the bearing surface.

Powder: The propellant used in cartridges to generate energy to push the bullet down the bore.

Powder Charge: Specified amount of powder loaded in the cartridge.

Primer: Small cap containing a detonating mixture used to ignite the powder charge in the case.

Primer Pocket: Cavity in the base of the case where the primer is seated.

Priming: Process of installing new primers in cases.

Ram: The part of the reloading press which holds the shell holder and moves up and down to accomplish the tasks of sizing, and seating.

Reloading Press: Tool used to perform the main tasks of the reloading process.

Resize: Pushing cases into sizing dies will resize the case to minimum specification, necessary for the case to be loaded and fired again.

Resize Reamer: Special reamer made to specifications for resizing die dimensions.

Roughing Reamer: Undersized chamber reamer used to rough out the chamber, saves time in productions situations.

Round: Military term for a single loaded cartridge.

Seater Die: Used to seat the bullet in a primed and charged case.

Seating Depth: Depth to which a bullet is seated in the mouth of the case.

Shell Holder: Interchangeable part used in reloading press to hold the rim of the case during the reloading process.

Sizer Die: A die used to return brass to minimum specification.

Spent Primer: Fired primer.

Throat: Area just forward of the chamber, toward the muzzle (pictured below).

Web: The portion of the case toward the muzzle, just ahead of the solid head, which tapers out quickly to the thickness of the main wall of the case.

A great reference book for defining firearms terms is:

The Firearms Dictionary, by R.A. Steindler, Stackpole Books, 1970

Below are a couple of pictures to help explain proper nomenclature.

CHAPTER3

What's an Improved Cartridge?

A nearly universal description of an “Improved” case is to create a larger (than original) chamber that will safely allow the firing of factory cartridges, for the purpose of fire forming them to the new larger dimensions. In most instances the new chamber will have a sharper shoulder angle and decreased body taper, which combine to provide greater case capacity. It is widely accepted that sharp shouldered cases are less prone to stretching, in other words the brass does not flow forward as much as is common with commercial cartridges. Reloaders perceive this as an advantage because they will have to trim brass less often. The biggest advantage to “Improved” cartridges is that no forming dies are required to make the brass. Simply firing an appropriate factory cartridge in the “Improved” chamber will result in a hilly formed case.

It is common to read claims that an improved cartridge is more accurate than its factory counterpart. This is highly unlikely; it is more likely that careful work by a qualified gunsmith will remove imperfections in the fitting of the barrel to the action. As a result of these improvements to the action and how it fits to the barrel accuracy is improved. There is a quote in an old P.O. Ackley pamphlet that says, “I have never seen an inaccurate cartridge when chambered in an accurate barrel.”

Upon reloading the fire formed cases the increased case capacity is available to increase the velocity, and flatten the trajectory of the projectile. It’s easy to see why the term “Improved” became attached to this process. Most reloaders are looking for enhanced performance, logically; improved cases are the first step most shooters take toward wildcatting, because they are so simple to work with.

Some would argue that necking a case up or down in diameter from the original factory caliber is a form of improved cartridge. It is a form of wildcat because the caliber is changed, but it’s not an improved case, because it does not alter the case capacity. The earliest example of a “necked” cartridge that remains popular to this day is the 257 Roberts. Originated by Major N.H. Roberts before World War I, essentially it is a 7x57 case necked down to .257 caliber. In 1938 the factory loading for the 257 Roberts was an 87 gr. bullet @ 3200 FPS, 100 gr. bullet @ 2900 FPS, and a 117 gr. bullet @ 2650 FPS. (The Rifle in America, Sharpe, 1938) Common factory loadings at that time for the 7x57 included a 175 gr. bullet @ about 2300 FPS, so you can see why some would consider the 257 Roberts to have better ballistics over the 7x57, but that does not make it an improved cartridge.

When it comes to cartridges with increased case capacity the 22 K-Homet is the probably one of the best know examples, and continues to be popular even today, well over half a century after introduction. Lysle Kilbourn of Whitesboro, New York came up with his design for an improved 22 Hornet case in about 1940. With the help of a Canadian gunsmith by the name of G.B. Crandall, Kilbourn designed a cartridge that would allow the firing of factory 22 Hornet ammunition in the new chamber, which sported a minimum taper body, and sharp shoulder. Two advantages came with this “Improved” case; first, case capacity was increased, adding about 10% more room for powder. Second, and in exception to the comments about inherent accuracy on the previous page, accuracy was improved over the original cartridge. The reason for this exception is straightforward; the original Hornet design 218 Mashbum Bee is from the days of black powder cartridges with its long tapered case with no defined shoulder, and very minimal case capacity.

The K-Homet has increased capacity making it less finicky about load selection. Less body taper and a well-defined shoulder seem to make the K-Homet less susceptible to imperfections in the brass or dirt in the chamber pushing the case off center.

Research indicates that Kilborn was the one of the first to come up with this simple method of forming “Improved” cases for a wildcat. One researcher suggests that Art Mashburn was the first in 1937 with his 300 Mashburn based on the 300 H&H case. (P.O. Ackley’s Wildcats, Rob Lucas, Gun Digest, 1996) Mashburn also created the 218 Mashburn Bee in about 1940 so he is clearly in the running as the first to develop fire formed improved cases. What made this “improved” cartridges so important is that they retained the important asset of being able to fire factory cartridges in the wildcat chamber safely. It is not possible to overstate Lylse Kilborn’s, and Art Mashburn’s contributions to wildcatting in creating these improved cases. (Wildcat Cartridges, 22 K-Hornet, Ken Waters, Wolfe Publishing Co. 1992) Ackley put out his first improved cartridge in about 1938, the 219 Zipper 219 Zipper Ackley Improved.

These guys along with at least a half dozen others were all working on the concept of fire form improved cases at the same general time. Most of them knew each other, or at least of each others work, so it’s not likely we will ever know who was first.

Efficiency is not a word that writers often choose when describing cartridge designs. The reason for this is simple enough; readers are looking for superlatives in the descriptions of cartridges. They want a cartridge that can be described as, “flat shooters, having extreme velocity, screaming, powerful, amazing, accurate, smoking, or anyone of a dozen other adjectives that indicate fantastic external ballistics. However, efficiency is an exciting thing in the right context.

EXAMPLE: In the case of the 22 K-Hornet the increased case capacity is converted into greatly increased velocity over the parent case. At the same time the K-Hornet does not have so much fuel capacity as to be wasteful. The clearest example of this efficiency is a 45 gr. bullet in the Factory Hornet loaded with 9.5 gr. of 2400 powder delivers 2400 FPS. The same bullet and powder in a K- Hornet with 10.5 gr. of powder will deliver 2700 FPS. (Nick Harvey’s Practical Reloading Manual, 1993) That’s a 300 FPS increase in velocity in exchange for one grain more powder, or to put it another way, that’s a 12.5 percent increase in velocity in exchange for a 10.6 percent increase in powder charge.

Generally when you look at statistics for increased case capacity it is fair to say that a 10 percent increase in capacity will deliver a 3 to 5 percent increase in velocity. So, the K-Hornet far outstrips the average. That’s what we mean by efficiency, a cartridge that utilizes the fuel available to it in an efficient manner. As we look at larger bore diameters other benefits to efficiency become noticeable, such as lower recoil.

Therefore, efficiency in a cartridge is desirable, just like accuracy, and knock down power. More importantly, one does not preclude the other.

Inefficient cartridges will have higher felt recoil for two reasons. First, higher capacity means higher charge weights, and if you look at the math involved in calculating felt recoil the powder charge is a substantial factor. Second, more fuel means more gas at the muzzle. Hot expanding gases escaping the barrel after the bullet exits turns into rocket thrust, driving the rifle back against your shoulder. That very fact is why muzzle brakes work. Your muzzle brake redirects the thrust to reduce felt recoil.

To Calculate approximate recoil in foot pounds:

E is energy in foot pounds, Wr is weight of rifle, Wb is weight of bullet in grains, Wp is weight of powder charge in grains, Vb is the muzzle velocity of the bullet. The constant of 4700 will result in approximate recoil, as it does not precisely suit all calibers. (Lyman Reloading Handbook, 43rd Edition, 1964) Recoil in foot pounds will be very close + or - a few foot pounds of the actual energy delivered. Felt recoil is subjective and will vary greatly from one shooter to another, it will be greatly affected by the design of the individual stock. The above formula does not account for the effect of rocket thrust however.

As you can see, the powder charge is a major factor in felt recoil. So, if we can reduce the powder charge and get essentially the same result velocity wise, we will also get less recoil.

It’s interesting to note that “Improved” cartridges are close enough in capacity to the parent cartridge that the increased recoil is negligible by comparison to the increased velocity. Efficiency comes into play here, a slight increase in capacity for a well- balanced commercial cartridge equates to increased velocity. However, if the original commercial case is already inefficient (overbore) then improving the case will deliver little or no increase in ballistics. However, it will increase recoil and muzzle blast.

Other “Improvements?”

Years ago the author was working in a large gunshop in North Idaho as a gunsmith, we had a client who always wanted to push the envelope ballistically with every rifle he owned. One of the gunsmiths in the shop inadvertently over cut the throat in one of this clients rifles (it’s a long stupid story), the rifle was an 8mm Remington Magnum. Throat length was on the order of .750”, normal length would be about .150”. The client found that he could really push the envelope. The throat was so long that he could load well beyond published data, so much so that it scared him and after years of wanting to have such a rifle he disposed of it. Be careful what you ask for...

Use of freebore in cartridge design will be covered in more detail in Chapter 13.

Fading to mention P.O. Ackley at this point could be considered a valid reason to have the author flogged, or even shot. The author wishes to avoid such consequences so Mr. Ackley will have the last word on “improved” cartridges.

P.O. Ackley took factory offerings, expanded the body to minimum body taper, and changed the shoulder angles. The resulting case design provides increased case capacity. The idea, was and is, to give you more velocity from the case yet allow you to fire factory (parent) ammo in the chamber. The ability to fire form the brass easily using factory ammo is attractive to many shooters. You can buy factory ammo in the parent caliber to shoot the rifle in a pinch; this can be a life-saver (or at least a trip saver) when you’re traveling. It is purely the author’s opinion that improved cartridges are not true wildcats. The final definition of a wildcat is that; Wildcats must be formed in dies before they can be fired, and no factory cartridge can safely be fired in the wildcat chamber.

Ackley tested and retested his ideas, and the cartridges, which developed from those concepts. He wrote numerous articles and brochures, as well as the two books for which he is well known, “Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders, Volumes I & II.” Interestingly, Ackley did not particularly like the term “improved” with reference to his cartridges, yet he did not suggest an alternative moniker for them. Here is what he had to say about it,

“The word “improved” is an unfortunate selection because any “improved” cartridge has little relation to its commercial counterpart except for the fact that the “improved” chamber will accept factory ammunition without any danger to the shooter.

Cases for an “improved” cartridge are made by simply firing factory ammunition in the “improved” chamber which does away with the necessity of using forming dies which are required for a pure Wildcat.” (P.O. Ackley, Handbook and Catalog, circa 1951)

There is much more to say about P.O. Ackley and his accomplishments, see Chapter 4 for the complete story.

Design rules for “Improved” case design:

Minimum body taper is .0075” per inch of body length.Must be able to safely headspace factory ammunition.Shoulder angle has far less to do with case capacity than does body taper.Shoulder angle of 40 degrees is optimum for controlling brass flow (a shallower shoulder angle is more conducive to reliable feeding).Fire forming will shorten the overall case length.Balanced case and bore capacity.

Improved cartridges really do not provide the would-be designer with an opportunity for developing something original. As soon as the factories offer any new chamberings the improved designs are drawn up and made available by most of the reamer makers even before you can buy the parent brass. In fact many new cartridges on the market at the time of this writing are so close to improved designs that the gains one will receive from improving cases is often small with new factory offerings. Wildcatting will no doubt take you into more complex designs. However, the basic rules of “improved chambers” are very useful to the wildcatter.

CHAPTER4

Parker Otto Ackley, Undisputed King of “Improved” Cartridges...

P.O. Ackley is the most famous of all Wildcat cartridge designers. Ackley was a native of Granville, N.Y. He graduated from Syracuse University, Magna cum laude, in 1927. Following his marriage to Winnefred Ross in 1928, the couple established a farm and trucking business. She stopped teaching to raise a family. During his career Ackley was a barrel maker, gunsmith, firearms importer, a College Professor, experimenter, author, and most important to those reading this book a wildcatter extraordinaire.

During the Depression they moved to Roseburg, Oregon where, in 1936, Parker established his gunsmithing and barrel making business. The business flourished there until 1942 when Ackley to support the war effort, went to work for the Small Arms Division of the Ogden Arsenal, until 1944. Upon leaving the Arsenal, they moved to Cimarron, New Mexico for a year where Parker re-established his gun business. In 1945 Mr. Ackley moved his gun business to Trinidad, Co. From 1946 to 1951 he was an instructor in theory of gun making and metallurgy at Trinidad State Junior College. During this time at Trinidad, it appears that much of Ackley’s famous experiments with blowing up actions and case design were performed.

In 1951 Ackley sold his gun business in Trinidad and he moved his family to Salt Lake City, UT. His wife, Winn opened a branch of Tandy Leather Co., becoming the first female in a management position, from which she retired in 1968.

P.O. Ackley was a regular contributor to “Guns & Ammo” and “Shooting Times”. He worked carefully to develop a reputation for telling the truth. These magazine articles contributed greatly to Ackley’s fame in the gun industry, and helped to build his business. In 1962 his magnum opus was published, “Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders” Volumes I, Volume II followed in 1966. These books are still highly useful and valuable resources for would-be wildcatters.

Mr. Ackley died in 1989 at the age of 86.

Ackley’s Contributions...

Ackley showed unusual professionalism as a gunsmith, his use of a scientific approach to testing cartridges, barrels, and actions set him apart from the pack. He carefully recorded and collected test results with an eye toward finding empirical evidence to verify or destroy longstanding theories concerning internal ballistics. This collection of information to this day stands as the largest published body of evidence describing the strengths and weaknesses of various actions, and case designs. Going far beyond theory to prove with real world tests what will happen under various conditions.

In Volume I of “Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders” Ackley explored the question of pressure. In order to prove his points concerning case design and bolt thrust as important issues, when discussing pressure, Ackley describes tests he did with a Savage 99 and a Winchester 94 action. By creating a condition of grossly excessive headspace in the 94 action he proved three major points.

Ackley showed that minimum body taper cases transfer more pressure to the chamber walls, minimizing the amount of bolt thrust.He proved that an oily chamber or cartridge will increase bolt thrust.Third, that brass cases will contain some of the pressure, otherwise the unsupported cases would have ruptured in his test.

Many shooters look upon the tests that Ackley did in this area as inconsequential or as outdated somehow. Neither attitude could be further from the truth. Ackley’s simple tests are conclusive evidence that many of our accepted axioms are little more that wives tales. How could this be? Well, it’s pretty simple, over the years various sources have written down with authority that some bit of information is gospel fact. The truth is, all too often information represented as supposed true facts are little more than an assumption on the part of the originator, most often a gun writer. That is not to say you have a license to pack powder in cases without fear of reprisal. The point is that wise use of design principals; proper headspace of firearm and ammunition, as well as attention to pressure signs will serve you well when developing a new wildcat. This is perhaps P.O. Ackley’s most important contribution to wildcatting.

To further illustrate the value of the improved case design, Ackley reports on his tests with a Savage 99 originally chambered in 250-3000. He indicates that a specific load of HiVel #2 and a 100 gr. bullet delivered 2900 fps and a peak chamber pressure of 52,000, and extracts fine. The method used to collect pressure data is not mentioned. Ackley states that any increase in powder will then lock up the action as a result of the increased pressure. He then rechambered the Model 99 to his improved 250-3000 and brass was fire formed before full power loads were tested. The result is interesting. The load mentioned above, that previously froze the action, was then fired in the improved chamber, extraction in the improved chamber was easy.

Ackley wanted to prove that his improved chamber would handle pressure differently than the factory style chamber. To finish the test Ackley added one grain of powder at a time to the load until trouble appeared. He states that with the improved chamber, seldom will the action lock up before something else fails. Ackley goes into much more detail in his account; the point being that improved cases (which have minimum body taper) are subject to much less bolt thrust.

With two separate tests Ackley proved that minimum body taper will change how pressure is handled by the action (more on this in Chapter 9). If you’re going to design a wildcat there is probably no more valuable reference than Ackley’s “Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders.” There is a classic quote from Sir Isaac Newton that goes, “If I have seen further than other men, it’s because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.” Why spend all that time and effort learning things that P.O. Ackley took care of for you as long as 50 years ago.

In Volume II of “Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders” Ackley published the results of some very interesting tests. Titled, “The Strength of Military Rifle Actions.” The article runs twenty-two pages and details the results of tests in eighteen actions, including the Arisaka M38, Mauser 98, Enfield P-17, Springfield, Krag, Lee-Enfield, and various 6.5 Jap actions. First he laid out the actual test data for each action, and then he provided a narrative for the tests. Here again P.O. Ackley provided actual tests to develop an informed opinion, where most of his contemporaries simply parroted what they had heard from other gun buffs or “experts.”

In short, Ackley worked hard to dispel rumor and misinformation. He designed tests that were as close to real world as possible in an effort to ascertain the truth of any given discussion. Over and over he disproved long-standing statements, like, “Krag actions are weak, they will not handle a 22 wildcat.” The funny thing is that many of the fallacies that Ackley disproved are still popularly retold as gospel.

Ackley’s books did a better job of recording the wildcatting that was going on during his time than any book did previously. So for historical purposes they are extremely interesting. By seeing the successes and failures of those who went before us, we can see what design features and trends have proven successful. It may be possible to predict what the popular trends will be in the future, by looking back at previous experiments.

What and When...

It makes perfect sense that Ackley would start with a rimmed case. Rimmed cartridges headspace on the rim of the case, so when fire forming a wildcat the rim is trapped between the bolt and the breech of the barrel. There is no better safety valve for a young wildcatter learning the ropes. Headspacing on the rim leaves the rest of the case free to fire form without the need to headspace on a shoulder, or apply special fire forming techniques. Here Ackley would have learned about brass stretch and how the brass will shorten when fired in an improved chamber.

In 1938 Ackley offered his first wildcat, the 219 Zipper Improved. Like most wildcatters, the first attempt for Ackley was not perfect. In fact, he made three versions of the 219 Zipper Improved before he was satisfied with the design. (P.O. Ackley’s Wildcats, by Rob Lucas, Gun Digest, 1996)

Ultimately Ackley suggested the use of 30-30 brass to form this cartridge, because of the changes the factory made in the cases after World War II. Finally he designed the 22/30-30 Ackley improved apparently to simplify the making of brass.