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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Lee Speed Forum & Archive
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FrankS
.300 member


Reged: 06/10/08
Posts: 114
Loc: New Iberia Louisiana
A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4
      #240507 - 12/01/14 07:24 PM

I have been trying to locate the source for getting a chambering reamer made up so as to allow getting 303 cases necked up for 375 bullets. I've seen the 375 2 1/2 but not the one I'm looking for.
What I would like is to neck up 303 cases and have them accept 375 jacketed and cast bullets. Since I already have a Lyman mold in 375 caliber that takes gas checked bullets I would like to start with the cast bullets first. But the problem is trying to find the reamer with which to chamber the barrel.
Has anyone heard about something like this being dome. I'd have to slug the barrel to get land and groove diameters and go from there. Id appreciate any help you gents can give me. Thanks Frank

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26489
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Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: FrankS]
      #240523 - 13/01/14 04:55 AM

Ken Waters or perhaps Paul Mathews made up a #1 Ruger for this round many years ago.

I expect whomever chambered up this round, had either Clymer or Manson make the reamer, but I know Pacific can also do this. Personally, I prefer dealing with Dave Kiff at Pacific.

I do not recall the name of the round - Found it - Yipeeee

Designed by Paul- called quite simply, the .37 Rimmed.

His round was not improved, that is, it did not blow out the shoulder of the parent .303 case but merley necked it up with a .415" shoulder, 10 degree 30 minute shoulder angle and .395" neck length. He ran 255gr. bullets up to 2,350fps and 270's at 2,180fps.

This would make a hell of a cool round in an Improved Shaped case.

One of the members here who lives in Alberta built one up on a .45 2.4" case (ie: .45/90 case. This quite literally gave him a similar round to a .375 Chatfield Taylor - if he put in a leade/throat long enough to seat the bullets out an extra 1/10"- a simple accomplishment.

Frank - the .303/.375 IMP (or .375/.303IMP) is a ctg. I've thought about, now and then for a #4 Enfield.

Edited to include: See page 953 in "Jumbo Edition Wildcat Cartridges" - Wolf Pubishing company isbn#1-879356-18-X.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Grenadier
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Reged: 20/02/08
Posts: 570
Loc: North of the Columbia, USA
Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: FrankS]
      #240554 - 13/01/14 05:32 PM

Ken Waters came up with a wildcat he called the .375 Express. It is, in his words, "meant for the guy with a shoot-out .303 British Enfield who'd like to rebarrel it to a larger caliber taking heavier bullets, or maybe his friend who is building a new single-shot rifle."

There is a reprint of an article Mr. Waters wrote about the cartridge in Wolfe Publishing's "Big Bore Rifles and Cartridges", 1991. It includes a copy of the chamber drawing with the initials D.J.L. and the date 1979. The caption to the drawing reads, "Case design and dimensions from Ken Waters, based on the .444 Marlin case. Chamber dimensions from Keith Francis." Case length was 0.24 inches shorter than a .375-.303 so he could load heavier bullets. For the subject of the article, Waters rebored a Westley-Richards rifle to give it "a new life of usefulness...using the original barrel".

Frankly, it looks a lot like the well known and well established .375 JDJ. The JDJ cartridge might suit your needs.

--------------------
~

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DarylS
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Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: Grenadier]
      #240575 - 14/01/14 03:28 AM

Also of note, is the .312 Express by Ken. In this one, he used the standard .303 barrel and chambered it for the .350 Rem. Mag. necked down to .303.

Mine runs 2,960fps with a 174gr. bullet in a #4 using Reloader #19 powder.

Please note, the .375 Express by Ken, is quite literally a .375/57 Flanged Improved, with it's .4565 shoulder.

The rifle Ken used, was an original Westley Richards - a #3 or perhaps Lee Speed, I presume using the original barrel. Because of this, his ballistics only barely match what can easily be done in the smaller .303 case, in #4.

As Grenadier suggested, this would also be a really good round for either of your rifle suggestions.

Barely shortened .376 Styer dies could be used for loading this round as a neck die set. I used just such a set of dies (Hornady) for my .375/06IMP now.

9.3x57 dies, with the neck opened up, could be used for the .303/.375 round as neck sizing dies. This, rather than having expensive custom dies cut.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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FrankS
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Reged: 06/10/08
Posts: 114
Loc: New Iberia Louisiana
Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: DarylS]
      #240861 - 19/01/14 04:45 PM

Daryl & Grenadier, Thanks a lot. I've been trying to find out exactly what the name of the 303 necked up to .375 was called. Last year I had sent some e-mails to Pacific trying to see if they had any info on such a critter. But no luck. Sounds funny but bought a bunch of barrel blanks some years back and one of them is a .375. I have a bunch of Canadian IVI new brass that I bought some years back just for such a project. Don't hunt anymore, but do like to cast my own bullets and rimmed cartridges and cast bullets seemed like a good combination. Again thanks for the info. It's much appreciated. Frank

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kamilaroi
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Reged: 18/12/04
Posts: 1803
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Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: FrankS]
      #240894 - 20/01/14 10:32 AM

I believe Elwood Epps was the first to publicise the conversion.

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FrankS
.300 member


Reged: 06/10/08
Posts: 114
Loc: New Iberia Louisiana
Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: kamilaroi]
      #240915 - 20/01/14 04:31 PM

After I was given the actual name of the 37 rimmed cartridge and check out here I did a google search and was rewarded with a good diagram and ballistics info. Heaviest .375 grain bullet I have weighs in at 250 grains. My barrel blank is marked 1x12 twist this should be good to go on this project. Again thanks all who have helped me in what was becoming a fruitless search. Frank

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lancaster
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Reged: 06/05/08
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Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: FrankS]
      #240962 - 21/01/14 07:19 PM

dont understand whats wrong with the 375 NE 2 1/2"
if you have 303 brass just make your 375 NE brass out of this


open 303 brass



10mm brass tube
pressed in 303 brass
anealed
cut to right lenght
polished and resized
375 NE Bertram brass



pressing the tube into the brass



drilling the tube inside with a 9,5mm drill




side by side with bertram brass



--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians

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FrankS
.300 member


Reged: 06/10/08
Posts: 114
Loc: New Iberia Louisiana
Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: lancaster]
      #241024 - 22/01/14 02:26 PM

Iancaster, thanks for the pics regarding how to make 375 2 1/2" brass. The reason I'm looking at the 37 rimmed cartridge is mostly because I have a bunch of remington new brass, a bunch of S&B brass and a gallon bag of HXP brass (Greek) and a box of never fired IVI (Canadian)brass and some PPU privi brass. I already have a douglas partially turned down 375 barrel blank with a 1x12 twist. Don't hunt anymore but do like to punch paper and cast my own bullets. Which also keeps me outta bars and off the streets. I had my future son in law download the print of the 37 rimmed cartridge and hopefully PTG can make up a reamer for me. And wish to avoid the problem of trying to locate a proper magazine that will hold and feed the longer 375 2 1/2 cartridge. Hope I'm not sounding like I'm not responsive to your suggestion for the longer cartridge. I appreciate all the help and suggestions regardless where they come from. Just that I've been looking for s simple solution regarding a 375 cartridge that will function in my longbranch for a long time. Again thanks for your suggestion. Frank

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lancaster
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Reged: 06/05/08
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Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: FrankS]
      #241037 - 22/01/14 09:20 PM

just a joke

made this brass because I want to know if its possible
it is but I dont think its safe for full power loads more a light nitro or BP case.

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26489
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: lancaster]
      #241047 - 23/01/14 06:14 AM

With the interior being tighter, it might also end up with exactly the same capacity as the .303 case.

Interesting project Lancaster - J.J. Donnelly's book on CTG. Conversions shows similar conversions.

I think that's going to be a fun round, Frank. The RCBS 250gr. cast with G/C has been very accurate for me in several .375's, as-is the 269gr.G/C Lyman bullet.

Lyman also has a Silhouette bullet of well over 300gr.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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FrankS
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Reged: 06/10/08
Posts: 114
Loc: New Iberia Louisiana
Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: DarylS]
      #241067 - 23/01/14 03:42 PM

Well getting a copy of the cartridge print off the net proved to be a test of wether or not this project would ever get off the ground.I emailed PTG and Ashleigh replied back that they didn't have this one in their files. So will fax the print over to them and see what's what. DD some years back had sent me a 303 case that had been fired in one of his 375 2 1/2" chambered martini's. Still sitting on my bench and thinking about the 37 rimmed. Frank

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26489
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: FrankS]
      #241077 - 24/01/14 04:21 AM

It's a pretty simple design. Neck the .303 up to take a .375 bullet - you might have to use a couple different sized neck expanders, but it is a simple procedure. A .375 decapping pin/expander in a Hornady die set will do that job in one pass.

Seat a .375" bullet and mic the outside of the case neck with the bullet seated - add .003" to .004".

Use SAAMI or CIP print-out for all the other measurements - but suggest keeping them on the tight side - or actually measure your brass and add a thousandths (.001") of an inch.

I would personally go for an improved case, but simply for shooting cast bullets, the standard will work just fine, I'm sure.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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FrankS
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Reged: 06/10/08
Posts: 114
Loc: New Iberia Louisiana
Re: A 375 using 303 cases for a longbranch #4 [Re: DarylS]
      #241200 - 26/01/14 04:52 PM

Daryl, wouldn't the 37 rimmed cartridge be considered a non standard cartridge?. Somaybe a SAAMI or CIP print would not be available. The only 375 set of dies that I currently have are for the 375 winchester lever action cartridge. Thought I had a set for the 38-55 but when I looked not in my inventory. What I did was make up a .375 diameter spud for the lyman M dies I have and ran a 303 case through it. Was suprised that it actually worked and no split necks. Though I suspect that when it does come time to make up cases I'll probably have to anneal so the brass forms correctly. Frank

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