Making sub caliber chamber inserts for revolvers

[swampdoctor]

I have kicked this idea around in my brain for several years and I am wondering if anyone has done it or even if any one would be willing to make some of them. I realize the inherent weakness of my Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt cylinder, but by using high grade Stainless Tool Steel it should be amply safe to have chamber inserts made in cartridges such as 10mm?, 357 Mag.?, 327 Feredal?, 32-20?, 30 Mauser?, 30 Carbine? 256 Win.? 5.7X28?, 22 Hornet? or even 218 Bee and 25/20. In these times of ammo scarcity it would be another way of being able to fire extra ammo at short range in a pinch, even if inaccurately. Any thoughts or ideas on this topic will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ian Bee]

As a teenager, I worked on a large sheep station here in South Australia, and the guy I worked for had a massive firearm collection.

My favourite was a BRNO bolt action rifle with double set triggers, but I cannot remember the calibre, it wasn't a wildcat, but a rare round which we had to fire form our own cases for occasionally, but it was a centre fire all the same.

You changed the bolt over to a rimfire bolt, changed the magazine, as well as inserting a full length sleeve inside the barrel, (which nested nicely in the chamber) and it then used 22 rim fire ammo.

Wasn't overly accurate, but good enough for small game in close quarters.

You idea holds merit, and it has been proven to work. The BRNO was say... twenty odd years old when I used it, and that was forty odd years ago.

I'm sure if you google it, there will be a wealth of info on it, which would lend itself to your project.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Ian Bee]

My rekindled interest got the better of me, and I tried to google it for you, but I'm coming up blank!

Now I'm on a mission to find the damn thing!

Must be worth a fortune now...

Cheers


Ian

 

[Rick Leslie]

If I understand you correctly, you want chamber inserts to fit the cylinder of your Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt? There are inserts available commercially for rifles to fire pistol calibers that match the bore diameter like 32 magnum in a 308 or 30-06. I don't recall seeing revolver chamber inserts but it should be simple to make. Just duplicate the Colt case OD (.480" diameter I believe) and bore the insert ID for the cartridge of your choice. Of course accuracy will be nonexistent with no bullet stabilization.

 

[swampdoctor]

Rick, that is the idea. Having 10mm, 357, 38, 32H&R, 7.62x25, lying around in great quantities, I thought it might be something new to play with while shooting at cans on the water of my pond. Besides whenever you are out of loaded ammo and something needs shooting, just load up and scatter bullets.