The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - old 30 rimfire revolver... converting to 32 Colt

Magnum Wheel Man · January 19, 2010, 07:38 AM

albeit unmolested... er well sorta...

... after lots of thought & carefull measurement, we have decided not to rechamber the old girl to 32 Colt ( the cylinder is just slightly too small, to where the rims would lightly cut into the cylinder ratchet & the chamber wall thickness will get too thin for factory 32 Colt )

however, we think we can make some chamber inserts for 22 rim fire that will work without altering the hammer at all... because of the exposed rim area needed to shoot the gun with the unaltered hammer, we are going to look at chambering specifically for Super Colibri 22's ( much lower pressure ammo ) both my builder & I feel that a gun should be able to handle a factory cartridge if it's chambered for that round, so we never put a heavy round in a light weight action, with the expectation that it'll be hand loaded light... if it would be unsafe for a factory round to be chambered accidentally, I won't own it...

I shoot super colibri's in my old Stevens Crack Shot side lever, so I keep a few around, this could be a "companion gun" to the Crack Shot, if we can get a chamber that will fit the super colibri's but not fit a higher velocity 22 lr round

we are thinking about using a scrap of 22 lr barrel to make the chamber inserts, so there would be 1/2" or so of rifling left in the chamber inserts, hopefully resulting in something I could still hit the broad side of a barn with...

no alterations to the gun... I think this the best option... thoughts ???

January 19, 2010, 07:38 AM	#13
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	Having my cake & eating it too... that old spur trigger will shoot again... albeit unmolested... er well sorta... ... after lots of thought & carefull measurement, we have decided not to rechamber the old girl to 32 Colt ( the cylinder is just slightly too small, to where the rims would lightly cut into the cylinder ratchet & the chamber wall thickness will get too thin for factory 32 Colt ) however, we think we can make some chamber inserts for 22 rim fire that will work without altering the hammer at all... because of the exposed rim area needed to shoot the gun with the unaltered hammer, we are going to look at chambering specifically for Super Colibri 22's ( much lower pressure ammo ) both my builder & I feel that a gun should be able to handle a factory cartridge if it's chambered for that round, so we never put a heavy round in a light weight action, with the expectation that it'll be hand loaded light... if it would be unsafe for a factory round to be chambered accidentally, I won't own it... I shoot super colibri's in my old Stevens Crack Shot side lever, so I keep a few around, this could be a "companion gun" to the Crack Shot, if we can get a chamber that will fit the super colibri's but not fit a higher velocity 22 lr round we are thinking about using a scrap of 22 lr barrel to make the chamber inserts, so there would be 1/2" or so of rifling left in the chamber inserts, hopefully resulting in something I could still hit the broad side of a barn with... no alterations to the gun... I think this the best option... thoughts ??? __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust... Last edited by Magnum Wheel Man; January 19, 2010 at 07:43 AM.