rechamber taurus thunderbolt

charleym3 · August 19, 2008, 03:29 PM

Hi,
I'm about to receive a Taurus Thunderbolt in 45lc. I have been dreaming for a long time of a short light 45acp rifle, so you can probably see where this is going. I'd like to rechamber the Thunderbolt to 45acp. Yes I know that with that long jump to the rifling accuracy won't be fantastic, but what I want to know is if it is economically feasable. Material will almost certainly need to be added to the bolt face to cradle the casing correctly. The big question is can the extractor be modified to reliably haul out the casing.
And yes I know that it will require flat point or hollow point bullets from then on. The Lasercase 200 grn 45 colt bullets look like the perfect thing. I can hard crimp the casing into the bullet groove to handle the recoil.
The second part of the project is to shorten the barrel and feed tube to 18 inches. Could be a sweet working rifle.

I've heard of someone doing extractor modifications to marlin 45LC cowboy rifles, but so far it seems to only be a rumor. Any help?

**Unclenick** · August 19, 2008, 05:36 PM

You will have more problems than you might imagine. For one thing you have nothing for the rimless cartridge to headspace on. That means the extractor hook will have have to hang on to the rim while the gun fires, something that happens in many semi-autos with long chambers. It hurts accuracy. Altering a heat treated boltface is something to be cautious about. While not impossible, you really need someone who knows what they are doing in welding and heat treating as well as in shaping the thing. You will need a deeper shaped extractor to get into the .45 ACP extractor groove. Also, keep in mind the .45 ACP SAAMI pressure spec is higher (21,000 PSI) than the SAAMI standard .45 LC spec (14,000 ACP). Make sure your gun's mechanism won't be bothered by the 50% increase.

August 19, 2008, 03:29 PM	#1
charleym3 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2001 Location: Central NC Posts: 538	rechamber taurus thunderbolt Hi, I'm about to receive a Taurus Thunderbolt in 45lc. I have been dreaming for a long time of a short light 45acp rifle, so you can probably see where this is going. I'd like to rechamber the Thunderbolt to 45acp. Yes I know that with that long jump to the rifling accuracy won't be fantastic, but what I want to know is if it is economically feasable. Material will almost certainly need to be added to the bolt face to cradle the casing correctly. The big question is can the extractor be modified to reliably haul out the casing. And yes I know that it will require flat point or hollow point bullets from then on. The Lasercase 200 grn 45 colt bullets look like the perfect thing. I can hard crimp the casing into the bullet groove to handle the recoil. The second part of the project is to shorten the barrel and feed tube to 18 inches. Could be a sweet working rifle. I've heard of someone doing extractor modifications to marlin 45LC cowboy rifles, but so far it seems to only be a rumor. Any help? __________________ -When the need is great enough, limitations are meaningless. -Small helpings of experience become wisdom, while large servings become bitterness and despair. -I was once described as self-righteous and patronizing! I pointed out that I am actually arrogant & condescending.

August 19, 2008, 05:36 PM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	You will have more problems than you might imagine. For one thing you have nothing for the rimless cartridge to headspace on. That means the extractor hook will have have to hang on to the rim while the gun fires, something that happens in many semi-autos with long chambers. It hurts accuracy. Altering a heat treated boltface is something to be cautious about. While not impossible, you really need someone who knows what they are doing in welding and heat treating as well as in shaping the thing. You will need a deeper shaped extractor to get into the .45 ACP extractor groove. Also, keep in mind the .45 ACP SAAMI pressure spec is higher (21,000 PSI) than the SAAMI standard .45 LC spec (14,000 ACP). Make sure your gun's mechanism won't be bothered by the 50% increase. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle