Wildcat Cartridges

Headspace for Ackley Improved cases should be a no-brainer. Ackley set up probably the simplest headspace system for a line of wildcats that any gunsmith ever devised.

Rimless or Rebated Improved Chambers…

Ackley Improved cartridges in this category seem to receive the most abuse at the hands of hobbyists and local gunsmiths who do not understand the proper headspace of Ackley Improved designs. P.O. Ackley did establish specific headspace dimensions for all his Improved case designs. The process is extremely simple and for this reason alone folks seem to think they need to make it more complex. Keep it simple.

The most important innovation that Ackley brought to the “improved” concept was with regard to bottleneck rimless cases. He chose the simplest of mechanical solutions to insuring that his improved cases would safely fire factory loads. He shortened the chamber by .004” (4/1000 of an inch). Because the factory case is then a crush fit between the bolt face and the junction of the neck and shoulder, proper headspace is insured. This is why Ackley prescribes setting the barrel back on such cases. You will note that if you follow these simple guidelines there is no confusion about the headspace measurements for “Ackley Improved” designs in rimless or rebated cases.

Some confusion seems to arise out of this headspace issue. Folks get confuse between the set up for a rimless bottleneck case and a rimmed or belted case when discussing ‘Improved” chamberings. Rimless and rebated cases are the case designs which always require a barrel set back to be properly headspaced. As memtioned in the paragraph above headspace on an Ackley Improved rimless or rebated designs is .004” shorter than standard. The shorter headspace means you have no choice but to set the barrel back if you want correct headspace.

There are special Ackley, go-gauges, they have the same shoulder angle as the parent case but they are shorter. This ingenious method effectively controls headspace with factory cartridges in the new larger, ‘Improved’ chamber. The factory cartridge or parent go-gauge becomes the no-go for the new chamber. This system works because the parent go-gauge is .004” longer than the Ackley gauge, exactly the same as the difference between the parent go-gauge and no-go gauge. Example: 30-06 Ackley Improved go-gauge is used with the standard 30-06 go-gauge as the no-go gauge.

The only place the factory case will touch in the new chamber that matters is the bolt face and the junction of the neck and shoulder on the case. It will actually slightly crush the case shoulder when you close the bolt on the factory round. If you eject such a case unfired you will normally see a shinny area on the shoulder where the case was crushed just a little. This crush fit maintains proper headspace during the fire-forming process.

Chambering an Improved Rimmed Case…

Rimmed cases are the easiest of all Improved or wildcat cases to chamber for. The rim is the headspace control feature on these cases. The rim is trapped between the bolt face and the rim cut in the back of the barrel. So if the rim is headspaced correctly you can have almost any shape of case fire-formed beyond the rim, so long as it will extract. The action of the firearm is not sentient; it does not care what the chamber looks like. So rimmed cases utilize standard headspace gauges for the caliber, no Ackley gauges needed.

There is no need to set the barrel back on a rimmed cartridge when you convert it to an Improved design! Why? Because the rim controls headspace, the fact that the shoulder will be moved forward and the neck shortened has exactly NO effect on headspace. Reamers for improved cases normally have the rim cutter integral to their design. Simply paint the rim cut in the barrel with machinists blue, when the rim cutter gets close to this material just watch close, as soon as it scratches the material, stop reaming. Utilizing this method there is no danger of changing the headspace of the gun in the process of ‘Improving’ the chamber.

Rimmed cases headspace on the rim of the case only, ‘Improved’ cases of the rimmed variety often incorporate a shorter neck, thus the shoulder is moved forward to increase capacity, this is combined with increased shoulder diameter. Often rimmed cases benefit the most from an ‘Improved’ design, simply because they gain a much higher percentage of case capacity.

Chambering an Improved Belted Chamber…

What was said of rimmed cases above is also true of belted cases. Belted designs headspace on the belt much the same way rimmed cases headspace on the rim. The distance between the bolt face and the belt cut in the barrel is the headspace for these cartridges. Like the rimmed designs, ‘Improved’ belted cases use the standard headspace gauges, no Ackley gauges.

While it is possible to use machinist blue as suggested with the rimmed case, you will quickly find that it is much harder to determine if the machinist blue has been scratched, there is simply much less area to view. For this reason it is a good idea to set the barrel back when doing a belted magnum improved case. If the barrel is slick with no sight holes drilled in it you can set it back .004” so that that bolt will not close on the go gauge. Then rechamber with the Improved reamer until the go gauge will allow the bolt to close normally.

I recently picked up a set of the Handloader Magazines on DVD.  The set covers 40 years of Handloader, from the first issue on up. There is a wealth of information buried in these old magazines and the DVD’s take up far less space on the shelf than 40 year of old magazines.   Aside from that you can search the entire collection from one file which is located on all the individual disks.

Say you want to know more about Rocky Gibbs…  Just put his name in the search window and all instances of his name from the first issue to the last will be listed.

By trial and error you can adjust your searches to be more accurate and return more useful information.  I should warn you though, it’s a little like when you pulled an encyclopedia out as a kid to do a report for school and find yourself reading about casting bullets in stead of reloading tools, etc.

Before I picked up these DVDs I had a pretty strong collection of magazines going.  I have already eliminated my Rifle and Handloader collection.  Now somebody needs to do the same thing for American Rifleman. 

If you have not read many old gun magazines you would probably be surprised to find that much of the material was more technical in nature in years past.  Some data may be outdated by new technology but its valuable from the stand point of reminding us how much can be accomplished with very few tools.  Frankly, many magazines today would do well to return to more technical articles, that broaden our knowledge of ballistics an the mechanics of shooting.   Either way, this collection of classic material on disk is highly entertaining for the gun buff and educational for any wildcatter.

It really is a small world.  When I left the show tonight I jumped on the shuttle bus back to my hotel and a guy sat down next to me and started up a conversation.  The Shot Show is incredibly huge and he expressed a little sensory overload and culture shock over his visit to the show.  As we talked I picked up on the fact that this was someone well known and I was not aware of who he was, so lacking any bashfulness I simply asked who he was.  We shook hands and he told me his name was Dick Heller.  I asked, “Of Heller vs. D.C.?” and he nodded affirmatively.

We talked all the way to the hotel and when I mentioned the book I blogged here yesterday he smiled and said, “Yea, that is a great reference book.  But the most interesting book on the case is offered by the Cato Institute called, “Gun Control On Trial by Brian Doherty.”  He went on to say, “I learned things about my own case from that book it is simply an awesome book.”  Below is a link to the Cato Book store if your interested.

http://www.catostore.org/index.asp?fa=ProductDetails&method=cats&scid=47&pid=1441412

Alan Korwin and David D. Kopel have colaborated on this 448 page tome on this all important Second Ammendment decission from the U.S. Supreme Court.  Designed as a refference guide to the Heller case and all the related materials.  Summaries of the 67 Amicus briefs filed with the court.  Statements from groups both sides of the argument both pro and anti.  A collection of reviews form news media and politicians who not only disagreed with the decision but down right hated it.  Bonus material includes High Court decision summaries for 96 gun related decisions from the court sarting in 1820. 

If you interested in the ongoing Second Ammendment debate this book is a great resouce.   Be informed, the next few years are going to be pretty tough for pro-gun forces and we all need to be vigilant of our God given rights.  Can be ordered from:  GunLaws.com

OK, Shot Show is just a couple of weeks away now.  We will be attending the show and will look for reloading tools, bullets, dies, and of course anything that might be of interest to the wildcatter.

Watch here for updates during the Shot Show. 

Ron Reed of RAR in Oklahoma City is the source for a variety of 14 caliber products.  He is carrying cleaning rods and brushes, bullets, funnels, and last we talked he was planning to have some barrels in stock. 

Bill Eichelberger was a prolific wildcatter who specialized in calibers from .10 to .20.  He wrote an entire reloading manual just for 14 caliber cartridges.  His book includes 16 different cartridges in 14 caliber.  Probably the most popular of these are the 14/221 Walker and the 14 Hornet.  Everything  from a rim-fire on the long rifle case to giant magnum on the 222 Remington Magnum case are in the reloading manual, so there is something for everyone.

Ron plans to be the go-to source for 14 caliber.  Thought you wildcatters would like to know where to get these products.

Reed’s Ammunition & Research, LLC
1209 SW 129th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73170
WWW.REEDSAMMO.COM