40X Rimfire to 22 Hornet

E

Engine Builder

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Hello, I'm new here and I have a question. The CMP in Port Clinton, Oh. have Rem40X rimfire barreled actions available and I was curious if anyone has ever used one of these actions for a 22 hornet or 218 Bee centerfire rifle. A new bolt would have to be made which should be no problem but I was wondering if the rear locking lugs would be strong enough for the added pressure. I know Kimber of Oregon once made a 22 hornet version of it's model 82 rifle which is similar. I'm been a Tool@Die maker for over 30 yrs and have built a few of my own actions and I have been wanting a bolt action rifle in 218 Bee for a while now. I'm just curious if anyone here has heard of this being done or if it would be worthwhile to try. Thanks, Dave
 
Can't remember the size of the lugs on the 40X rimfire I've seen, but Ruger turned the 77 rimfire into a Hornet with the same lugs as the rimfire as far as I know. I think that they just made a new front (non-rotating) centerfire bolt head, but I could be wrong it happens frequently.
 
Dave, I gave a LOT of thought to converting a 40x RF to a small CF cartridge. I finally decided that the cross section of the bolt body in the area of the locking lugs is inadequate. I think that under the pressure of a centerfire cartridge the bolt body would flex and eventually fail. If would be possible to completely redesign the bolt but the fabrication is way beyond my capabilities . If you want to use a Hornet based cartridge in a 700 based receiver I would recommend buying one of PTG's 5.7x28 bolts and modifying it to work [ this would be using a centerfire receiver, not the rimfire ].

Plan B, buy a CZ 22 Hornet and live happily ever after [ even though the magazine aesthetics make me want to puke ].

ETA, I also think that what the CMP has is "barreled receivers" not "barreled actions". They have a stripped receiver that still has it's original bbl and nothing else. No bolt, no loading platform/ejector, no trigger, no nothing. If they had bbled actions then all they would need is a stock to have a complete gun and they probably have plenty of stocks.

ETA 2 , These bbled receivers are also over priced by at least $100 imho.
 
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What would be the locking surfaces of the cf receiver are moved rearward in the rf rec iirc.
 
Ray,
I don't understand your post as written. My 40X rimfire receiver has the front lugs like the centerfire as well as a place for the rimfire lugs. I sure wouldn't use a rimfire receiver to do it. The SA receivers are all over the place at a cheap price.
Butch
 
Thanks for the replys, The lug abutments are machined further back on the RF receiver and there are no entrance cams either. I have taken one of my rimfire bolts apart and the cross section under the bolt lugs is very thin and I agree, it would be to thin for CF. It would be difficult to make the cross section larger and still have room for the striker spring. I will give this more thought but I think I will have to take a different approach. I would like a bolt action rifle in 218 Bee to be able to see what good bullets, a good barrel and good bedding would do for this cartridge.
Thank you once again, Dave
 
Dave,
As I posted above you can buy a short action receiver for about $350-$450 and build it from there. I would sell or save the rimfire receiver. Maybe my rimfire receiver is different than yours.
Butch
 
Butch,
If you put a centerfire bolt in a rf rec you should see that the bolt's locking lugs are well forward of the receiver's locking abutments. By doing this remington put the rf cartridge farther rearward, more into the loading port.
 
My confusion is in the extractor, extractors in rimmed cartridge receivers normally protrude from the bolt face and have reccesses in the barrel to allow clearance and the bolt head doesn't rotate. I could use a CF SA receiver with no extractor and use a range rod to push the empty out but my Krieger barrel probably wouldn't like this much and neither do I. Maybe I'm trying to reinvent the wheel here and I should move on, I just was wondering if the RF receiver was a viable option and it looks like it isn't. Thank you, Dave
 
Engine Builder said:
My confusion is in the extractor, extractors in rimmed cartridge receivers normally protrude from the bolt face and have reccesses in the barrel to allow clearance and the bolt head doesn't rotate. I could use a CF SA receiver with no extractor and use a range rod to push the empty out but my Krieger barrel probably wouldn't like this much and neither do I. Maybe I'm trying to reinvent the wheel here and I should move on, I just was wondering if the RF receiver was a viable option and it looks like it isn't. Thank you, Dave
Click to expand...

Somewhere there is chap who uses the plain old 30/30 for some type of score shooting and does right well with it. He uses the Rem 700 action with some machining on the barrel. Might be able to find his posts. Way to use the 22 Hornet or any rimmed case in the 700 action. Or get a CZ Hornet, a Calhoon single shot adaptor and grind/file off the magazine gussets and have a real neat little rifle.

Jim
 
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