reaming a 22lr to 22mag

B

Brian Williams

New member
I have an Old Model single six with a 22 mag cylinder and I am getting a 22lr cylinder installed. After reading the Shootist's holiday on the Shootist.com I would like to do the conversion one of the guys did. He took one chamber and reamed it to 22mag, this would be the one chamber that is carried empty under the hammer. The idea behind this would be if a longer shot was needed he would just slip in a mag round and nail what ever.


What would be the cost to do this and does it sound feasablie
 
Don't know the cost but sure it is feasible. The cost couldn't be much. The trick would be finding a man with that reamer.

You must be referencing Jim Taylor. Some of the authors over there write some questionable things, but Jim Taylor really knows his stuff. That particular revolver was probably used for decades with that reamed chamber before it was ever mentioned in print, rather than, "Got an article deadline. What can I write about that is new and innovative?".
 
"and I am getting a 22lr cylinder installed ... & ream one cylinder to .22 mag"

Certainly do get that extra cylinder - ~$25 if I recall my "upgrade" to .22 mag = "lost" cylinder.

Interesting idea (about the one-chamber .22 mag) & I never considered it. No idea as to cost, but any 'smith with reamer at hand should give "good value" & perhaps worth the price - I kinda like the idea.

Only problem I could think of would be the point of aim versus impact & that's easily enough decided by just shooting the thing.

I like the idea of the versitality. Same-same why I like the .357 = drop in a .38 HBWC or 2-3 & you have an pretty much instant dial-a-round ....

Would very much like to hear about any after-action reports.
 
Reaming one chamber :disgust:

1 reason why it's not a good idea.

-The ballistics of the .22LR and the .22 WMR are different enough that the point of impact can shift by almost 2 inches at 75-100 yards. That coupled with the difference in diameter f the .22mag and the .22lr mean that if the gun shoots one great, the other will probably shot only so-so at best. If you have a .22lr that shoots great, then all the extra puch of the .22Mag is going to go to waste just where you need it the most. My H&R convertible shoots .22lr fine. The .22mag is only so so.

The other reason is that it's just plain stupid to mark a cylinder for 1 cartridge then have it take another completely different sized cartridge. Pundit or gun god,, whoever wrote trash like that should spare us all a lot of potential grief. Crap like that, and the potential for an ooops is what the anti's live and breath for.:mad: :mad: If a .22lr found it's way into that chamber by ***mistake*** 99 out of a hundred times,,or even 9999 out of ten thousand times,, it would probably only rupture harmlessly. It's that one in a ___ time though that makes headline news. Je_us H. Chri__t! It's hard enough keeping those jerks off of our backs as it is? Why go intentionaly looking to make their job easier?!?!
 
RAE, I hear ya, but too, there's so many wildcats out here that I would counter that it is up to us to responsibly use what we have available & to hell with the antis.

I know, & agree, to a point .... but still. Screw 'em (yup, the flaming rabid-guy comes to the point). The antis'll go for absolutely anything they can & F'em, I say. Why should we curtail our hobbies? & it is up to us to maintain some sort of safety in our own chosen field/s.

I've had pretty decent enough results out of a Ruger Single Six - with both .22LR & .22 Mag rounds (specific cylinders in same handgun). Really shouldn't be with the supposed ~.001" variance in the barrel - Mag versus LR, but there ya go.

Far as I'm concerned, F the antis - they'll try to beat us up with anything they can. Frankly, I'll shoot what works for what I want to do while taking into consideration all safety aspects.
 
lab,
10 or 20 years ago I'd have agreed with you whole heartedly right across the board. Times have changed though. In today's world, each and every shooter represents the entire shooting world. The days of diddle em are pretty much gone for the entire block of the US from the big muddy down to the Mason Dixon and over to the Eastern Seaboard.

Ignoring the anti's just doesn't work anymore. While we were busy ignoring them, lots of fence sitters were listening to the crap they put out. I don't give a rat's about the anti's,,,,,it's the 10 (as in the old adage about customer service and 1 vs 10 being told) fence sitters the antis talk to. It's up to each and every one of us to step up and police our own,,,,else they'll be more'n happy to try to do it for us.
 
To really throw a wrench in I was wondering if it was possible to convert the above pistol to 22 Hornet, it would take some machining but with a change in the firing pin position (I think it is in a bushing??) and reaming the 22 mag cylinder to 22 hornet ???????
 
:eek:
.22 Hornet operates at upwards of 40K CUP of pressure.
Think that those little chambers were ever made for that?

Take a look at the extra beef a Raging Hornet has for the answer.
 
I have a S&W M48 in .22 Mag that was fitted with a Long Rifle cylinder. Velocities from this cylinder are way off compared to guns with proper bore size. The Mag is slightly bigger than the standard ,22 Rin Fire and gasses must escape past bullet. Plan to do extensive accuracy comparison next but am not expecting any surprises. (Figure Long Rifles will suffer greatly.)
 
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