22 mag reaming candidates

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Call_to_Arms

Call_to_Arms

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Hey guys
I've been tempted by all of the talk about guys reaming single shot 22s out to 22 mag. With the LGR gone there is a lot of cheap 22s showing up on the market. I've been looking at cooey 39's and 75's, can I have one of these reamed.out to 22 mag? What qualifies a 22 for this conversion? Thanks guys.
 
I've seen a few conversions.
One was a NZ Lee Enfield No. 8 training rifle. Turned an $800 collector into a $250 shooter. Another was a C/l\ marked BSA Martini; $500 to $175.
Wouldn't consider any Cooey to be a good candidate.
Any rifle which was also made in Magnum would be a better candidate.
 
Now that I'm into reloading..I'm thinking of selling my .22WMR in favor of .22 Hornet. (centerfire) .22WMR is a pile of fun though, all kinds of punch for a rimfire. Many groundhogs (from Ontario ;) ) in the summer of 2011 fell to mine. Don't make me post photos. :) Back to your question~there are other considerations like the added pressure of a .22WMR~a rifle built might not withstand it..to say nothing of the bore. .22WMR bullet diameter is .224", the .22lr is .222". So, added pressure in the (thicker-walled) .22WMR case jamming a bullet .002" too large down the pipe~doesn't sound like a great idea to me.
 
You know, I've never heard of a case where the .224/.22 bullet diameters were an issue. I suspect that the tapered leade into the rifling just sizes them, and the mag's jackets are very thin. A mag. reamer would likely need to have its pilot ground to fit a LR bore.
To me, it makes more sense to just buy a mag. rifle, if that is what is desired.
 
Yes, you can ream a Cooey for .22 Magnum.

I wouldn't. I think it is a bad idea.

You are free to do as you choose.
 
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Call_to_Arms said:
I see none of my questions answered here.
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Your best response was this:

tiriaq said:
I've seen a few conversions.
One was a NZ Lee Enfield No. 8 training rifle. Turned an $800 collector into a $250 shooter. Another was a C/l\ marked BSA Martini; $500 to $175.
Wouldn't consider any Cooey to be a good candidate.
***Any rifle which was also made in Magnum would be a better candidate***.
Click to expand...

Look around at different manufacturers, and cross reference models. If the same rifle was available in both .22lr and .22wmr than the .22lr might be a good candidate to convert. Find the recent thread on a Savave 24. These models have been chambered in .22lr. ,22wmr, 222, and .243. It's strength is sufficient to turn a .22lr into a .22wmr. Other examples are out there.

Cooeys are not good candidates! The only locking lug on the bolt is the handle, and it's only brazed on.

I made the "twist rate" error in the Savage thread. Turns out most .22lr, and .22wmr are 1-16. An ultimate bore difference of .002.

Once you tally up the cost of your conversion, the parent .22lr would have to be very very very low priced in the first place.
 
Cooeys are not good candidates! The only locking lug on the bolt is the handle, and it's only brazed on.
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Call_to_Arms said:
Very good, we are starting to approach data. Cooey single shots can or cannot take the pressure of a 22 wmr? Does someone know or are we just guessing?
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It's been done and while not all resulted in epic failures, there were enough to post a warning not to.
You can put a 5.7L V8 in a Honda Civic if you want, it can be done. Good idea, not really. It was never designed to handle it.
 
There are two versions of Cooey single shot bolt. The early ones had the handle dovetailed to the body, then brazed. The later ones had the handle with a shallow peg into the body, and then induction brazed.
I know of one case where a late Model 39, Winchester Canada (second method) shed its handle on the first shot. The kid shooting it was struck under the eye by the bolt when it exited the rifle.

Call to Arms - you asked, and got answers. You are on your own if you wish to pursue this conversion. Good luck to you.
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