223 to 22 hornet?

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gobigorgohome

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What would it honestly take to convert and re barrel a short action, something like a 223 and make it into a 22 hornet? The reason I ask is I'm left handed and want a left handed bolt. For the life of me, I can't find one though. So what would it take to make it a left hand repeater in 22 hornet? Thinking a left hand savage 223 action or rem 700 or cz 527. Thoughts? Hopefully from people that know what they're doing. As a few gun smiths have told me they simply can not do it
 
It could be done with enough $$ poured into the project.

Just go 221 Fireball....it's a better case design, a bit faster and easier to get a Rem or Savage to function with this case.

The Fireball can even run the same bullets and powders as the Hornet.

If you are stuck on the Hornet disregard all of the above...:)
 
The Fireball would be a much better choice. The Hornet being a rimmed case will never shoot as accurately as a rimless case and it would be extremely costly if someone took the project on and actually managed to make it work with the Hornet case.
 
It'd require a new barrel, bolt face work plus extractor and ejector work. The Hornet's case is .477" shorter than the .223. You can remove material, but you can't add it. Then you get into the rimmed vs rimless conversion.
The Fireball's case is .157" shorter. Same length issue, but without the bolt face/extractor/ejector work.
Your best bet would be to order a left handed rifle through your local gun shop. Being correctly handed in a backwards world is a nuisance.
 
Converting an existing .223 to a repeating Hornet would be a major undertaking.
The Fireball would be easy in comparison: set the barrel back, rechamber, and it is a shooter. Altering the magazine for reliable function with the shorter round might take some fiddling, but nothing like a Hornet conversion.
 
tiriaq said:
Converting an existing .223 to a repeating Hornet would be a major undertaking.
The Fireball would be easy in comparison: set the barrel back, rechamber, and it is a shooter. Altering the magazine for reliable function with the shorter round might take some fiddling, but nothing like a Hornet conversion.
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Agreed... getting the much smaller, rimmed Hornet cases to feed reliably would be a major undertaking... changing the barrel and cutting a chamber would be the easy part... plenty of single shots around for lefties...
 
tiriaq said:
Had a quick look, couldn't see any left hand .22 Hornets.
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Yep. Been looking for a couple years now. No one will bring them in and no one will build one. Browning made them but they're impossible to find it seems, in Canada or in the states. No one can get the Zestava in Canada as you need to buy in very large quantities and no one will
 
gobigorgohome said:
Yep. Been looking for a couple years now. No one will bring them in and no one will build one. Browning made them but they're impossible to find it seems, in Canada or in the states. No one can get the Zestava in Canada as you need to buy in very large quantities and no one will
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Even if they DID bring in something in a left-hand, I dont see a LH in .22 hornet in their catalog?

What amazes me is that people might be having difficulty is getting someone to build one - you'd think a smith would be up for the challenge - especially if nobody else is doing them and they can make a name for themselves just by making some decent LH guns...?
 
bassman said:
Try finding one, been searching for 3 years. Up here and below the line. Nothing. Can't even get a commitment from any authorized dealers to bring any in (or even attempt to bring any in...), even when I offered to buy in bulk.

Would love one of their left hand 7.62x39's too. Same problem.
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Canam has the 7.62x39 left handed in stock.
Scratch that they did have them in stock must have sold out on their weekend sale.
 
The problem is the left hand is like a cult. There's a number of us lefties that can not live without one and will buy them if anyone has them, but there isn't a lot out there. If browning put one more run into production, guarantee A LOT would be on order. I know at least 2 if not 3 for my self
 
doc25 said:
Easiest way to convert it is just to download your 223. I realize you may just want to have the hornet, but it seems to be quite a bit of trouble to get one.
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Exactly. Even if you aren't a handloader right now, you can save yourself s bunch of money and start a new hobby by buying s reloading kit and downloading your .223
 
Hey, if you just NEED to have a Hornet, I get it:)

But there are better ways to get there if you just want the performace. The Fireball is one, downloading the 223 is another. In the end, it's all about what you want. :)
 
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