The Frontier Sixshooter Community Message Board - Anyone here who has experience with the .22/30-30 AI?

Anyone here who has experience with the .22/30-30 AI? (reply)

RidinLou — Fri, 16 May 2014 02:45:57 +0000

When I bought my 219 Donaldson (back in the 60s) the gunsmith made me an intermediate forming die to get from 30-30 case diameter down to about 24 - 26 caliber in two steps before running it into 219 DW die.

Same would be useful here as well as annealing the case and GOOD case lube. NOT too much lube though.

Fast powder, not sure of the vertical... I'll check. (reply)

Hobie — Tue, 13 May 2014 07:11:30 +0000

Anyone here who has experience with the .22/30-30 AI? (reply)

John K. — Tue, 13 May 2014 00:59:10 +0000

Once upon a time, Norma made 22 HP brass. Dunno if they still do. Much better brass than S&B.

Ken Waters mentioned in some article, that these little 22 hotrods had severe case loss on forming. I would try to locate some Norma and anneal. Is he fireforming with a full charge & bullet or fast powder vertical?

Try .225 win brass (reply)

Bj2 — Tue, 13 May 2014 00:31:51 +0000

It should be very close. The rim is smaller but that should not matter. The body of the case is similar in diameter and length to .30-30.

I know that you can form the Herrett cartridges, maybe the smaller JDJ cartridges from either case.

Dittos. (reply)

Hobie — Mon, 12 May 2014 23:19:45 +0000

Yes, a converted British military arm. (reply)

Hobie — Mon, 12 May 2014 23:19:19 +0000

No help here but... (reply)

Hoot — Mon, 12 May 2014 14:56:25 +0000

interesting cartridge. I'd like to hear more when he gets it up and running. I assume this has to be in the large frame Martini?

My experience with S&B has been poor - I refuse to buy any (reply)

stonewalrus — Mon, 12 May 2014 13:01:41 +0000

Anyone here who has experience with the .22/30-30 AI? (reply)

cubrock — Mon, 12 May 2014 12:30:11 +0000

S&B brass tends to be pretty brittle in my experience. I don't know that I would use it for any fireforming. I can't offer any guidance on this case. I have no experience with it. A Martini in it does sound cool, though!

Anyone here who has experience with the .22/30-30 AI?

Hobie — Mon, 12 May 2014 11:25:28 +0000

A friend got one built on a British Martini action and needs some case forming assistance.

It seems to me that it would be best to start from 7-30 Waters brass and then the key would be in annealing. Other than that it should be pretty straight forward.

There are some differences. As in Donnelly the actual length base to shoulder is 1.63" rather than 1.58". He tried fireforming S&B .22 Savage HP brass but it was apparently too brittle and "shattered".