ANYONE LOAD 8X58R (DANISH)

[HighlandLofts]

A friend back east bought an old rolling block rifle, caliber unknown.
He bought some serrosafe and made a cast plug of the chamber and we think it is 8x58R.
Does anyone reliad for this caliber?
If so I would like to buy a mock pice of ammo for this caliber so he can try it in the chamber.
Just a case with a bullet seated, no primer, no powder.
After we find out what it is then I can buy the proper fies f or it.
The cases can be made from 45/70, 45/90 or from a belted magnum.
Regular 8x58R brass is expensive.
I have been researching on resizing for this caliber.
The 45/70, 45/90 cases the rim needs to be turned down to fit in to the chamber.
The 45/70 works but the neck will be a little short.
45/90 works the best, you need to trim the case down to the proper length.
The belted Cases, 7mm mag, 300 mag you need to turn the belt off so the case will fit into the chamber. The ejector will not fully eject the case. It will come out a little bit, then you need to pull it out of the chamber.
And the cases should be Annelled before resizing and trimmed as you go .
A set of RCBS 8mmX58R Dies run around $100.
Once we see if it is the right caliber I will buy the dies and get to work on the project.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[ISS]

I have a Krag-Jorgenson bolt rifle. Did not have to trim the 45-90 brass down.

 

[Fire Dog]

A friend back east bought an old rolling block rifle, caliber unknown.
He bought some serrosafe and made a cast plug of the chamber and we think it is 8x58R.
Does anyone reliad for this caliber?
If so I would like to buy a mock pice of ammo for this caliber so he can try it in the chamber.
Just a case with a bullet seated, no primer, no powder.
After we find out what it is then I can buy the proper fies f or it.
The cases can be made from 45/70, 45/90 or from a belted magnum.
Regular 8x58R brass is expensive.
I have been researching on resizing for this caliber.
The 45/70, 45/90 cases the rim needs to be turned down to fit in to the chamber.
The 45/70 works but the neck will be a little short.
45/90 works the best, you need to trim the case down to the proper length.
The belted Cases, 7mm mag, 300 mag you need to turn the belt off so the case will fit into the chamber. The ejector will not fully eject the case. It will come out a little bit, then you need to pull it out of the chamber.
And the cases should be Annelled before resizing and trimmed as you go .
A set of RCBS 8mmX58R Dies run around $100.
Once we see if it is the right caliber I will buy the dies and get to work on the project.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Many year ago I had one of those rolling blocks, a Remington in 43 Spanish though I had been told that it was a 45/70 when I bought it.
You are right about the 45/70 rim being too thick and initially I had just carefully filed and sanded the base till it fit but later had a gunsmith cut the extractor and end of the chamber inlet just enough to let me use unmodified 45/70 brass.
The next issue was that because someone had cut down the barrel with a hacksaw the muzzle was not square so I also had that crown restored at the same time as the relief cut to the extractor/chamber cut.
Finally, since I was using cast bullets {I had a 350gr & 500gr} my Star sizer/lubricator die which was .452” needed to be honed out to .456” because the bore was for the original Spanish cartridge and would not stabilise the .452”.
Once that work was done it was a lot of fun to take out to the desert and shoot long distance. There was one hill that had a big light colored patch and by using the ladder rear sight I could land one on the patch 3-4 times out of five times. Big cloud of dust could be seen when that 500 grain landed. I could fire the shot and bring the rifle down and wait momentarily before impact…. It did not start out very fast but it didn’t slow down very much either.
There are two versions of the 43 Spanish cartridge, one being a bottleneck and the other a straight wall, mine was the straight wall one, a 43 Spanish Reformado (11.4x57mmR Reformado) hence the suitability to use 45/70 brass as is after opening the breach and extractor just slightly to accommodate the thicker rim of the 45/70, that and needing a larger than .452” projectiles.

.43 Spanish - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[HighlandLofts]

My friend is looking forward to shooting this rifle once we figure out what caliber it is and get some ammo made up for it.
New to you guns are always fun. Once we get the right caliber then the fun begins making the reformed cases up, loading them and figure out the right load data for it.
Thank you both for the reply.
I really haven't been on this forum much but am planning on getting more involved.

 

[SteveUrban]

I use 8X 56R cases to form the 8X 58R cases. Once fire formed, I use a 8 mm Lebel to neck size with. 22 grains of 4227 with a 205 grain bullet is my best load.

 

[Remingtonroller*]

8x58R brass is extremely expensive so like Steve U , I use 8x56R and it works just fine.

 

[HighlandLofts]

Would either one of you be able to make one dummy round up so we can see if it works in his chamber?
Using the 8x56r cases makes sence and is very affordable. We would like to try a dummy round in it before we spend $65 on the brass and a $100 on the 8x58 dies.

 

[SteveUrban]

Would either one of you be able to make one dummy round up so we can see if it works in his chamber?
Using the 8x56r cases makes sence and is very affordable. We would like to try a dummy round in it before we spend $65 on the brass and a $100 on the 8x58 dies.

I will look to see if I have any extra cases. It will be a couple of days.

 

[HighlandLofts]

Thank you, just one empty case with a bullet set to proper depth would be all we need. No primer, no powder.
I will pay you for it plus your time.
I live forty miles north of Seattle. My friend lives in Upstate New York. He bought this nice old Remington Rolling block rifle last November while I was back there deer hunting.
He just turned eighty last month.
I have been helping him try to figure out what caliber the rifle is.
I had him buy some cerrosafe, pour a chamber cast and get it measured up dummy plug.
I bought him the Cartridges of the World book.
I have another friend who is pretty knowledgeable on firearms that lives about fifty miles from n his place.
He took yhe gun, the chamber plus and book over and they think it is the 8mmx58R.
Once we see what it is I will pick up a set of RCBS dies, 45/70 and 8mm/56 brass for him.
I am flying back to New York next Wednesday for two weeks. Most of my family lives in that area of New York.
I will be driving down to Florids for a week during this trip.
I can have stuff mailed to my son's place and work on it while I am back there for him.
The RCBS 8mm/58R dies are selling for right around $100. I have 45/70 brass.
I will buy everything else we will.need to get him set up.
It will be fantastic bringing new life back to this one hundred year old plus rifle.
All of the original people who bought and shot this neat old rifle have went on to greener grass years ago.

Getting this figured our and assembling everything to shoot it will be nice to have together for who ever receives it when Chuch cashes in his chips.

Its been a little fun looking things up, watching YouTube videos. Talking to a few older guys who gave me advise and encouragement.
Getting help here on this forum. It's been fun and might be complete here shortly.

There was a obsolete cartridge show in Southern Washington down by Vancouver this past weekend. I was hoping some one there might of have one available, but no luck.
If the dies were reasonable I'd just buy a set and make a dummy round myself. But if I bought a $100 set of dies and thry do not work I think they would be a book shelf decoration.
If I could find a used set for $40 I wouldn't mind taking a shot at them.
I go back to New York every year for a month of deer hunting every year. I belong to the Greene Gun & Rod club back in Upstate New York. Been a member for close to ten years.
I sight my guns in there before hunting season every year.and they do a nice breakfast every Tuesday morning at 9am I attend.
Chuck is a member there and has been hunting with us. If we can figure this old rolling block out he wants to use it deer hunting this November.
Last deer season he got a nice four point buck.

 

[SteveUrban]

DM sent

 

[HighlandLofts]

Thank you Steve

 

[HighlandLofts]

Two packages showed up to my son's place on Monday
I did put an order in to grafs yesterday for dies and a bullet mold.
I just flew into Scranton, just landed and waiting to get pet picked up.
I will be back at my son's place up in New zyork here shortly and see what all came in.
I will be hooking up with my friend with t h e rolling block tomorrow.
Thank you all for the responses.
Pat