Is it possible to make .41 swiss rimfire at home?
Posted by Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit | GunnitRust | View on Reddit | 20 comments
I have had a vetterli for a while. I have two bolts; the original rimfire bolt and a centerfire bolt I modified with a guide. I make .41 swiss centerfire at home.
But out of curiosity, is it possible to make .41 swiss rimfire at home? What's the priming method?
Fluid_Inspector4683@reddit
Have you made any progress in this? I have a Vetterli M81 that I recently picked up in great condition, and with an inconverted bolt. I would love to leave it in its original configuration and give it some life again. Im looking into making my own brass for it, but I have zero experience in this and am stumped at a proper way to reliable make a hollow rim to prime.
wlogan0402@reddit
You can convert it to centerfire
Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit (OP)
Reading isn't your strong suit is it?
wlogan0402@reddit
Well the ability to convert it to centerfire makes having it in a shootable condition as a rimfire redundant
Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit (OP)
Again, it's very clear you didn't actually read my post
ThatLightingGuy@reddit
If you have a lathe you can modify the centrefire brass to have a primer at the rim, usually using ramset shots. The Chap on BOTR's channel has a video about it, with a different calibre. Downside is you kinda have to load each round by hand into the chamber to get it to line up properly.
Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit (OP)
It's a pretty good idea, but it would suck to not be able to use the magazine. Might be a good and slightly cheaper way to sight it in seeing as these centerfire rounds are $6.50 a shot online
ThatLightingGuy@reddit
Is that what Lebel brass is going for these days?
Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit (OP)
Lebel brass is more like $1.30-$1.50 I think but I meant buying .41 swiss centerfire as a whole
ThatLightingGuy@reddit
Ah ok. I don't think I've seen that for sale where I'm at but I believe it would cost that much. Pain to make.
BoredCop@reddit
If you are okay with just loading one round at a time and manually indexing it so the firing pin will strike the primer(s), there is a way to make big bore rimfire ammo by having a .22 rimfire blank as a primer in an offset hole.
Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit (OP)
Oh, I forgot to mention, the Vetterli has a double firing pin that strikes the left and right of the case at the same time so this might be an issue
BoredCop@reddit
Yes, that's why I wrote pin(s). You would need to either shorten one of the pins, or have some special cases made with two primer holes- if there is even room for that.
Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit (OP)
I have heard about that, seems like an interesting idea
TacTurtle@reddit
You would need 41 Rimfire brass plus a 22LRReloader.com rimfire reloading kit (comes with a rim scraper, rim packer, and trinary priming compound) or similar.
SmoothSlavperator@reddit
Laboratory orbital rocker would probably be a better way to get priming compound in the rim. I'm pretty sure orbital tables is how they do it commerically.
Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit (OP)
I don't really plan to mass produce these, maybe a couple hundred max and I don't mind doing them by hand
TacTurtle@reddit
$1800 orbital rocker that will leave priming compound in the center vs $2 bent L-shaped tamper.
hmmmmm
SmoothSlavperator@reddit
They're $1800 if you buy one from like fisher new but they're always someone throwing one out somewhere.
Comfortable-Sun4997@reddit (OP)
I'll check it out, thanks for the info