7.62 NATO Revolver: Possible?

[Braith-Wafer]

Is it possible to manufacture a Revolver in 7.62 NATO Calibre?

Just asking becouse someone on another forum said the 7.62 NATO is more powerful than Magnum revolver rounds.

Its just a thought that was in my head all day .

 

[1 old 0311]

There was/is a company that made a single action wheel gun in .45-70. I think they were made in Indiana. Used to see them at gun shows, and they were VERY big. That is a lot bigger round than the 7.62.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Magnum Research's line of BFR's come in 30-30 and 45-70, you may want to check them out.

 

[ArmedBear]

Pressure is a problem with a necked high-velocity round like the 7.62x51, AKA .308 Winchester.

The case is designed for a semiauto rifle, as well. Revolver cases rely on the case sticking in the cylinder when fired. They tend to be straight-wall cases.

You can get 7mm-08 chambering in a bolt-action pistol from Weatherby, though, and .308 as well as .30-06 in a Thompson/Center Encore single-shot.

 

[Braith-Wafer]

Would be nice in the frame of a 'Thunder 5' Revolver.

 

[Cosmoline]

This thread is officially CRAZY TALK

Proceed

 

[Bullet Bob]

The answer is you can do almost anything, but as several people pointed out, the pressure of the 7.62 (.308 Winchester) is much greater than a .45-70 or .30-30. To contain it in a handgun you'd need a single shot bolt action. For a revolver, the size of the cylinder needed, and the locking system would be a huge mass of metal. Then you'd have those gasses at the cylinder/barrel gap that I wouldn't stand within 50 yards of, and the seizure problem of having a bottlenecked case with what would have to be one tight tolerance between the rear of the cylinder and frame.

 

[mek42]

7.62x54R would solve the lack of a rim problem.

50 yards might be a bit excessive for a distance to stand away from the cylinder gap, but I'd want some sort of shielding between my hand and the revolver if I was going to do something silly like shoot the thing. Maybe some sort of single action system where cocking the trigger also moved the cylinder forward to seal it against the charging cone? I'm pretty sure something like this actually exists already, but I can't remember what.

You'd want your cylinder to have an OD of something like 3" or so if not more.

What the heck, if someone is willing to make a T/C pistol in 600 NE, why not make a revolver in 7.62x54R?

 

[wad]

Russian-made Nagant revolver, M1895

Maybe some sort of single action system where cocking the trigger also moved the cylinder forward to seal it against the charging cone? I'm pretty sure something like this actually exists already, but I can't remember what.

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg102-e.htm

 

[mainmech48]

With some ingenutiy, and several cubic feet of folding cash, it could be possible. Practical, by any stretch of the imagination? Unlikely, IMHO.

FWIW, Hamilton Bowen will do R&D and prototyping. Prices start at $2,000,000.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Bottle necked cartridges and revolvers have not had a happy track record.
Upon firing, the case heads get set back against the face of the frame
causing a lot of drag as the cylinder turns.

Successful revolver cartridges are mostly straight walled cases that grip
the chamber walls under pressure and do not set back against the face
of the frame (.38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, etc).

 

[[email protected]]

you could get 6 T/C Encores and fabricate a gigantic revolver action around them...

 

[unspellable]

308 in a revolver.

I'm not sure exactly how the dimensions compare, but the 45-70 revolver might have enough metal in the cylinder to do the job.

The problem of set back with bottle necked cartridges is GREATLY over rated. S&W started this with the 22 Jet which was yet another example of the biggies taking a wildcat commercial and fixing what wasn't broke. The parent wildcat was the Harvy 224 K-chuck. It was based on the 22 Hornet case and had no problems. S&W took the 357 magnum case and put a very very long shoulder on it, a case designed from the get go to set back. I've not heard of the problem with any other bottle neck having a normal shoulder. I shoot the 17 HMR and the 357-44 B&D in revolvers and have never had set back with either.

All that said, there is a practical limit to how much powder you can usefully burn in a revolver. The higher the pressure the more erosion problems around the cylinder gap. Massive doses of slow powder that is not completely burned will have a sand blast effect.

 

[kmrcstintn]

not to be rude...why would anyone want to put a long range ballistically stable rifle round into a revolver and completely destroy its potential by denying it the long barrel (incomplete powder burn and less twist on the bullet from a really short barrel); now imagine the poor shooter who has to deal with the recoil from such a setup

 

[ArmedBear]

7.62x54R would solve the lack of a rim problem.

Not the obturation problem, however.

7.62x54R brass is almost conical. Needs a bolt to hold it in the chamber.

Again, think straight wall for a practical revolver design.

 

[SDC]

If Taurus can do a .223 revolver, I don't see why a 7.62 NATO revolver wouldn't work as well (as long as you're wearing a face shield and sunglasses).