The joys of obscure calibers

[trueblue1776]

Anybody else here have an obsession for obscure rounds? Do you have a rifle that caused you to trade a kidney just to get a 20rd box of ammo, for the casings?

My latest fetish has been the 9.3x74r, though I have never/will never hunt the African plains. Some thing about uncommon ammo is just so cool!

How many obscure calibers to you own? Please share any good stories about making brass too.

If you have your own wildcat, I'm all ears.

 

[R.W.Dale]

For awhile I had a thing going on with sporterized military rifles. I felt the need to own em all but they HAD to be in the original chambering 7.65mauser, 7.7x58JAP, 7.5x55swiss, 7.5x54mas, 7.62x54r, 6.5x55 and even the old 8x57 I had em all! Now days I've moved on to some of the newer recently introduced rounds, What makes them unusual is I'm shooting them in odd formats. Like for instance my 500 S&W handi rifle or my Encore rifle with it's 20" 460magnum barrel or even the 6.8spc in the aforementioned encore.

 

[redneck2]

If .357 Herrett and .45-90 Win (.45-3 1/4 Sharps) count, then I've got a couple.

Dunno if the .44-40 counts, but I've got a couple of those.

 

[NuJudge]

My passion for the 9.3x74R is cooling, but then it is becoming less obscure . . .

CDD

 

[fletcher]

The closest things I have to semi-obscure calibers are 9x18 and 7.62x54R. Not really available locally, but always available online.

 

[steve4102]

I don't know if I would call it obscure, but it sure turns a lot of heads around this neck of the woods, 9.3x62. Of course my 6.5x55 turns a few heads as well, so I guess that ain't sayin much.

 

[trueblue1776]

Steve, down here those would definitely turn heads, in fact, some people may tell you that they don't exist. I was told that I was looking for .308 (x51) at the local bargain outdoors shop when I asked for 7.62x54r.

 

[GunTech]

I like to collect European military handguns from the Belle Epoc (1870-1914). Plenty of strange calibers.

 

[The Bushmaster]

None...Just several "old", but common, calibres...

 

[jmorris]

Ammunition was available when I bought my xp100 but 7mmBR isn’t something you will find at your local gun store. The fact that it’s now obscure is disappointing.

 

[lee n. field]

.303 British, 7.62x54 and 9mm Makarov are as exotic as I get.

 

[jeepmor]

10mm, not too obscure, but you don't find any ammo in your neighborhood stop and shop sporting good store.

 

[fineredmist]

A few years back I received a civilian Mauser (1920-1930 manufacture) from a man who owed me some money. The rifle was in very good condition but in 10.75 X 68 caliber which I had never heard of. I called around and found that ammo was available at $120 for a box of 20. Too rich for my blood so I sold it to a friend who is a Mauser collector and master machinist who was able to reform brass to the correct demensions and also produce the correct caliber bullets. The cartridge is a African big game round and fell out of favor to the .375 caliber rounds.
The rifle is very simple with no frills except for a stock cast off which really aids in putting the rifle to point in a big hurry. It is not a rifle that one takes to the range to fire off a lot of ammo as it does let you know that you are using a dangerous game weapon.

 

[Never No More]

I got a 7.62x25 CZ-52 from a guy that owed me.

Dang nice handgun.

I was surpised.

Then I bought 2000 rounds, and had to throw out 1500 because they were machinegun rounds, not pistol

silly commies.

 

[Koos Custodiet]

300 Whisper, 7mm TC/U, and 7mm SuperMag. I also own a lever in 300 Savage which is pretty obscure around this part of the world.

Only accurate guns in weird chamberings are intersting.

 

[cpttango30]

I have a Jap type 38 in 6.5x57mm. it has been sporterized (and not that well) and rechambered. It has an old lyman #57 peep that will stay, it is my short range deer rifle (less than 200 yards). That is if I ever go deer huntng.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Most of mine aren't too obscure, though ammunition can't be had locally for them. My list includes:

9x21
9x23
.38 Super
9x25 Dillon
357 Sig
10mm
.400 Cor-Bon
.41 Action Express
.41 Magnum
8x57
.45-70
.45-120 Sharps


For several of them, handloading is the only option. I've yet to see a store carry .45-120 Sharps or 9x25 Dillon ammunition on their shelves. Or for that matter, 9x21, 9x23, .41 AE or even .38 Super.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[trueblue1776]

I consider any ammo that can't be found at an average sporting goods store to be fairly obscure.

It feels great to be the only guy at a crowded range with a rare caliber, everybody thinks you know something they don't.

 

[mc223]

6mm WOA

 

[taliv]

6XC is the only unusual one I have

I have plenty of stuff like 5.7x28 and 50BMG which you can't get at wally world, but I don't consider it "rare" or "unusual". I consider Unusual cartridges to be those not made by any factory on the planet. wildcats. etc.

 

[Phelptwan]

I have a .348 Winchester, it's my rare round.

 

[JollyWhiteGiant]

7.35mm Carcano. I lucked into a bunch of bullets made way back when for a reasonable price, then had to wait a few more years till I could find cases I could form to 7.35 that I could afford (norma stuff is just too high for this rifle).

 

[Souris]

Is .45-70 an obscure round?
How about .32-20 or 16 gauge.
These seem to have made a comeback recently due to Cowboy Action Shooting.
I guess that leaves me with only one 7-30 Waters

 

[Novus Collectus]

Although Fiochi now sells them for about $40 a box of 50, I like .38 S&W.
7.55 Swiss is now commercial and affordable, so that doesn't count anymore.
7.62 Nagant is also now very available and even becoming affordable.

Of the ones I would think are true obscure rounds of mine are:
.45 Auto rimmed
8x56R
7mm pin fire (I want just two. One to show people and the other to fire in my pinfire revolver so I can say I fired it once. I would pay ten bucks for two rounds!)

 

[willsnipe]

I have a 7-30 rifle & a 7 IHMSA XP-100 but the real prize hasn't been named yet! I have a real love of double rifles, but like most can't go the $, so built my own barrel sets for sxs shotgun actions. The first was on a 20 ga frame in 30-40 Krag. My latest is on a 410, and to create a rimmed cartridge I cut .100" of the bottom of a set of 25/222 dies and formed 357 Maximum brass. Cute little round! I'm not quite finished with the barrels yet, but expect to be shooting it within a month.