machinist1 Posted December 5, 2005 Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 Hello. I am a new member, although I've bee lurking for awhile. I am in the process of building a .30Gibbs on a VZ-24 Action. I am using a n English Walnut stock with a Cape buffalo forend tip. The bottom metal is Argintine. I am using a commercial bolt sleeve and a Timney trigger with slidding safety. It will have a 24" hammer forged barrel, Redfield base and rings. Does anyone have reload data on the .30 Gibbs? Any feeding problems? Any information will be apperciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Sorry that I don't have any specific help to offer, but I thought I'd chime in long enough to say that it sounds like an excellent plan. What little I know about the Gibbs is that it is essentially an improved -06. You'll need to at least think about lengthning the magazine and I hope that you get some good advice here regarding that as I have a standard 30-06 on the soon-to-start list and need advice too. I suspect that feeding will be close as stock, but of course you want perfection. I'm not sure how you're going to get it, except that trial and error will probably come into play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailormilan2 Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 http://www.reloadersnest.com/query_bw.asp?...ulletWeight=165 http://www.reloadersnest.com/query_pw.asp?...Powder=IMR+4064 http://www.reloadersnest.com/index.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 WHOA!! Went and looked at those loads using 4350, look awfull hot. I strongley suggest you search in rec guns or other groups and try to find somebody that is currently loading it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Don't know if it worth 35 bucks or even if it contains what you're after, might find it elswhere. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007E394...568825?n=283155 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Well, I dusted off "Gunsmithing" and of course Roy Dunlap doesn't disappoint. His recipe for modifying the Mauser magazine for -06 class cartridges is to file 1/32 or so off the back and then to start on the front until cartridges will feed. He also mentions that the feed ramp will need adjustment to meet the front of the magazine. He doesn't say anything about potential feeding problems, but then this is a general text and not Mauser-specific. Something tells me he's making it sound easy . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoedoh Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Machinist1, Welcome! And please hang around and ask all the questions you want! And, while I don't personally know much about the Gibbs cartridges, you might try asking here or here. Try each link as an added resource as I believe I've read about the Gibbs cartridges there at some time in the past. Good luck with your rifle and let us see some photos when you're done. I bet it'll be a real tack driver! And again, welcome! Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnutty Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Wolfe publishing has (had?) a very good book about Rocky Gibbs and his cartridges called "Gibbs' Cartridges and Front Ignition Loading Technique". If you are interested in the Gibbs line, I highly recommend this excellent reference. I handload for the .30 Gibbs. Feeding? Fair with the first three or so in the mag, especially in the Mauser. The Mauser was made for cartridges with much more taper. It's nothing that I can't live with, but it an issue. It's what I consider a minor one though. I'm sure the mag and/or feedrails can be modified. What bullet weight are you looking at? I like the 180 gr for this cartridge, and the top three loads I have listed for the 180 gr bullet are (these are absolute MAXIMUM): IMR-4831 66 gr 3070 IMR-4350 64 gr 3054 H-4350 65 gr 3036 With a 180 grain Barnes X-Bullet (old style), 65 grains of IMR-4831, and a 24" barrel, I get 2950 fps. The test rifle had a 26" tube, so the velocity numbers are all in the ball park to my experience. To be honest, I stopped there. The rifle grouped well and I was getting the "advertised" velocity. Dies are a custom issue. Send a chamber cast or fired cases to RCBS or 4D (www.ch4d.com) for your chamber; talk to them and see what's best. You'll need to neck the case to .35 then back to .30 to move the shoulder forward so you can headspace correctly. If you don't have a .35 whelen or .338 win die, you'll need to get an expander. Fire-forming cases can be fun. I recommend Bullseye or W-231 topped-off with cornmeal or cream of wheat and a parrafin wax stopper at the casemouth. NO BULLETS, of course. Start at about 15 grains of W-231 and work up. Pour in the cornmeal till it's just to the top of the shoulder; push the bar of wax onto the case, forming a plug. Keep the cases upright on the way to the range. On windy days, you'll get a shower of cornmeal back in your face. I reommed Pachmayr Decellerator recoil pads for any rifle with recoil, and the one I have on my Gibbs does a splendid job. Am I happy? Yes. Would I do it again? Maybe. I like light carbines now, and a 6.5X57 with a 20" barrel would be just dandy... Any other questions? Don't blow yourself up! Approach all Maximum loads very carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 Found this in a 1955 American Rifleman. I know it is not likely of any use but still kind of cool. Like the name brand ammo manufacures of the era the velocities are probably exaggurated. If the pic doesn't turn out I'll try later. My scanner is otr so I had yo use my camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnutty Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 Found this in a 1955 American Rifleman. I know it is not likely of any use but still kind of cool. Like the name brand ammo manufacures of the era the velocities are probably exaggurated. If the pic doesn't turn out I'll try later. My scanner is otr so I had yo use my camera. 8089[/snapback] I can honestly say I don't have any American Rifleman mags that old. Heh. "I knew Rocky Gibbs, and you're no Rocky Gibbs!" I have the entire book ("Gibbs Cartridges...") that I mentioned above. It's fairly modern (1991). I think it's out of print. I can post the data if anyone needs it I guess. I don't want to get into any copyright issues. Each chapter covers the history of a given cartridge, photos, data, and critique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 I don't want to get into any copyright issues. . 8091[/snapback] Gotta be carefull, the copyright police might be spying!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinist1 Posted December 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2005 Thanks all, for all your replies. Does anyone have one of those hydraulic case formers like in the ad? didn't thik so..........It's going to be a little while before I'm finished with this project. I need to finish inletting the stock,and glass bed the action. Before I blue this rifle I'm going to have stop and build a buffer. I think that I will try to rust blue this rifle. I have been reading some of your posts on rust bleuing. I will try to post some pics soon. Also, Gunnutty would you send me the .30Gibbs data. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z1r Posted December 8, 2005 Report Share Posted December 8, 2005 To say that those velocities are opimistic is an understatement. The Nosler manual shows the .30-06 raching 3000 fps with a 150, the .30-06AI makes 3075, the .300 Win Mag gets right at 3400, and the .300 Weatherby just makes 3450 fps. I'd say that those advertised Gibbs velocities are more fancy than fact. If indeed those velocities were reach it was either with real long barrels, REAL high pressures, or both. I don't even think it could be done with both. The case has nowhere near the capacity of the Weatherby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted December 8, 2005 Report Share Posted December 8, 2005 Cool looking cartridges though! That 8mm Gibbs is something to think about for take off barrels. I'm really trying to give up wildcats, but they're soo tempting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnutty Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 The discrepancy can easily be blamed on the 1955 technology. 1950's cronys cost thousands. Had to shoot through two expensive metal screens and work with a formula on a slide rule. I recall reading that the screens had to be placed far enough away so the muzzle blast didn't trigger the device, then the operator had to calculate the actual muzzle velocity from a complicated math formula. I don't know if the Powley calculator was available in 55. Pressures were often measured by crushing a copper ball. If wildcatters such as Gibbs, Ackley, Neidner or Roberts deliberately fudged the figures, I imagine it was on the same scale as the name brand manufactures. If I recall correctly from what I read in the gun rags in the early 70's after cronys became affordable at least affordable to magazine writers. Norma was about the only manufacture that didn't get caught with their pants down. Winchester and Remington really stretched the truth especially on handgun velocities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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