A little Hornet followed me home...

[RJW NZ]

I have a real question at the end of this, I promise...

Well, so much for austerity measures and cleaning out the enfield cupboard and all that, I've just collected an enfield I've been after for a good while, something called a .22 Hornet from Lithgow, and it turned out to be not just a regular Hornet either but something called a K model that has a slightly larger case that the previous owner tells me is good for 3000 fps plus,
Lessee, a few points of interest, I'm learning these things too...
It has microgroove style rifling.
The wrist markings have been scrubbed hard but are still visible through the paint.
Its heavy for a .22 , and hunters did complain about that.
The normal rear sight is pure no1 mk3, with a recalibrated scale.
Here's a few sellers notes
'HISTORY OF THE MODEL 24:
The first order for 4000 Model 24's was accepted in Mar 1949 by Lithgow Australia with the rifles official release in November of that year. Serial numbers (stamped on the knox) ran up to #7690.. the last of the model 24s were completed this rifle being completed in December 1960.
Lithgow utilised reclaimed receivers and other components from surplus .303s
and a Savage magazine unique to the model 23D
I.C.I. (NZ) ordered from S.A.F. two sample Sporting rifles in .22 Hornet. These were to be retailed through Slazenger (N Z), along with the usual run of Slazenger sporting weapons.
After receiving positive interest, a small run was ordered for trials in NZ'

Anyway, I've included a few pics for the curious, its an early model of the 4000 made, so it retains a no1 mk3 (short) butt stock, which I really like the look of instead of the no8 style butt, (one lithy style cheek pad coming up, methinks, anyone know a source? Numrich?), and the silencer, which is almost an OSH requirement out here, to protect shooters hearing (I know that drives our long suffering americans a little crazy), which is threaded onto the stock length barrel.

So here's the question;
I bought it as a cheap plinker to get around the $2-3.50 per round cost of .303. (Cheap surplus .303 is $1 ea usually), and instead, I find out that the cost of .22 hornet is $2.50,if you can get it, as its no longer being imported. So, like the previous owner, it looks like reloading is in my future.

The question is;
Is it feasible for a gunsmith to make a chamber insert that would allow me to shoot .22 LR for plinking?
Are such inserts designed to be easy in and easy out, are they fixed in place and don't ever come out, or are they in between?

I'm keen on the .22K, but have to ask that practical question about el cheapo .22LR.

The ammo pic from top to bottom is .303, .22K, and with a lower shoulder .22 Hornet.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[jmoore]

I know of 22 Hornet inserts, but not K-Hornet. (Also 22 Rem Jet, of which I have six.)

Get also a .22rf bolt head and mod a spare firing pin, or just do a spare bolt for the rf.

Probably the best way to get a chamber insert for the "K" is to have one made, even an old .22rf barrel stub MIGHT do, but the front bit's going to be mighty thin! (Best to remove the insert rifling, I should think, if you go the salvage route. I think I'd start w/ a bit higher grade steel than the soft commercial rf barrel stuff.)
A regular Hornet insert MAY work, but it'll be plenty unsupported.

Slip fit they are, unless something's amiss (generally).

[bearhunter]

RJW, that is a very pretty rifle. Nicely done.

[Steve H. in N.Y.]

Nice rifle indeed. I'd like to find one in this hemisphere.

[Amatikulu]

.22K is the .22 Kilbourn a wildcat cartridge made from the .22 Hornet case. You can fireform standard .22 Hornet cartridges to form the case - it uses the same bullet, simply takes more powder and hence the higher velocity.

[218bee]

I had a K-Hornet, built on a 1922 M2 Springfield trainer rifle...VERY accurate...Longest kill on a NY dairy woodchuck was 214 yds. (measured w/ rangefinder)

Very easy to reload and a great round...

[RJW NZ]

I know of 22 Hornet inserts, but not K-Hornet. (Also 22 Rem Jet, of which I have six.)

Get also a .22rf bolt head and mod a spare firing pin, or just do a spare bolt for the rf.

Probably the best way to get a chamber insert for the "K" is to have one made, even an old .22rf barrel stub MIGHT do, but the front bit's going to be mighty thin! (Best to remove the insert rifling, I should think, if you go the salvage route. I think I'd start w/ a bit higher grade steel than the soft commercial rf barrel stuff.)
A regular Hornet insert MAY work, but it'll be plenty unsupported.

Slip fit they are, unless something's amiss (generally).

Aha, I'm not crazy after all, such a thing do exist. Even though we're talking about K hornet for me and I realize that might mean a other methods, where do you do about getting such an insert? Shooting clubs, gunsmith, ebay, gunbroker? etc

...and what is .22 Rem jet? don't tell me there's a go fast version of K Hornet?

[jmoore]

I don't know of a current source, unfortunately.

.22 Rem Jet is actually a revolver cartridge (originally) for a long discontinued S&W, based on a necked down .357 Mag. case. K-Hornet ( or in the case of the wheelgun- Kay-Chuck) is a much better choice, but that's a whole other story.

Inserts seem to come in and out of any kind of favor, they're easy to lose, expensive, and often are kind of junky. Accuracy cannot be expected to be stellar, as compared to a dedicated set-up, but it still sounds like you may get use from the concept in this case.

[Bindi2]

Just reload for it. Cheap and easy to do. 35gn V Max @ 3k plus is pure dynomite. You could send it back to Aussie to me.

[218bee]

Converting it to shoot 22 LR will be a big dissapointment......Due to the .224" bore on your rifle and the .222/.223" diameter of the 22LR.....Not to mention the twist rate is supposed to be somewhere around 1-12" for the 40 to 50 gr. bullets Hornet or any other HV 22 centerfire...I believe the industry standard for .22 LR is 1-16"....

Same holds true in reverse, with the .22 Magnum round...many here in the US try converting old .22 rifles to the much more powerful .22 Magnum....well, the 22 Magnum was designed for .224" bores, and accuracy suffers as a result of the bore discrepancy....Also, a dangerous overpressurization of the weaker .22 rifle's action occurs...

You could try it, and you won't have a overpressure problem for sure, but I don't think you'll be pleasantly surprised with accuracy...UNLESS...you slug your bore with soft lead and find its .223" and 1-16" twist...(stranger things have happened...LOL)


VERY nice rifle you have there......