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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Ohio, New Regulation


tinkerfive

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I was recently chastised by an un-named fellow member for not having been on the board for a while so here I am.

 

My brother is an Ohio resident and tells me that they made a new regulation now allowing the use of a rifle with 'straight wall cartridge' ( no bottle necks ) for deer hunting. So I was wondering If I might put together something for him either out of mostly parts that I have on hand or might be obtained without a huge investment. My first thought was to find the most powerful 32 cal cartridge that might allow me to use an 8MM barrel and Mauser action that I have on hand.

 

So are there any Ohio residents that have contemplated the same thing or guys that have done a similar conversion? The only one that I know of off hand is the 45ACP conversion.

 

Anyone have any Ideas, thoughts, suggestions?

 

Tinker

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Here's a PDF file listed at the Ohio hunting regulations site that list the approved "straight walled" rifle cartridges used for hunting deer. Handguns require a minimum 5" barrel in .357 caliber or larger, using a straight walled case.

 

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/PDFs/hunting/Cartridges.pdf

 

 

Spiris

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Seems like a pretty silly law unless Ohio was previously shotgun only. I looked quickly through an older version of Cartridges of the World. Didn't see any 32 or 8MM straight wall cartridges of any significance. If you're not willing to re-barrel your hands are tied if you use a Mauser. If you're willing to re-barrel there are numerous wildcat cartridges you could make work. If you would consider altering the bolt face, 450 Marlin comes to mind and various cartridges based on a shortened 458 Winchester or the 458 itself. My guess is Ohio wildcatters will likely come up with something based on the 470-473 rim size of the 8MM and 06.

 

Depending on how the rule was written. A straight but tapered cartridge might be a solution, something along the lines of a 400 Whelen. If I found myself in the same situation. I'd use it as an excuse to buy a 45/70. A Marlin or the H&R Buffalo. 444 Marlin also comes to mind. If you should happen to luck into a Siamese Mauser chambered for an obsolete rimmed cartridge. The possibilities are numerous. To be perfectly honest I'm stymied. I wish Z1R was still a regular here. Track him down and I bet he already has a fix for the problem.

 

EDIT: The list appeared immediately after I posted. I'm sure a local Ohio gunsmith will come up with something. If you can only use the cartridges listed and not a wildcat. Getting one of the rimmed cartridges to work in a Mauser will be a challenge. Another look at Cartridges of the World. The 41 Mag has a rim size of .488. Possibly and I'm speculating. It might work with an 8MM Mauser bolt face with a simple extractor modification.

 

Z1R WHERE ARE YOU WHEN YOU ARE REALLY NEEDED??

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Here are the regulations, and under Allowable Hunting Equipment, it appears to me to be a specific list under the heading of "Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers:" IMO, a 444 Marlin might be a workable project in a Mauser bolt rifle with it's semi-rimmed design, but the feed rails will likely need reworking.

 

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/hunting-trapping-and-shooting-sports/hunting-trapping-regulations/deer-hunting-regulations

 

 

Spiris

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Hey guys. Looks like the .32 isn't allowed. At least it is not one of the listed cartridges. Someone ought to check to see if any straightwall cartridge will qualify or only those listed. the .327 Federal has more energy than the 38 Special which is listed. Though it wouldn't be something you'd want to try in a mauser.

 

Of those cartridges listed, the .375 Win, .38-55, and .444 Marlin would require the least amount of effort. The former two are easy enough if you are ok with a single loader. You can get them to feed but not readily. The .444 except for the rim is not too unlike an '06 is shape. But the stubby length and short bullets will still make feeding fun. It is doable though. Just a matter of how many man hours you want to invest.

 

To the original question. A .32-40 might be considered a straight walled case. Like the .444, it has taper and practically no neck, or perhaps shoulder is a better word.

 

A '91 Argentine magazine or something similar would allow at least three cartridges and would probably help feeding considerably.

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MI did the same thing recently in the shotgun zone. But here there is no list of cartridges. It states .35 or bigger and min case length of 1.16 and max of 1.80. So I guess I can't use my .45-70. Since I don't own enough land in the shotgun zone to hunt on I never gave it much thought. I think you have to be crazy to hunt public land in southern Michigan. So many people I won't even bow hunt here anymore.

Don

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They allow according to the list provided a 45-70. What is the change in the rules? Did they add rifles to the hunting list or what? I quit hunting years ago because of nonsense like this; I live in a shotgun only state.

 

Sounds like an old trap door or single shot rifle in a straight wall cartridge could be made up if you have the action

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Sounds like an old trap door or single shot rifle in a straight wall cartridge could be made up if you have the action

 

To bad they didn't enact the regulation back in the late 80's when Martinis were a dime a dozen. A single shot Mauser or possibly some rimmed cartridge with a Nagant probably the only way for a custom rifle without dropping big bucks.

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I was thinking a Martini-Henry would probably do you. SGN has been running some articles on modifying them. Or a lever action in one of the big ones like 45-70 or 444 Marlin. I dunno. I don't hunt deer, and those Ohio and shot gun only restrictions seem awful funny to me. Why do they do that? To make it sporting for the deer? To try to prevent people from shooting each other in the woods? Or just because it is something they can regulate and make laws on? There's still more deer than people in Arkansas. I saw 3 on the way home from work and 2 on the way to work yesterday. Fortunately, I saw them before they jumped in front of me. Hunting the things with a LS400 gets real expensive, but probably still cheaper than what the typical deer hunter spends on one.

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Why do they do that? To make it sporting for the deer? To try to prevent people from shooting each other in the woods?

 

I've been told by in-laws, all rural Illinois deer hunters. The fields are literally loaded with deer hunters from the big cities. Most of the hunting is done on privately owned farming land. The farmers are generally glad to see the deer population reduced but don't want to worry about stray bullets. A shotgun slug is usually impotent after 100 or so yards.

 

Quite the opposite here in southern Arizona. The harvest at best is 10% of tags issued and I'm told the numbers are steadily declining. Taking a Desert Muley with a shotgun would be pure luck. With the wide open flat terrain walking into the wind. Getting a shot less than 150 yards is rare unless a hunter is parked in the right place at the right time. Arizona farmers and ranchers do not welcome deer hunters for good reasons. 4-wheelrs drive over crops, leave garbage, and frighten livestock. Occasionally frustrated deer hunters are caught poaching cattle.

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Well thank you all for your input. I guess that at the moment I'm thinking 357 Magnum. I popped 3 in my 7.62 X 39 rig (03 Turk) with a short follower just to see and It looks problematic. I've got a Mosin Naget that I wouldn't mind using. It would seem that the single stack would be more straight forward but I wonder about the bolt face being so much larger.

 

Tinker

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