Where do I start for building a 9.3 Ruger?

[Viral_SIGness]

Why? Just build a 9.3x62mm if you want more horsepower get a x64..

While I greatly respect those cartridges, I love the 375 Ruger case. I designed a .30 wildcat on it in 2010. It's a great design and efficient, and I just wanted to build off of it.

Dave Manson, Manson Precision Reamers. He’ll make you a reamer that cuts on all flutes like they are supposed to (your gunsmith will thank you) and actually cares that you are a real living and breathing customer.

There are some choices for a 9.3 barrel but not every manufacturer makes them. Lilja has the tooling. I’ve had good luck with Wilson barrels from Ragged Hole, he stocks 9.3 but his are too heavy a contour. McGowan also has 9.3. The only cut rifled barrels I’ve seen in 9.3 are JES rebores.

I like the idea of where you’re going, I say go for it.

Thanks for the information!

 

[John P.]

Years ago I built a 9.3 x 70 using full length 375 Ultra brass.

Don't have a photo of the cartridge on the computer but I found the die photos. I made the dies using the chamber reamers.

The rifle is long gone to a person in Alaska.

I was duplicating the 9.3x 70 that Harold Wolf wrote about in Hatari magazine. This cartridge was used in a rifle made for one of the Nazi Generals either just before WWII or during WWII.


I plan on building another for myself, I have a 29 inch 9.3 barrel to use. I will build it "Cape Rifle Style".

This will be an extreme range Elk Rifle for use in the Snake River Country.

So if the OP wants details of how to go about doing a project such as this let me know.

The sizer has an interchangeable neck size bushing, handy for case forming.

Seat die reamed with the chamber reamer.

Having a back yard machine shop makes projects like this easy.

 

[John P.]

Do I start by finding a reamer before talking to a barrel maker?

Any of you have wildcat experience?

Wildcats and non standard cartridges? Yep, many of them.

Dummy round first, send to reamer maker. Or make a good drawing.

Order barrel soon, likely a long delivery time. As I mentioned above, I have a 29 inch 9.3 barrel for a project and I have a 24 inch 9.3 barrel for a 9.3x62 project that is about half complete.

The 9.3x62 project:

 

[Viral_SIGness]

Wildcats and non standard cartridges? Yep, many of them.

Dummy round first, send to reamer maker. Or make a good drawing.

Order barrel soon, likely a long delivery time. As I mentioned above, I have a 29 inch 9.3 barrel for a project and I have a 24 inch 9.3 barrel for a 9.3x62 project that is about half complete.

The 9.3x62 project:

I'm in "awe" of your setup! Wow! You seem like a great man to know!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Do I start by finding a reamer before talking to a barrel maker?

Any of you have wildcat experience?

@Viral_SIGness
All the wild cats I have built I have got everything together first. Then I realized no one has a reamer so I rang Dave Manson and between us we worked out our best option. Great man to deal with.
Once everything comes together and you fire your first round you realize you need dies.
Easy send 3 fired cases to Patrick @ Lee reloading and get a custom set made a great price.
Welcome to the world of wildcating. Fun, frustrating, enjoyment and satisfaction when it all comes together as good or better than you planned but sometimes things just don't feel.
Bob

 

[Viral_SIGness]

@Viral_SIGness
All the wild cats I have built I have got everything together first. Then I realized no one has a reamer so I rang Dave Manson and between us we worked out our best option. Great man to deal with.
Once everything comes together and you fire your first round you realize you need dies.
Easy send 3 fired cases to Patrick @ Lee reloading and get a custom set made a great price.
Welcome to the world of wildcating. Fun, frustrating, enjoyment and satisfaction when it all comes together as good or better than you planned but sometimes things just don't feel.
Bob

Thank you!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Dave Manson, Manson Precision Reamers. He’ll make you a reamer that cuts on all flutes like they are supposed to (your gunsmith will thank you) and actually cares that you are a real living and breathing customer.

There are some choices for a 9.3 barrel but not every manufacturer makes them. Lilja has the tooling. I’ve had good luck with Wilson barrels from Ragged Hole, he stocks 9.3 but his are too heavy a contour. McGowan also has 9.3. The only cut rifled barrels I’ve seen in 9.3 are JES rebores.

I like the idea of where you’re going, I say go for it.

@gbflyer
Have to agree with you on Dave Manson. I spent many an hour talking with Dave about my 25/303 Epps Newton improved. It was face a Idea to make it a on caliber neck to increase powder capacity. Dave would send me updated schematics after each discussion until we finally arrived at the finished product.
A great bloke to deal with, doesn't talk down to you or discourage (unless absolutely unreal) and will help you every step along the way and discuss what you want to achieve.
Give him a go he won't disappoint.
Bob

 

[AZDAVE]

There is a gunsmith in colorado that has the reamer and built several rifles in the 9.3/375ruger. I will check and see if I can find his POC information.

I am assuming that asking about wildcats you know that the only person that has to be happy with it is you, and resale is always problematic.


Basic wildcat build process.

Either Dave Mason or PTG can make you the reamer. Plus you would be wise to also buy the reamer for the sizing die that can be made to your dummy round.
Several barrel makers have 9.3. I have a McGown, Pac Nor, and ruger on my 9.3x62's.
Then any good gunsmith can take care of the building and assembly of the working barreled action.
Decide what stock you want the smith to build the complete rifle with.

Then develop loads and share you exeriences with us and go hunt something

 

[AZDAVE]

Here is that gunsmith POC https://www.weaverrifles.com/

 

[John P.]

AZ Dave is right on.

I build all my rifles (Old grumpy retired Machinist here) and have been through a few.

I like to order both a finisher and a resizer reamer. This way I have total control of the complete build process. I just do not trust outside parties to make my dies, besides, I have features in the dies I build that would cost a fortune on the custom route. (However I still use RCBS, Lyman, Redding, and other makers dies for my "run of the mill rifles" that I do not expect maximum performance from.)

The shop? A 55 year collection. Tools just seem to find me.

Reamers? Over 100 in the Kennedy Chest. I have posted this photo in the past, many of you will recognize it. Most are PTG, bought in the good old days when Dave Kiff had total control of the business. Never had a bad one. I still buy from PTG as I have a huge collection of PTG pilot bushings in 0.0002" increments for basically all bore sizes. Manson is good and seems to pay attention to detail.

Stocks: If scoped, most makers have good stocks. But if the rifle is primarily for iron sights, you need to investigate drop, pitch and cast off otherwise if you use a standard stock you will not be able to line up on the sights properly.

I use a coolant system that pumps through the barrel and flushes out the chips, I can chamber much faster than other methods. And a much better finish. Thus I like the screw retained pilot bushing, notch the screw and triple the coolant flow. PTG reamers have the grooves extending all the way to the screw, another reason why I like them.

458 Lott reamer below, note the notches in the screw head that line up with the reamer flutes.

 

[gbflyer]

Years ago I built a 9.3 x 70 using full length 375 Ultra brass.

Don't have a photo of the cartridge on the computer but I found the die photos. I made the dies using the chamber reamers.

The rifle is long gone to a person in Alaska.

I was duplicating the 9.3x 70 that Harold Wolf wrote about in Hatari magazine. This cartridge was used in a rifle made for one of the Nazi Generals either just before WWII or during WWII.


I plan on building another for myself, I have a 29 inch 9.3 barrel to use. I will build it "Cape Rifle Style".

This will be an extreme range Elk Rifle for use in the Snake River Country.

So if the OP wants details of how to go about doing a project such as this let me know.

The sizer has an interchangeable neck size bushing, handy for case forming.

Seat die reamed with the chamber reamer.

Having a back yard machine shop makes projects like this easy.

Very nice setup!