Converting .30-06 to 7.7x58 with Lee dies and Quick Trim

[GooseGestapo]

I recently went through this.
I sized the '06 brass in the 7.7 dies (Lee).
I then cut them about 1mm long with a Harbor Freight 2" cut off saw. Trimmed with Lee trimmer.

First shot extracted..... HUH...?! Rifle has been rechambered to 7.7x63; aka 7.7-06, aka .31/06!!!
OH WELL! At least it was only 50. Besides, they had tired necks from being fired in a Garand.

[NavyVet1959]

I recently went through this.
I sized the '06 brass in the 7.7 dies (Lee).
I then cut them about 1mm long with a Harbor Freight 2" cut off saw. Trimmed with Lee trimmer.

First shot extracted..... HUH...?! Rifle has been rechambered to 7.7x63; aka 7.7-06, aka .31/06!!!
OH WELL! At least it was only 50. Besides, they had tired necks from being fired in a Garand.

That sort of rechambering makes more sense to me, but mine is not that way. If it had been that way, I would have been able to chamber a piece of .30-06 brass. I tried it, but the bolt would not rotate, so it wasn't fully chambering.

[haynk]

I did that years ago. I had some 30-06 blanks, removed powder,removed decapping pin from 7.7 die, resized, then trimmed. I don't remember the details of trimming, think I may have used tubing cutter, resized again, then filed the cases to final length. Then used deburring tool, loaded cases, fired. The blank primer worked just fine. I also reloaded using regular primers and made cases from regular 30-06 cases. I was told that blanks then were made then by taking once fired military brass, resizing, then loading with blank powder and primers. There was a seating method which left a crimp in the neck of the case, similar to the roll crimp on old shotgun shells. Warning!! If you get any blank powder, do not load it behind a bullet. It burns very rapidly and would explode if contained behind a bullet. I loaded both cast and jacketed projectiles. Sorry, I don't remember any loads.

I don't know anything about current blank manufacture. I do know that back in the 60's 7.62 NATO blanks appeared to be made from a 30.06 case which had the long neck sized down to approximate a 7.62(.308) cartridge.

None of these procedures resulted in case damage such as split necks, etc. No annealing was done.

haynk

[UBER7MM]

That sort of rechambering makes more sense to me, but mine is not that way. If it had been that way, I would have been able to chamber a piece of .30-06 brass. I tried it, but the bolt would not rotate, so it wasn't fully chambering.

Chambering up 7.7mm '06 and 8mm'06 were a lot after WWII to war trophies when 30'06 ammo was readily available (and until the bolt surplus rifles dried up and or factory rifles became plentiful.) You'll see published loads for the 8mm'06 in the Speer manuals.

Enjoy,

[paul edward]

I don't know anything about current blank manufacture. I do know that back in the 60's 7.62 NATO blanks appeared to be made from a 30.06 case which had the long neck sized down to approximate a 7.62(.308) cartridge.
haynk

In 1964 I inherited a few thousand rounds of 7.62mm WCC63 blanks, in linked belts. These were made specifically as 7.62 NATO blanks. They have 7.62 NATO extractor grooves, but are longer than .30/06 and have a double neck serving in place of a bullet. I made a few .30/06 cases from them, but it is a lot of work requiring annealing, resizing just enough to fire form, and then they need their thick necks reamed. Eventually traded most of them for once fired brass.