Savage 24 S-E 22/410

Welcome to the forum, I think you will like it there are alot of knowledge people on here that can answer your question far better than I can. I have heard of them being rechambered to 22 mag but as for the hornet I don't think the chamber itself could be bored out enough for the cartridge diameter of the hornet. As I said there alot more members here with way more knowledge than myself that could answer your question better.

It's not impossible to do what you'd like, but it's expensive, time-consuming and potentially risky.

.22 LR rifles and handguns are bored .222", and the bullets are .223" diameter. 22 WMR, .22 Hornet (as well as .222 Rem, .223 Rem, 22-250, etc, etc) are all bored .223" and use .224" bullets (OK, yes, 22 Hornets were bored .222" until 1950 or so). You can shoot 22LR in convertible handguns (Colt and Ruger single action revolvers, for example) since those all have a .223" bore (with only a .001" difference, the 22 LR doesn't exactly rattle down the larger bore, and most owners report good accuracy in both calibers).

However, that .001" difference will produce higher pressures when shooting a larger bullet in the smaller barrel, especially if you were to convert to a center-fire cartridge. And Colonel is right: there's not enough metal in the Mdl 24 chamber to bore it all the way out for even the smallest center-fire cartridge.

If you want a larger rifle caliber, sell your existing Mdl 24 and buy the one you want. Or, better yet, buy a second....or third...or....!!! Now you're a Mdl 24 collector!

See my previous (or maybe I wasn't clear enough). Boring the chamber from 22 LR to 22 WMR (22 Mag) is the easy part. The issue is with the larger-in-diameter 22 WMR bullet. If you made the cartridge change without also increasing the inside-barrel diameter, you will subject your firearm to increased pressures.

Sure, it's only .001"/.04 mm diameter difference, and it may go bang every time....for a while. But it will be at increased risk to you (and any other future owners of the firearm).

Further, you'd have to change the position of the firing pin. 22 LR rims are .278"/7.1 mm in diameter; 22 Mag rims are .294"/7.5 mm wide. Unless you move the firing pin, it will strike the 22 WMR cartridge .016"/.4 mm further towards the center of the rim. Maybe it'll go bang every time, maybe not.* While your gunsmith is moving the firing pin, he could also take the time to bore out the chamber slightly deeper for the thicker .22 WMR rim.

In other words, don't do it. It's expensive, time-consuming and the aggregate value of said proposed conversion is so far from nil it's not even worth discussing.

FWIW, many, many rabbits and possums have been killed with 22 LR (use solid points).

And for those two critters, I doubt you'd find much difference between the performance of 20 gauge 2 1/2" or 3" shells. #6 shot is great for all-round shooting.




*FWIW, my Colt convertible revolver had a 22 LR cylinder and a 22 Mag cylinder. As you know, one changes out the cylinder to make the cartridge change. Colt also says the barrel was bored .223" (i.e., to accommodate the larger 22 Mag bullet). Theoretically, the Mag cartridge should have been more accurate, but I was never able to make it shoot more accurately than the 22 LR.  The firing pin was an elongated rectangular in form (not round), so it would hit the two different diameter rims.

Apropos of nothing, one summer, my neighbors had a plague of cotton-tails in their vegetable gardens. I loaned the gun to one of my daughters and she went into business as a 'professional' bunny-killer, collecting a nickel for every tail. She could have used the 22 Mag cylinder, but it was noisier, and more expensive to shoot for essentially the same results that she got from the 22 LR.   In fact, one sweet dear old lady gave her a box of 22 shorts for their garden so the noise wouldn't be as likely wake her husband during naps.

Kiwi, You could do worse than finding a .222 Rem/20 or 222/12. I believe the 222/20 might be the most prolifically-produced cartridge combo and it would be a good choice for lots of NZ smaller game.

I bought a .222/20 (thanks, Big Kelly!) and have been very impressed with the accuracy of the 222, even with the stock sights and my old eyes (well, it held about a bazillion match records for years....some still stand). I reload, and many of the .223 components (except for the brass, of course) are the same, so it was an easy choice.

Hmmm...222/20 for boar. If he keeps coming after the 222, put 'em down with a 20-gauge slug. Fun!

Thanks vancmike and bigkelly for the varying opinions. I will leave this one in it's original calibres for posterity. I have the little beauty and will post some photo's when I can. The stock is lighter coloured with some wear/use marking but intact excepting the lower swivel for a strap which shouldn't be too hard to fix.
Boar vancmike? I have dropped them in years gone by with a .22 mag. Usually at only 50 to 80 yards/metres with a round behind the shoulder from an angle behind the animal. Quick clean kills with the hog dropping on the spot each time. Most other hogs with dogs and a knife once bailed up.

I will probably have to sort out importing a 222/20 Savage as they are not common here now. Plenty of time to sort that out.

Hi Rudy, Would have been manufactured after 1968 I think. No serial numbers stamped prior to that. Sign up for the forum and start a new thread asking for info on it's age ? That way you will most probably get more info from a more knowledgeable member. Will be surprised if the guys here don't know!!

Sounds interesting! What mold are you using for casting the bullets? Any idea what the lead hardness is that you end up with? Are these gas ck bullets?