All,

Centurion has just released the new 5mm Varmint version of their ammo. It is a 30gr JHP with similar specs to the 30JSP, but much more frangible. Initial testing by AMMOe appears very promising. Of note the 592 seemed to prefer it, while the 591 appeared to have some harmonics issues. I will be modifying a 541 stock with a barrel tuner and testing it to confirm this suspicion.

AMMOe has more details as he received his ammo on Friday. I should receive mine today. BTW, the QC on this ammo appears very tight!

Click to view attachment

Yes Indeed! I did receive a shipment of the new 5mm Remington Magnum 30 grain Varmint HP from Centurion Ordnance. I confess that this isn't the first shipment I received as I was sent some of the "white box" prototype of this load earlier this summer but as production wasn't ramped up yet, I was asked to keep it quiet.

The production ammunition is good and in every respect as good as the prototype ammunition was; and in some respects, better. As PMI alluded, my 591M didn't like it much but in retrospect, this 591M has always been a bit of a problem. It has been my experience that, for what ever reason, the 592M tube feed shoot better than the detachable magazine 591M models.

It was a rainy sunday morning when I hit the range with my 592M. The previous day I'd taken my 591M out and gotten about 2 MOA with a 3x9 scope and a 5 pound trigger. This 591 has also been a bear to extract cases from as the primary extractor was supplied undersized and allows brass to swell against it on firing. I had to yank on the bolt to cleanly extract the fired brass (which I expected) but what I didn't expect was shearing off the bolt stop; effectively sidelining this rifle until another is made.

So I took my 592M "walking" rifle with the 2.5X Weaver on to just to do some chronographing. Some quick three shot groups at 25M got my attention. It seemed to shoot as good as I could hold in the rain and with the low magnification; Not to mention the less-than-ideal trigger. Hmmm.

Over my old Chrony (it was raining too much to use my new one) I averaged 2480.8 feet per second for each ten shot string with a maximum spread, from slowest to fastest, of 30 fps! This was at 15 feet. Corrected to the muzzle it is surely over 2500 fps. That's over 400 ft/lbs of muzzle energy for those who like physics.

Function through the tube magazine was flawless and extraction was effortless.

A couple of things hit me as I was hastily hauling my soggy gear in from the bench to get out of what was turning from a drizzle into a steady downpour. First, I need a better scope on this 592M. Second, I need to hit the prairiedog town with the 30 grain Varmint again. I didn't get any pictures last time, but I will the next....~AMMOe

Sounds good guys I just wish the 592M I picked up shot good but I've not have it out in some time, I know that one of the problems is that the dove tale slot the main stock screw goes into is very loss. I guess I could make one in shop class and just not tell any one what it's for.

WB: Try pulling the block and drilling through it for a set screw.~AMMOe

PS:

This is the ballistic table I generated this evening. The BC is from dual chronograph readings. Compare this to other rimfires. (Especially in drop and energy)

Went out last night and found some flea ridden rabbits with the 5mm. I got three but one flew straight up and landed in it's hole with only a foot sticking out. The fleas kept me from digging it out. This one was at 65 yards with a body hit. Looks like a Hornet hit, doesn't it?


This one was about 5 yards farther up the bank with just the head showing. This mess was the far side.


So far, so good! ~AMMOe

WOW talk about making a mess out of the first one.

Thanks for the idea to drilling an tapping the block. I was ready to make a new one.

You welcome. I'm an old country hock... I do things the easy way. That head shot was a little more gruesome then the pic allowed for. No skull. Just a skin face-flap and the ears.~AMMOe

Lately, I've just been observing the forum. Unfortunately, my new life in SoCal doesn't lend to much shooting or hunting.

I think the production of this new "Varmint" round is a great thing. Maybe this is a sign that some new 5mm rifles will soon make their debut.

Thanks for sharing, Marine PMI and AMMOe!

The Boy and I took a rare run to the local PD town yesterday evening. He is working extra hard to save for Grad school and has a lady friend from college working on a fellowship at the local museum, so our customary summer jaunts have been curtailed as of late.

As is tradition with us, we grabbed the CZ Hornets and did most of the work with those but I did take the 5mm along to see how it fared. I hadn't had a chance to swap out the 2.5X scope but did kill a half dozen dogs from 40 to 115 yards on a breezy afternoon. Never a second shot needed. (Finisher, I mean. I did miss twice) The last shot was shooting into the sunset at about 80 yards. The dog was standing on top of a dike that runs around a small rural substation and at the shot, I could hear the impact of the bullet but couldn't see the dog for the foliage. I watched for a second and then saw the tail fluttering between the grass tufts; A sure sign that it is down for good. I took another rabbit a few minutes later but it was a 30 yard, no brainer shot to the head. Nothing to talk about, performance-wise.

I went to the Billings Gun Show yesterday. Prices were ridiculous on 5mm rifles: $450 to $550. I was really looking for a Martini .22 action on which to build a custom, varmint grade 5mm. I didn't find anything suitable so I either pick up a New England Firearms .22 (or .22WMR/17HMR) and bore and thread the barrel shank for a new 5mm tube or build an action from scratch. I wish CZ or NEF would build a rifle for this one.... ~AMMOe

Thinking Chicoppe or Vault lock?

It was so hot here this weekend, I didn't really get a chacne to do crap.

Chicopee CF action. It's easier and can be sandwiched. Also it can be converted from CF to RF easily.

Sorry you got heated. We are enjoying 80 degree weather and the dogs are plentiful. I put a larger scope on the 592 last night: a 3-9X Weaver. If I wasn't feeling so crappy I'd be heading out today to sight it in.~AMMOe

Great report!!

Double Ditto's on the CZ thing. When the news broke about the reintroduction of the round I took a vow NOT to buy any new guns until CZ came out with their 5mm which I intended to snap up post haste. It was a promise I could not keep. A guy can hold his breath just so long you know, and CZ didn't end up any of my money.

The local Trading Post has a beater NEF .22LR coming out of pawn next week and has agreed to sell it to me cheap so as to fuel the 5mm project. I'll bore out the barrel shank and thread it for a 5mm tube, refitting the extractor once I get the gun together. This is going to be too much fun.~AMMOe

I finally seen the 5MM ammo on the shelzes here in Ohio. It's only in 1 store but by golly it's here!!

$18.99/box

keep us updated please

You bet! If Eric will tolerate my bloviating, I would write it up in step by step form. It will not be too difficult. The Marine and I are amazed that NEF hasn't stepped up to this one, themselves. ~AMMOe

Ammo don’t you have a T/C Contender? I was thinking that you picked one up some time ago.
That would be an easy thing to retro fit, that way you can use it for both rimfire and centerfire.

just me thinking

I have a T/C hornet languishing in New Mexico. The fellow who has it refuses to ship it as an assurance that I will come and visit. I like the NEF idea, though and will proceed with the project regardless. ~AMMOe

It does sound like a fun project I've seen some of the NF rimfires sitting pawnshops around here plus the nice thing is the barrels for them are cheap to start with.

Yeah, here too. I'm going to the city tomorrow so I'll look around. I'm kind of cranked to get it going. Shouldn't take long at all. ~AMMOe

So, the NEF at the Trading Post turned out to be a .270! Knowing .22 NEF's are all over the place used, I hit every pawn ans gun shop in Billings, MT today and came up with ....Zilch! Not a gun to be found! I did find four Rossi SS rifles but I'm not going that route. (Confound it! )~AMMOe

Tim, Andy,

THREAD HI-JACK ALERT!

Have a look at this and add your input please:

http://www.shootforum.com/forum/viewtopic....213&p=69647

Many thanks and best Regards.

English

English: Hey!

The posting about the CZ 452 was made in early 2008. I think that may have been a reality provided October 2008 hadn't come around soon afterwards. I'm sure CZ cooled their jets about the 5mm when they saw the financial "crisis" begin to cause Americans to be laid off. I wish they would do it. (More than I can describe!) Taurus did make at least three prototypes of the Tracker. We handled them in Las Vegas two years back. We're awaiting a sample to test. ( )

As to the post about the 5mm not being an improvement over the 22 WMR or 17HMR, look through the thread on the new 30 grain Varmint round and post the ballistics table. Same trajectory as the HMR but with almost twice the retained energy. ~AMMOe

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/cs/Satellite...rgs=pagenum%3D2

articles like this is what had me thinking it was just a matter of weeks or months away.

Don't give up hope yet! I haven't. Would have a serious winner on their hands if they did; a sweet rifle chambered for the most powerful rim-fire there is.~AMMOe

I wish gun manufacturers wouldn't make announcements like that until the production line is in place.

One of the guys on Saubier.com makes the centerfire conversion for the Remington 5mm rifles. Not the reversible conversion guy in San Diego, the other one in the Pacific Northwest. He was asking the members what they wanted in a 5mm Mag rifle so he could have an idea for manufacturing feasibility and cost. I don't know if anything will come of that project, but it probably will be more expensive than a CZ 452. At least I believe that guy will build the rifle if he thinks it can be done profitably. Here's hoping.

Thanks for the reply and heads up on the other thread.

Would you mind posting at Shootforum regarding the JSP bullet choice on the Aguilla .17 ammo rather than a .17gn Poly tip?

Thanks

English

Does anyone make a 5mm rimfire barrel for the T/C Contender? I would love to get a 5mm but they are pretty hard to find now.

The barrel is listed on the T/C site:

http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/g2Contender...rfireCharts.php

There are several fields in the table marked "N/A." I don't know if the barrel is actually available.

https://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=TC4198

looks like they are out of stock at the moment

How cool would a RR be in 5MM!!

Nah! I don't feel like registering at another Forum! You can tell them for me it was because Aguila does not make a poly tip bullet. Additionally, it was felt that a poly tip bullet might not be going fast enough for reliable expansion so they elected for sectional density in the 20 grain SP. This was a design spec that was completed about a decade before production. Originally it was supposed to be based on the longer "Super Maximum" 22LR case but the Powers That Be at Industrias Tecnos nixed that and ordered it made on the shorter (standard) LR casing.~AMMOe

I would like any rifle other than the Remington. Not that they are bad, I just want something different. ~AMMOe

Yes all the guys that make custom barrels for the T/C will make you one
http://www.matchgrademachine.com/
http://www.bullberry.com/
you may need to call and ask for it but I know Bullberry has made a number of them and I've talked with the guy that runs MGM and I'll bet he can also.

Thanks guys. I guess I got a couple places to look into for a barrel. But i guess i need to go buy a T/C first. LOL

Maybe something like this ?

My new 5mm Rem Mag rifle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, after almost a year, my new rifle is ready


The rifle is based on a Schultz & Larsen M61 target shooting action.
It,s a singleshot, cock on close system with two rear lucking lugs.
I have added a boltstop, a loading ramp and milled a dovetail for the scope.
The barrel is a cutrifled 12 inch twist S&L barrel with diameter 0.827 and lenght 26 inches.
The two stage trigger system set at one pound.
The scope is a Leupold VX-III 6.5 - 20 X 40mm.
The stock is a modified walnut hunting stock.
Total weight including scope is 9 pounds.
I took some photos of the rifle, including my first test shooting at 50 and 100 yards.
Comments are welcome



http://s769.photobucket.com/albums/xx333/arfdk/

Yup. Just like that! Nice rig. Was the firing pin much of a pain? Alan's Armory in Florida has a supply of CZ single shots and I have toyed with the idea of converting one. Glad to see someone else has taken the bull by the horns.~AMMOe

No, the firing pin was not a problem. If you look closely at pic 003 you can see, that I filled the excisting hole by soldering a steel pin in place, and drilled a hole for the new 0.08" firing pin.

I couldn't tell if you'd filled the hole and remade the pin, or enlarged the hole with a corresponding striker and off-set pin. As I said, very nice rig. Marine PMI has me talked into reworking a solid bottomed 580 Remington action I've had laying about here. It will be a simple conversion.~AMMOe

Wow! That's both handsome AND handy!! Very nice.

First I tried to use a off-set pin, but it didn't work. The pressure made the case to bulge in to the large hole.
So I decided to fill the hole and drill a new smaller one. 0.08".

When did you pick up a 5MM Red??

I have decided to go with the stock 580 firing pin and extractors to avoid just such a difficulty. If I'm wrong, I'll know it pretty quick! ~AMMOe

good luck and please keep us updated

Thanks and I will. The barrel should be here soon. The reamer will be the wait. I need to bore out the receiver ring .020" and thread it for 3/4-16 tpi but the remaining work on the action will go quickly. I plan on barrel bedding the whole rig on a block mounted to the barrel shank ahead of the receiver. The majority of the barrel and the receiver will be free floating. Back in the day, barrel bedding had some popularity. With a meaty barrel and a slim action, I think it might be the way to run with this 580 Remington. I am surprised that some 10/22 shooters don't adopt it when using heavy barrels. Ah, but that's a topic for another day! ~AMMOe

Hi AMMO, did you order a reamer ?
, otherwise I can send you mine.

I need to get a hold of PTG this week. PMI and I are owed a reamer so I believe I've got this one paid for.

On the other hand, if the time frame for delivery is out of hand I'd certainly be willing to take you up on your most generous offer. For which I thank you! ~AMMOe

yep.

Wise is the man of few words....~AMMOe