.303 .32

[zekehp]

Has anyone heard of a .303 .32 chamber adapter? I just found one. It is marked on the base PAT NOV 7 95 M S A CO. It is also marked on the side .303 .32 S & W. It is 1.5" or 3.8 cm. I will try to email photos. Thanks. Mike.

 

[E-tech]

I think what you might have there is a sub-caliber insert for the .303 rifle.
They were big in the 1980's for hunters to have on hand- carrying a full caliber rifle in the right hunting season, but, with a few of these inserts, a hunter could more quietly poach smaller game that was out of season.

They were meant to provide for cheap training with the full up rifle, and allow for less of a backstop on a shooting range by the use of the smaller round being fired.

Kinda neat to have one in a rifle caliber. As I recall- the majority were designed to make shotguns into various rifle and pistol calibers....

 

[V40]

E-Tec

E-tech,

is spot on. A few people here in the USA bought them up for poaching.

 

[navyman]

Hello Z,
Look up 'Morris Tubes'. They were used as training aids in Britain. Also check out the 'Pedersen Device' which was a semi-automatic mechanism which was used with the modified US Springfield M1903 rifle which enabled it to fire .30 pistol cartridges. (US info, see Encyclopaedia of Firearms by Harold L Peterson), not to be confused with Pedersen!
Hope this helps,
navyman.

 

[TonyE]

Adaptors

Adaptors to fire either regular .32 rounds or special patented types from a .303 rifle were quite popular in the early part of the 20th Century. I presume the patent date on yours refers to 1895.

Can you post a picture please.

Here are a couple of pictures of adaptors and patent cartridges. none of them take a .32 revolver round but you can see the principle.

Regards
TonyE