Author Topic: 30/40 Krag Contender Barrel  (Read 486 times)

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Offline pab

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30/40 Krag Contender Barrel
« on: June 16, 2007, 05:39:06 AM »
I saw a 30/40 Krag Contender barrel yesterday. It was a rechambered 30-30 21" barrel. Isn't this a little hot for the Contender?

Offline RonF

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Re: 30/40 Krag Contender Barrel
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2007, 09:34:41 AM »
I have two Contender barrels in .30-40 Krag; one is a Bullberry custom bull barrell about 21" in length, and the other is a .30-30 Win Super 14" that has been rechambered and MagnaPorted.  Both were bought used.  The Krag rifle was not a strong gun, and factory specs for the ammunition are 40,000 CUP.  The .30-30 Win operates at 37,000 or 38,000 CUP, and the .35 Remington, which has the same case head diameter as the Krag, operates at 36,000 CUP, so this is only a 10% increase from the .35 Remington.  The Krag case is larger in diameter at the case head than the .30-30, but not as large as the .308 (or .30-06) class cartridges.  I have stayed within published data with my reloads and have not had any problems in well over 20 years of hunting with these barrels.  Going above published data, however, would probably be a prescription for disaster.

RonF