Very cool project.
Frank Hamer was a fan of the Remington model 8 in .35 caliber, which he used in the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde to good effect. Vehicles bodies were steel then, .45 ACP out of a Thompson was not a reliable penetrator.
"Frank Hamer had owned an engraved Remington Model 8 in .30 caliber for years and knew well the excellent qualities of the weapon. He opted for a larger caliber to deliver more punch to the target. He ordered the standard .35 from Jake Petmeckey’s store in Austin, Texas and was shipped serial number 10045. Hamer also contacted the Peace Officer Equipment Company in St. Joseph, Missouri for it’s “police only” 20 round magazine for the Remington rifle."
My only experience with a full on "Wildcat" was a .450 Alaskan.
I had a roached mod. 71 Winchester (.348 Winchester) re-barreled (Pac-Nor) and chambered in .450. Ben Forkin did the re-barrel/chambering for me.
Ammo/cases were made from .50/110/500 brass, which was occasionally available 20 years ago. For someone used to reloading at that time on a 1050 Dillon (.38 Super), loading this cartridge was an entirely new experience; shortening/neck sizing/fire form/etc.
Load work up and dial in from the bench with 450 or 500 gr. bullets was an "adventure" as well.
From memory a 450 gr. Barnes S.P. was running 2250 FPS with H322.
It was, for all purposes, a slightly toned down .458 Win Mag- from a lever gun, with way too much drop at the comb- which accentuated recoil.
Yours looks like a fun project Ned.
A true "Gun Guy" (or gal) should have familiarity and a modicum of proficiency with most all firearms platforms.
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