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I picked up a very nice shape 1886 take down model in a 33wcf. It came with two old boxes of shells. I cant find this anywhere is anyone selling this caliber or did I get a gun that I cant shoot?

Commercially loaded ammo is no longer available from the big ammo makers. You may be able to find a smaller custom maker who still produces the 33 wcf.

33wcf is not hard to load on your own. Brass is easily formed by just running a 45-70 case into a 33 wcf sizing die. Hawk still makes jacketed bullets and a cast bullets are available from many sources.

Congrats! Grreat gun!

Old western scrounger might have some of this ammo. Give them a try. The .348AI that I just aquired has a bunch of ammo with it from Conley precision ammunition company. Mike Venturinos book on shooting the old Winchester lever guns has info in it on how to make ammo for the obsolete calibers. A letter to him through the gun rag he writes for could get a reply with some helpful idea's. Good luck and congrats on a nice find and grab. I am not sure of the rim diameters, but if they are close to the same it seems to me that running the still avaialable 348 Win brass through the .33WCF die would be an easy way to get some ammo.

Thanks...a lady I work with had it in the attic for thirty years. for 12 years she would tell me she had a gun that she wanted to sell. She seemed to always change her mind and never showed me the gun. She said it was a 33 and when I told her there was no such thing she would get mad! One day the 93 year old told me she had it in the trunk and it was mine for $600. I went to the bank and she handed me a blanket wrapped gun. On the way home I pulled over and looked for the first time at a great condition 1886! After having a few gun dealers look at it I decided to give her a Christmas card with another $600. she was so happy and I can live with myself. She told me her son in law said she could only get $400 for it and if she sold it to someone she would got to jail.

Thanks John

this is the gun

Great gun, and find. Really cool of you to send the other money. You are a rarity these days. Did you find out where to get any ammo yet?

A friend of mine has a M1886 light rifle / takedown in .33 WIN. As he is not a reloader he asked me last week to help him reload for it (he has been unable to find loaded ammo). I have done some research, here is what I have found so far:

Venturino's book, Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West has some real good reloading info - pages 183-185. He has found H4350 & 5744 to be the best powder choices.

Hornady #6, pg 507 has data for their discontinued #3315 FP jacketed bullet - there may be some around but I couldn't find any doing internet searches (ebay, auctionarms, gunbroker, etc.)

A special edition magazine published by Wolfe (Rifle) a few years back (2000), and still available recently in their ads, has some good info (history and loading) on pages 95-96 & 115-116.

Brass is best made by using commonly available 45/70 brass. One article (which one I don't remember) stated not to use .348 WIN brass (rim diameter too large if I remember correctly). You will need a set of case forming dies - Huntington stocks the RCBS set #58254, Group G at $166.98 per set. They have one set in their clearance section for $111.00 right now.

You will need a set of reloading dies once you form the cases - Huntingtons also offers them as a special order. RCBS set #56763, Group G, $143.98 per set. Shellholder RCBS #14.

RCBS mould #33-200 will cast a lead bullet for the rifle - don't know if it is still available, but Huntington's cast the bullet. It is offered in a box of 50 bullets, sized .338 (part #512) for $19.98 box.

Bear Tooth bullets offers a cast lead bullet, a 235 grain GC, sized at your choice of .338, .339, or .340 at 100 bullets for $22.25 box. This is their LFN design.

Redding also offers forming dies and loading dies, I haven't searched for availability and cost or catalog numbers yet.

Looks like a fun and challenging rifle to load for - I am looking forward to helping my friend load for his (got to wait six more months for him to come back from Iraq).

If you do not want to go the route of formng down 45/70 ammo, you might want to contact one of the custom ammo makers like Conley precision custom ammo co. I have a batch of their ammo coming from another member here for my 348 Ackley Improved. If you are just going to shoot it a few times, not consistently, might be even a cheaper way to go but it would be a shame to have ths rifle and not enjoy it.

That is a beautiful rifle. Nice guy too for doing the right thing, as you said you can live with yourself. In that condition the rifle is an awesome find

I have two boxes of shells...well one and a half boxes left I had to shot it! I saved the brass,is it OK to reload? A guy at the range said it was to old and would probably split. I think the ammo is from the 40s but looks good to me.


Thanks John

Reload it. It will be fine in most cases if indeed from the 40's. Might possibly be able to just neck size it in a .338Win mag die. Although some say it should not work, if it were my rifle I would full length size a couple of .348 Win cases and see if my rifle would feed the larger (slightly) rim diameter ammo. If so, you would be rather well hooked up. Would be worth a shot.

Wow! Congrats. You did the right thing and still got the mother of all bargains. The wood on that one is in great shape. Probably would sell for over 3k at Cabelas. Not my favorite caliber but the take down models are just sooooo sweet. I can't tell from the photo but I'm wondering if you have a Light weight TD.

Midway says " out of stock , but back order OK . "
Couldn't hurt to put in a small order for a couple of boxes.

http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/browse?TabID=1&Categoryid=7612&categorystring=9315***652***670***9013***

First Class!

Also, 33WCF is a GREAT cartridge, Ben Lilly had one, when he was cleaning out the Grizzlies in western NM, eastern AZ. I think he might have had a 35 WCF in an 1895 a little later.

I am happy to see this beautiful rifle go to someone with the class to send the extra money to the old lady.

Cheers!

Sycamore

I like it. Congrats! Thanks...Bill.

I shoot a .33WCF at metallic silhouette, 25 grains of 4895 and 200 grain gas checked bullet, does just fine. With a Rockchucker press you dont need forming dies. Just run the 45-70 case up into the BULLET SEATING DIE first, then the sizing die, then trim. Works great. Dont try this with Starling brass, however, it is REALLY tough and doesnt form very well. Winchester brass works fine.