Conversion Kit For .222 Rimmed

The .222 Rimmed case is similar, but not quite the same as the .222 Remington.

Q: I am the proud owner of a BSA Martini Cadet in .222 Rimmed. An old gunsmith friend of mine built the rifle for me. It is extremely accurate and we found that Using a 50gn bullet and 19.6gn of AR2206 or AR2207 powder generated about 2920fps.

Many years have passed and my gunsmith friend’s eyesight has failed and I can no longer reload. I’d like to have my Martini converted to .222 Remington. I’ve heard of a conversion kit to do this, but where do I get it? How much? How difficult to install? If this conversion is available can you suggest a factory load similar to my handload? Allan Hopcroft

Many beautifully converted Martini Cadets are chambered in .222 Rimmed.

A: To convert A Martini from .222 Rimmed to .222 Remington some gunsmiths simply install a new extractor and leave the counterbore in the face of the barrel for the case rim as is. But if I were having the job done, I’d get the barrel set back and rechambered to support more of the head of the rimless case.

I’ve not heard of a kit to do this conversion, but some gunsmiths do have extractors. Once the conversion is done you can use .222 Remington factory ammo in the rifle with complete safety. I suggest you get a quote from a gunsmith to do the job. It is shame you can no longer reload as it is possible to form cases for the .222 Rimmed from .357 Maximum cases, but you have to neck them down in three stages and ream or turn the necks. A lot of work!