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Nero
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Size of case base.
Jan 31st, 2026 at 5:59pm
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I have always assumed that except for length a 222 a 223 and a 5.6x 50 were the same.
Not so according to Wiki.
The base of a 222 at 376", a 223 375" and a 5.6x50 378".
Because of where I live 5.6x50R cases are pretty rare and when 100 once fired cases came up on the internet for a very reasonable price I bought them. 
Full length resized them and they didn't want to eject when fired in my little BSA Martini.
Checked the base of the case of some S and B factory rounds and they came out at 373". The RWS I had bought were 374".
With a fine file I carefully filed the base of the case down from 374" down to 373" and low and behold now no problems with ejecting.
Next job is to check my 222 and 223  cases to see any variations in the base of these cases that occasionally don't want to eject in my little Martini's.
« Last Edit: Jan 31st, 2026 at 6:42pm by Nero »  
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RJ-35-40
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Re: Size of case base.
Reply #1 - Feb 20th, 2026 at 11:10am
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Love those Martini Cadets..!

Gun Laws / Registrations / Restrictions in New Zealand give me the chills.


Nero wrote on Jan 31st, 2026 at 5:59pm:
I have always assumed that except for length a 222 a 223 and a 5.6x 50 were the same.
Not so according to Wiki.
The base of a 222 at 376", a 223 375" and a 5.6x50 378".
Because of where I live 5.6x50R cases are pretty rare and when 100 once fired cases came up on the internet for a very reasonable price I bought them. 
Full length resized them and they didn't want to eject when fired in my little BSA Martini.
Checked the base of the case of some S and B factory rounds and they came out at 373". The RWS I had bought were 374".
With a fine file I carefully filed the base of the case down from 374" down to 373" and low and behold now no problems with ejecting.
Next job is to check my 222 and 223  cases to see any variations in the base of these cases that occasionally don't want to eject in my little Martini's.

  
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jhm
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Re: Size of case base.
Reply #2 - Feb 20th, 2026 at 4:25pm
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I know folks fuss about our laws here in the US but it could be a lot worse. Looks like it is trying to get that way but for now it is holding it's own.




JMH
  
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DoubleD
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Re: Size of case base.
Reply #3 - Feb 21st, 2026 at 11:31am
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Keep in mind the Martini does not have an ejector per se. Ejection comes about from the inertia of the extraction cycle.

If you lower the lever gently, little to no inertia exists.  To create inertia you must open the lever vigorously, snap the lever open. That's what was intended, thats the way it is designed. And it has always been a weakness of the design. 

Even then some higher intensity cartridge, they may not extract.  K-hornets can a problem.  Make sure the chamber is polished,  Edges of the chamber at the opening and around the extractor cuts should be softened.  Not necessarily chamfered or rounded, just not sharp.

I had a friend who made a die for his K-hornet that he called his Hornet small base sizing die.  I used it one time and it solved my case sticking problems with my late wife's gun.

Eric died a few years back (2019) and wonder what ever happened to all his stuff.  He lived 1400 miles away and its kind of hard to run over and check on things.  I know for a while after his death, his wife did not want anyone to go near his stuff. My guess is it sits out in his shop gathering  dust and mouse turds. Sad.
  
Douglas, Ret.
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