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BSA .310 Cadet (Read 1101 times)

ligonierbill Newbie Offline Posts: 5 Joined: Aug 29^th, 2025	BSA .310 Cadet Mar 4^th, 2026 at 12:08pm	Print Post
	I know that many of these have been rebarreled. Anyone working with an original .310? Long time reloader looking to acquire one.


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Bent_Ramrod Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1571 Location: Southern Arizona Joined: Feb 8^th, 2006	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #1 - Mar 4^th, 2026 at 3:09pm	Print Post
	Mine is still in the original caliber. I haven't done lot of load work with it, mainly because of the paucity of cases. My "go to" load has been 4.0 gr Unique behind a close approximation of the original heeled bullet from a Group Buy mould custom made by Lee back when they did such work for groups of customers. I have cases made by Kynoch (Berdan primed), Bertram (Boxer primed) and recently came into some custom cases made from shortened and rim-thinned .32-20 shells. My rifle had the simple ladder rear sight and the triangular front. It shot an annoying 3" to the left at 100 yd. I replaced the rear sight with another Cadet sight that has windage adjustment and put a bead on the front for better visibility. Now the I have enough cases to play with, and the thing can shoot to point of aim, I hope to do more load work with it in the future.


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1Hawkeye Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 255 Location: South end of Northern Virginia Joined: Jun 29^th, 2019	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #2 - Mar 4^th, 2026 at 6:12pm	Print Post
	They are fun to play with once you get the cases made up. Both Arsenal and RCBS Make molds of the original pattern 120gr bullets. Cases can be made from .32-20 brass the hard part is thinning the rims down. I'm using the Arsenal 120gr with 3.5grs of unique in my cadets. They shoot pretty good out to 200 yards.


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JSB30 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 407 Location: Missouri Joined: Apr 30^th, 2011	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #3 - Mar 5^th, 2026 at 7:36am	Print Post
	I have 3 original's. I also have half a dozen that were butchered when I got them and have rebarreled to 17 Ackley Bee, 218 Bee, 25-20 single shot and am building a 222 Remington with a Robert Snapp rimless extractor. Easy to reload the 310 , just reprime and add powder and hand seat the heeled bullet.


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j_c_johnson Full Member Offline C C Johnson's grandson Posts: 135 Location: northeast Indiana Joined: Sep 16^th, 2004	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #4 - Mar 5^th, 2026 at 8:27am	Print Post
	8mm Nagant revolver brass will work also.


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DoubleD Oldtimer Offline Posts: 770 Location: Edmond Joined: Feb 14^th, 2006	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #5 - Mar 6^th, 2026 at 9:29am	Print Post
	Here is another good source for Cadet moulds. (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links) This is a copy of the original Bullet. I have both the CBE mould and the RCBS mould and they both throw good bullets. I can't give a good reason why, but the brass CBE mould is much easier to use. Maybe the difference is brass vs iron, I don't know. I just noticed the CBE website says they are collecting the applicable tariff at check-out. I'm not sure what that is about. That is a US tariff, collected on goods coming for another country into the US, collected by the US, not some foreign entity.

	Douglas, Ret.
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1Hawkeye Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 255 Location: South end of Northern Virginia Joined: Jun 29^th, 2019	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #6 - Mar 6^th, 2026 at 9:57am	Print Post
	If CBE is affected by the same Australian laws as Bertram, you won't be able to get a mold from them. I recently tried to get some brass and they have an announcement on their website that they can no longer ship to the US and that was before the tariffs started. They were blaming the Aussie government about it.


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DoubleD Oldtimer Offline Posts: 770 Location: Edmond Joined: Feb 14^th, 2006	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #7 - Mar 6^th, 2026 at 10:03am	Print Post
	CBE websites, says they will ship to US, now.

	Douglas, Ret.
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1Hawkeye Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 255 Location: South end of Northern Virginia Joined: Jun 29^th, 2019	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #8 - Mar 6^th, 2026 at 1:54pm	Print Post
	O good I'll give Bertram another try then.


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DoubleD Oldtimer Offline Posts: 770 Location: Edmond Joined: Feb 14^th, 2006	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #9 - Mar 7^th, 2026 at 8:12am	Print Post
	Let us know how it goes direct with Bertram. I think they have some US distributors they work with..

	Douglas, Ret.
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1Hawkeye Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 255 Location: South end of Northern Virginia Joined: Jun 29^th, 2019	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #10 - Mar 7^th, 2026 at 10:36pm	Print Post
	Bertram is a no go. The website has changed and they only refer you to a company in your country. It appears they don't sell direct anymore, and the US office is closing as soon as they sell off the last of the stuff that you can get from any other US manufacturer for a lot lower price. .408 Cheytac anyone? I also looked up the US and Canadian companies they recommended and didn't get a good feeling about either company.


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craigster Oldtimer Offline Posts: 815 Location: lost coast CA Joined: Feb 20^th, 2011	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #11 - Mar 7^th, 2026 at 10:43pm	Print Post
	(You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links)


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DoubleD Oldtimer Offline Posts: 770 Location: Edmond Joined: Feb 14^th, 2006	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #12 - Mar 8^th, 2026 at 9:29am	Print Post
	For .310 cadet try Buffalo Arms. (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links) Currently out of stock, but get you name on the list for when a shipment comes in.

	Douglas, Ret.
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1Hawkeye Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 255 Location: South end of Northern Virginia Joined: Jun 29^th, 2019	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #13 - Mar 8^th, 2026 at 10:29am	Print Post
	I've got plenty of cadet brass l made 200 plus from. 32-20


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fallingblock ASSRA Board Member Offline Posts: 651 Location: Wisconsin Joined: Apr 16^th, 2004	Re: BSA .310 Cadet Reply #14 - Mar 8^th, 2026 at 11:28am	Print Post
	The .310 cadet rifles have varying rim depths many will chamber a 32-20 with out any trimming of the rim. I have found it quicker to just skim a small amount off the back of the case just a few thousandths and it works with most rifles. If you need to trim off more just check that the primer is still below the base when you are done. Trim the case length and you are good to go. You could also deepen the primer pocket but I have not had to do that. The .310 Cadet is fun to shoot and easy to load. The original brass that I have found has a thin rim to allow it to fit all barrels. The Greener Cadets seem to have a deeper rim than the BSA's but all are fun rifles. Cheers, Laurie

	Cheers, Laurie ASSRA Secretary & Archivist
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