Odd Hoffer/Thompson cartridge?

[Stephan]

Found in the dirt at the range...one crusty looking Hoffer/Thompson adapter. This thing appears to be a normal HT cartridge with the exception that it has a brass 'sleeve' attached to the neck making it the same length as a actual .30-06 round.

I cannot get it's pieces moving...but it doesn't appear rusted stuck....almost looks like it's little short barrel is rifled!

Has anybody seen a similar Hoffer/Thompson cartridge with a brass adapter for a full size chamber??

How do you load one of these?....I have no intention one using this weird HT adapter...I'm just curious how it works

Thanx Stevie

[RCS]

Could you show a photo, the brass might be the fired rim fire cartridge.

[Stephan]

My imgur ain't working right at the moment....


I had left the HT device soaking in kerosene this afternoon...and it opens now! I see how it works too...push it open from the muzzle end and hold it by the striker plunger...stick in another cartridge.


I'm guessing this thing was maybe modified from an original Hoffer/Thompson device to fit a normal .30-06 chamber....spit a .22 short down a .30 caliber hole??

[RCS]

Hoffer-Thompson fired 22 short down a 22 caliber 1903 barrel with the same profile as the issue barrel. Used for training pre WW1 and WW1 period

Original rifles worth quite alot

[johnny l.]

The Hoffer-Thompson Cartridge holder was designed so that it would not fit into a 30.06 chamber, or a .308 for that matter. Likewise, a 30.06 will not fit into the Hoffer-Thompson barrel. Again, by design. I don't know why anyone would shoot a .22 thru a.30 caliber barrel. Accuracy would really suck. The H/T shoots only the .22 Short Round. I own a Gallery Practice M1903 rifle, have had it since 1975 and 15 of the cartridge holders. It shoots like a regular '03, minus the noise and recoil. At 25 yards, it is fairly accurate. The pain in the ass is the loading, unloading, and cleaning of the cartridge holders. Also, the cartridge holder can be damaged if the opening in front hits something hard and becomes egg shaped. I have a gage pin that I use to check the roundness and diameter every so often. I also make sure that there is something soft for the cartridge holder to fall in to, and hopefully prevent any damage.

All in all, it is a pretty cool rifle that is accurate, simple, and functions (except for loading/unloading the cartridge holder) exactly like the '03 Springfield. The parts, except for the barrel, are the same. The cartridge holder is the only additional part used. Also, 5 of the cartridge holders fit on the stripper clip just like 5 cartridges do. This fits into the pocket on a standard cartridge belt and is removed and loaded just like a standard rifle would be.

Regards, Johnny Lawson

[Stephan]

I messed around with the HT device last night....I couldn't decide if somebody had simply soldered a sawed-off front of a case on the cartridge adapter...or more probably installed a machined brass front to the device.


I cleaned the thing up and tried it for fit in a Rock Island 1903 with a Remington barrel....would feed fine but not quite chamber in that 1903. It would however feed and chamber fine in an Eddystone M1917.


This thing must be modded for a .30-06 chamber....but the 'why' defies logic...I don't know why?

[Promo]

Lothar Walther in Germany used to made "reduction rounds" for a long time. These are popular with hunters, especially when something is caught in a trap and can't escape. You can use the small round in a large bore rifle to kill an animal without making too much damage, noise or being afraid of hurting yourself while shooting to the ground in front of you, while you still only have a single rifle carried around.

Another possibility might be that the HT cartridge of yours has been modified to also work with .22 lr instead of .22 short only. Will a .22 lr fit your cartridge?