Gday blokes and sheilas, name is camel, am just new to this forum stuff, and just about everything to do with computers. Have recently purchaced a 1958 model zkw465 Brno that has been chambered for the above cartridge. Am on the hunt for any info on this sexy little number. Have 200 formed cases, 1 rcbs fl resizing die and one form die. Thats all. Does anyone out there have any experience with this cartridge. All help would be appreciated. By the way am in NSW Australia. will check for replies every day or so. Thanks Camel

Is it rimfire? In my Cartridges of the World the .22 Spitfire is also named the 22 Stinger, Viper, Yellow Jacket, Super-Max, Xpediter, etc.
it's a .22 LR with reduced bullet weigth, loaded with relatively slow powder so that it gets 30 % increase in velocity and 25 % increase of energy.
At this moment only Stinger, Yellow Jacket and Viper are still in production.

Do you want to reload a .22 rimfire? I think I would go for the .22 LR...

Welcome to the forum Camel

I have a shooting buddy that reloads for this caliber by resizing .30 cal carbine shells down to .224. His rifle is an M1 carbine and one of his loads is 40gr bullet V-Max from Hornady.

IMR 4227 / 14.0grs 2850fps

G'day ...would have picked you as being in the NT myself. What part of NSW? Anyway, welcome to The Nut...grab a beer and pull up a stump.

Not familiar with this calibre...in fact have never heard of it before...be interesting to do a little research.

OK...found quite a bit of info actually. It sounds like a nice little cartridge, although I wouldn't used it on anything bigger than a fox or roo, maybe goat...definitely not pigs.

Bullet diameter .224 in (5.7 mm)
Neck diameter .253 in (6.4 mm)
Shoulder diameter .332 in (8.4 mm)
Base diameter .353 in (9.0 mm)
Rim diameter .356 in (9.0 mm)
Case length 1.29 in (33 mm)
Overall length 1.65 in (42 mm)
Rifling twist 1:14
Primer type Boxer small rifle

Seems to be best suited to the smaller .224 projectiles...40gr - 50gr. Only load data I can find lists three different powders:

MMJ 5.7mm Reloading Data
Bullet (grs.).........Powder / (grs.)........MV...............Muzzle Energy ft lbs
40 HP...............IMR 4227 / 14.0 ........2850.................720
40 HP...............2400 / 12.0................3000................795
50 HP...............IMR 4198 / 14.0.........2700.................810

AR2205 is marketed in the US as IMR4227, and
AR2207 is marketed as IMR4198
2400 is a Alliant powder.

Best bit of info I could find is in this link: 5.7 Carbine (.22 Spitfire)

Good luck mate, but I think you may have yourself a very interesting rifle.

Cheers, Vince

Gday!

Wow.. another wildcatter !
Welcome mate.. looking eagerly to learn more.

Hillston NSW huh?
I drive pass that side of Sydney twice a year or so on the way to hunting at Cobar.
Nice place looking through the car windows

welcome aboard Camel if you havent already done so grab one of Vinces beers, what the heck grab another anyway. good to see someone has found some info for you, the guys are great like that. post us some photos of your cartridge with something we will recognize for comparison please you have me intreged.

Elvis wrote:

...post us some photos of your cartridge...

Have a look at this link Elvis...shows a pic of the cartridge.

5.7mm Johnson/.22 Spitfire

Basically it is a .30 Carbine case necked down to .224...I rather like the look of it and its ballistics.

Cheers, Vince

Cheers Vince thats a fine looking cartridge for small game and if you converted a m1 carbine it sure would be handy to carry.

Elvis wrote:

Cheers Vince thats a fine looking cartridge for small game and if you converted a m1 carbine it sure would be handy to carry.

Sure is mate...and the M1 is a nice little rifle to carry around...unfortunately we are not allowed to have them over here because they are man killers, or so our old Prime Minister (Jack Boot Johnny Howard) said when he made all semi autos illegal.

However, I reckon it would be a magnificent cartridge in a single shot...say a Thompson Center Encore or a Ruger No 1.

Cheers, Vince

Good on ya fellas, didnt think I would get such quick response. When I finally get thru all the bureaucratic shit we gotta go thru over here to get another "Tool of the Trade" Ill get some info out there and then might get the missus to show me how to do the picture thing and put some on here. Had a fondle of it in the gun shop the other day (must be perverted to do things like that) shes a little ripper. 1958 BRNO mini Mauser action (for those that dont know) Got a custom stock by the late Geoff Slee, the bloke am getting it from reckons he used rem 7 1/2 primers and 14 gn ar2205 and 40gn Hornady plastic tips for around 3100 fps. Might be bit hot I reckon but will start slow and work up, will keep u posted. Am gunna use it for foxes and hares when at work . Again tks for all replies and help. Camel

That load you listed should be ok mate...but I would do the smart thing and reduce it by say 2 gr and then increase it slowly watching for pressure signs.

Been so long since I lived in NSW I have lost contact with the procedures to purchase a firearm. Up here in Brisbane (assuming you already have a Firearms Licence) it is a case of get a Permit To Acquire from the Police (at a price of course), go to the Gunshop, pay the Gunshop to put the firearm through their books, purchase said "toy" then take it home. I don't imagine it would be greatly different down there.

You certainly live in a good part of the State mate...all my Mother's people come from the Riverina...mainly Wagga, but Mum also lived in Weethalle for awhile.

Cheers, Vince

G'day Vince, its not that different here to get new "toy", but u gotta get a application for permit from gun shop then, fill in and send to firearms registry, then Waaaaiiiiit till they send u a permit, sometimes 1 week, sometimes 2, and so on, best Ive heard is 7 weeks with about three phone calls , but usually 2-3, then off to gunshop to finally pick up new gun. Cost 30 bucks for each permit that lasts 3 months. This area looks pretty good this year, had a shit load of rain last year 34 inches, which is more than double our annual rainfall. Makes the bunnies fat and hides them from the farmers so they arnt wingeing at me to come and shoot them. Down side is its hard to see the buggers in the long grass. Thanks for all the info one the 5.7mm, as I said earlier am just starting on this internet stuff. Just goes to show u can teach an old dog new tricks.

Update on 5,7mm Johnson, now turns out there are three different cartridges that come loosely under the title. the only difference seems to be in slight change of neck length, one got a longer case oal. And two have 28 deg shoulder angle and the other has 30 deg. Mine is the original it seems going on the dimensions I've found so far. Will keep u updated if interested. Still waiting for permit to acquire to arrive