22 Marciante Blue Streak

[carbluesnake]

How many of you have heard of the Marciante Blue Streak? I was reading an old book, Twenty two Caliber Varmint Rifles by C.S.Landis, circa, 1947. This was a wildcat developed in 1941 by Al Marciante of Princeton, N.J.. Based on a blown out 22 Savage Hi-Power with a 25 degree shoulder, it was reputed to equal the 220 Swift with comparable bullet weights. It makes one wonder just how much improvement in cartridge development has occurred over the past 60 years. By the way, it was named for a visible 'blue streak' behind the bullet's path.

[Chuck 100 yd]

There are literally thousands of such wildcats in the books many of them just duplicate ballistics of something that already existed. Now if you could find a custom built rifle in that caliber from back in the day,that would be something.
And no I have never heard of it.

[w30wcf]

Yes, I had read about it in Warren Page's book on bench rest shooting many years ago. Lots of experimenting going on back then.

W30wcf

[M. M. Wright]

From my experience with the 6mm AI, that blue streak meant that my bullet had vaporized in the air. Only happened with high humidity and cold temps but it did happen with 60 grain bullets that I used for varmints. Velocities over 4000 fps were touted for that combo but I had no chronograph back then to be sure.

[Pete44ru]

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I'm thinkin' that the visible "blue streak" was the copper boolit's jacket, vaporizing from barrel heat/friction, given the metalurgy of the day (for both bbl steel & the jacketing material).

(edit: Looks like yet another forum member's got faster fingers than me - I better get my AM coffe, to reduce my fat fingers. )

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[Mescalero]

My friend "The Hairy Eye Ball', would get the blue streak thing going with his .22-.250.

[carbluesnake]

1947 was a bit before my time, but a wonderful time it must have been. Neighbors more than happy to let you shoot varmint on their land, no animal rights people screaming, Ozzie and Harriet on TV; and you didn't have to lock your house, vehicle or whatever. I wax a bit nostalgic.

[Mescalero]

Ozzie & Harriet were never real.
I look back at that stuff and feel nothing but bewilderment.

[Pete44ru]

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IIRC, Ozzie & Harriet didn't come along until the early-50's - well after my family got it's 1st ever TV.

In the late-40's, I can remember having to wear knickers to parochial school (I hated those durn things).

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[Mescalero]

Yet your picture reflects that time frame.

[carbluesnake]

I think Ozzie and Harriet were real.

[Mescalero]

Really?
On the res. we were always confused by that show.
No one lived like that.

[Booger Bill]

My wife claims I was raised by ozzie and harriet.

[piller]

Just out of curiosity, but wouldn't that particular wildcat seem to be a bit of a barrel burner? I may be totally wrong, but the ballistics make me think that it used a lot of powder and would have been hard on barrel life.

[earlmck]

Just out of curiosity, but wouldn't that particular wildcat seem to be a bit of a barrel burner? I may be totally wrong, but the ballistics make me think that it used a lot of powder and would have been hard on barrel life.

I can't find good case capacity info on the "blue streak" itself, but the 22 Savage Ackley Improved -- which would have to be awful close I would think -- seems to sit about half way between the 22-250 and the 225 Winchester for capacity. So this would be a very nice cartridge, especially in something like a High-Wall Winchester. Anybody who got velocities out of it to rival the 220 Swift, which has more than 10% greater case capacity, would have been pushing some awful high pressures from a cartridge case not designed with even Swift level pressures in mind. Not to say it wasn't done! (But it would be a lot safer to do it on paper than in practice!)

Just for grins I played around in QuickLoad with the AI version. So QL and earlmck managed to hit Swift velocities (3920 fps) with the 55 grain Hornady using a compressed load of H4895 with a mere 82K psi. Brass life, I expect, would be brief.

[Mescalero]

To say the least!
Wonder how the primers stayed in the pocket?

[carbluesnake]

One of the ways they estimated velocity was to check trajectory with a known round, i.e. the 220 Swift. Trajectory was similar, so they say. Bear in mind a great group from a varminter of that year was 1.2". Take the dispersion and apply that to a trajectory at 300 yds. (which was really long range for a varminter in 1941), and you could have a big difference. One high shot at 300 yds. and one would deduce a flatter trajectory.

[earlmck]

One of the ways they estimated velocity was to check trajectory with a known round, i.e. the 220 Swift. Trajectory was similar, so they say. Bear in mind a great group from a varminter of that year was 1.2". Take the dispersion and apply that to a trajectory at 300 yds. (which was really long range for a varminter in 1941), and you could have a big difference. One high shot at 300 yds. and one would deduce a flatter trajectory.

I suspect you are right on the money, carbluesnake. Again I did a little ballistic playing -- the "Blue Streak" would realistically get 3500 fps with a 55 grain bullet at pressures we could live with. The 220 Swift would get 3900 fps with the same bullet with a little more pressure but using a case which could handle the extra pressure.

The "QuickTarget" program (part of QuickLoad) says that if the 3500 fps load was sighted to be dead on at 200 yards it would be 5.5" low at 300 (I used the standard Hornady spitzer). The 3900 fps load would be 4.2" low at 300. That little bit of difference would be real hard to detect shooting minute-of-angle capable rifles.

All that said, the "Blue Streak" should be an excellent cartridge, very similar to the 219 Improved Zipper which had a good following back in the days you are talking about. If you happen to end up with one of the great old rifles chambered in this Blue Streak, I'll bet we can figure out how to make cases out of 30/30 brass.

[6pt-sika]

Used to be a fellow not to far from me that was hung up on old single shots in 22 Hornet , R2 Lovell and the Blue Streak . Most if them were built on old 1878 Sharps actions . I tried to get his 1878 Blue Stresk a couple times and a nice old Sedgley built 03 Springfiekd in R2 Lovell but he never would sell either . A year or so ago I heard he had passed lord knows where his fine old rifkes are now .

[carbluesnake]

6 pt, I am so sorry you didn't get either one or both. That is a real part of 22 varminter history. You would be a stand out anywhere you would go.

[6pt-sika]

6 pt, I am so sorry you didn't get either one or both. That is a real part of 22 varminter history. You would be a stand out anywhere you would go.

That Sedgely 03 Springfield in R2 Lovell was rather nice with the Lyman Target Spot 10x scope !

I failed to mention the Bluestreak came from a gunshop close to Berryville Virginia that Townsend Whelen used to be part owner of and "supposedly" the gun was owned by him at one time . But there was no notorized provenance with it so thats just hersey in this day and age .

[6pt-sika]

Also the old fellow I knew had boxes and boxes of brand new unfired Griffin and Howe 22-3000 brass which was the stuff he made the R2 Lovell brass from .

Just about all of his guns came with their own shooting kits which generally included hand made dies and press !

[carbluesnake]

I am green with envy