Spanish Destroyer carbine with surplus ammo 

Sounds like you got a good score.

Hi Dave, good to hear from you. For some reason RU-vid keeps putting your comments in my "held for review" folder so I did not see it until just now. I do like the Destroyer, it is a mild pleasant to shoot thing.

@@314299 I know that this sounds like "if it is such a good idea,, why don't you do it"? But, a series on the use and accuracy of the .303 using cast bullets could be a revisit or an update for you. selection of powder, choice of molds, weather to neck size or full length re-size, choice of dies and so on. cast bullets are fun to mess around with and I feel that it would be a good watch. I have seen your past videos and enjoy them thoroughly, you really have something with being in front of the camera and making the video interesting.

They are a very mild to shoot carbine with negligible recoil and mild muzzle report. I've shot mine with cast, bullets sized to .357" and they shot at least as well as jacketed bullets.

The stock was cleaned up a bit when I got it and it got a fresh oil finish. The metalwork was the usual dirty with some light rust. Fortunately the bore was pretty good, not perfect but quite serviceable. Surplus has mostly dried up here as well, with the occasional Mosin and SKS being offered as well as a few Carcano carbines, but that it about it.

They do pop up for sale on a regular basis so I'm sure the opportunity to get one will arise.

@@314299 I wouldn’t mind converting one to 9 parabellum if I could do it cheaply/easily enough. I don’t know , I kinda hate the idea of modify cool milsurp stuff though

Those Ruger 44's command quite a price today.

With no spare parts it's good thing you were able to do a successful repair.

I doubt 9x23 Winchester brass would be satisfactory as it appears to have a standard depth extractor groove, whereas 9mm Largo brass has an exceptionally deep extractor groove. Starline makes Largo brass so there really is no point in using inappropriate brass

@@314299 Ah, OK.....i hadn't realised that it was freely available....cool.

I have a box of .38 ACP brass that was modified to have the rim turned down to the size of the Largo rim, it is not satisfactory in my carbine as the extractor groove is not deep enough and the extractor often pops out of the groove in the case.

What calibers do you have in mind?

@@314299 I'd really love an Xp-100 style 7.62x25 short bolt action pistol. I think with the velocity and possibly a CZ-52 magazine it could make an interesting and useful varmint pistol. And A 32 acp bolt action would be fun as well. In the style of those Boy Scouts target rifles, sorry I don't remember the model, would be a very fun plinker and target rifle.

@@AA-dn8dj Interesting concepts.

You could get maybe close with one or two of those rifle inserts for pistol cartridges....? A much cheaper way to go that at least makes it possible.

It's a decent example.

Yes, I expect the carbine was more than adequate for purpose. Being easier to hit with than a pistol and having less range than a full power rifle it would be a good arm for constables.

Yes I was as I was able to find the correct size of Berdan primers.

@@314299 is this round as powerful as 38 Super?

@@STMwoodturning No, it is not as powerful as 38 Super. The Super operates at higher pressure and produces more velocity. I'm not sure what sort of velocity 38 super would get from a long barrel like the Destroyer, but I expect 150 to 200 fps more with similar bullet weight.

They're not super common but that's mostly because they're chambered in 9mm Largo, so most people have little use for it.

I have no idea as to numbers but I think they made quite a few of them.

Forgotten Weapons made a video about them a few years ago. Very informative.

The Largo case is 23mm long and regular 9mm is 19mm long, so the case will not headspace properly. I have tried a couple shots of 9x19 in this and they did fire as the case head is held back against the extractor, however this puts the extractor at risk of breaking and parts for these are pretty much impossible to obtain. To shoot one of these in 9x19 it would be best to replace the barrel with a correct one for the round and then modify some mags to reliably feed the shorter rounds.

Perhaps you could purchase another Destroyer with a functional extractor, that way you would have a good extractor to copy, you could then sell the "good" one once you had the extractor replicated.

@@314299 Howdy ... Ya that might be the way to go.. I see them on gun broker every once and a wile and there really a lot of money.. but for now i will keep looking. THANKS

@@RUSTYSURPLUS There is most likely a market for some spare extractors if your buddy went to the trouble of replicating them, cutting the per unit price down.

@@314299 O ya $100 each.. i would pay that to get my destroyer going. you know there are at least 100 destroyers out there surplus setting in storage

@@RUSTYSURPLUSsometimes Jack First has some hard to find parts.