Novem 9mm Bolt Action Rifle

[Drifty]

Hey, anyone here the owner or have been an owner of the Rock Island Armory 9mm bolt action rifle? Interested in what they think of them. Cheers

[bladeracer]

Hey, anyone here the owner or have been an owner of the Rock Island Armory 9mm bolt action rifle? Interested in what they think of them. Cheers

Is it available here in Oz?
Bit of an oddball I think, 9mm Para is not a particularly useful cartridge outside of handguns and SMG's.
If you just want to shoot 9mm without going CatH, I use the Chiappa rifled chamber adapters in shotguns. Basically a 175mm pistol barrel that fits inside a 12ga chamber.

[Bugman]

Rock island stuff is handled by Outdoor Sporting Agencies, here in Oz. I had a look at their sight and the US site, but did not see any 9mm rifles. Could be a special order, the Oz agency only has two rifles listed , both in 22cal. As BR has said, a bit of an oddball configuration. More of a novelty in my book.

[pomemax]

Southern Gun Company 9mm Lever Action Rifle ,looks mean but 2500 uk pounds
Rock Island 22 TCM converted to 9mm bolt action experimental
would I buy either probably not
have a look at Southern Gun Company .308 Lever Release Rifle that I would buy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XFL27CdYx4

[bladeracer]

Southern Gun Company 9mm Lever Action Rifle ,looks mean but 2500 uk pounds
Rock Island 22 TCM converted to 9mm bolt action experimental
would I buy either probably not
have a look at Southern Gun Company .308 Lever Release Rifle that I would buy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XFL27CdYx4

A lever-action 9mm I could see being some fun, but really no different to a .38 Special, which are readily available and not expensive.

9mm really offers nothing except rifle compatibility with a handgun, which is meaningless in Oz.
.38 Special is easier to load and has infinitely greater versatility, including using it in a .357 magnum rifle, and good luck shooting 200gn bullets in a 9mm

9mm is a little more powerful, but you're still only talking about pistol-levels of power - 9mm out of a rifle has maybe three-times the energy of a .22LR rifle.
9mm ammo fired in a rifle barrel makes perhaps as much as 1500fps, but more commonly it's around 1300fps with regular ammo. There are specialist loads optimised for carbines and rifles, but most of what you'll find really doesn't make much more velocity (maybe 10% more velocity and 20% more energy) in a rifle than in a pistol, roughly en-par with .38 Special rifle velocities and 50% more than .22WMR energy. But all factory 9mm ammo has to function within the very narrow window of semi-auto handguns, including cartridge length and bullet shape. .38 Special ammo can function from a 300gn bullet at 300fps to a 90gn bullet at 1500fps or more.

I'll stick with .38/.357 for levers.

[boingk]

Get a Lee Enfield with a 45ACP conversion, way cooler and at least has some place in history what with the De Lisle carbine and all.

If you're after something tacticool, have a look at the Rossi / Citadel 'LevTac 92', basically a tricked-out Winchester 1892 clone. Available in 357 Mag, 44 Mag and 454 Casull. Love mine in 44 Mag, hehe.

[bladeracer]

Get a Lee Enfield with a 45ACP conversion, way cooler and at least has some place in history what with the De Lisle carbine and all.

If you're after something tacticool, have a look at the Rossi / Citadel 'LevTac 92', basically a tricked-out Winchester 1892 clone. Available in 357 Mag, 44 Mag and 454 Casull. Love mine in 44 Mag, hehe.

I could enjoy a .45ACP DeLisle clone, but not at the price they want for them thanks

[straightshooter]

9mm really offers nothing except .............

Being oh so cheap to run.
If somebody produced a reliable lever action (improbable) or a handy bolt action at a near entry level price then they would be very popular.

[bladeracer]

9mm really offers nothing except .............

Being oh so cheap to run.
If somebody produced a reliable lever action (improbable) or a handy bolt action at a near entry level price then they would be very popular.

Perhaps, with very basic bulk ammo, but much cheaper than other options?
If you load your own ammo there is really no difference in running cost, in fact because you don't need to stay near the pressure limits you can run non-semi .38's even cheaper than 9mm.

For sure, if it were cheap enough a lot would buy it even if they only played with it a couple times a year.
An even better option would be for somebody to take one of the lever take-downs and make a 9mm conversion for it so you can swap back to something more useful when required.

[No1Mk3]

Don't underestimate the fun and utility of a 9mm rifle! I have had one for 30 years and love playing with it now and then, it is an ex-Spanish Police carbine in 9mm Largo. Quite a few were converted to 9mm Para due to the difficulty of getting Largo ammo, but mine is original and I reload for it using 9x23 Win brass. It has taken rabbit, hare, fox, goat, fallow and wallaby with great success, is lighter than my Brno 22. I don't know what a Spanish Destroyer is worth these days but I can reccommend the fun factor highly, Cheers.

[bladeracer]

Don't underestimate the fun and utility of a 9mm rifle! I have had one for 30 years and love playing with it now and then, it is an ex-Spanish Police carbine in 9mm Largo. Quite a few were converted to 9mm Para due to the difficulty of getting Largo ammo, but mine is original and I reload for it using 9x23 Win brass. It has taken rabbit, hare, fox, goat, fallow and wallaby with great success, is lighter than my Brno 22. I don't know what a Spanish Destroyer is worth these days but I can reccommend the fun factor highly, Cheers.

That I would pay for, for the historicity of it
9x23mm must be a fair bit hotter than 9mm para though?

[Bello]

Bergara make a single shot 9mm rifle, about $900 I think.
I wouldn’t see any use for 9mm rifle

[bladeracer]

Bergara make a single shot 9mm rifle, about $900 I think.
I wouldn’t see any use for 9mm rifle

Wow!
Get the 175mm Chiappa rifled 12ga adapter for $130 instead, although in Qld you need a PtA for it.
The only real down side to them is that you can't really make any adjustment if it doesn't shoot to point-of-aim if your gun has no sight adjustment. I've been pretty lucky so far but a red dot or reflex sight provides any adjustment if required.
But it's stronger than most pistol barrels so you can run it hotter, and it lets you do load development without having to go to an approved pistol range every time. It won't tell you if a load will cycle or feed in a semi-auto, but it will let you load to the velocity you feel will work in your pistol.

[straightshooter]

Perhaps, with very basic bulk ammo, but much cheaper than other options?

About the same price as 22 RFM, superior ballistics, reloadable, even better ballistics if handloaded to optimise for the longer barrel, makes a hole 2 1/2 times the size of the 22.
Now what were those disadvantages again.

[Gun-nut]

I hear that both Warwick and Oceania are planning on making a pistol caliber bolt rifle based on their existing designs. Each with the pump conversion kit in 9mm would be a lot of fun. If you can get one of the Rock Island rifles imported, I say go for it. Something doesn't have to be the most practical for it to be the most fun.

[Drifty]

I hear that both Warwick and Oceania are planning on making a pistol caliber bolt rifle based on their existing designs. Each with the pump conversion kit in 9mm would be a lot of fun. If you can get one of the Rock Island rifles imported, I say go for it. Something doesn't have to be the most practical for it to be the most fun.

I agree it is far from practical. I am aware of Oceana's project however i have the opportunity to get a fairly rare rock island that is already in Aus which i am taking. Was just checking if there were any other owners out there that could have either talked me in or out of getting it but i decided to just go for it. Thanks to everyone for their comments.

[CAVEMAN]

I would love a 9mm bolt action. For anyone that shoots pistols it would be a great little range toy. Possibly even good for small pests.

I looked at the Novem but its terribly niche and would take allot to get in AUS, even the US as I don't think there overly common.

I think Ruger could be a perfect candidate for building a 9mm rifle. There American rifle as the base, and then like there PC carbines an interchangeable mag well to accept either Ruger or Glock mags. They still make the 77 series in 44/357 so it doesn't seem like to much of a stretch for them to develop it. But id want the use of common pistol mags instead of the rotary style like the 77.

[Drifty]

Don't underestimate the fun and utility of a 9mm rifle! I have had one for 30 years and love playing with it now and then, it is an ex-Spanish Police carbine in 9mm Largo. Quite a few were converted to 9mm Para due to the difficulty of getting Largo ammo, but mine is original and I reload for it using 9x23 Win brass. It has taken rabbit, hare, fox, goat, fallow and wallaby with great success, is lighter than my Brno 22. I don't know what a Spanish Destroyer is worth these days but I can reccommend the fun factor highly, Cheers.

There is one chambered in Largo on UG for sale right now

[wrenchman]

I have yet to see a rock island one so if you do get one please post a picture

[Drifty]

I have yet to see a rock island one so if you do get one please post a picture

My PTA is submitted so hopefully a few weeks away. I just heard that apparently there is a 9mm conversion kit for the Remington 7615 pump and it takes Glock mags which could be a lot of fun too but still looking for more info on that.

[bladeracer]

I have yet to see a rock island one so if you do get one please post a picture

My PTA is submitted so hopefully a few weeks away. I just heard that apparently there is a 9mm conversion kit for the Remington 7615 pump and it takes Glock mags which could be a lot of fun too but still looking for more info on that.

That sounds more interesting to me.

[Drifty]

I have yet to see a rock island one so if you do get one please post a picture

My PTA is submitted so hopefully a few weeks away. I just heard that apparently there is a 9mm conversion kit for the Remington 7615 pump and it takes Glock mags which could be a lot of fun too but still looking for more info on that.

That sounds more interesting to me.

The company that made it no longer makes it unfortunately.

[keenstalking22]

Would sound like it would be a pain in the ass to also get mags for it

[bladeracer]

Would sound like it would be a pain in the ass to also get mags for it

For the Novem?
Reviews say the Novem uses the standard 22TCM mags.
Probably easier to import the mags than it is to find the rifle.

[Drifty]

Would sound like it would be a pain in the ass to also get mags for it

For the Novem?
Reviews say the Novem uses the standard 22TCM mags.
Probably easier to import the mags than it is to find the rifle.

They take Para Ordnance pistol mags.

[bladeracer]

Would sound like it would be a pain in the ass to also get mags for it

For the Novem?
Reviews say the Novem uses the standard 22TCM mags.
Probably easier to import the mags than it is to find the rifle.

They take Para Ordnance pistol mags.

Which is the same mag they use in the .22TCM isn't it?
Have you made any progress in finding an Australian source for the carbine?

[bigpete]

Perhaps, with very basic bulk ammo, but much cheaper than other options?

About the same price as 22 RFM, superior ballistics, reloadable, even better ballistics if handloaded to optimise for the longer barrel, makes a hole 2 1/2 times the size of the 22.
Now what were those disadvantages again.

My thoughts too straightshooter

[Drifty]

Would sound like it would be a pain in the ass to also get mags for it

For the Novem?
Reviews say the Novem uses the standard 22TCM mags.
Probably easier to import the mags than it is to find the rifle.

They take Para Ordnance pistol mags.

Which is the same mag they use in the .22TCM isn't it?
Have you made any progress in finding an Australian source for the carbine?

Yes, funnily enough one of the guys at my pistol club had one and sold it to me.