22 hornet with shoulder

[Ken B]

I just a got a bunch of brass from a freind who work at TC years ago. Its been sitting in boxes for years. Theres calibers I never heard about till now. My ? is theres 22 hornet in there that looks like it been reformed with a shoulder? Does anyone have a ideal what this is. Thanks Ken

[Sweetpea]

Most likely a 22 K-Hornet.

Pictures would help.

[fatelk]

The K-Hornet is a wildcat that used to be real popular. The chamber is just reamed out to a sharper shoulder for more case capacity, then you shoot regular .22 Hornet ammo in it and it comes out fireformed. I have some around somewhere that was given to me. I've been wondering if it would be practical to size it back to regular hornet brass and use it.

[Wayne Smith]

Not really useful to size back unless you anneal first, and then it may collapse. The K-Hornet was developed in part because the Hornet cases tended to grow very quickly. Put a shoulder on it and it doesn't. This was developed early, at least in the 20's.

[Ken B]

Thanks for the info.

[fatelk]

Thanks Wayne. Maybe I should just find someone who can ream the chamber on my old single shot hornet out to K-Hornet instead.:)

[Wayne Smith]

Thanks Wayne. Maybe I should just find someone who can ream the chamber on my old single shot hornet out to K-Hornet instead.:)

This was so common of a change that I'd be surprised if you had any problem finding a reamer!

[runfiverun]

the K stood for kaychuck.
he done some other projects also.

[Piedmont]

the K stood for kaychuck.
he done some other projects also.

The K stood for Kilbourn. Lysle Kilbourn was a NY gunsmith and the K Hornet goes waaaay back.

[Blacksmith]

Cartridges of the World says it was developed by Lysle Kilbourn in 1940. Jim Harvey developed the similar Kay-Chuck in 1956.

The .22 K-Hornet is in the same class as the .218 Bee. Some sample loadings from the same book:
Bullet - Powder - Grains - Velocity - Energy
45 SP - IMR 4227 - 12.5 - 2875 - 825
45 SP - 2400 - 11.5 - 2900 - 840
45 SP - IMR 4198 - 14.5 - 2800 - 780
50 SP - 2400 - 11.0 - 2700 - 810

There is also the .22 Taranah Hornet which is a .22 K-Hornet shortened by 0.150 inch to allow the long for weight 40-grain Nosler Balistic tip bullet to be used.

[altheating]

Ream it to K Hornet! I have had three reamed in the past year as well as helping do another for a friend's Ruger. The accuracy after reaming is amazing. Even the last Ruger that we did, it went from a non shooter to a tack driver. Thumbs up for reaming to K Hornet !

[MBTcustom]

Its like an Akley Improved version of the 22 hornet. A very intuitive modification for a cartridge with droopy shoulders like the 30-30 or the 22 Hornet.
If you don't have somebody local, shoot me a PM.