forming 25/20 single shot

[uscra112]

BTW opening up Lovell R2 brass doesn't give you a good yield unless you anneal first. The necks are thin and will split. The expander mandrel must have a slow taper. The Lee mandrels do it best of any I've tried.

I've got a bag around somewhere with maybe 50-60 .223 cases that have had the initial swage done. Will gladly share a few if someone wants to do the later stages, which only require a small bench lathe. I've got a lifetime supply of both .25-20 and Lovell, and won't ever need these.

[Reg]

uscra112 Glad to see you showed up on this one. The system you speak of is the one you showed me a couple of years back and works really well. I can only recommended it highly.

A couple of things learned along the way.
I didn't have 7 m/m Mauser dies but used a set of 7 m/m Mag dies. Its the diameter you want.
Imperial sizing wax to me at least seemed to work a little better than other lubes I tried.
On some cases, not all, but a few, I noticed a "tilting" or "pulling ' of the brass that allowed a TIR to enter into the case from the primary forming. Having a set of 25-25 Stevens dies, I ran the primary formed case into the dies several times each time rotating the case a bit.
TIR was reduced to almost 0 which allowed the case to run true in the following lathe operation.
The pilot on the headstock end that supports and drives the case for the turning operation I made to locate in the primer pocket with a slight taper for gripping . the light cuts involved never did spin.

Its a good system and will produce all of the 25-20 Single Shot cases anyone could ever want. A good neck anneal after forming and I dont think I have worn out a case since I made up that first batch. Some have been fired 15 and 18 times.

[Chev. William]

Yikes!
Swaging the Web/Base down from .223 diameter of .375" to the .26-20SS diameter of .315" in one step is Daunting. No wonder you need a Hydraulic Press.

I wonder if it would be 'more easily done' in a few steps instead of a single step?
Perhaps .375" to .365" to .355" to .345" to .335" to .325" to .320" to .315" and using a supporting primer pocket 'punch' to keep the primer pocket from reducing along the way?

I know taking .22 Hornet brass from .295" down to .276" in one step is doable with a RCBS "RC" press fitted with a 4" longer than stock handle with two hands and full upper body applied.

However: if I pause in the movement, I get A "Bellows Deformed" case as a result!

Best Regards,
Chev. William

[Wayne Smith]

Well, Charlie, is there room in that basement for a hydraulic press? Assuming you can find the lathe, that is!

[rockrat]

Too bad brass cannot be found. Really nice low wall down at the LGS in 25-20SS

[ndnchf]

My greatest regret is that when the legendary BELL Brass was in business they never got around to mass producing the25-20 Basic they had promised. A few hundred rounds of that would have put a guy in good shape for life!

Froggie

Froggie - Do you mean these?

[Mk42gunner]

Golly gee whiz, If I had those I would massage them into a cf .32XL...

Robert

[ndnchf]

Golly gee whiz, If I had those I would massage them into a cf .32XL...

Robert

I'm saving them for a rainy day 😀 I used to make .32XL from .25-20SS. But now I make them from .327 Federal Magnum brass. Much easier to find.

[uscra112]

One of us should find a slow-twist 7mm barrel and try recreating Rabbeth's first cut at a small game wildcat. So the story goes, he wasn't pleased with the 7mm bullet; it tore up the game too much, so he created the .25-20. Basic brass needs only a very gentle necking-down to handle a 7mm bullet. I'm saving my little stash of Jamison basic just in case I live long enough.