219 Zipper

[joatmon]

Have one on the way on a Savage action, really just wanted the action but now am thinking of trying out the Zipper. Anybody form the brass with just a FL die set or are the forming dies really required?
Thanks Aaron

[lotech]

I no longer have a .219 Zipper, but have formed many cases from .25-35 and .30-30 brass. I used the set of RCBS form dies I purchased about the time I bought my first .219. I don't recall trying to form cases with the full length size die. It may be possible, but I would guess one would have to do it with several partial passes through the die. Perhaps someone else has had success with this method. It's plenty of work even with the form dies and then your cases will likely need annealing.

[elk hunter]

The Zipper is a fine old cartridge, I'm fairly certain you can form cases by step forming. I have an improved Zipper that I formed standard Zipper cases for using a set of RCBS forming dies and then fire formed them, that didn't work out well, too many cases split. I started forming the improved cases by full length sizing 30-30 cases in a 30-30 die, then full length sized them in a 250/3000 die, then full length sized them in a 22-250 die and then trimmed to length. If you have access to the following dies you should be able to form standard Zipper cases by substituting a 25-35 die for the 250/3000 and a standard Zipper die for the 22-250. It may be possible to use some other combination of dies to get your cases.

Good luck. Let us know how you form your cases.

[BCall]

There's a guy on Gunbroker selling formed 219 brass for like $28 for 50. Seems like a decent deal, and cheaper than forming dies, unless you already have 25-35 dies or similar.

[jerry_from_ct]

Ever since recently reading about the "zipper", and then the "D.Wasp", now I want one...................Don't ask me why.:veryconfu :mrgreen:

Of course forming variants from .30-30 is probably why. Herretts will do that...........

[joatmon]

Thanks all, guess I'll try a few combo's and see what happens.
Thanks Aaron

[ASSASSIN]

I have formed for both the standard 219 Zipper and 219 Zipper Improved using new 30-30 brass, a 243 Win. size die and a 225 Win. size die. After sizing and fireforming, loading was done with a set of hand dies that were cut with the same reamer as the chamber with neck bushings used to neck size....

ASSASSIN

[Catshooter]

The Zipper is such a classly cartridge.

I bought a .223 NEF barrel for the express purpose of making it into one and then found out that the chamber won't quite clean up into a Zipper! What a bummer. I still want one badly.


Cat

[ASSASSIN]

How bout a 22X30-30 Improved for your 223?

[joatmon]

The barrel I'm getting was a 22 hornet (wish it still was) I hope the reamer job was a gooden!
It should be here anytime and I'll do a chamber cast to get a lookse.
Aaron

[NoDakJak]

If you can get 25.35 cases by all means use them as it is much simpler. About twenty years ago a friend bought a large Martini that had a heavy varmint barrel chambered to 219 Zipper improved. At that time we were unable to buy 25.35 brass and were forced to use 30.30 brass. He unfortunately decided to use brass that had been fired an unspecified number of times. At this point in time I can't remember whether we were force to anneal once or twice while case forming but i do remember that we had to anneal again prior to fire forming or we lost almost fifty percent of the cases. Use new brass, preferably 25.35 and it should prevent most of our woes. I convinced him to buy it when I couldn't afford it. It turned out to be a fine shooter. He reserves it for our forays up in the Big Horns and consistently outshoots me with it. Neil