25-20 cases

[GRUMPA]

I get asked if I do these from time to time, so I got a few 32-20 from a member here and found a technique that works to convert them into the 25-20. Now I look into what's the average cost for these on a straight retail basis. Every place I go to is out of stock but they list the price of them right about .32-.38ea but here's the kicker. I have no idea how long they've been out of stock, so to me the price is or can be considered outdated. If I go into GB and look at what they sell for on there a person better have some strong heart meds, if that doesn't give folks a mild heart attack I don't know what will.

So what's the average price out there for 25-20 cases?

Who knows I might even start doing the 218 BEE cases if the demand is high enough...

[fordwannabe]

Not sure what the going rate is BUT I SURE COULD USE SOME IF YOU KNOW WHERE THERE ARE ANY TO BE FOUND.Tom

[GRUMPA]

Not sure what the going rate is BUT I SURE COULD USE SOME IF YOU KNOW WHERE THERE ARE ANY TO BE FOUND.Tom

Better be sitting down "BEFORE" you click the link:http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?Keywords=25-20+brass

[TCFAN]

I have taken 32-20 brass and formed 25-20 and then formed 218 Bee. Not something I like to do.If you ever start making 218 you might keep me in mind. Depending on price i am interested..............Terry

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Start checking Starline regularly. You just missed by two months their running out of an entire lot of 32-20 they had back orders for. It makes very nice 25-20. Better to watch closely and check often than suffer scalpers. BvT

[GRUMPA]

Start checking Starline regularly. You just missed by two months their running out of an entire lot of 32-20 they had back orders for. It makes very nice 25-20. Better to watch closely and check often than suffer scalpers. BvT

That's exactly what I'm currently doing. Even though I placed an order they have no clue when it'll be run, even if you call them they wont know..

[AmishWarlord]

They put out the brass in the fall. You have about three weeks to grab some.

Don't hate me, ;)126841

[fordwannabe]

HOLY SNIKIES BATMAN that stuff is expensive. You know it takes way more metal to make 300 savage brass so do you think my 200 rounds of empty 300 brass is worth a fortune? It's for sale or trade too.
No Amish can't hate a guy who was prepared. I try to be but, this past weekend I had a guy accept an offer of $400 for a 1892(circa 1917). I told him before the offer it was looooooww but all I could do after Christmas. He asked me if it was for me or resale and I showed him a picture of my safe with a couple old levers in it(22 or 23 I think) and he wanted it to go to a good home. Hence my need for 25-20. 44-40 I got,32-20 I got 33wcf I got, 25-20 I don't got....yet.

[Scharfschuetze]

Well, I've got the opposite problem. Just traded my Marlin 94CL 25/20 for an equally nice 94CL in 32/20. I've got a enough 32/20 brass for load development; but a couple of hundred 25/20 cases sitting in a box with nothing to do.

What do you think... Expand up to 27 before expanding to 31 and anneal the cases during the process?

[pietro]

.

If I didn't sell them to a needy forum member, I'd fireform them in the .32-20 chamber. :Bright idea:


:guntootsmiley:


.

[Kansas Ed]

Let me see....one member has 25-20 but needs 32-20. Another member has 32-20 but needs 25-20....

Hmmm seems like there must be a solution close by....:Bright idea:

Ed

[Uncle Jimbo]

Maybe so close one can't see it.:bigsmyl2:

[Jon K]

I have new 32-20 brass I would trade for 25-20.

Jon

[Scharfschuetze]

Trade is in progress for fired cases! :drinks:

I still have a bunch of unfired 25/20 cases if you're interested Jon. Send me a PM

Might still try sizing a few up just for giggles.

[C A Plater]

Remington usually make a seasonal run of the brass. Midway is expecting some on 1/19 and the are as good as anybody at getting it in stock. You can put in for a notification when it gets in. Be sure to stock up when it's available. That's what I did so I could feed my T/C carbine and pistol in .25-20.

[EDG]

.218 Bee on Gun Broker has been going for about $1.00 to $1.50 per new case on auctions. Totally insane.
.25-20 is not a lot better.

[TXGunNut]

I feel fortunate that I was able to purchase a good supply of 32-20 brass awhile back. Stuff seems to hold up pretty well....if I don't fold it up in the sizer. ;-)

[bones37]

FWIW, Remington 32-20 brass has worked better for me than any other brand. Starline 32-20 is great brass, but when reformed in to 25-20, using the Redding form and trim die, the reformed Starline brass is roughly .015" +/- short. However, the R-P 32-20 brass(new manufacture) seems to form nicely, when using Imperial sizing die wax very sparingly, and average length of brass is anywhere from 1.322" to 1.325", which is slightly above the trim length of 1.320" according to Lyman 49th edition reloading manual. Again, YMMV and each to their own opinion, but I've ruined several dollars worth of new brass trying to figure out what works, and what don't.

bones37.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Well, I've got the opposite problem. Just traded my Marlin 94CL 25/20 for an equally nice 94CL in 32/20. I've got a enough 32/20 brass for load development; but a couple of hundred 25/20 cases sitting in a box with nothing to do.

What do you think... Expand up to 27 before expanding to 31 and anneal the cases during the process?


Recommend you leave the 25-20 alone as long as possible while searching and signing up for the 32-20. A number of vendors will notify you. Just be ready to buy. Hopefully the manufacturers will get going now since they have time to make a big supply of the cases we need.

BvT

[Baron von Trollwhack]

FWIW, Remington 32-20 brass has worked better for me than any other brand. Starline 32-20 is great brass, but when reformed in to 25-20, using the Redding form and trim die, the reformed Starline brass is roughly .015" +/- short. However, the R-P 32-20 brass(new manufacture) seems to form nicely, when using Imperial sizing die wax very sparingly, and average length of brass is anywhere from 1.322" to 1.325", which is slightly above the trim length of 1.320" according to Lyman 49th edition reloading manual. Again, YMMV and each to their own opinion, but I've ruined several dollars worth of new brass trying to figure out what works, and what don't.

bones37. That's why you don't want to mix cases, as they also have different capacities and metal hardness, think annealing. Ask around here, some know this stuff and save grief in doing new stuff.

BvT

[bones37]

That's why you don't want to mix cases, as they also have different capacities and metal hardness, think annealing. Ask around here, some know this stuff and save grief in doing new stuff.

BvT

Exactly. I did ask around here. . Wealth of Knowledge(the forum members)

[snaketail]

If you want to get rid of the .25-20 shoot me a PM. I've been scrounging for brass since last summer.

Michael

[wrench man]

I pondered the Starline 32-20 to 25-20 a couple of yeas ago?, didn't do it, also pondered necking up 218 too?
I've been lucky enough to pick up several bags of NEW Winchester brass, only issue it has are the primer pockets NEED uniforming!?[smilie=b:
My person experience with Remington brass is NEVER! again, it's garbage!, all of them are brittle, they have neck/shoulder splits right out of the box!, and I'm not the only one to have this issue!, don't recall if it was on here?, or over on Marlin Owners? but one other guy had the exact same issue!, no more Remington brass in my 25-20!

[Baron von Trollwhack]

My own belief is that the R brass is thinner and thus work hardens very quickly, thus the neck splits. Even in first time use you may get a split making the ammo, no matter the brand, and secondarily if you don't use it reasonably quickly because of neck tension stress. I anneal my new R and all other brass before starting the uniforming process for that reason, and no longer make large batches of varmint, woods loafing ammo. Seems fresh ammo in 25-20 lasts longer and shoots a tiny bit better. BTW the cast boollits may be a bit harder than j bullets on this brass because they are of larger diameter and require the m die/neck bell procedures which require more neck rework, so tiny case mouth splits are common. Save these for anneal and trim for jacketed as you won't have gas seal issues despite a short neck.

Time to start mailing vendors about difficulty finding these cases, saying please get some, Privi also about making them, S & B, etc. And then laying in a lot of extra brass for legacy reasons. If the brass disappears entirely, the firearms will reduce in value.

In any event, necking 32-20 down requires annealing as I believe Starline brass is a bit harder also. Seems like none of it(in caliber specific) requires initial full length sizing, but I don't have a minimum dimension chamber either.

BvT

[Gunnut 45/454]

Maybe a dumb question but is the case head the same diameter as 30-30 or smaller? If the same couldn't one cut down and reform 30-30 too 25-20?

[LtFrankDrebbin]

Maybe a dumb question but is the case head the same diameter as 30-30 or smaller? If the same couldn't one cut down and reform 30-30 too 25-20?

You must be thinking of 25-35. The 32-20 is the parent case for 25-20 [smilie=s:

[bones37]

I used what I could get, and NO factory formed 25-20 brass was/has been available in my area. I have a LGS that has two boxes of factory loaded j-words, but I'm not paying $89.99 per 50 rounds for that. The way I see it, I'm still money ahead buying the form and trim die, two bags of Rem 32-20 brass and forming it to 25-20. I'm on my 3rd reload with no neck splits yet, however your mileage and opinion may vary, so each to his own.

bones37.

[Camba]

Cases formed from the 32-20 to 218 Bee are ready to be reloaded? Or. Do they need neck turning and all the other stuff?
My last supply of 218 Bee is two 50 rnd boxes of HSM ammo that I would hate to shoot it just to make room for reloading. The main reason is that I am not having a good luck getting more than two to 3 reloads with each case.
When reusing the once fired 218 Bee case, 1 out of 3 cases gets a vertical ding at the slope of the neck. When that round gets fired, it splits the neck vertically from the same location of where the ding was seen. Any suggestion on what may be causing that problem?
Here is a picture after the fact fired and split right at the location were the ding was seen:
128553

Camba

[TCFAN]

Might be to much case lube in the FL sizer??I neck size my 218 bee cases and get excellent case life.When I form 218 bee from 32-20 I have to go to 25-20 first and then 218. If I use to much case lube I get lube dents similar to what you have in your photo............Terry