Rechambering a single shot rifle to 25/35 winchester.

[MOA]

I'm wanting to purchase a single shot that I can rechamber to this cartridge at the most inexpensive way possible. But I don't know what to look for as far as a donor rifle. I know the barrel has to be 25 cal, but what existing caliber in the donor will give me the correct twist for cast boolits? If a single shot bolt action, the bolt face must work in the rim of course. If Henry made a 25 caliber suitable in their single shot it would seem it might be a donor without a great deal of modifications if the twist was workable. But, I'm not aware that Henry is chambering anything that's usable. Maybe a bolt action savage in 30-30. Just have a new barrel reamed and threaded for the savage action. Wishing I knew more on this. Hopefully y'all can provide some more information and ideas for me. What I'm not looking for is a lever action. Either a bolt, roller or break action. It would be great to just have to ream a new chamber but I'm never that lucky on my projects.

[Jedman]

Your kinda up Schitt’s creek really. I like 25 cals. myself but in a single shot there’s not much to work with.
Just recently I seen a Winchester low wall chambered in 25-35 go for under $ 900 on gunbroker # 922194404 and was temped to bid myself. You can find martini cadet rifles occasionally for sale in 25-20 or 256 win mag and those could be rechambered. Depending on what weight of boolits you want to shoot you probably want a 12 twist or faster for up to 90 grs. 10 twist for 100 grs. and faster twist if you want someone heavier.
I don’t know of any currently made single shots in a 25 cal. that could be simply rechambered to 25-35.
With bolt actions you would need to build it and the few that came in 30-30 like the Savage would need a rebarrel and is not the action you want if your planning on scoping the rifle.
If you like break action single shots you can have a barrel stubbed and rebarreled to 25-35. I have a handi rifle barrel I built in 256 win mag. by turning a 25 cal. barrel and epoxied
in to a light contour 20 ga. barrel and it has a ejector. That would probably be the lowest cost way to get a gun like you want.
You didn’t mention if you plan on scoping the rifle or using iron sights, that has quite a bit of influence on what you would start with to build a rifle.
So here are your choices that I can think of unless you find a rifle already built and what you want.
A fixed barrel rifle like a falling block or a rolling block then have a barrel fitted and chambered and would need extractor work. Probably most expensive choice and not a good choice if you want a scope.
A small action martini cadet rifle that someone has already rebarreled with a 25 cal barrel in a smaller caliber cartridge. They can be rechambered to 25-35 about the maximum size cartridge that will fit in them. Also not a good choice for a scoped rifle but it can be done.
A break action, If your working from converting a shotgun to a rifle be sure it has been done before as some are not strong enough to be safe. Have a stubbed barrel made or reline a shotgun barrel. Either can be used with a scope or sights but consider what sight will cost because their is nothing on a shotgun barrel to start with so iron sights or a base for a scope must be considered.
A bolt action, There are some old Mauser 93’s and others that can be modified to work with the 25-35 as a single shot. At minimum you would need to rebarrel and rework the bolt face to work with the rim.
I am sure there are other ways to get what you want but finding a older single shot already built in 25-35 would be easiest. There are many SS rifles built in Europe that were chambered in 25-35 they have a metric designation for the caliber.

Jedman

[Kylongrifle32]

For a break action rifle the Thompson Contender would be a good choice. I never seen a factory T/C rifle barrel in 25-35 but I'm sure they are out there. But MGM and Bullberry both chamber it.
For bolt action Remington 788's where chambered in 30-30 so you have a bolt that works with just a rebarrel. But these rifles bring premium prices.
Are you that set on the 25-35? The old 30-40 krags have been rebarreled to 25 krags. I am not sure if it is just the 30-40 necked down to 25 cal with no other changes. If it is then the 25 krags would give you the same cast friendly long neck as the 25-35.
Anything can be done for the right price. Like jedman mentioned you could stub a H&R handi. But from what prices I have seen if you can't do it your self or have a Machinist buddy the price of the stubbing is about the same as a T/C barrel.

[wwmartin]

I built one on a Remington #5 rolling block action with an unknown maker 9.5/10 twist barrel. The reason, because I had a receiver and a 25 caliber barrel. Like most projects it cost more than planned. But it's done and working.
Bill

[MOA]

Jedman. Thank you so much. That info is just so helpful. It fills in lots of empty holes in my knowledge of what I can do.
Again, many thanks.

[MOA]

Thank you Kylongrifle. I have a 30-30 handi I'm going to ream to the 30-40 krag. It's a great cartridge. Just trying to locate a local good Smith to do the work. If not I'll have to send it out for reaming. Either way I hope to get that project off my plate. I'm already putting away the components for the 25-35. I've got dies and some brass already. I'm difinatily going to scope it for these old eyes to hit anything at distance.

[Nobade]

I second the TC Contender. MGM will make you a nice new barrel for much less than most any other way of going. Don't have a Contender? Well you should, everybody needs one.

As for 30-30 to 30-40 Krag, what do you expect to achieve with that conversion if you are shooting cast bullets besides very difficult to obtain brass? Been there done that. Not a nickels worth of difference between them using cast bullets.

[Jedman]

Another idea but not cheap would be to get a Henry SS in 223 and send it someone like Wayne York to be rebored and chambered to 25-35.

Jedman

[uscra112]

.25-35 needs a much faster twist than any other single shot cartridge I know of, unless you plan to stick with 85 grain or lighter bullets. In which case, why bother?

[MOA]

I second the TC Contender. MGM will make you a nice new barrel for much less than most any other way of going. Don't have a Contender? Well you should, everybody needs one.

As for 30-30 to 30-40 Krag, what do you expect to achieve with that conversion if you are shooting cast bullets besides very difficult to obtain brass? Been there done that. Not a nickels worth of difference between them using cast bullets.

Nobade. I've already got a 30-30 with my XLR. And I've got lots of krag brass. I grabbed up Krag brass when ever I could about 5 years ago when I was contemplating doing a 40-60 Maynard project using Krag brass. It's on a back burner for now, but I still hope to do it down the road.The handi-rifle gives me a nice, short, carry stalking rifle that's good with heavy for caliber boolits than the 30-30 is. I've got the brass, dies, and mold for the Krag, but for now I gathering info on the costs and difficulty in a 25-35. And I guess the reason why I bother with the Krag...cause I can. Do I need it....no. I've got 40's an 9.3's in Ruger single shots if needed. I just like rifle projects. I started covering all my rifle hunting needs with specialty calibers in specific rifles over 40 years ago. Can't really think of a caliber or rifle I need that I don't already own that won't cover the hunting scenario whatever it is.
But, a TC might end up being the ticket. Ya never know.

[MOA]

.25-35 needs a much faster twist than any other single shot cartridge I know of, unless you plan to stick with 85 grain or lighter bullets. In which case, why bother?

True dat. 1:8 would be needed, maybe 1:7, but it's a fast twist.

[Nobade]

Nobade. I've already got a 30-30 with my XLR. And I've got lots of krag brass. I grabbed up Krag brass when ever I could about 5 years ago when I was contemplating doing a 40-60 Maynard project using Krag brass. It's on a back burner for now, but I still hope to do it down the road.The handi-rifle gives me a nice, short, carry stalking rifle that's good with heavy for caliber boolits than the 30-30 is. I've got the brass, dies, and mold for the Krag, but for now I gathering info on the costs and difficulty in a 25-35. And I guess the reason why I bother with the Krag...cause I can. Do I need it....no. I've got 40's an 9.3's in Ruger single shots if needed. I just like rifle projects. I started covering all my rifle hunting needs with specialty calibers in specific rifles over 40 years ago. Can't really think of a caliber or rifle I need that I don't already own that won't cover the hunting scenario whatever it is.
But, a TC might end up being the ticket. Ya never know.

Can't argue with that! Since you already have the brass and dies, why not?
I thought the 25-35 normally used a 1:10 twist. But I have been known to be mistaken!

[MOA]

Can't argue with that! Since you already have the brass and dies, why not?
I thought the 25-35 normally used a 1:10 twist. But I have been known to be mistaken!


Nobade, you and me both. I was suprised to see wiki showing it at 1:8, likely due to a short barrel in the lever that it's usually found in.

https://i.postimg.cc/Fss00M9y/Screenshot-2022-04-02-08-38-54.png (https://postimg.cc/CdXZg6n5)

[MostlyLeverGuns]

The Savage 219 was made in 25-20, but pricey. Some of the single shots in 22 Hornet or other 22's could be rebored to 25-35 by some shops, NOT JES. Of course the Marlin 93's, 336's, some Savage 99's and Winchester 94's in 30-30 or 32 Special could be rebarreled. Some gunsmith might reline a larger bore to 25-35. The 25-35 had a 1-8(?) twist in the Winchesters to stabilize the 117 grain factory bullets.

[MOA]

The Savage 219 was made in 25-20, but pricey. Some of the single shots in 22 Hornet or other 22's could be rebored to 25-35 by some shops, NOT JES. Of course the Marlin 93's, 336's, some Savage 99's and Winchester 94's in 30-30 or 32 Special could be rebarreled. Some gunsmith might reline a larger bore to 25-35. The 25-35 had a 1-8(?) twist in the Winchesters to stabilize the 117 grain factory bullets.

Yes indeed. GB has a 219 in 25-20 right now.....8 bills. Plus you'd need to ream it AND likely the twist is to slow. I'd be surprised if the 25-20 has same twist as the 25-35. But, it would make sense from a manufacturing point of view. One 25 caliber barrel for both.

[Texas by God]

Does the 25-35 really need a fast twist? Our .250 Savage has a 10" twist and shoots 25-35 level loads just fine. So does my 10" twist 25-06. Was it a marketing ploy by Winchester?
I've wanted to put together a 25-35 break open (stub) rifle using a take off 25-06 barrel cut off, turned and rechambered- but a barrel hasn't turned up yet.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[MOA]

Well TBG we're on the same page. I really like agile carry guns. I think the quick twist has much to do with the short barrel Winchester put on lots of levers. Getting a 117 up to stabilizing parameters with a short launching deck and a less than voluminous case your kind of left to spinning them up a little faster to make everything work.

[Texas by God]

Thanks, MOA. I had wondered if Winchester was inspired by the 6.5 European rounds of the day-(6.5 MS, 6.5 Swedish, Carcano) with their fast twists.

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[MOA]

Thanks, MOA. I had wondered if Winchester was inspired by the 6.5 European rounds of the day-(6.5 MS, 6.5 Swedish, Carcano) with their fast twists.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

I don't doubt those cartridges were influential to some degree. The Germans had their own clone in the 6.5 x 52R

[truckjohn]

I think this is one of those places to pile up on research before you drop your coin... A 1:7 or 1:8 twist barrel slams into RPM threshold even faster than we're used to with 1:10. So instead of 1600-1700fps, you end up pushing down to 1400-1600 fps threshold. But, is the gun still fun with a slower twist barrel but you're stuck with 80gr pills? I mean, you might end up back with a 25-20... Maybe an AI version.

[MOA]

That is an important factor truckjohn. Discussions about a 1:9 might be in order.

[skeettx]

Ruger #1 in 257 Roberts would be my choice

Just buy one and save money on lathe work, wood work, reamers, headspace gauges, sight base holes
scope bases etc

[Three44s]

Check with Edstc.com

Look under “hot deals”

He gets discounted barrels from MGM (As I recall). I would ask him what the twist is for his .25-35 Win.

I bought a carbine barrel in 25-20 Win for my Contender and like it.



Good luck and good shooting!

Three44s

[Bent Ramrod]

I barreled a FBW action to .25-35, with an unknown maker barrel blank. It had the Winchester 1:9” twist. Later I had Biencke&Biencke reline a .30-30 Savage 99 with a 1:10” twist liner and chamber it for .25-35.

The Savage is much less finicky about loads than the FBW (especially cast), and shoots the standard 117-gr and 120-gr jacketed boolits as accurately as the FBW does.

Somebody had an article in a long-ago Rifle magazine where they chambered a 14” twist .25-20/.250 Savage barrel to .25-35, for 87-gr and 60-gr bullets. Sort of a souped-up .256 Magnum. Can’t recall whether he tried the 117-gr jacketed roundnoses to see how they did. Kind of a moot point anyway since .25 caliber jacketed roundnoses aren’t all that easily found anymore.

Admittedly, it’s just one sample, but if I was to do it over again, I’d have a 10” twist on the FBW as well.

[Wayne Smith]

For a break action rifle the Thompson Contender would be a good choice. I never seen a factory T/C rifle barrel in 25-35 but I'm sure they are out there. But MGM and Bullberry both chamber it.
For bolt action Remington 788's where chambered in 30-30 so you have a bolt that works with just a rebarrel. But these rifles bring premium prices.
Are you that set on the 25-35? The old 30-40 krags have been rebarreled to 25 krags. I am not sure if it is just the 30-40 necked down to 25 cal with no other changes. If it is then the 25 krags would give you the same cast friendly long neck as the 25-35.
Anything can be done for the right price. Like jedman mentioned you could stub a H&R handi. But from what prices I have seen if you can't do it your self or have a Machinist buddy the price of the stubbing is about the same as a T/C barrel.

I have my Encore with a 25 Krag AI 40 degree barrel. I've posted here on my process of making brass - it is more than simply squeezing the neck down. The case is extended up the neck and the timing of the sizing and annealing process is critical in making brass. The advantage of that cartridge, other than the rim for a single shot, is that is has two grains water capacity greater than the 257AI and two grains water capacity less than the 25-06. I have data for both of those cartridges in my Serria manuals. Finding a load is easy. Mine is a 9 twist.

My gunsmith in Virginia Beach has the reamers.