Hardest/most elaborate case conversion you did?

[toot]

7.62+ 54 RUSSIAN out of 45/70 brass.

[Nueces]

Take a breath, Toot, you deserve a rest!

[toot]

Nueces, roger that!. and the beat goes on. when you are in the 70+++ age bracket you gotta step back and take a break. there are many more such as shooting a 32/20 SMITH & WESSON in the RUSSIAN revolver. I got started with GEORGE C NONTES book of HOME CARTRIDGE CONVERSIONS. DON'T KNOW IF IT IS STILL AROUND OR NOT?

[Nueces]

I have the same book and am about the same age. Book is long out of print, but available on the used market, starting, appropriately enough, in the $70 range.

[toot]

NUECES, WOW! glad I got it 40+ years ago when it was in the $1.95 price range. couldn't handle it on my SOCIAL SECURITY now. I still get many pleasurable hours flipping through it. he made it so simple to do a cartridge conversion with so little tools. GEORGE is long gone now, but he was a great teacher and man.

[17nut]

How about 455 Webley out of 45-70?

[texassako]

Ugh, I am going to revise mine to making reloadable .41 extra long rimfire out of .38 Special. Now I know why the reloadable .41 RF shorts for sale are from bar stock and expensive. I think I have the steps down now, I hope.

[NoZombies]

.22 Ladybug from .22 hornet is another fun one...

[midnight]

219 don wasp from 30-30

Bob

[ticket machine]

Most time consuming to me is .45-70 to 8x52R Siamese Mauser. Also do some easy ones, 8mm Mauser to 9.5x57 M-S, 9.3x57, 8x56 M-S; .303 British to 6.5x53R; .284 Win to .375/.284. Most case splits come from .30-40 Krag to .25 Krag Improved.

[curioushooter]

Converting 223 to 7.62x38r was definitely the most difficult. Converting 8mm Lebel to 44 Swiss centerfire was easy, and 30-30 to 357 Herrett in the middle.

[corerftech]

32 long colt from 30 carbine.
Before I killed my first 32 Long RF to 32 s&w out of both success and failure.

Swagged the case in multiple dies ( couldn't reform case head)
Built a mandrel to lathe turn.
Turned case head.
Cases were literally paper thin.
Succeeded in making two but really only one.
Never test fired it, still have it on my desk. Took hours and hours and lost maybe 8-9 in process.
Lathe turning a case wall at the mouth to thin it to .004 is a serious challenge.
It was not optimal by any means, terrible parent case. But I was out of options. Till I read here chev Williams thread on 32 colt and when I did I figured out 22-3000/25-20SS is he perfect case to cut down. But.... I kill every 32 RF/LC I find into 32 s&w, h&r and be done with it.

[John Boy]

Elaborate step process: Converting 22 Hornet's to 25 Stevens

[mpkunz]

.30-'06 cases or any other cases in that family such as .270 cases, are trimmed to 1.900" and loaded with 44 cal bullets. 460 grain gas checked solid lead from a custom LEE mould, loaded subsonic to 980 fps and suppressed are as quiet as my air powered brad nailer, and they penetrate concrete blocks. Jacketed 180 grainers max out at 2,870 fps. Cases are sized with my '06 FL die, flares and bullet seating done with 44 magnum dies.

[Chev. William]

Elaborate step process: Converting 22 Hornet's to 25 Stevens

Quick but High effort way:
use a RCBS "RC" Press or a stronger one.
Buy a Lee Precision .25ACP Carbide ring Sizing die.
Remove the depriming pin and collet form the die.
Machine a Long 3/16" Pin punch body to allow it enter the top of the sizing die and have the tip extend at least 2" below the die body mouth.

Before other actions: expand the mouth, neck and shoulder of the .22 Hornet case to about .248"-.250" inside diameter.

Set up in press with an RCBS "Small Primer Pocket Swaging Punch", Stripper cup and a 3/16 ID fender washer on the ram and the sizing die
Set the Sizing die in the press so its Mouth is about .015" above fenderwasher when the ram is at top of its stroke.

Put lubed .22 hornet case on Primer punch tip. Note it should seat on the fender washer.

In one smooth rapid move force the Case into the sizing die mouth fully until the rim is at the mouth of the die; but not IN the Mouth.
NOTE: if you pause in this move the case will "Bellows deform".
And, Yes, the Base IS swaged down in this action!
Note that I use my Standing and two arms full body weight to do the Swaging motion in one move.

Use the pin punch and a hammer To tap the case back out of the die. It will have a 'roll' of displaced brass just above the rim.

Chuck case in Lathe and use a tool to turn the 'roll' of brass off the case and reduce the thickness of the rim from ~.070" down to ~.048"-.050".
This will leave the rim at about .349"-.350" diameter. It may be reduced in diameter if desired to about .340" or slightly less.

Trim the resulting parent case form about 1.380" down to the .25 Stevens length of 1.125".

Drill and deburr the Flash Hole to .078" Diameter to clear a Lee depriming pin.

The case is now in condition to be processed for loading, don't forget to deburr/champfer the mouth and slightly bell it for bullet insertion ease.

If you wish to do an easier process, use two or three additional Lee Carbide Ring sizing dies that have been "opened to intermediate diameters such as .300", .290", .286", .280", etc.; as this will reduce the swaging force needed at each stage of diameter reduction.
Note that by doing the swaging in multiple stages I can use one arm while sititng to perform the swaging motion.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

Added20180319:

Left to Right: .25ACP @.905" OAL; .25ALR @1.293" OAL; .25 Magnum Auto. @.1.366" OAL; .25ALS @ 1.407" OAL. All With .250" sized Hornady #2510 60 grain Jacketed Soft Flat Point Bullet.
Note: .25ACP Case Length = .612"; .25ALR Case Length = .960"; .25 Magnum Auto. Case Length = 1.055"; .25ALS Case Length = 1.125".
Note: .25ACP rim diameter is .304", 5.7x28mm parent rim diameter is .307"
Chev. William

[rbuck351]

22Cooper from 5.7x28. Not sure it's worth the effort.

[AllanD]

I've made great use of my RCBS Case forming kit to make 6mm Rem from30-06 case, but in practical terms since the first step is to 7x57, then 257 Roberts, going all the way from 30-06 is generally too much to bother with, and starting with either 257 Roberts or any other ?x57 case is more practical, As-is simply breaking down and buying 6mm REM Brass.

It is a comforting feeling to KNOW I can make them if I "Need" to, but in general I can find other ways to occupy my time.

Such as making 358Norma cases for my brother from virgin NEW 300Win Mag cases

NOTE making them from 338Win mag does not work the necks come out too short, but to prove a point I've made them from 375H&H and once from a single 460Weatherby case (I still feel a bit guilty over the wastefulness of that, but)

Then I scored a BAG of 100 of factory Virgin 358Norma cases!

[Broomstraw]

Mine would have to be some Lake City 5.56 to 7.62x25 Tokarev brass. Fairly straightforward....deprime with Lee decapping die. Run the lubed case in the 7.62x25 die. Trim to a little over OAL Case length with HF Saw. Then final trim with case trimmer. Debur and then ream neck with Size N drill bit. Debur again. Load and shoot. Firing "fire forms" case to your Tokarev chamber. Second loading works well for me. With 7.62x25 brass available as cheap as it is, no reason to do this. I had read about the process and thought I would try it. Made about a 100. Case volume is lower than factory brass because brass is so thick.

[Good Cheer]

Not difficult, just multiple steps.

[Good Cheer]

Making .38 Long Cox from 45-70 is actually more involved than turning 30-06 into 22-250.